My Top Ten List

Here’s some important reasons why you should start thinking about advertising on Google now.

1. Search advertising brings measurable results.  Period.

2. Search advertising reaches people when they are looking for you.

3. Display advertising with Google gets your message and brand out to your target audience at a very good price.

4. The geographic targeting in Google keeps your costs down.

5. The new retargeting features in Google AdWords allows you to continue to reach anyone that has shown an interest in your business, long after they have left your site.

6. If you do it right, it’s typically very, very cheap.

7. If you do it right, it provides priceless data for other marketing, such as SEO.

8. Your competitors are probably not doing it right.

9. Google AdWords is powerful, yet fairly easy to learn.

10. There is a tremendous amount of work (and jobs) available to those that know and do Google AdWords.

The above points are real and I believe each and every one of them.

However…

1. Most individuals and businesses may tell you otherwise, but it’s only because they have not learned it well.

2. Most marketers will not tell you how awesome Google AdWords is because they don’t want you competing with them.

Do you agree?

If you do Google AdWords and are happy with your results, please post a comment below so that it does not look like I’m just doing cheesy advertising for my upcoming class!

If you want to learn AdWords, we teach a class only a few times per year.

1. Here’s one that starts this Thursday.

2. Here’s the full description.

3. Here’s the full schedule.

4. Here’s an important announcement it.

But over the weekend, this particular class just got better.

See, we have several students registered already.  I recognized some of the names.  One or two are new to AdWords.  No problem.

But several others have been using Google AdWords for a while now.  And I just know that they will have some advanced questions.  For example, they are going to want to learn more and perhaps have some very specific questions on QUALITY SCORE and RETARGETING.

So here’s what I did…

I got a friend of mine that has been doing AdWords a lot lately to come over.  Chris Easler is coming over from Asheville.  I know AdWords pretty well.  But for some of those finer points, it’s going to be great to have an extra brain in the room.

So here’s what we’ll do for this class (and this class only)…

We’ll cover the basics and the beginner stuff just a little bit quicker on day one.  Then, Chris will be here teaching with me on day two.  Between the two of us, I’m confident we’ll be able to answer any of the hard questions a Google Advertiser may have.

We’ll also have time to brainstorm ideas for quality advertising for individual students.  We’ll definitely have enough time to handle both beginner AND advanced level information.

So here’s what you need to know…

If you want to understand Google advertising on Google AdWords better (or even if you are just starting out), you won’t want to miss this event.

It’s short notice, I know.  But this Thursday and Friday is going to be amazing.  Please think about registering now.  Here is the schedule and the agenda.

Here are some of the things I predicted. I have broken them into three categories.

General Technology Predictions

1. The “BIG FOUR” Internet companies have only begun to fight. These four will get real ugly with each other very soon: Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook/Microsoft.

2. MOBILE: The growth requires that marketers pay attention and test their sites for mobile usage. But marketing to people’s phones is challenging due to the personal nature of them. You need to have something they want and ask for.

3. VIDEO: The growth online will obviously continue. But the use of apps and Internet channels on televisions will also present opportunity to content creators.

4. TABLETS: The 7″ tablet market will explode this year. The $199 tag on the Kindle Fire will be the starting point. The price will go down so that almost anyone can and will buy one eventually. It’s a great size for media – books, videos, etc. Marketers need to make sure their site looks good on this platform.

Online Marketing Predictions

1. The greatest opportunity in 2012 is BEHAVIORAL MARKETING. In other words, targetting your audience based on what they do, not what they search on or the content of the page they are looking at. Prices for display advertising will rise as this popularity grows. Get in now by doing Google AdWords Remarketing and start testing.

2. Google and other businesses will continue their trend of providing less data and details to marketers (unless they do paid advertising). Therefore, ONLINE MARKETING WILL GET HARDER. The difference between experienced and tallented Internet marketers and those that aren’t will be more obvious.

3. Given the above, Online marketers will continue to be in HIGHER DEMAND. This is also due to the economy leveling out. We’re seeing this trend already.

NOTE: Several in the audience are hiring. It’s a good time to be an online marketer.

Skill Demand Predictions

1. As marketers, the single most important skill we need to all improve on as an industry is turning time and money into leads. To be more specific, getting qualified emails.

2. The next most important skill that is needed is CREATING PRODUCTS AND OFFERS that our leads want and need. Sell them what they want. But also give them what they need. Marketers need to move past just selling what our clients have and encouraging them to create and offer what their target audience wants.

3. Lastly, we need to get better at turning leads into customers. This is the least important and the easiet when you do the first two well.

PS: I’d love to hear your comments on any of the above. Agree or disagree?

I feel that they exaggerate far too often and typically over-simplify statistics.  But for some reason, I like this one.

It’s not because I love Facebook.  In fact, I think Facebook is a pretty lousy advertising platform and is a waste of time for most marketers, in general.   However, in working with and consulting with clients and colleagues, I find myself saying something over and over…

Facebook is not just a website.  It is a platform.  It’s almost like another complete Internet.  These statistics seem to confirm that viewpoint.  Marketers and businesses need to
stop treating Facebook as just another website, but as something completely different.

There is search, display, and Facebook.  Honestly, at this point, all other social marketing is practically worthless in comparison to Facebook.  Facebook is more dominant in social than Google is in search.

What does this mean to the average marketer?  It’s time to start looking for ways to allocate some budget and time to Facebook.  Not only that, we need to keep testing what works best in Facebook.  I know I am.  It’s now worth it.

Here’s the info-graphic that will help prove it.

Via: Online Schools

In preparing for it, I’ve thought long and hard about what has worked in 2011.  I’m also thinking a lot about what’s working now and what will come soon.

I’ll talk more about it at the free event.  But as a sneak preview, the new advertising opportunities that Facebook presents, connected with AdWords re-targeting, along with keyword research via scraping autocompletes holds incredible potential.

Sound confusing?  It’s not, really.  However, it is a new way of thinking.  Also, a lot of it is new.  So, if you have not been keeping up on exactly how to market on Facebook or how to take advantage of the new opportunities with Google AdWords, please take note.

These new forms of advertising online are hot subjects and have great potential to most businesses.  If you’d like to learn more about them, I’m going in to more specific detail at the Charlotte SEO Meetup I’m hosting and speaking at on Thursday, January 5 titled The Latest Opportunities in Behavioral Marketing.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

Here at Hippo Internet Marketing, we are proud to announce that in 2012 we are starting to teach our Internet Marketing classes again.  (We stopped teaching in 2011.)

However, the entire 2012 schedule is now posted on our newly designed site.  You can see the full schedule and register there.

Please note that the new schedule includes a brand new class that we did not have before.  We’re teaching a new class on Google Analytics.  Why?  Because in our surveys, it’s the one you wanted most.  You ask.  We listen.

Please take a moment now to review the upcoming schedule.  I hope to see you there!

Just this morning, Jason Keath (president of Social Fresh) and I finally finished a major project.  For the first time, we took an entire conference including some awesome speakers and topics and made it available online.

This is awesome stuff.  It means you can benefit from all these cool topics and smart people, but not have to pay the price of attending.  You can watch it all online (or on your phone) whenever it’s convenient for you.

So here’s the deal…

I have a half-price coupon that will only last a few days.  After that, you need to pay full price.  (Which is still a good price for all this.)  Use coupon code CLTCODE for 50% off.  Please don’t wait.  It’s only good for a few days.  Honest.

What else you should know…

I tell you the truth.  These are incredible topics and speakers that are very smart.  Go check out the list of topics and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s the link…

http://socialfresh.com/clt2011

Here’s what it used to look like…

Here’s what it looks like now…

Like it?

Google’s at it again!

Google just released a “new feature” that has search marketers freaking out.  Danny Sullivan explains it on his blog (Search Engine Land) here.  But I’ll give you the short story and how we may use it to our benefit, especially for those involved in Social Media.

Here’s the short story… 

When someone is logged in to Google and clicks on a natural listing (non-paid) to get to your site, Google will no longer show you what they originally typed into Google.  NOTE: This is valuable information that every analytics program has reported on for years.

For example, if you own a website, you can see that a certain percentage of your visitors came from search engines.  Of those, you can drill down to see what search phrase they typed in.  For site owners, this is valuable data.

Until now, we have used this information to determine which phrase brings the best visitors (that eventually convert to leads or customers).  We can also find certain phrases that perhaps don’t bring much traffic, yet convert well.  We then try to find a way to rank better for those phrases that bring a little traffic so that they can bring more traffic.

Don’t totally freak out yet…

The truth is, Google is only making this change for visitors that are logged in while using Google.  Google claims that less than 10% of users are logged in when they search.

(Most of us aren’t believing that one.  But we’ll see.  Even if it is true, it will likely grow.)

Overall, it’s bad news for search marketers.  Less data is something we never appreciate.  Knowing how to read good data is often the key to success.

Here’s how it affects social…

As a side benefit though, we may finally now start learning how many users actually are logged in while using Google.  This is something Chris Penn recently asked at a Social Fresh event to Brandon Uttley and Roy Morejon during their session on how Social affects Search.

It’s a good question.  Google is definitely changing the looks of search results when a person is logged in.  It may over time start changing the actual rankings of search results more and more.  (I have my doubts on that one.  But it’s possible.)  But it all depends on the user being logged in while using Google.

So, in about a week, take a look at your analytics.  Drill down to those that visited your site via Google.  In general, you will see what phrase they used to find your site.  However, make note of those that came via “(not provided)”.  Those are the ones that found you while logged into Google (and via a natural search listing).

Losing this information stinks.  But if we look on the bright side, at least we can get a general feel of how many are actually signed into Google and have the potential (or already have) been affected by social media factors.

NOTE:  Don’t get too excited.  Just because they were logged in does not mean social had anything to do with it.  It just means it could have.

Your thoughts?

Internet marketing and social media tend to take up our entire day, week, month, and year.  Next thing you know, the years roll by and you may notice that you got nothing accomplished.  I don’t like that feeling.

So personally, I set goals for each calendar year and try to focus on a particular aspect of my business.  This resets every year.

For me, 2011 is for online audio and video creation.

It is a subject that I think had great potential and is extremely interesting.  I’ve invested in some expensive (but valuable) training and equipment.  I even rented and setup a small studio at my office.  I’ve launched both Hippo Academy and Social Fresh Academy, which are primarily video-based online training.  I’m even making my way through learning Audacity for audio and Sony Vegas for video editing.

What I’ve learned so far will benefit my business and my students.

The year’s not over, yet here are some observations that I think will benefit you.

1. The key is the writing.  
Some get involved in doing podcasts and video online because they don’t want to write.  But the best stuff involves writing good scripts and outlines.  Success online depends on writing, pretty much no matter what.  If you are a poor writer, practice.

2. Next comes lighting.
The most frustrating part of doing video is getting the lighting right.  It’s so important and at times so difficult that involving an experienced person is almost always critical when starting.  It’s very difficult to learn on your own.

3. Audio editing is hard to explain
Basic audio editing in a program like Audacity is fairly simple.  But I’ve had several people explain compression to me and it’s just starting to make sense.

4. To get better on camera, nothing beats practice
Some do have natural talent in this area.  But even the experts explain that you need to spend a lot of time on camera or in front of a mic to get good.

5. Editing is extremely time-intensive
Besides maybe lighting and practice, good editing is what really makes your audio or video shine and look professional.  The actual process of this requires time.  It involves so much time, that is’s hard to imagine somoene that is good in front of the camera or microphone and also a good editor.  (See prevoius point.)

Given all of the above, I’ve determined that to get inolved in audio and video online, you need to understand the basics of all this stuff.  But to get really good from a marketing prospective, the key is writing.  After that, if you want to be the one on camera, you need to practice.

Lastly, to do the above, you can only go so far without hiring or training an editor.  I’m convinced that this is something you need to have a team in place for.

That being said, I think it’s time for online marketers and good editors to start getting to know each other and start working together more, especially locally.

(More on that later. This post is getting too long.)