Yup, Facebook did it to us again. This time they have added the new timeline to business pages. With it come both good and bad changes. As I wrote in this earlier post “ Quit Blaming Facebook and Fix Your Own Marketing Problems” it’s important you don’t waste too much time complaining. Instead use that same negative energy and turn it into a positive. Use it as a lesson for not putting all of your social eggs in one basket!

The best thing you can do is stop complaining and get to work. The new Facebook business page timeline is here to stay at least until they decide to make the next round of changes. Might as well get use to it and make the most of it!

Below are some must know tips as well as loads of Facebook reference urls at the bottom to hopefully save you some time in case you get stuck or have further questions.

Note, there are more changes than what I included in this blog post. For this post I tried to keep it specifically focused on the “need to know” changes.

1. Know the dates.

The new Facebook timeline is set to launch on all business pages March 30, 2012. You can start playing with your new page now and see it in preview mode before actually pushing live. I encourage you to do this as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the last minute and then be stuck with a boring page that shows you were not prepared.

2. Create a new Facebook timeline cover image.

The cover image provides amazing opportunities for branding and to visually inspire and connect with your fans. The options are endless as long as you stay within the Facebook guidelines outlined in #3 below.

Create several different timeline covers so you can provide a fresh and inspiration experience for your timeline visitors!

Image dimensions: 851 x 315

3. Know the Facebook cover image content guidelines (rules).

Facebook has set pretty strict guidelines for what can and can’t be displayed and communicated on the new timeline cover image.

What you CAN do:

• Brand the heck out of your company, book or personal brand. This include brand images, logos, photos and any other visual marks.
• Inspire your audience with visually appealing graphics, colors and images.
• Use simple language that will help you inspire and connect with your fans.

What you can NOT do: (Per Facebook cover guidelines)

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website.”
• Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section.
• References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features.
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”

Basically the cover image is provided to inspire and connect with your fans. It is not meant for blatant self promotion or hard sales.

*Obviously make sure you have legal copyrights to all images and content.

4. No default landing tabs.

You can no longer set a tab as a default landing tab. Now before you go off on a wild rant about how terrible this is, remember this is a post designed to help you move forward and do good things with your new Facebook timeline. Got it? Okay, great! Now here are a few things you CAN do:

• Maximize use and space of cover image.
• Use the unique urls of apps to direct people directly to the app from pages outside of Facebook as well as posts, status updates within Facebook.
• Maximize use of the top apps shown underneath your cover photo.
• Use the apps for call to actions and to engage your fans.
• Use this as an excuse to get out of your box and focus on truly inspiring and connecting with your audience.

5. Tabs are now Apps!

Apps are the new tabs. Although you can’t set one as a default landing tab for new visitors to your Facebook page, there are still many ways you can leverage apps.

• 4 apps are always on display underneath your Facebook cover image.
• You can utilize a max of 14 custom apps on your timeline.
• Create a custom thumbnail for your app. (see #7 below)
• Apps have a unique url that can be used to drive traffic to a specific app (see #6 below).

6. Use a unique url in place of landing tabs.

Although you can no longer set a default landing tab, you can still easily get around this. Since each app has it’s own unique url you can use the unique url to direct traffic from inside or outside of traffic to a specific app.

I suggest purchasing a unique url that you can use to drive traffic to your Facebook app of choice. For example, I purchased the domain www.pamsfanpage.com and use to use it to direct traffic directly to my default landing tab. Now I will use it to drive traffic to an app of my choice. The best part of using a domain that you own is that no matter how many times Facebook changes the apps, tabs, timelines, pages or other, you can stick to one or two urls that you use on a regular basis.

7. Create custom thumbnails for apps.

It is super easy to create a custom thumbnail image for each and every app. Note custom images can not be set for photos and likes.

1. Create an image that is 111 x 74 pixels.
2. Click on the arrow to the right of your timeline (underneath the cover image). It will show a number which represents the number of apps you are using.
3. Click on the arrow next to the image of the app you want to change.
4. Click on edit settings.
5. Click on change (for the image).
6. Upload the new image.

8. Fans can now send you a private message.

You can not message your fans. The messsages are user (fan) initiated. Messages are a good way to encourage one to one communication if you have an interest in doing such with your fans.

9. Milestones.

You can set milestones for your business for current, or past dates. This is a great way to highlight key events such as grand opening, ribbon cuttings, launch of new products, new partnerships, business milestones and achievements. Milestone images are 843 x 403 pixels.

1. Click Milesone in the sharing bar at the top of your page.
2. Add a headline, date, location and details.
3. Choose to add a photo.
4. Click Save.

10. Highlighted Posts.

You can set any post to be highlighted which means it will take up both sides of the page. I know, the name “highlight” just doesn’t make sense to me either. I expected to see some type of real highlight. This feature enables you to bring special attention to a particular post within the timeline.

11. Pinned Posts.

You can set a post to be pinned to the top of the page. Pinned posts will stay on top of your timeline for up to 7 days.If possible, try not to wait the full 7 days before you change out the post unless you have a very important message to share. Chances are you have repeat visitors coming to your page throughout the week. Give them something new and fresh to check out.

12. Like button and interest lists.

The like button will now show as “liked” for all fans who have already liked the page.

There are also new interest lists that can be accessed with a simple hover of the like / liked button. You can create your own list as well as subscribe to lists the page owner has created.

Users can also select if they want to see your posts in their timeline right from your Facebook timeline by hovering over the same like button.

I will do more research on these feature and provide further detail in a subsequent post.

13. Know the required image sizes.

No need to over complicate this. Note the required image sizes and jot them down on a sticky. Stick it to your computer monitor and you won’t have to look them up or worry about forgetting them.

• Cover photo: 851 x 315.
• Profile picture: 180 x 180.
• Thumbnail image for apps: 111 x 74.
• Highlighted & milestone images: 843 x 403.
• Images within wall posts display as 404 x 404.

14. It’s what happens after the “like” that matters most.

Don’t get too hung up on all these changes. If you are focusing on only “likes” then you have much bigger problems than the Facebook default tab going away.

As I always say, it is what happens after the like that matters most.

15. Don’t freak out.

The worst thing you can do is go into “freak out” mode. If you are completely freaked out over these changes then you really need to do the “double think” on your online marketing strategy. Remember, you do not own Facebook. Facebook can make any changes they see fit, whenever they decide to do so. It is a free platform and although you may have put too much weight into the platform for the success of your business, use the anxiety you feel today as a positive to move at least a few eggs out of the Facebook basket. Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good thing, particularly when it is a basket you do not own!

Additional Facebook Resources:

Below I have compiled numerous Facebook pages to help you get acquainted with the most recent changes as well as the standard guidelines for Facebook features such as advertising and promotions.

• Start setup of a new Facebook Business Page: facebook.com/pages
• Facebook Basics: blog.facebook.com/
• Facebook Marketing Solutions Timeline Page: facebook.com/marketing
• Build Your Brand with Facebook Pages: facebook.com/help/
• Facebook Ads & Business Solutions: facebook.com/help/
• Facebook Advertising Guidelines: facebook.com/ad_guidelines.php
• Facebook Promotions Guidelines: facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php
• Facebook Cover Guidelines: facebook.com/help/search/?q=cover+guidelines
• Facebook Pages Guidelines: facebook.com/page_guidelines.php
• Amended Facebook Pages Guidelines for State & Local Government in the United States: facebook.com/terms_pages_gov.php
• Facebook Platform Policy: developers.facebook.com/policy/ (apps on pages must adhere to these)
• How to make a Facebook milestone: facebook.com/help
• Facebook Community Standards: facebook.com/communitystandards
• Facebook Data Use Policy: facebook.com/about/privacy/
• Facebook Statement of Rights & Responsibilities: facebook.com/legal/terms
• Facebook Apps, Games & Credits: facebook.com/help
• Facebook App Basics: facebook.com/help
• Facebook App Guidelines: developers.facebook.com/docs/guides/canvas/
• Facebook Personal Timeline: facebook.com/help/timeline
• Facebook Safety Timeline Page: facebook.com/security
• Facebook Family Safety Center: facebook.com/help/safety

Your Turn!

So what are your thoughts on the new Facebook timeline? Are you ready for the changes? Have you already implemented and launched the new Facebook timeline cover on your page? What are your favorite features of the new pages? What tips do you have you can share with others who may feel stuck or need inspiration?

[Credit for this great article go to Pam Moore of SocialMediaToday, published March 24, 2012.]

Are you running Google Ads, or Yahoo! ads, or any online ads for that matter, then you know how competitive it is to not only find your target audience, but to get them to respond to your advertisments. By following these simple tips you can create a much better online “experience” for your target audience, and therefore enhance the performance of your ads.

With new display formats appearing on more and more sites, consumers are interacting with brands and their messages in more immersive ways than ever. As a result, it is imperative that Internet marketers and advertisers understand the intricacies of these formats and how they can optimize the experience for those who consume advertising on the Web. – Website Magazine

Yahoo! and Innerscope teamed up to do some of the most comprehensive and amazing biometric and eyetracking research on online ads. Here are the top 5 best practices based on this research, in no particular order:

Center ads around the action on the page

Yahoo! found that aligning the advertisement around the key action on the page will result in the most viual attention and generate the strongest emotional response. Put this in prractice by right-justifying text, images and logos to the key action on the page.

Bigger does not always equal better

One of the study’s most actionable applications for designers was that consumers fixate on key images at a higher rate if there are not competing images or too much text. Audiences will only be attentive as long as it takes to complete their intended task.

Ads that blend don’t get noticed

The best performing ads were those that had backgrounds that contrasted with the white login area and drove both higher fixation levels for the ads and higher emotional response for the background itself.

Big canvasses work for direct-response ads

Another valuable piece of actionable advice from the study was that creating emotion near wher you want consumers to take an action drives brand attributes and click-through rates. Big canvasses provide the best opportunities in this case.

Faces get noticed, but can also be distracting

People are drawn to faces and they fixate more on ads that include them, but these ads are not always the most successful. Faces can distract consumers from key messaging. The best practice is to either use a single facial image to minimize distractions, or ensure that faces are closely linked to product messages.

[Thank you to Website Magazine's Editor-in-Cheif, Peter Prestipino for excerpts of his article published in the September 2011 edition of Website Magazine.]

By Kit R. Roane, contributor at Fortune Tech, Fortune

FORTUNE — The advertising firm Interpublic Group invested $5 million in Facebook five years ago and now has roughly $250 million to show for it, at least on paper. The question is whether Interpublic’s clients, or the rest of the companies throwing money at marketing efforts on the site, have the same rosy glow.

About $10 million of Interpublic’s (IPG) client advertising dollars was plugged into Facebook’s advertising network as part of the 2006 deal. While Facebook’s stock has proven to be a jackpot for early investors, marketers have found that reaching a new audience on the site has been a decidedly more challenging occupation.

A World Federation of Advertisers’ survey released in March notes that, while marketers plan on spending ever more money on social media in the next twelve months, less than a quarter are happy with the return on their investment. According to comScore’s analysis of online advertising, while Facebook and MySpace accounted for about 20% of all advertising traffic, they also carried an average cost per thousand impressions of 56 cents, almost $2 less than the Internet at large. Meanwhile, a recent report by Webtrends shows the average click-through rate declining to about half the industry standard.

It all makes one wonder if many companies might be better off just targeting customers searching Google (GOOG). And maybe they would, were these firms not daydreaming of being crowd-surfed across the Facebook empire by thousands of rapaciously eager young fans. Unfortunately, the fans aren’t all that rapacious.

Razorfish’s recent 2011 Liminal study points out that consumers prize a few things when engaging with a company. They want a modicum of trust, a feeling of being valued, a sense of control, and they want the experience to be efficient, consistent and relevant to their lives. So, where do consumers choose to go when they want to “engage” with a brand?

The Razorfish survey found that despite the gobs of time people spend on places like Facebook (1 out of every 8 minutes online), they don’t use Facebook when they want to connect with a company. Overwhelmingly, consumers were inclined to go to company websites, seek out people they feel are “in the know,” or talk to a company representative.

Companies’ emails made consumers feel more valued than companies’ Facebook pages, and the study says that in terms of engaging with brands, “Twitter and Facebook didn’t even make it into the top nine in terms of importance or frequency of use. Gasp.” In fact, Facebook ranked lower than the print ad, customer service instant messaging and the email newsletter, whether the demographic surveyed was 25-34, 35-44, or 45-plus. Gasp again.

Of course you can’t blame it all on Facebook, which appears to work wonderfully in its natural state as a social networking device that can help organize mass protests in Egypt while also allowing Sam to keep track of Sue, Madeleine to show the world her cats, and James to explain why he’s eating fried worms for lunch.

And some companies, like Virgin America, Sony (SNE), Gap (GPS), Red Bull, and, err, Playboy, seem to hit the marketing mark. “We’ve definitely seen marketers have a lot of success using Facebook Ads, Facebook Pages and social plugins for marketing campaigns, says Cyndi Schott Reseburg, a Facebook spokesperson. She notes that Facebook referral traffic to Amazon (AMZN) has been increasing and that there is plenty of evidence that marketers and companies plan to keep spending on Facebook in the years to come.

The problem is that insinuating yourself in that relationship can be delicate for a corporation. Consumers are a fickle bunch. They like discounts and promotions, but become annoyed with the constant messages informing them of what’s new. When the authors of the 2011 ExactTarget and CoTweet report say “[c]ompanies have a considerable challenge when it comes to maintaining relationships on Facebook,” they are putting it mildly.

More than half of Facebook users say they seldom visit a brand’s page once they tell the rest of the world it’s a keeper, while 55% of Facebook users have “liked” a company one minute, then decided they don’t the next. “[M]ore than half the time, the company receives no direct feedback about the consumer’s desire to stop seeing their posts,” says the report. “Kind of like a long-distance relationship where your beloved forgets to tell you they’ve moved on.”

Companies can be their own worst enemies. For every Diet Coke page there is another corporate presence sitting static and orphaned (even some Facebook investors apparently don’t see the value). Others post so frequently that users become irritated. Facebook users also complain about brand pages that look cluttered, lack polish or are repetitive. A few corporate pages have seemed combative. “We suspect … that one reason Twitter and Facebook don’t deliver for most customers right now is that brands aren’t using them to provide the experience that people want,” note the authors of the Liminal study.

Why? Many companies jump onto social media sites like Facebook without looking at why they should be there or what they hope to accomplish. Their lackluster and ham-handed presence on Facebook is an extension of their lack of presentation closer to home.

Company websites are “ground zero,” says Professor Nora Ganim Barnes, who heads the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research. HP (HPQ) has a snazzy, navigable website with blogs about new products and Twitter feeds that sell refurbished items. On the other hand, Verizon (VZN) has been accused of hiding its social links while Exxon (XOM), at first, spent a good deal of time blogging in the wilderness — Barnes says that in 2010 the massive multi-national originally failed to link its own blog to its corporate website.

“You wouldn’t run around your house with a screwdriver and say what can I fix with this?” Barnes says. “These are tools too.” This leads us to Facebook’s fluid but ever-expanding valuation — maybe if companies figure out how to use Facebook, we’ll finally get an idea of how much that $50 billion tool is actually worth.

Thank you to Fortune for this great article. How does Facebook fit into your small business marketing strategy? Let us know below.

Now on to the credits…  The following post is courtesy Simon Heseltine of SearchEngineWatch.com. Thank you Simon.
January is a time to make resolutions, and then promptly fail to follow them. That said, it’s also a time to for new beginnings, a chance to correct the mistakes of the past.

Within search engine optimization (SEO) there are plenty of mistakes that people make that they need to stop making. So if you do any of the following, it’s time to stop, especially if you want a new beginning for your SEO in 2011.

1. Home is Not Where the Traffic is

Sure, it’s your home page, but that doesn’t mean that you want it to rank for the word “home.” Unless you’re a real estate company or a homebuilder, it makes no sense to call your home page “Home” — and even then you’d want to expand that out with other terms that cover your business.

Your home page should be targeted to the primary terms that you’re trying to rank for. For example, if you’re a plumber, your home page title should target your plumbing services in your locality.

2. Moving the Staging Robots.txt to the Production Site

This issue happens more often than it should. If done correctly, your staging server’s robots.txt should block all spiders from crawling the site.

However, when the code is pushed live the robots.txt shouldn’t move with it. I’ve seen large sites experience a sudden dip in traffic after release, all due to the spiders doing exactly what they’re being told to do: not to index the production site — you know, the place where you used to make money…

The reverse of this is also an issue: Not blocking the spiders from the staging server. Once a link to a staging server appears in the wild, all bets are off. The staging server will then be indexed, you’ll have duplicate content issues, and the world can see what you’re up to.

Make sure to block spiders from indexing the staging server, and let them in where you want them to be on the production site. The easiest way to do this is to make sure that it’s added in as a step in your QA checklist.

3. Duplicate Meta Tags

Your pages aren’t all the same, the content is different (at least it had better be), different topics are broached, different products/services sold. So why have a generic description tag on each page?

Yes, you may be “Albany’s best plumbing supplier, selling pipes, tools and other plumbing equipment,” but that’s not what every page is about. Tailor your meta tags to the content of each page, target the right keywords for each page. Your list of pipes for sale should have meta tags reflecting that, while the page for each tool should talk about that tool.

4. Click Here

“Click Here” may seem like a good call to action, to tell users to click through on a link, but it’s not great for the search engines. It doesn’t tell them what the page is about.

If you absolutely, positively, utterly must have text that says “Click here to view pricing for our Amy Pond action figure” make the “Amy Pond action figure” text be the anchor text in the hyperlink. This tells the search engines that the page you’re linking to is about the “Amy Pond action figure,” and will help your page to be found by Dr. Who fans of all ages.

5. Set it and Forget it

SEO is not a once and done process, even though some people believe it is. Search algorithms change on an almost daily basis. Your competition isn’t necessarily sitting back sipping iced tea waiting for the traffic to roll in.

Even keywords change as new phrases enter the lexicon and may begin to outpace the ones you were initially targeting. And if your corporate strategy changes, don’t you think the optimization efforts on your site may need to change?

Someone needs to be in charge of monitoring your site. That includes an analytics solution and other monitoring tools, such as Google Webmaster Tools.

It’s amazing how many sites haven’t implemented an analytics solution or at least don’t have one implemented correctly. Does your analytics solution track your entire sales funnel? Do you know where in the sales process you lose the majority of your prospects?

With those tools at hand, problems — and potential opportunities — on your site can be identified.

6. Impatience

“I want it all, and I want it now,” was fine as a Queen lyric, but it doesn’t work for SEO. Getting a site to the top of the SERPs takes time, and depending on the competition for the keyword(s), may never be possible for your page.

It may take time to get the new pages crawled, to get the right, good quality links into the pages, and for them to move up the rankings. All the players involved in the SEO process must understand this. So set the expectations early and frequently with clear communication.

For the original release from WordPress, visit http://wordpress.org/news/2010/12/3-0-4-update/.

All New Prodigy Marketing Group clients have already been updated.

With the end of the year comes the compulsion to synthesize what we’ve learned about the ebb and flow of social media in 2010. Toward that end, John Antonios, writing at the Social Media & Personal Branding blog, has made a list of 100 social media tips to ponder for 2011.

Some of the tips “might sound generic and applicable beyond the scope of social media,” Antonios acknowledges, “but that’s exactly the point. Social media is an extension of real-life engagement.”

Here are a handful of his tips that illustrate that point:

• Don’t plagiarize your identity; find what’s unique about you and share it honestly.
• Work hard to ensure that your branding is consistent online and offline.
• Express gratitude.
• Be consistent and committed.
• Make sure to add value in your communications.
• Don’t fear negative feedback; instead, embrace it, learn from it, deal with it.
• Define your social media objectives and align them with your overall goals.

Above all, keep in mind that what users want most is a sense of your brand’s humanity—how you treat employees, whether your character matches your corporate philosophies, and whether there’s pride in the origins and crafting of your product or service. Social media is the perfect medium for expressing that passion—with those who are looking to share it with you.

One final reminder: Some brands avoid social media for fear of the dreaded public reaction to a faux pas. But customer criticism can be constructive. When a mishap occurs and people react, see it as users’ simply looking for a reason to trust you again. Honor that need for a renewed relationship swiftly and sensibly.

The Po!nt: Face the new year with a smile—and a little genuine social media outreach. Based on what marketers (and users) have learned over the past year, 2011 could be quite a productive one socially, with companies and customers sharing in an ongoing creative process. Good luck in the new year!

Looking for great social media marketing data? MarketingProfs reviewed hundreds of research sources to create our most recent Social Media Marketing Factbook (May 2010). With 140 pages and 102 charts, it is full of relevant social media marketing stats and trends. The Social Media Marketing Factbook is Part 5 of the complete Digital Marketing Factbook (our 296-page full report).

If 2011 is the year that you’re really going to nail your company’s web marketing, then here are 10 things you cannot fail to do — and a few in-depth articles from the Search Engine Watch library to help you achieve them.

I Will Reinvigorate My Paid Search Campaign

The trouble with search advertising is that so many companies set theirs up and then just leave it alone.

Over time, the quality of your campaign deteriorates and, although it might remain profitable, it won’t be earning you the revenue it could.

Take time to reinvigorate your campaign for 2011 and then keep on top of it as part of your regular website maintenance.

Read Ryan Woolley‘s recent “Secrets to Paid Search Success,” parts one, two, three and four for an in-depth look at where you can improve and how you can measure your success.

I Will Blog

Blogging is at the heart of so many core search engine optimization (SEO) and online marketing strategies. It fills your website with naturally keyword-rich content that people will (hopefully!) link to.

It’s social, conversational, and builds your online reputation, both as an individual and as a company. It’s informal and personable, while also making you look authoritative — and that’s to name just a few of the perks.

Take the time to update your blog in 2011 and you will soon see what a difference it makes.

But make sure you’re writing interesting, high quality stuff — the web is bursting with weak, churned out copy and it won’t raise you above the competition.

I Will Integrate My SEO and Marketing Teams

Your SEO is a part of your broader marketing work and that means the two teams will work better if they work more closely.

Don’t see your optimization as some peculiarly techie thing that happens independently of the rest of your marketing, it isn’t.

Instead, make sure your staff are frequently liaising, comparing notes, and working together to suppose the overall promotion of your website.

Your PR team can promote topics and subjects that your SEO team is keen to build links for, while your SEO team can teach your PR team how to create content that’s attractive to search engines as well as humans.

Read Harry Gold’s “Social Media Marketing Doesn’t Exist in a Vacuum” at ClickZ for some prime examples of how different areas of marketing belong to more than one team.

I Will Start Guest Blogging

Onsite blogging is great, and guest blogging is even better. Don’t be fooled by people who call such work “link building.” It does much more than that.

Guest blogging is social, it spreads brand awareness, it really enhances your authority, it helps forge industry connections, and it builds links.

But these links aren’t the only benefit of guest blogging. Short-sighted guest bloggers who chase links with poor copy are to blame for some criticism of the practice.

That’s why I enjoyed Jeremy Bencken‘s “Reports of the Death of Guest Blogging for Link Building are an Exaggeration” earlier this year. It flags up the real priorities you should have when guest blogging.

I Will Meet More With my SEO Agency

Although I’ve mentioned the importance of integrating your SEO and wider marketing teams in 2011, many businesses won’t be able to do so because they use an SEO agency.

Effective optimization work can absolutely be done by an outsider agency, but you need to bear in mind your own responsibilities.

By regularly communicating with your SEO agency, you can ensure all your marketing efforts are working toward that higher Google ranking, and that work isn’t being repeated or opportunities missed.

A hard-working SEO agency won’t want to bother a company too frequently in case they frustrate them — but it will be delighted when a customer takes a real interest in working more closely with it.

Read Bas van den Beld‘s recent article “Rules You Have to Know Before You Can Become an SEO Client” for some tips on being the perfect customer. There’s some good discussion beneath it too.

I Will Use Twitter

If you aren’t on Twitter, then you’re missing a trick. At the least, you should monitor Twitter for mentions of your business so that you can keep an eye on your company reputation.

However, it can be a powerful tool for building brand influence, making industry friends, and even building links.

Twitter has to be part of your social strategy, especially if you’re bothering to blog and attend conventions. People no longer ask if you’re on Twitter, they ask for your username. So set up an account and take advantage of this great platform.

Check out my Search Engine Watch article “10 Things You Need to Know to Get Started on Twitter” for some beginner tips.

I Will Attend At Least One Conference

All the perks of blogging, Tweeting, and other kinds of online socializing, but you get to drink a coffee and put names to faces!

Industry conferences are massively useful whatever your sector — and for your online marketing work too.

By building contacts and making industry friends, you increase the chances of being offered guest blogging slots, of having your tweets retweeted, of having your blog read and linked to.

Real life industry socializing will enhance your online socializing — and that’s in addition to all the benefit you’ll get from the speeches and workshops.

For example, SEOptimise staff almost always attend SES London — and the networking opportunities are even more valuable than the speakers.

I Will Do More With Social Platforms

The Internet is a social place and customers expect to be able to interact with you through a variety of platforms — from blogs, to Twitter, to Facebook.

Many companies don’t have the budget to target every one of these areas, as social media marketing can be a time-consuming business. But it’s worth building a social presence, even if it’s just through one website. It makes businesses seem more approachable, human, and modern, and also provides many more advertising opportunities and brand reach.

Even B2B marketing can work socially. Read Ryan DeShazer‘s article “Social Media + Search Marketing = B2B Marketing Success” for some useful tips.

I Will Consider Local Search

Make 2011 the year you capitalize on local search opportunities and enjoy all the benefits of easier rankings and highly relevant customers.

Google is really improving its location-based results. Searchers are going to prioritize their local businesses, so it’s never been more important to work on local search.

Even better, it’s often more affordable than trying to compete on a national or international scale, so it levels the playing field for smaller businesses.

Read Ray “Catfish” Comstock‘s excellent article “The Importance of Localized Content — Local SEO Takes Center Stage” for some good tips.

I Will Stay Abreast of Changes in Online Marketing

Online marketing isn’t something you learn once and then apply forever. It changes, evolves, and presents new challenges and demands.

Whether you’re an SEO exec or an in-house web marketer, you need to stay on top of changes in your industry or you risk becoming irrelevant, or even damaging to your employer.

Attending conferences is one way of keeping on top of things, but it’s better to be keeping a daily finger on the pulse so that you can react rapidly to new developments and move fast to secure the best position for your client or company.

Regularly reading online marketing articles and blog posts, and engaging in the discussions and debate they provoke, will ensure you remain on the ball.

If you’ve implemented any of the tips in this article, don’t then consider yourself up to date — the bar gets higher every month.

Check out blogs and industry news sources, especially Search Engine Watch’s daily articles, to keep yourself on track. Maybe next year you won’t need any resolutions, because your marketing will be working as efficiently and effectively as possible.