New Media Marketing News and Views

Video Marketing Facts and Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:21:00 +0000

You've probably heard by now what video marketing can do for your site or business. Here are quick facts and tips to get you started creating your video content.

BAM! You’re Now A Social Media Expert!

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:09:00 +0000

You probably didn’t see that coming did you? The simple fact is that so called “social media experts” learn by paying attention to the masses, picking up new ideas and tactics as they emerge. In a sense, the actions YOU take online, build up a social marketer’s arsenal. The most original ideas tend to stem from the people who are freshest into the social media scene.

The independent musicians, small local business owners, bootstrap entrepreneurs, these are the people I watch closely and learn the most from. It also means that for better or worse, there’s almost no set of rules, so you’re free to let your creativity take control.

Let me give you an example, it’s one I often talk about in the talks I give. A good friend of mine, who’s a lead singer and guitarist for a band, got on Twitter where he slowly started engaging with other indie musician. Over a short period of time, he build up an impressive following through sharing his music tracks for free, but it still wasn’t enough. He wanted to connect with potential “fans” on a wider level, here’s what he did. He invited Twitter users to email him a picture; it could have been of themselves, a location, scenery or anything else they wished to share, trust me some of the pictures can’t be mentioned even on this blog.

Next, he wrote and recorded short songs for a handful of people who participated based on how the pictures inspired him. Interestingly enough, some of those people who chose to participate by in his little experiment were also bloggers of highly visited indie musician related blogs and websites. Well, guess where his tracks got reposted? Needless to say, his direct connection with his newly found fans earned him very warm reviews, appreciation and exposure for his work.

The proof should inspire you to unleash a little creative energy of your own.

“About a month ago, I wrote some kind words about San Francisco one-man band Labrador Labratories. In that post, I mentioned that he was inviting fans to submit photographs of themselves; in return, he would write a piece of music inspired by that photograph.”

Give the Song a Listen – Man Near The Bathroom

“Did The Beatles ever write a song inspired by me? No, they were too busy writing about undeserving people named Eleanor and Jude. Did the Rolling Stones write a song inspired by me? No, although – since they refuse to go away – it could still happen. Did your pwecious, pwecious wittle Gwizzly Bear write a song about me? Hell no! But Labrador Labratories did. And because of that, Labrador Labratories is the greatest band in the history of music.”

http://www.theopeningacts.com ”

Substance over Style

For those who've been freighted into believing that the whole social-plex will unleash it’s fury on you for not following their Unwritten rules, I have this to say; Go out and pave your own way. You don’t need approval to discuss, object, share, or rant.

There’s a reason it’s called the real time web, and like in the real time world, you’re completely free to act upon your current state of mind. The social landscape isn’t complicated; it demands determination, substance and passion. Remember that NOBODY knows your product, service or audience better than YOU so it’s your responsibility to convey it truthfully. Just to clarify, social media doesn’t work if you’re a lone wolf. So you’ll need to participate as much as possible. It’s YOUR time. Take action.

Have Your Say. Believe me when I say that I want to be proven wrong. But I want to be proven wrong by something that doesn’t involve more scare tactics. Post your thoughts.

The Social Success Workshop - Finally Ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 07:27:00 +0000

You may have read the big news I posted yesterday, but in case you missed it, here it is!

For those in Tel-Aviv this coming March, I’m going to be hosting The Social Success Workshop, A hands-on 3 Session course, for entrepreneurs, individuals and organizations that will guide you from the initial phase of understanding the social media landscape to managing and benefiting from your involvement online.

This is where I’m going to be giving you the tools you need to build your brand utilizing new media marketing tactics such as Video, Social and SEO and Search Marketing.

The sessions will be taking place at Bar-Ilan University on March 10^th, 17^th and 24^thfrom 19:00 – 22:00.

Highlights will include

Introduction to Social Media Marketing
Creating a Web Marketing Strategy
Creating Video Content & Distribution
Tools Of The Trade (SEO Toolbox)
Maximizing Your Brand Online
Google Adwords Overview
Taking Your Social Profiles To The Next Level
Tracking and Profiting
So Much More!

Oh and by the way, Seovice Fans, I’m knocking 25% off the registration price. Spaces are limited. I very much hope to see you attend!

Registration is now open: The Social Success Workshop

A Day In My World - A Pictorial

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:10:00 +0000

So I really put this post together to take you along for a day in my life.

I see it as an interesting way for you to get to know me a little better and for me to know more about you all. Pictures catch a moment that really can't be expressed in words. Whether you're video marketing it up, sharing pictures though the social scene or posting your passion with blog posts, it's really all about connecting with your audience, sharing your passion and taking them along for the ride. Let's Begin My Day!

7:30 AM - Sipping on a shot of wake-up juice. Stovetop Espresso.

Here's a little tip for those who are just starting out with the whole Espresso experience. Listen carefully to your moka pot. When you hear a gurgling sound, your coffee's done!

7:50 AM - Time to put on some threads, I swear, my closest usually isn't this messed up. I just had a tough time deciding. After all, it's an important day, you'll be along for the journey!

8:00 AM - Getting back to a couple consultation emails from OrenTodoros.com and catching up on the social chit chat with the awesome Seovice Fans on Facebook.

8:15 AM - Hitting up my Google Analytics account. Checking on the Adwords campaigns I manage and whatnot. Today was a good day.

8:30 AM - Time to get moving. Our new'ish 2004 Renault Scenic. She's been a pleasure so far. Let's go.

First stop, dropping off Lior at Daycare. She's all Giggly in the morning. Maybe I should spend the day with her instead?? Nah.. Next time!

Welcome to Tel-Aviv. If you've never been here. You're missing one of the most unique experiences of your life. I'm headed to a client's office in Neve Tzedek, an area fashionable among the bohemian yuppie scene. All jokes aside, Tel-Aviv City holds it down like the best of them. In case you haven't noticed it's February and it was well over 20°C.

9:30 AM - We're at my second home, Mikumedia. One of my biggest clients, although at this point, we're more like family.

14:00 PM - Back outside. Time for a quick business call.

Or two.

Make that three.

18:00 PM - Final stretch at my work environment for the day. Can you say minimalist? I've become accustomed to not being attached to any one spot for to long. I tend to move around a lot.

18:30 PM - Back at home base where I was surprised by a mystirious envelop from Australia, filled with stickers and other goodies sent to me by the always awesome DJSteen and the good folks at Viddler.com! - Here's the fun back-story.

18:31 PM - Stepped in the door and greated by my little monster. Priceless...

By 20:00 PM - I was out once again at focus group with friends & family for a mobile app that's in the works. That's just how I roll.

4 Step Social Marketing Action Plan: Simplified

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:13:00 +0000

We’re at a time where the opportunities that social media offer greatly outweigh the time you could ever fully invest in them. If you think your lacking time, I assure you that you’re audience’s time is even sparser. Information is being delivered to them at a pace faster than they can ever consume. Want to be heard? You better have something damn valuable to say!

Just as you wouldn’t walk into a meeting, pitch a client or present to a crowd unprepared, you can’t afford to “wing it” engaging in social media. The question I’m about to answer in this post is; How do you prepare for something as dynamic as social interactions? Right off the bat, know this. You’re not going to connect with everyone. That’s the reality human interaction. That being said, Be ready to roll with it.

The good news is that there’s an increased eagerness to participate. All you’ll really have to do is initiate.

Step 1. Begin by understanding the social media landscape. More importantly realize that you don’t need to utilize every social service online. Invest your time where your audience is, not where your competitors are. The more you know about the network you’re active on, the bigger your advantage. There are over 350 established and emerging social networks ranging from business, entertainment, health, music, news, tech and dozens of other categories.

Set up shop on the networks most relevant to your brand or niche.

Go straight to Knowem.com and click on the Networks tab. They’ve already categorized the leading social based services. Search and Secure your name on the networks you’re not a part of yet. Even if you’re not active on them yet, you’ll want to make sure you own them.

Tip: Most of social networks offer lists, groups and sub-groups that match the industry you’re in so you’ll want to make sure you in on those as well.

Step 2. Understand where your content will live. The fact is that social media channels are constantly expanding. Our social profiles are scatted. Let’s use my content as a prime example.

I currently publish the Seovice videos on Youtube, Viddler, Vimeo and Metacafe. I share my images on Twitpic and Facebook (when I want to share them with my closest network of friends) I also have a Dailybooth account and use Photobucket to store pictures I embed on my sites and blogs. That’s at least 4 different services that I use to publish pictures and videos, not to mention the handful of social sites and micro blogs I’m active on such as Twitter, Facebook, Posterous and most recently on Google Buzz. This leads me to the biggest challenges I hear from companies and individuals during the workshops I present. What content should I post and where should I post it?

I’m the type of person that loves getting a behind-the-scenes look at the brands I love. That’s exactly what I ask you to keep in mind when creating social content. Invite your audience to participate in your organization’s creative process by giving them a glimpse of what they normally wouldn’t see anywhere else. The inevitable result of being active online is your content being duplicated across dozens of social networks.

Your goal needs to be; create content once and publish it once in the right place giving your intended audience a unique experience. Maintaining this strategy will help you participate exactly where your content lands.

Now it’s time to bring it all together, your blog should act as your content’s anchor or in a sense your home base. It’s your audience’s premier source of destination for the information you’ve shared that they may have missed. The Conversation Prism is a perfect visual representation of this strategy.

Step 3. Invest time in branding your social profiles. This step is really about commitment and consistency. Your audience expects your branding to follow through from your site and blog to your video, picture and social profiles. Luckily for those who need a little creative support there are services that will give your profiles that visual edge.

FreeTwitterDesigner is a super intuitive and free Twitter background editor. No reason to stick to the generic Twitter supplied backgrounds.

Publishing video content? “Which you absolutely should be at this point”, Viddler.com allows you to not only customize your player to match you site's color palette, but brand your videos by slapping your logo on your videos and link them up back to your site, perfectly suited for business class content with a touch of fun.

Step 4. It’s game day! You’re creating content, connecting with others and branding like it’s no bodies business. The first thing your boss is going to ask for are stats to make sure it’s working. Trust me, they all do. You’ll need to decide what you’re going to measure. The answer wildly depends of the business you’re in. Comments, Views, Followers, Fans, Reviews, Feedback, these are all worthy metrics to track. If you’re selling products or services, you’ll probably be asked to drill down to a conversion per follower level.

I’ve made it a habit to track all URLs I share using Bit.ly’s URL shortening service. It's beauty lies in the Click Summery view that breaks down click stats on the links you've shared by dates, referrals and locations.

And that my friends, is how you track the worth of your conversations!

As always, I ask you to weigh in share anything you feel needs to be added.

Super Bowl Social Media - Friday Link Roundup!

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:50:00 +0000

It’s Friday. It’s Link Love Roundup Time! This week’s links are dedicated to one of the biggest marketing plays of the year. Super Bowl!

Pepsi know what time it is: Redirecting the millions it has spent annually to the Internet. Pepsi has chosen to give away over $20 million in a social media play it is calling The Pepsi Refresh Project, debuting in 2010. ABCNews

Coca-Cola Drafts 'The Simpsons' for Game Day: Through Coke's Facebook fan page, members can send friends virtual gifts of Coke -- a bottle image that appears on their profile pages and newsfeeds. In return, senders get 20-second previews of the new commercials the beverage giant plans to air during the Super Bowl. AdWeek

Audi adds social media to Super Bowl 'Green Police' spot: Audi produced a series of videos for its Green Police YouTube channel, as well as a Twitter page. DMNews

Brand names are going straight to the crowds this Super Bowl seasons in an effort to directly account for ROI. As social marketing matures and progresses big businesses are starting to understand the effects of inviting customers to become active participants in their brand's marketing strategy.

The Real Beauty Of The Apple iPad

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Love it or hate it, The iPad has burst into our lives and has paved the way for endless imitations. Although in my opinion, the real beauty of the iPad is the social marketing aspect of it.

Friday New Media Links Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:44:00 +0000

I’m introducing a new trend here on Seovice.com. Every Friday I’ll be sharing a few of the hottest, smartest, most useful and inspiring posts I’ve read. So Without further ado…

Transparency and the Art of the Happy Ending – 1938media

New York Times to social media: Drop dead - VentureBeat

Autopsy of a Cult Brand - Pluggd.in

Must check out blogger – Casie Stewart (for doing things her way)

Last but not least, this was the soundtrack to my week:

Wu Tang vs The Beatles – Free Download

Enjoy your weekend friends!

4 More Social Media Optimization Tips To Max Your Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:54:00 +0000

The previous installment of “Max Your Brand With 4 Social Media Optimization Tips” proved to be widely important to many readers, with reposts coming from; Socialmediatoday, Alltop.com, Kleerstreem and countless ReTweets. I thank each and every one of you who connected with the tips and shared them through your social network, at the end of the day no matter what tactics you choose to follow, it really comes does down to the power of people media.

Before we proceed, I want to make absolutely sure that we’re all on the same page when it comes to social media optimization. Simply being involved and participating on a social network whether it’s mobile or web related is not social media optimization. It’s a nice start but certainly doesn’t utilize its full potential. Let’s expand on the concept of what social media optimization really means with a whole new set of tactics to strengthen your presence and maximize your brand’s online reach.

Listening Beyond Boarders with Boardtracker

One of the most important points I focus on when teaching my social media workshops is; listening. The advantage you’ll gain from understanding what people are saying about your brand, your industry, competitors or about you is unmatched. The problem is that most social media monitoring tools such as Addictomatic, Socialmention, Google Alerts and so on only dig down to the blog level. With forums and message boards still accounting for a lot of user generated content published online, you need a service that completes the picture while manages make sense of it all. That’s where Boardtracker “AKA Boardtracker V.2010” comes in.

Boardtracker is the most powerful forum search engine, message tracking and instant alerts system available. BoardTracker 2010 has already crawled nearly 2 BILLION message threads with millions more added every day. Boardtracker’s strength stems from its richness of data, allowing you to filter your searches down to specific boards, authors and dates. In short, if you’re settling for the same information everyone available to everyone else, you’re missing a world of essential information.

Multiply Your Message with Slideshare

Bloggers, here’s a question for you. How many list type posts have you published over the last few months? You know the one’s I’m talking about; The top 5 best mobile apps, 6 must-know social media tools, 10 things you absolutely need to know about [insert anything here]. By now it’s no secret that readers relate to short concise posts supplying them with the information they need within relatively short reading time. On that note;

Take one or two of your best “list” type posts and break it down into a powerpoint presentation format. Don’t forget hyperlinks within your presentation linking back to your blog or website.
Create an account on Slideshare.net
Upload your fresh new presentation and post it almost anywhere you choose!
Why stop there? Offer consulting services? Make sure people know about them with Slideshare.
Oren Todoros New Media Consulting
View more presentations from seovice.

Cram More Into Your Tweets, Say it with Images

One of the biggest misconceptions you can have online is that simply because you posted something, people saw it. On average 5-10% of followers see any one tweet. Not staggering numbers by any means. Grab your follower’s attention by including some visual stimulation to your tweets. Chances are your followers are reading your tweets using one of the dozens of twitter-based services such as such as Tweetie for the iPhone or Twitgoo on web which displays your pictures alongside your tweets. Utilize images to give your tweets the extra attention they deserve. Where you were once seeing a handful of clicks, you’ll now be seeing dozens of views and clicks for each post. Another big plus is the fact that Google has already started including real-time content in search results, giving you prime opportunity to soak up SEO Juice.

Business + Social = Social Media Press Release

Love them or hate them, press releases have maintained a healthy lifeline from the pre-internet days. The biggest change is the fact that journalists are now very active on social networks and are keen on following news, links, images or videos anywhere they break out. Add that to the fact that they’re hit with dozens of PR submissions a day. Social media strategists who are unfamiliar with traditional media won’t know what they’re in for. Managing your social media strategy? It’s your job to make journalists care!

Present your next blog posts with an angle that creates real value. If you’re writing about an event, product or service within your industry, make it matter enough for readers or journalists to pick up and share. A well-written and insightful blog post offers benefits both through your social media presence as well as optimizing your site or blog within search engine rankings. Save the $200 distribution costs and focus on delivering news people are genuinely interested in.

There you have it. 4 more social media optimization tips to max your brand. I'd share a few more with you, but then I'd be out of business! As always, the table turns to you. Share your thoughts, ideas or tips with the Seovice.com community and make sure to sign-up for direct to email updates!

Opening New Doors

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:58:00 +0000

It's the beginning of a beautiful

strategic friendship.

nascent provides the following services

- brand strategy & identity design

- design research

- competitor brand analysis

- website design & development

- interface characterization & design

- motion graphics & 3D

I am embarking with them on big upcoming projects.

Reach out to them if your needs match any of the services they offer.

Time To Sharpen Your Social Edge

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:57:00 +0000

It’s 2010, simply understanding social media is no longer enough. We’re now at the final stages before most businesses create and maintain their online presence. An increasing number of business owners understand that engaging with their existing and potential clients though is as important as being in the “increasingly obsolete” yellow pages was just a few short years ago.

One of the most important questions you need to ask yourself right now is: How are you going to maintain your competitive edge? Stats show over 15 thousand social media experts on Twitter alone. What are you going to offer that the countless social media strategist currently don’t? You’re going to really have to sharpen your skills and focus on your added value. Setting you’re clients up with social profiles, writing content and simple social participation just isn’t going to fly in 2010. Most think it’s about talking and engaging, but it’s also about taking a back seat. I’ve met too many social strategists who still haven’t fully understood the power of competitive intelligence. Learn to listen, gather and assess the information available in the industry you’re focusing on. Are competing offering a free trials, contests, downloads or invites to their service? At worst you’ll find out that no one’s really in on the action, giving you prime opportunity to step in and make an impact.

Sharpening Your Competitive Edges

Personally, 2010 is a year where I’m fully focused on 2 major aspects of increasing my brand and business. The first is by being available to offer hands on workshops. The size of the crowd doesn't matter. 5, 10, 30 attendees or packed auditoriums, it’s really about connecting with as people in a direct situation and making sure they leave knowing a lot more than they started with. Remember my motto, Happy people don’t complain.

The second area I’ve set as a main focus point is on-site training. The one thing that experience has taught me is that I’ll never know a client’s businesses as well as they do. I would much rather give them the tools and training to succeed online as opposed to spending countless hours understanding every feature they’re product has to offer.

Knowing and sticking to my offering allows me to establish a reputation in our rapidly expanding industry and more importantly, solidifying Oren Todoros New Media Consulting as key brand within the new media marketing industry.

1-UP Your Offering

So it’s clear that prioritizing your offering as a social marketer is a must. Next time you’re in a situation where you need to pitch a client, try a targeted approach by choosing 1 or 2 points you excel at; video, email, newsletters, social, PR, whatever you know is your forte rather than the “full menu” approach. Integrate you’re targeted offerings into every aspect of your business.

Social media marketers need to understand that within the next few years, the industry we’ve labeled as “social media” will be known as just “good business”.

Make 2010 Matter!

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:26:00 +0000

We're moving into 2010 in less than a few hours. Have you planned ahead for the things you want to accomplish? I don't mean resolutions, I mean making every move possible to really place your life in the position on want to be in!? You have about 7 Hours Left. GO!

Mobile App Marketing With New Media Tactics

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 09:16:00 +0000

Two very important announcements to share with you in this episode of seovice.com. The 1st a very personal and important moment in our family. The second, the launch of AppsMarketing.mobi which my parnter an I created to help mobile app developers promote and market mobile apps through the social web.

Using new media marketing tactics, we get mobile apps noticed and downloaded. Here's a quick introduction to what we're all about and how we can help.

Be sure to follow AppMarketing on Twitter and Fan us up on Facebook.

We'd love to hear about the mobile app you've developed or share with us your favorite mobile apps!

Max Your Brand With 4 Social Media Optimization Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:17:00 +0000

If you’ve been involved in the online marketing field over the last few years you’ve probably already familiarized yourself with your share of acronyms; SEO, PPC, CPA, CTR, ROI and not to mention the latest set of crazy additions straight from the social media scene RT, DM, ROV, (ReTweet, Direct Message, Return on Value). In fact, there have been so many acronyms associated with our industry that we’ve probably forgotten more than we currently remember.

There is one however that I want to dive into with this post, my current favorite: SMO – Social Media Optimization. The concept of optimizing any online initiatives is far from being a new idea but the methods that worked for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) just won’t fly with the way we work through social media and need to be refreshed. That being said, here 5 ways you needto be optimizing your social presences.

EMAIL OPT-IN BOX WITH THE FACEBOOK PAGES

Many have been quick to understand the long term benefits of Facebook Fan Pagescompared to the virally challenged FB Groups and have already made the switch. Unlike groups, fan pages are visible to unregistered people and are thus indexed. In Facebook’s words “Not only can you connect with your favorite artists and businesses, but now you also can show your friends what you care about and recommend by adding Pages to your personal profile.” But let’s go a step further take full advantage of your fan page by adding an opt-in box to connect with your fans straight in their inbox.

Step 1. Add the Static FBML Application to your page.

Step 2. Go to your Fan Page and click “Edit Page”. Look for the FBML app (scroll down) which should now be in your list and click on edit. Now it’s time to give the “Box Title” tab a good name. Something smart like, “Email Signup” or “Newsletter” or “Inbox Goodies” Whatever works for you. In the “FBML” section, simply paste your email form code in. If you don’t have a email form code yet, you definitely should signup to services such as Aweber or YMLP.com.

You can take your form and give it a style using images to improve its look and feel.

Step 3. Adding a new tab to your page’s navigation bar. Head back to your page and click on Add a new tab, You should see the FBML App with the custom name you gave it. You’re almost done, go back to Edit Page > FBML Settings > Application Settings and remove it from the Box setting so that it shows only in your Tabs.

Step 4. Give it a try. Now that you’ve set up your email tab, test it out! Also, head on over to the Seovice Fan Page and drop your email in our box and become a Fan along the way!

FREE INBOUND LINKS FROM LINKEDIN

Too many social media “strategist” have sorely neglected Linkedin for far too long. Let me tell you that understanding and utilizing Linkedin offers values and benefits that are incomparable to any other social network. Whether it’s job posting or hunting, building connections or establishing successful network groups, Linkedin is an essential business tool.

Current.tv took a humorous stab at people’s perception of LinkedIn

Here’s a quick way to optimize Linkedin so that you’re website, blog, brand or business rack up a few extra free backlinks (search engine spider food)

Step 1. Log into your LinkedIn Account

Step 2. On the right hand navigation menu, click on Edit My Profile

Step 3. The dropdown box for Websites Let’s you choose between “My Website, My Company, My Blog” Go ahead and choose Other. Next in the box to the right add a real title for the site you want to promote, so instead of Blog, my anchor link will now say: New Media Marketing instead of the generic word website. All that’s left to do now is add the URL of the page you want the title to link to. In this case I’ve entered http://www.OrenTodoros.com
I repeated the same pricess for this blog.

MULTIPLY YOUR SEARCH VISIBILITY WITH POSTEROUS

Posterous makes posting images, video, text or just about any content extremely simple.This makes Posterous a perfect solution to multiplying your online reach.

First, you’ll have more of your content for search engines to find, this will increase your online search results. Second, you can publish your Posterous content on your own website, in other words you can set up your Posterous account on your own URL.

This means you can set up your Posterous account on:

Your own domain name separate from your company website
A sub-domain of your current website or blog

For those experienced with a little coding, you can even customize your Posterous page to look and feel exactly like your existing site or blog using CSS/HTML. I have to give a quick mention of Jason Calacanis’s Posterous page. If he’s found the benefits of expanding his reach with Posterous there’s absolutely no reason you and I won’t.

YOUR PROFILE PIC IS WORTH GOLD

You may not have put too much thought into it when you created your social profile. After all, a profile picture is just an image that appears next to your description, right? No Way! Pictures have a huge impact on your social success. Think of your profile picture as your brand logo, and your profile name is your brand name. Companies pay millions of dollars to come up with a brand name and logo. How much time have you spent testing out different profile pictures and tracked the effect they’ve had on increasing your friends and followers?

I urge you to carefully consider investing at least 1 week to understanding which profile picture would be most effective for marketing your online presence. In my experiments, I’ve discovered that a profile picture with a red background really jumps off the page, also a smile is always inviting. Another important tip is to use pictures that are relevant for each social site. For Linkedin, try to upload a professional headshot of yourself. If you really want to take your image to the next level, try to brand them with your site or blog’s logo.

Now the question turns to you. What experimentation have you done through your social presences and that have proven to be effective? Share your Social Media Optimization tips with our readers and I'll round up the best ones for a follow up post!

The Peaks & Perils of Freelance Social Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:15:00 +0000

Spend more than 2 minutes on any social site and I promise you, you’ll run into a handful of user profiles describing themselves as social media experts, online marketing experts, social strategists or my personal favorite “online branding guru”. Now Normally I’d let it slide, but the reason I felt compelled to publish this post is because most of the folks jumping into the social media game are the exact same people who've missed the most crucial step, building trust.

If you’re going to make any effort in succeeding by offering your services online specifically as a freelancer, you’re going to have to spend as much time focusing on your clients as you do through your own personal network building solid relationships, sharing some or your best knowledge and creating self value within your niche. It doesn't necessarily mean you’ll need to be the authority on any given subject (which always helps) but you do need to understand the mechanics of social media and how to get the ball rolling about topics you’re involved in. You’re in a business where friends are one of the most significant factors of your success, dedicate enough time in helping them.

Be Real, It Comes Naturally

I've made it a general rule to approach every new client who I choose to work with like I choose my music. Their passion needs to inspire and move me. I need to feel it and connect with it on a very personal level. If my name and reputation is going to be attached to anything it’s has to offer value, great value. Not just for me but for the people directly connected to me. This also leads me to ask, what’s your motivation? One thing you can count on is that freelancers are generally ignited for reasons other than monetary. Stay true to yourself. The reasons I've declined clients rang from poor products or services, to lack of a challenge. Learning to decline clients is never easy, but you have standards. Stick to them.

Online, Your Reputation Is All You've Got

People remember lousy products, shady business practices, complaints from past customers and any other dirt you might every try to bury. The only thing people love more than digging up dirt is sharing it with others. Keep your credibility clean. Building up your reputation as a freelancer doesn't come quickly or easily, but with a little creativity you’ll find the methods that work best for you. Whether it’s writing e-books, video content, newsletters, blog posts or any other form of content you produce on a regular basis. The key is to get the word out and showcasing your talent. But it doesn't end there. Monitoring your reputation is as important as building one. If you’re going to be doing business online, you’ll need to know what others are saying about you, your brand and your competitors. One of my biggest beliefs is that happy people don’t complain.

Practice and Produce, Constantly!

Here’s the best advice I can ever give you. Get ready to bust your ass. If you’re used to walking into the office at 9ish, preparing your coffee, talking to your colleagues about last night’s American Idol or bragging to your boss about how successful yesterday’s meeting went (it never does) get ready to kiss all of that goodbye. You’re going to have to make every second count. The lines between your personal and professional life will be blurred. Planning ahead and scheduling your work week will make a significant difference in the quality of your work and personal life. Neither should be compromised. Do good work and make it matter.

Seovice.com at The Underground Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:15:00 +0000

The Underground Experience is a perfect example of what happens when you focus your energy and passion in the direction of your professional career. The Brainchild of Steven Max Stern, The Underground Experience offers the perfect balance between business and art. Seovice was on deck to see, hear and report on what it's all about.

The Awesome Feedback That Counts

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:43:00 +0000

I had to jump in and quickly share with you some of the incredible feedback that I received following last week's workshop hosted by the MC-Forum. The first one was written by the Coordinator of International MBA - Bar Ilan University:

"I had the good fortune to be invited to a workshop on Social Networks with Oren Todoros this week. Wow! I was pleasantly surprised to find out how useful social networks can be and to be given so many practical tools. I didn't truly expect that the day following the workshop, I would be so excited to try everything out. Even more I didn't expect to see the tangible results already. Don't miss this opportunity! Run, don't walk"

Followed by awesome feedback from the Marketing Manager of BlackBot.com

"SMM is a new field to me. I was interested to get a taste of what it means in order to use it to promote our business. I attended a SMM workshop that Oren Todoros conducted and was amazed by the information he shared. Oren is professional and passionate in his field. He gave not just a glimpse on SMM methods, but useful examples, and practical tips to start acting the next day. I give my warm advice to anyone who wishes to get started in this rising field to attend one of Oren's workshops."

Thank you IMMENSELY! That means the world to me.

Social Media Code of Ethics

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:51:00 +0000

The tornado of criticism following the launch of the Globes social media champions contest brought into attention the lack of a clear ethical code within the new media medium. Seeing as to how I've made being social my business, I felt this this it my duty to promote a set of rules one should follow when participating in any social media initiatives, whether it be competitions, promotion or any other online social interaction.

Follow the Social Media Champs in Action

Get in on the competition and remember, sometimes rules were meant to be broken.

Social Photo Sharing - Who’s The Sharpest?

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Let's get it right out in the open. No one can compete with Facebook's dominance in the photo sharing arena. To put it in perspective, Flickr recently announced that it had received its 4 billionth upload, in total. Facebook is up to 2 billion a month.

Facebook's lead however, doesn't come without its disadvantages. So-so image quality with no plans to go high-res in the near future and lack of privacy controls is partially what's keeping professional photographers in Flickr's corner.

Tag, You're It!

The question is; why are people so drawn to sharing their every move through their online social circles and for others to view them in such high numbers? Scott Marlette, an engineer who helped invent and scale Facebook photos shared his thoughts, "It's funny," Marlette says. "For me, taking pictures is more about photography—I want to see the details in the photo. But the reality is, the value of the photo is who's in it, where was it taken, and your memory or experience associated with that."

iPic, Therefore I am.

So in the social-centric web, just like in real world social circles, it's becoming increasingly important to see and be seen. Add that to the fact that most Twitter mobile clients present your shared picture right alongside your tweets without having to click through a link, and it becomes prime opportunity to increase your visibility.

Facebook's stronghold aside, there are key players clashing it out to build thriving communities, some are even doing a very noteworthy job and have gotten me hooked. I've tried, compared and rounded up the best of breed to shed light on what they each have to offer so that it sparks up a few ideas on how they can each fit into your social marketing strategy.

TwitPic
Comparing Twitpic side by side with other photo sharing services makes them pale in comparison. It's gained the most traction with live pic updates of crucial events such as the Hudson river plane crash as well as celebs and semi-celebs sharing their most intimate moments.

Pickchur
A multi-platform app that lets users broadcast images automatically to multiple sites such as: Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, Tumblr and Flickr.

Yfrog
Get your pics and vids on Twitter. They've also integrated into several other services such as: Twitterrific, Tweetdeck, PowerTwitter and more to offer a complete solution but the thing that really sets this one apart for me is the search function which is currently lacking on TwitPic. I just don't get that one. Sorry TwitPic, no search? Come on.

DailyBooth
A relevantly new player in the photo stream game. Think of it as Twitter mixed with TwitPic and add a sprinkle of old school threads and you've got the makings of a service that I've quickly grown addicted to. Others have also been quick to pay attention, recently raising 1 million in a round of funding from a group of big name investors and VC firms. The only feature missing at the moment is the option to share your pictures through your social networks, but it's to be expected very soon.

Identifying how you or your business can benefit from sharing images through social networks has become an essential part of a new media marketing strategy. This is especially true for food related businesses right around lunchtime. Give your friends fans and followers a snapshot of what's on the menu. Trust me, that'll whet their appetite!

Let's hear it from you.

What photo sharing services are you most fond of and why?
How often do you share your pics and what results have you been seeing?
But most of all we'd love for you to share some interesting images with us!

Social Networking for Business Development

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:51:00 +0000

Social Networking; don’t be fooled by thinking that it’s strictly an online thing.
It’s happening in more places and for more situations than ever before.
The circumstances which we’re living in are causing a need in people from every industry to band and work together through the professional tide.
And it’s a beautiful thing.

In the wake of large scale layoffs, top corporate executives are using traditional marketing knowhow towards making a much needed professional change and becoming grassroots entrepreneurs. In most cases, they’re realizing that there’s a gap that needs to be filled with new media trends.

Letting Go of Complete Control

Yesterday I taught a workshop hosted by the MC-Forum (follow the link to get involved) titled: Business development on Social Networks to a fantastic group of people within the MarCom and PR industry. As I host more and more Social Marketing and Networking workshops I get to meet some of the most incredible individuals in business today. The simple fact that they acknowledge the need to understand social media is incredibly inspiring. Venturing into unknown territory can be a very nerve racking experience. Control, Risk, Time, Resources, name any apprehension and I promise you that I’ve heard it during my talks. But the opportunities of being in the social media “know” far outweigh the risks of staying clear and not being involved. Like it or not, your customers, even worse, your competitors already are.

Thanking the Crowd

If I make any point clear during my one-on-one meetings with attendees during workshops, it’s this. Your enthusiasm to learn inspires me as much as the information you’ll be leaving with. And I THANK YOU for this. At the end of the day, with all the new media tools and services available at your disposal, a successful online presence depends on just one thing, enthusiasm. Regardless of the format you’re using, engagement is key. Whether it’s video, text, podcasting, webinars or an amalgamation of all of them remember that you’re in it to inspire your visitors to become active participants and remember to thank them when they do.

Apprehension is the mother of Opportunity

What are your apprehensions about social media? Post your questions below and the Seovice readers will answer them, we'll round them up in the next part of this blog post.

Social Networking for Business Development

View more presentations from seovice.

Twitter Lists - Don't Be Left Out

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:58:00 +0000

Like it or not, Twitter lists are a the internet's new Hall of Fame. This Vid is all about the purpose of Twitter Lists and how to use them for Play & Productivity.
If you've created lists, share them in the comments.

Social Exhaustion & How to Stay Motivated

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:40:00 +0000

Social Exhaustion & How to Stay Motivated Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:58:00 +0000

I know that one of the biggest challenges a social marketer can face is maintain self motivation. We've all been there when you could almost hear the echo in your blog. So I'm asking you to jump in and answer this poll, Social Marketers: What do you do to stay motivated?

Expand Your Professional Circle

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:44:00 +0000

LinkedIn is the most significant professional social network online, with over 45 million members and close to 412,000 Groups. To best utilize their service, I've launched a group dedicated to increasing connections between those involved in New Media.

Join in the NEW MEDIA NETWORK (INTL OPEN NETWORK) Introduce yourself and expand your online network by connecting with professionals in the social media, blogging, video marketing industry. Most of all, Spark up new opportunities!

Anything But Your Average

noreply@blogger.com (Oren Todoros) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:32:00 +0000

What is being socially active online good for, if it's not used to make a fundamental change? We connect, discuss and share ideas with each other in more ways than any generation in history, yet the basic things that are wrong in our society stay unchanged. The failing economy, too much violence, not enough quality time with loved ones, a faulty public education system, a health system that no one seems to get, and the list goes on. Take any of these subjects and I promise that you'll find dozens of conversations flowing around them on any given day.

One of the deepest and most direct questions we all need to ask ourselves every single day is: How do I change even a tiny fraction of the world I live in and the things I'm most passionate about for the better? Or, How do I make it matter?

Online social tools have given every single person an equal voice. I know what you’re your thinking; some people have upwards of 2 million+ followers, I'm just getting started. But make no mistake about it, that's completely irrelevant. The single most important factor in making your online actions matter is how deep you can seep into your readers daily thought process. Give your readers even needle's thread of inspiration and optimism to latch on to and they'll go from passive to active.

One such person adopting this principal is a friend of mine named Ray Segev.
Ray and I first met in June of this year when I was invited to speak on the mix between social media and the affiliate world at Affilicon, an affiliate marketing conference that takes place here in Tel-Aviv as well as other locations across the globe. While introducing myself to attendees gathered outside the event waiting for the sessions to start, "general rule of mine, meet at least 5-10 new people at events", Ray and I sat down and got to talking.

She was interested in taking her 1st steps online and was curious about understanding how to build up her online presence online. More importantly she was trying to define herself and everything she's about online. Her professional experience included movie set design. As someone who's extremely enthusiastic about movie production, I was fascinated with the work she was involved in. We didn't talk about how to become successful or generate income; we focused on, who's Ray and what does she know better than anyone else? That's when her eyes opened wide. She really got it.

Cut to 5 months later

Ray's found her footing by positioning herself within the style industry. With the launch of her blog, Raysegev.com (Hebrew) she's taken on the intense issue of full figured woman and how their perceived within the fashion industry like it was her own private war, very much like I've taken on my views of new media.

Ray and I sat down for coffee last week to catch up and fill me in on her progress so far. In the short time since she's launched her blog, Ray has met with a prominent modeling agency and is using the voice she's gained with her blog to speak out about the things that she'd like to change. One of her most heated subjects is the definitions used to describe full figured women. "Fat, Big, Full, Juicy, Round, Curvy, Bootylicious, Curvylicious, Plus size, none of these descriptions fit who we really are" She writes and invites her readers to comment with positive alternatives.

Her story is captivating for the reason that she's quickly learned that it's not enough to simply share your views. Social media has given you the freedom to pull your readers in and become part of the story. Invite them to participate, share their views, thoughts and creativity. Change the things for the better. Make it matter.

I want to hear from you. Have you posted a story on your blog or social profile that's gotten your readers involved in ways you never expected? Have you inspired others to become active participants in your cause? Share it with our readers within the comments and post a link and let us know.