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	<title>Standard Marketing</title>
	
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	<description>Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and SEO Seminars</description>
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		<title>How to Write Content Headlines &amp; Titles for SEO</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/IspUTnKiTGQ/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/05/how-to-write-content-headlines-titles-for-seo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 21:55:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[page titles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo content development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo headlines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo titles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5707</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How to Write Content Headlines &#38; Titles for SEO  -  the writer inside of me cringes at that caption. What would Mark Twain think? However, the SEO internet marketing content developer in me knows it’s necessary to keep Google happy and sending people our way – or is it? Headlines and titles are one of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>How to Write Content Headlines &amp; Titles</em> <em>for SEO  </em>-  the writer inside of me cringes at that caption. What would Mark Twain think? However, the <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/internet-marketing/">SEO internet marketing</a> content developer in me knows it’s necessary to keep Google happy and sending people our way – or is it?</p>
<p>Headlines and titles are one of the most important parts of content development. Whether you maintain a weekly blog for your business or send out company press releases once per month, Google rewards those that make it as easy as possible for people searching for content relevant to the product, service, or topic at hand to find what they are looking for. After all, the public can’t anticipate whatever pun ridden title you came up with – no matter how knee slapping funny it is.</p>
<p>This article will help you optimize headlines and titles for your content so that Google will show you some love, while still keeping your writer’s integrity in tact:</p>
<p><span id="more-5707"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Shakespeare-SEO.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-5708" title="Shakespeare-SEO" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Shakespeare-SEO.jpg" alt="" width="784" height="248" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Unfortunately Mr. Shakespeare did NOT leave us his thoughts on writing for SEO</em></p>
<p><strong><em>1. Article Title vs. Page Title</em></strong></p>
<p>You can still write an engaging <em>article</em> title that’s visible to your audience while courting Google by ensuring that you have a content management plug-in that allows you to write a secondary <em>page</em> title that’s kept from public eye yet visible to search engines. For example, the <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-seo/">Yoast WordPress</a> plug-in allows users to enter <em>page</em> titles for SEO purposes. With the proper plug-in, your article about off-shore oil drilling can be titled “Politicians in Deep Water over Oil” for your audience while catering to SEO by writing “Off-Shore Oil Drilling Debated by Senate” for search engines. While you’re at it, be sure to add the <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-meta-description/">Meta Description</a> found within the plug-in as well.</p>
<p><strong><em>2. Title Length</em></strong></p>
<p>You want to make sure your <em>article</em> titles are descriptive yet succinct within a limited number of words. For the “visible” <em>article </em>titles, common sense should dictate length. If it wouldn’t look good as a newspaper headline then the same is probably true online. For <em>page </em>titles, Google displays up to 70 characters on their search engine results page. This doesn’t mean you should squeeze in every last character, but it allows some breathing room. If you can fully describe the article in a <em>page </em>title with 50 characters, then do so.</p>
<p><strong><em>3. Keyword Care</em></strong></p>
<p>Relax on the keyword stuffing. If well written, the body of the article will do the trick for the most part in getting your work noticed by Google, so unless the title (<em>article</em> and <em>page</em>) can somehow organically fit in more than one keyword, keep it simple. For example, if you are a local Realtor, don’t title your latest blog “Local Real Estate Market is Ripe for Realtors Selling Real Estate Properties”. Google knows what you are up to.</p>
<p><strong><em>4. Find Balance</em></strong></p>
<p>Find a balance between <em>article </em>titles and <em>page</em> titles. Just because an SEO plug-in allows you more freedom with the former, it doesn’t mean you should get all Shakespearean. Why not hit Google with a one-two punch by allowing a descriptive word in your visible title as well? In addition, you want your real audience (the public) to recognize what the article is about by simply looking at the heading.</p>
<p><strong><em>5. Get Creative on Social   </em></strong></p>
<p>If your inner-poet insists on displaying to the public that you have more wit than Walt Witman or Waldo Emerson then you can do so when reposting your articles on Social Networks and other <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/05/off-site-blogging/">off-site blogging platforms</a>. On article link submitting sites like <strong>Digg</strong> or <strong>Reddit</strong>, the more outstanding the title (with a detailed description) the better. When posting the link to your article on <strong>Twitter</strong> or <strong>Facebook</strong>, get as creative with the headline as you want to. Just keep things in order back at home where the original piece exists.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Best Times of the Day for Social Media Marketing</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/Q_3Cyg4y4Qo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/05/best-times-of-the-day-for-social-media-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 23:04:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media scheduling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social network marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5691</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Clients often ask us if there is a best time of the day or week to focus their Social Media marketing efforts. This week Bit.ly &#8211; a link shortening and tracking service &#8211; released data evidencing general trends for when the public is most active on Social Media as it corresponds to specific platforms (Twitter, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Clients often ask us if there is a best time of the day or week to focus their Social Media marketing efforts.</p>
<p>This week <a href="https://bitly.com/">Bit.ly</a> &#8211; a link shortening and tracking service &#8211; released data evidencing general trends for when the public is most active on Social Media as it corresponds to specific platforms (Twitter, etc&#8230;).  Theoretically, by focusing on these high traffic times, businesses can increase the likelihood that their efforts – content and link posting &#8211; will see results via higher click through rates and conversion.</p>
<p>We thought we&#8217;d share this data with you, indicating the best times of the day (EST) to focus on three key Social Media platforms while providing implications for your business in the process:</p>
<p><span id="more-5691"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Social-Media-Icons2.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-5698" title="Social-Media-Icons" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Social-Media-Icons2.jpg" alt="" width="668" height="240" /></a></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Twitter</strong> – Most activity between 1 and 3pm Monday through Thursday. Least activity after 8pm (Monday to Thursday) and any time after Friday 3pm until Monday morning.</li>
<li><strong>Facebook</strong> – Most activity between 1 and 4pm with a peak on Wednesdays at 3pm. Least activity after 8pm and on the Weekends.</li>
<li><strong>Tumblr </strong>– This popular blogging site shows dramatically different results. Tumblr is most active after 4pm, especially at 7pm, with a weekly peak on Friday evening.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Implications for Your Brand’s Social Media Marketing Efforts</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>1. Go with the Flow</em></strong></p>
<p>You should concentrate a significant portion of your efforts during the prescribed times. The traffic is there, so it makes sense. This is especially true if your product/service appeals to the general public versus a very specific niche.</p>
<p><strong><em>2. Go Against the Grain</em></strong></p>
<p>While we do suggest targeting a good portion of your efforts during the Social Media spikes of activity, there is something to be said about staying active as a brand during the &#8220;off&#8221; hours. When you post content during high traffic times there is a lot of competition vying for the public&#8217;s attention. During downtimes, there are fewer consumers on the network but you have a better shot at getting their attention and engaging them in conversation. You may be the only one in your industry online with them at the same time.</p>
<p><strong><em>3. Follow Your Customer&#8217;s Habits First</em></strong></p>
<p>Every business should recognize their customer demographics and perform their own industry specific research before following broad generalizations. For example, if you are in the nightclub promotions industry, then you may see a higher spike in Social Media customer engagement on the weekends. Each Social Media platform has analytics available that will show brands the activity of their consumer following.</p>
<p><strong><em>4. Schedule</em></strong></p>
<p>You may not have the time to be online and engaged with your customers during the times set forth in the recent data study but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Use <a href="http://hootsuite.com/">Hootsuite</a> to pre-schedule posts during the spikes of activity and send out live posts when you have the time.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion:</strong></p>
<p>Again, your customers may have a unique demographic make-up so always be wary of generalizations. A strong social media scheduling strategy will find a balance between industry data and your own goals.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Off Site Blogging</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/XwexnkV9c7k/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/05/off-site-blogging/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 20:51:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[off-site blogging]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5662</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our last article touched on the importance of maintaining a blog on your website to increase customer conversion. This follow up piece is about adding off-site blogging as a means to further enhance your online marketing efforts. Below, you will find the 5 W’s on the value of off-site blogs and how to utilize them [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Our last article touched on the importance of maintaining a <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/05/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/">blog on your website to increase customer conversion</a>. This follow up piece is about adding off-site blogging as a means to further enhance your online marketing efforts.</p>
<p>Below, you will find the 5 W’s on the value of off-site blogs and how to utilize them as a means to attract new customers:</p>
<p><span id="more-5662"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Gawker-Office2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5671" title="Gawker-Office" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Gawker-Office2.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="391" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This isn&#8217;t what we mean by &#8220;off-site&#8221; blogging &#8211; although it&#8217;s great for office morale. Photo source &#8211; businessinsider.com</p>
<p><strong><em>1. Why</em></strong></p>
<p>Off-site blogging communicates your product or service in article format to those that are not already looking for you, thus exposing your business to new customers. This is done away from your website, on other popular online content sharing platforms. By maintaining a blog on a reputable outside blogging platform and adding inbound links from that blog you can direct readers back to your website.</p>
<p><strong><em>2 a) What – Anchor Links</em></strong></p>
<p>First, make it a priority to place links in your off-site blog using<strong> anchor text</strong>. For example, if you own a cupcake business in Manhattan (the more niche the better) and have an off-site blog, don’t write an article and fill it with “click <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span> </strong>for more information” links (embedding the link to your website in the “here” part) expecting that to have any impact on your SEO. Instead, write valuable content and place the links within text that help Google understand what you offer. Following the same example, you would write “Finding bakers that make custom <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">cupcakes in Manhattan</span></strong> can be tricky…” (embedding the link to your website in the bold/underlined portion). That way you’re not “selling” people, you are informing them and keeping them engaged in conversation, while creating an inbound link for yourself.</p>
<p><strong><em>  b) What – Unique Content</em></strong></p>
<p>Second, don’t copy and paste your on-site blog onto the off-site platform and expect it to get results. Google is wise to this practice and it will also make you look bad in the eyes of those that followed the off-site links back to your website to see the exact same word for word content. Instead, use your existing blog content and manipulate it enough to make it appear different on the off-site posting, even if the topic is the same. Another option, for those that don’t have the time (or patience) to re-write a second article on the same topic is to use the off-site blog as a means to introduce the main subject found back on your website. Simply use catchy headlines, images, and an interesting summary that makes the reader want to know more – and click through to your site where the main content exists.</p>
<p><strong><em>3. Where</em></strong></p>
<p>The more relevant (vertical) to your industry the better, but there are great general off-site blogging platforms where communities gather and post/search by categories. <strong><a href="http://www.tumblr.com/blog/standard-marketing-tips">Tumblr</a></strong> is becoming the norm for bloggers and is very easy to use. Also consider setting up a <strong><a href="http://wordpress.com/">WordPress</a></strong> blog. Of course, none of this is of any value unless you follow others using the same platform and actively interact (comment and share) on their off-site blogs so that they will do the same in return.</p>
<p><strong><em>4. Who</em></strong></p>
<p>When blogging off-site, leave the corporate name back at home on your website. Unless your brand is generally interesting by nature (travel, etc…) people are more likely to check out your off-site blog when there is a person’s name and profile photo connected to it. The less likely readers are to connect your blog to a physical business, the more likely they are to click the links you’ve placed within your article. They don’t want to feel like they’re being “sold”.</p>
<p><strong><em>5. When </em></strong></p>
<p>It’s a good idea to get in the habit of updating your off-site blog at the same time as you’ve updated your on-site (your website) blog, while you’re in the mind-set. Write your on-site blog, post it, then either summarize the article and link back to it from the off-site blog, or rewrite it with a twist (if you have the time).</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>Off-Site Blogs can be considered a bit of a luxury for business owners that have the time and/or the talent to create the content. Your website blog is the priority and the off-site work is the icing on the cake. However, it’s not uncommon for off-site blogs to get way more traffic than on-site, so they can be of tremendous value in getting you click-through traffic and increasing your overall reach. If you don’t have the time or talent on hand, contact an <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/">internet marketing company</a> with ghost-writers on staff that can create off-site content for your business.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>To Blog or Not to Blog</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/GghetHnuHBo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/05/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 19:35:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business blogging]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5649</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[New clients ask us this all of the time. They want to know if they should set up a blog on their site. Let me nip the suspense on the bud here – YES, they should, and so should you. The follow up to our decisive response usually revolves around the concern that perhaps their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>New clients ask us this all of the time. They want to know if they should set up a blog on their site. Let me nip the suspense on the bud here – YES, they should, and so should you.</p>
<p>The follow up to our decisive response usually revolves around the concern that perhaps their industry doesn’t warrant a blog. For example, business owners in the manufacturing sector may feel that the topic may be a little “dry” for a blog gobbling audience. Who wants to read your thoughts on cement mixers? I don’t, but do you know who does? Your customers. They’re out there and they are online, searching for information on your product/service and by adding a blog to your communications “mix” you have a better shot at getting their attention.</p>
<p>This article, or blog piece, details why blogs are an important part of your online marketing strategy:</p>
<p><span id="more-5649"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cement-Blog.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-5650" title="Cement Blog" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Cement-Blog.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="391" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Any industry can benefit from a blog</em></p>
<p><strong><em>1. Google Gobbles Blogs</em></strong></p>
<p>Google likes fresh content. Correction – it loves it. Google rewards (rankings) websites that continuously update their website with new and valuable content. However, for many businesses, adding new content to their website appears redundant when the site simply exists to provide set information about a product/service offering. For example, if you own a moving company, once your website is optimized and ranking well on Google, you don’t want to mess with the success you’ve had so far by shifting things around for the sake of it or by adding new pages that repeat the same content that is found elsewhere on the site. Google is wise to this practice anyways. Adding a blog however, provides your website with a channel to deliver fresh new content on a weekly basis.</p>
<p><strong><em>2. Perceived Authority</em></strong></p>
<p>You own the business and thus are considered by default to be an expert in your industry. By providing your take on your business and your product/service by maintaining a weekly blog you further validate yourself as an authority in the industry. This increases customer confidence.</p>
<p><strong><em>3. Added Personality</em></strong></p>
<p>In the past, a simple photo of a CEO, President, or GM planted beside the company mission statement in quotations or providing “team bios” did the trick to convey a personal touch. Today, the public demands more. By writing a weekly blog, complete with an avatar and personal online signature, you develop a personality for your business, one that customers can relate to.</p>
<p><strong><em>4. Conversation with Customers Equals Conversion</em></strong></p>
<p>Not only are customers better engaged when you provide them with a frequently updated blog to follow, you can optimize the blog to encourage two way conversation. By allowing comments from readers, you create conversation. They can ask questions for you to respond to and once that rapport is developed it is much easier to sell them in the future.</p>
<p><strong><em>5. Encourages Social Sharing</em></strong></p>
<p>Blogs optimized for readers to “like” and “share” articles on their <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/internet-marketing/social-media/">Social Media</a> networks allow you access to the sharing individual’s network of friends and associates. This kind of referral is an invaluable “word of mouth” tool for dramatically increasing the reach of your marketing message. In addition, maintaining a blog provides your business with fresh content to use for posting on your own Social Media accounts.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>OK, so if this article did its job, you are convinced that <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/blogs-and-blogging/">maintaining a blog for your website</a> is essential. However, as with many of our clients, the prospect may feel like a daunting task, especially if you’re not confident in your writing skills. This is when you dig into your businesses human resource reservoir to identify those with such a talent. Most writers “at heart” will jump at the opportunity. Another option is to outsource your blog contributor by securing an <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/">internet marketing company</a> with a talented content developer (“ahem”) to write the blog for your business, in YOUR voice.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>The Content Marketing Shift Towards Visual Appeal</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/UGtemG7B2kg/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/content-marketing-shift-towards-visual-appeal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:18:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[content marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[content sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[infographics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5611</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Content is everything in the age of internet marketing. Whether you sell tech related products and services or wooden widgets, you need to create engaging content for your website to get noticed by Google AND to attract repeat visitors. However, while the written (typed) word will always remain a top priority for content marketers, a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Content is everything in the age of internet marketing. Whether you sell tech related products and services or wooden widgets, you need to create engaging content for your website to get noticed by Google AND to attract repeat visitors. However, while the written (typed) word will always remain a top priority for <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/the-f-a-c-t-s-of-content-sharing-to-gain-customers/">content marketers</a>, a massive shift is occurring towards a greater inclusion of attractive imagery to serve as the gateway to, and accompany, all written content.</p>
<p>With the meteoric rise of <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> and <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/blog/standard-marketing-tips">Tumblr&#8217;s</a> dashboard becoming a standard in blogging along with Facebook’s switch to <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/maximizing-facebook-timeline-for-brand-pages/">Timeline</a> - including their one billion dollar acquisition of <a href="http://instagr.am/">Instagram</a> - it is proven that the public is responding to imagery more than ever. Swarms of early adopting B2B&#8217;s and B2C’s have jumped in line and dramatically increased their use of images to convey a message about their product/service.</p>
<p><strong>Below we examine the best practices for your business to use visual design to maximize customer conversion:</strong></p>
<p><span id="more-5611"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Standard-Marketing-Facebook-Cover.jpg"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-5612" title="Standard-Marketing-Facebook-Cover" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Standard-Marketing-Facebook-Cover.jpg" alt="" width="665" height="392" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Standard Marketing has created a series of designs to prepare for future Content Marketing  campaigns</em></p>
<p><strong><em>1. Gateway to Content &amp; Call to Action (CTA)</em></strong></p>
<p>Images should not be used for the sake of simply having a good looking ad, website, or Social Media page. They should primarily serve as the gateway to the website content or <strong>Call to Action (CTA)</strong> that you want the user to experience.</p>
<p><strong><em>2. Make it Relevant</em></strong></p>
<p>Don’t lure the user in with a cute photo of a kitten and have them land on a page about cement mixers. Make sure the photo/image used is directly relevant to the page you are directing the visitor to.</p>
<p><strong><em>3. Make it Useful</em></strong></p>
<p>Photos and videos are great when your product/service requires instruction. For example, no manner of text can explain to a first time user of cosmetic contact lenses about how to apply them better than a video could. By including instructional photos or videos within view of the product&#8217;s placement on your website, you ease consumer anxiety about trying the product and thus increase conversion rates.</p>
<p><strong><em>4. Make it Yours</em></strong></p>
<p>While there are stock image providers out there, it would be wise to secure a photographer and/or designer to create your own professional, high quality, original images. You avoid potential legal copywrite hassles and will be better prepared for future campaigns.</p>
<p><strong><em>5. Make it Mobile</em></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/why-your-website-should-go-mobile/">Mobile Website optimization</a> is a must for businesses attempting to stay a step ahead of the competition and factoring in the use of images is important in this transition. You need to consider how to make the best use of limited imagery on Mobile Websites so that the pages remain attractive while keeping Calls to Action clear for consumers using their smartphones and mobile devices to access your website.</p>
<p><strong><em>6. Infographics  </em></strong></p>
<p>Sometimes images simply cannot translate your content in the same manner that multiple text headlines can but you fear that visitors will be turned off by text heavy content. This is when Infographics are great. Infographics tell a story by combining both graphic design and text, leading the reader from the introductory topic and through the process until the conclusion is reached at the end. Here&#8217;s an example of an infographic that has some fun describing the evolution of content marketing:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Content-Marketing-Evolution.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5638" title="CM_Poster" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Content-Marketing-Evolution.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="2049" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>Perhaps you are comfortable enough on the keyboard that you can write a company blog or convey your product/service message on your website somewhat effectively. However, many feel lost when it comes to using photos, videos, and graphic design to do the same. If this is you, be sure to seek the services of a professional <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/">Content Marketing Company</a> to ensure that your business keeps up with the trend in internet marketing.</p>
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		<title>Maximize Your Email Marketing Campaign</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/Az02tHbJTjk/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/maximize-your-email-marketing-campaign/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:50:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email automation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing campaigns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile email optimization]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5566</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a follow up to our last article on making your website a priority over your Social Media campaign, this week’s entry focuses on the importance of Email Marketing. While your Social Media efforts should continue to play a vital role in your online marketing strategy, email is still a preferred method of receiving brand [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a follow up to our last article on <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/be-social-but-dont-neglect-your-website/">making your website a priority</a> over your Social Media campaign, this week’s entry focuses on the importance of Email Marketing. While your Social Media efforts should continue to play a vital role in your online marketing strategy, email is still a preferred method of receiving brand information for many customers.</p>
<p>Take these points into consideration when optimizing your email marketing campaign:</p>
<p><span id="more-5566"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/you-ve-got-mail-original.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5567" title="you-ve-got-mail-original" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/you-ve-got-mail-original.jpg" alt="" width="651" height="105" /></a></p>
<p><strong><em>1. Segmentation</em></strong></p>
<p>Many businesses collect names and emails from customers and nothing more. That’s like collecting baseball cards with no statistics. We see this all the time with online coupon companies. Promotional reps walk around cities with a clipboard or tablet taking down names and emails but don’t request demographic data such as sex, age, and product preferences. It’s important to create a basic demographic make-up for your database, otherwise the names and emails are nothing more than names and emails – not customers.</p>
<p><strong><em>2. Targeting</em></strong></p>
<p>Continuing with our example of online coupon companies, without segmentation, the public is flooded with emails of special offers and discounts for items that are not relevant to them. Why would you want to receive offers for a dog spa when don’t even have a pet? People get agitated after the one-hundredth non-relevant email offer and click “unsubscribe”. The coupon company then loses a potential customer. However, if the company added demographic data into the mix, and targeted emails to specific segments, the positive response would be tremendous. If you are fan of the Arts &amp; Culture scene in your city and you received email offers about gallery events and tickets to the theater, you would be much more receptive to emails from the coupon company in the future. Email campaigns should be targeted towards customer characteristics.</p>
<p><strong><em>3. Broad Based Targeting</em></strong></p>
<p>While targeted email campaigns are essential and should take priority in your email campaign, large scale email “blasts” have a place too. Emails to your entire database can be an effective method of delivering important announcements about the product/service or company that could be considered relevant to your entire customer base. Looking once again at our coupon company example, a broad based email could inform prospective customers about the addition of a new Social Media account to complement the coupon company’s website, where some special offers will be given only to those that “like” or “follow” that specific Social Media account.</p>
<p><strong><em>4. Automation</em></strong></p>
<p>Sophisticated email marketing campaigns will integrate automation into their strategy. Email communications can be triggered when a certain action is taken by an individual or group within the email content management system. In the coupon company example, within their most recent email, a customer “clicks” to request to receive email offers only once per week, the system can automatically send the user a brief checklist about which product/service categories they prefer to receive offers from, so that the coupon company can batch the most relevant offers towards the consumer, to be sent out only once per week.</p>
<p><strong><em>5. Mobile Optimization</em></strong></p>
<p>The public is often receptive to email offers while on their mobile device. They check their mobile emails to occupy time while on public transit, in line at a café, and even in the elevator. It’s like reading the back of the cereal box while seated at the breakfast table – anything to pass the time. In addition, 33% of smartphone users have or are willing to make purchases from their mobile device. Make sure your emails are optimized to display and function properly on all <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/website-design/mobile-websites/">mobile devices</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>Some of the above points are easy to follow for businesses attempting to maximize ROI from their email marketing campaign while others may require expertise to properly initiate. For help on optimizing an <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/internet-marketing/automated-email-marketing/">Email Marketing Campaign</a> for your business, consult an <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/">authority on internet marketing</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Be Social, But Don’t Neglect Your Website</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/kbQXwWCHS30/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/be-social-but-dont-neglect-your-website/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:04:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social network marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[websites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5544</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’ve provided numerous articles recently about the importance of both Social Media and Mobile Website Optimization as a means to better engage customers. Many of you have taken note and launched successful campaigns. However, we cannot stress enough – your website is your number one online priority when marketing your product/service to your customers. Social [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We’ve provided numerous articles recently about the importance of both <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/the-depth-of-your-social-network/">Social Media</a> and <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/why-your-website-should-go-mobile/">Mobile Website Optimization</a> as a means to better engage customers. Many of you have taken note and launched successful campaigns. However, we cannot stress enough – your website is your number one online priority when marketing your product/service to your customers.</p>
<p>Social Networks are amazing tools for online marketing efforts and they can be fun to maintain. Sometimes businesses get so caught up in their Social Media agenda that their time is spread thin, leaving the “bread and butter”, their website, on the sidelines.</p>
<p>In this article we address the methods, as they apply to Social Media campaigns, of making sure that your website comes first:</p>
<p><span id="more-5544"></span></p>
<p><strong><em><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sad-website-21.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5558" title="sad-website 2" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sad-website-21-300x218.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="218" /></a></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Website Content is the Foundation</em></strong></p>
<p>Excuse the obvious statement, but in order to post something on your Social Media accounts, you have to have content to post in the first place. If you’re just sharing content from others, or creating content only for use on Social Networks, you’re not optimizing your marketing efforts. Create all content – articles, news, photos, and videos – for your website first. All content must be rooted from your website, and branch out accordingly.</p>
<p><strong><em>Relate to Your Website</em></strong></p>
<p>If your website was “done right”, then it represents your product/service offering perfectly. All content that you create for your website and for subsequent off-site use (Social Networks, Bookmarks, etc…) should directly relate to encouraging people to “buy” your product/service from your website. Again, it’s easy to get sidetracked by developing your brand’s Social Media persona <em>too </em>well, by engaging in content sharing activities that don’t directly related to your product/service. Sure, it’s fun to share info about the latest hockey news with fans/followers, but for every casual communication, ten should relate to <em>your</em> website, not NHL trade rumors (unless of course you are a sports agent).</p>
<p><strong><em>Link Back to Your Website</em></strong></p>
<p>This is an absolute statement &#8211; everything you post about your product/service on your Social Networks should directly link back to your website. Otherwise, it’s just information blowing in the wind, serving little purpose in bringing actual customers to your website &#8211; the place where purchases are made. For example, don’t post (on networks) complete articles, instead, simply “tease” the audience with an eye catching image, title, or content summary that makes it too irresistible not to click the link.</p>
<p><strong><em>Link to the Relevant Page </em></strong></p>
<p>Finally, link content posted on Social Networks to the page on your website directly corresponding to the content. Too many marketers post eye-catching content summaries encouraging fans/followers to click through, only to have them land on the website’s home page where the item doesn’t exist. Many do this thinking that it will increase page views (assuming visitors will look for the content on other pages) but all it gets them is a high “bounce rate” – visitors coming to your page, and leaving immediately if they don’t find what they were looking for within a few split seconds.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion  <em> </em></strong></p>
<p>Remember the balance of website marketing and you’ll do just fine. Your website is the foundation of all online efforts and Social Media, <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/website-design/mobile-websites/">Mobile Optimization</a>, Bookmarking, and <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/internet-marketing/inbound-linking/">Link Building</a> is the proverbial icing on the cake.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>The Depth of Your Social Network</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/YIMyiS2mkyE/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/the-depth-of-your-social-network/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:26:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social network marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5516</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Malcolm Gladwell made a statement suggesting that a brand’s Social Media network is often a “mile wide and an inch deep”. He was right. For the most part. Many Social Media marketing efforts are focused on getting a set amount of Likes and Follows and the success of their campaigns are measured by this method. For [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Malcolm Gladwell made a statement suggesting that a brand’s Social Media network is often a “mile wide and an inch deep”. He was right. For the most part.</p>
<p>Many Social Media marketing efforts are focused on getting a set amount of Likes and Follows and the success of their campaigns are measured by this method. For example, brands pay good money to simply get their numbers up to a benchmark of 1000 Likes or Follows. OK, then what? Was your campaign a success because you now have that number on your profile page? It’s nice to look at but it’s what’s behind that number that counts. Who are they? Where do they come from? And most importantly, will they buy from you?</p>
<p>For a small to medium business, it’s far better to have 100 qualified prospects (customers) who are actually interested in your brand than 1000 random fans or followers that may have visited your page once, yet rarely return. This should be a huge relief for those of you sweating unnecessarily to play the numbers game.</p>
<p>Here are a few tips to help your business develop a rich, qualified base for your Social Network:</p>
<p><span id="more-5516"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/10000-Followers.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5518" title="10000 Followers" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/10000-Followers.jpg" alt="" width="269" height="181" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">   <em><strong> Is your Social Media Campaign too focused on chasing numbers?</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>1. Follow Your <em>Customers</em></strong></p>
<p>Avoid filling up your network with businesses that are the same as yours. We see this all the time. You follow them and they follow you in an effort to get each other’s numbers up. But you can’t sell to them, so it serves no purpose. Instead, follow your customers. They may not return the favor as fast but once you start engaging them with valuable content then they will take notice, take interest in your brand, and follow back.</p>
<p><strong>2. Engage Them</strong></p>
<p>Give your followers and fans something of value. Whether it’s interesting (not to you, but to <em>them</em>) content about your product/service, relevant news, fun facts, or even a joke of the day, they need a reason to visit your page or “feed” frequently.</p>
<p><strong>3. Interact with Them</strong></p>
<p>Having people simply visit your page is not enough. They need to interact on your page it’s up to you to get the conversation started. Ask for their input. Provide incentive to share <em>their</em> stories about <em>your</em> product/service or industry. For example, if you operate a small eatery, hold a contest where those that enter come up with a great sandwich idea. The winner gets that sandwich named after them on the menu. To enter the contest, each contestant must share the entry with their own network. Now not only have you engaged your 100 fans/followers, but you have accessed their networks, which can result in thousands of eyes focused on your brand based on a referral from their own friends. That’s value!</p>
<p><strong>4. Nurture Them</strong></p>
<p>Don’t lure them in and leave them hanging. It’s common for brands to attract a core following then forget all about them in the pursuit of new ones. If they followed you, it’s because they liked what you were doing at the time. You have to keep it up. Comment on, or Like, their posts and let them know that you remain interested in <em>them</em>. If you’ve “purchased” a large fan base through other methods (e.g. TwitterAdder, etc…), keeping up with who’s who and following the massive daily news feed will be difficult. Keep your core audience happy and that audience will grow from Word of Mouth within their own networks.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>This intention of this article was to help you understand that choosing a strategy of building a strong Social Network foundation over chasing numbers is not only more attainable, but will result in far greater customer qualification. Once that foundation grows, your sales potential skyrockets.</p>
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		<title>Why Your Website Should Go Mobile</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/NCgEGp9qf08/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/why-your-website-should-go-mobile/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:54:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile websites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smartphones]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5483</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was riding public transit the other day. I glanced up after sending an email from my iPhone and saw passengers toiling away either on their Apple, Android, or Blackberry device. There wasn’t a newspaper in sight. After disembarking I entered a café for a quick latte and witnessed tables full of patrons on iPads [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;">I was riding public transit the other day. I glanced up after sending an email from my iPhone and saw passengers toiling away either on their Apple, Android, or Blackberry device. There wasn’t a newspaper in sight.</p>
<p>After disembarking I entered a café for a quick latte and witnessed tables full of patrons on iPads and various tablets without one laptop in the vicinity. I made my way from the café and entered my building where I hopped on the elevator with others. As soon as the doors closed we bowed their heads (as if we had entered sacred ground) to scroll through our smartphones to pass the seconds it took to arrive at our respective floors. An hour later, in the gym, my cardio session was distracted by fellow fitness enthusiasts who perched themselves on treadmills and stationary bikes, not clutching bottles of water, but mobile internet devices.</p>
<p align="center"><strong><em>The revolution has not been televised, it has gone mobile.</em></strong></p>
<p>However, it’s not too late to join the party. There are over 5 billion mobile subscribers in the world to date and many of them are accessing the internet primarily through their smartphones and tablets. <strong>By 2015, it is projected that over 50% of off ALL online traffic will come from mobile devices.</strong> You have time to get on board. We have provided some additional evidence here, as to why <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/website-design/mobile-websites/">your business should have a mobile website</a>:</p>
<p><span id="more-5483"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/smartphone-comparison.jpg"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-5486" title="smartphone-comparison" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/smartphone-comparison-1024x382.jpg" alt="" width="928" height="306" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Is Your Website Ready for ALL of These Devices?</p>
<p><strong><em>Local Search</em></strong></p>
<p>The mobile revolution was spawned from convenience. Google provides different search results for mobile users than desktops to account for their exact current location. You can be out on the street and decide within a split second about where to grab lunch, read reviews, make an online reservation, and get GPS enabled directions/recommendations via walking or local transit. If you want the public to find your business at the spur of the moment and convert to paying customers, then your website needs to be mobile optimized.</p>
<p><strong><em>Attention Span</em></strong></p>
<p>Practically everyone has an <em>ADD</em> when it comes to browsing the internet. Studies show that <strong>you have 7 seconds to capture someone’s attention</strong> on your landing page before they decide to go elsewhere. If these visitors have to scroll through columns of small text to get to the goods, they will leave. Make sure your mobile home page doesn’t read like the small print of a pharmaceutical ad. Instead, put your “best foot forward” the second customers access your mobile website by displaying clear <em>Calls to Action</em> only.</p>
<p><strong><em>mCommerce</em></strong></p>
<p>If you are selling products/services online then there is no question that your website should be optimized for mobile use. 33% of smartphone users have purchased or would consider purchasing through their mobile device. The math speaks for itself.</p>
<p><strong><em>More Cost Effective than Apps</em></strong></p>
<p>For small and medium businesses, creating an app can be very costly. A recent <a href="http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/a-store-in-your-pocket-retailer-mobile-websites-beat-apps-among-us-smartphone-owners/">Nielson</a> study has shown that more mobile shoppers are accessing mobile websites to make purchases than through apps they’ve downloaded to their smartphones. This means that you can bypass the expense of app development and focus on <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/website-design/mobile-websites/">creating a mobile website for your business</a>.</p>
<p><strong><em>Appearance</em></strong></p>
<p>One of the most obvious considerations is appearance. For example, if you are using Flash on your home page, those will Apple devices will not be able to view the content. In addition, many images which appear attractive on your desktop can display cluttered on a smartphone, if they even load at all. Optimize to ensure your mobile webpage loads quickly and loads well.</p>
<p><strong><em>You Can Still Be First</em></strong></p>
<p>Depending on your industry, the chances are you still have the opportunity to be one of the first among your competition with a mobile site. In fact, it’s staggering how many businesses have yet to optimize their websites considering the popularity of mobile devices. <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/website-design/mobile-websites/">Create your mobile website</a> today for more profit tomorrow.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>The future direction of the internet has already been mapped out. No crystal ball needed this time. Take the success of your business into your own hands by having a professional <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/">internet marketing company</a> build your mobile website today.</p>
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		<title>Is YouTube for You?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/standardmarketing/~3/-SCX8ZRWPL0/</link>
		<comments>http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/04/is-youtube-for-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:09:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marcus Maraih</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social network marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youtube]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.standardmarketing.ca/?p=5433</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’re not exactly drawing your attention to a cutting edge topic here. Everyone spends some time on YouTube. However, for many, much of that time involves watching someone’s pet parakeet chasing a cat, or a pet cat chasing a large dog, or a dog playing the piano. You get the idea. Businesses on the other [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We’re not exactly drawing your attention to a cutting edge topic here. Everyone spends some time on<strong> YouTube</strong>. However, for many, much of that time involves watching someone’s pet parakeet chasing a cat, or a pet cat chasing a large dog, or a dog playing the piano. You get the idea.</p>
<p>Businesses on the other hand, could benefit from time better spent using this fantastic resource, yet often neglect to take advantage of video as a means to promote their product or service. It can feel a bit overwhelming compared to using text to <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/using-twitter-to-increase-your-customer-base/">Tweet</a> or pictures to <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/is-pinterest-in-the-best-interest-of-your-business/">Pin</a>. However, the value of YouTube as a marketing channel is exponential and should not be overlooked out of aversion to A/V technology. <strong>If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video can be worth a million.</strong></p>
<p><span id="more-5433"></span></p>
<p>Here, we have provided a few considerations about whether or not you should use YouTube for your business:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/viddy-icon5.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5452" title="viddy-icon" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/viddy-icon5-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>   <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/YouTube.png"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-5445" title="YouTube" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/YouTube-300x300.png" alt="" width="322" height="311" /></a><a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/viddy-icon4.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5450" title="viddy-icon" src="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/viddy-icon4-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<p><strong><em>Instructions </em></strong></p>
<p>If your product or service depends on customers following a set of instructions to properly use it, then video should be a priority in your marketing strategy. If an <strong>IKEA</strong> purchase came with a link to a step by step YouTube video on how to put that particular Swedish bunk bed frame together, moms and dads across the world would sigh in relief. By making every step of the purchase process easy for the customer, you are encouraging them to return to you.</p>
<p><em><strong>Content Sharing </strong></em></p>
<p>The best way to nurture the public until they become paying customers is to offer them something of value beforehand. As an expert in your industry you can provide helpful tips in video format that will give your brand the aura of authority. Take a look at this instructional video from a popular moving company below. Who would have thought of packing jackets this way? Not us. This kind of <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/the-f-a-c-t-s-of-content-sharing-to-gain-customers/">information sharing</a> creates customers in the long run.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmn9koOIY8s&amp;list=UU6tBzzCR8wi3Hj-nJgWeW5A&amp;index=1&amp;feature=plcp">How to Pack Jackets (YouTube)</a></p>
<p><em><strong>Visuals</strong></em></p>
<p>Pictures are great marketing tools yet often cannot do your product justice. One of the best examples to look at is within the real estate market. <strong>Realtors</strong> often use photos and virtual galleries on their website and perhaps a quick video snippet about themselves, but imagine the impact on the interest for one of their favorite properties if they were to perform a virtual “walk-through” with viewers, taking them from the front gate, through the yard, into the home, and walk from room to room to showcase the property. In any instance where product or service marketing would be best served by having the customer on location, but logistics make it difficult, then using video to communicate with the public will gain you a competitive advantage.</p>
<p><em><strong>Resources</strong></em></p>
<p>In a perfect world, your business would have a production team and creating quality video would be easy. Many of you, however, do not. No problem. Chances are that your mobile phone will have built-in HD video capabilities and if it’s a model made within the last year, the quality will be fine enough for YouTube. These mobile devices are also customized with “one-touch” sharing capabilities that allow you to shoot, edit, and post to YouTube with the tap of a button. You can also head over to your nearest electronic store and grab a 1080p HD video editing/sharing camera for under $150 – a worthy investment for any business.</p>
<p><em><strong>Alternatives</strong></em></p>
<p>To make the process of uploading brand videos easier, many business owners with iPhones are using <strong><a href="http://viddy.com/">Viddy</a></strong>, a free app that functions like <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/using-twitter-to-increase-your-customer-base/">Twitter</a> for video. Users can film an HD video on their iPhone and the Viddy app allows them to edit the video down to the allotted 15 seconds and post it to their brand profile page. Each video can be shared across the channel on all of your business’ Social Media accounts &#8211; <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/maximizing-facebook-timeline-for-brand-pages/">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/2012/03/using-twitter-to-increase-your-customer-base/">Twitter</a>, and yes, YouTube.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion     </strong></p>
<p>We hope this helps you in your decision to use YouTube for your business. The technology has become user-friendly yet many may still hold apprehension towards starting a video marketing campaign, unsure if they can execute it successfully. If that’s the case, consult an authority on <a href="http://www.standardmarketing.ca/internet-marketing/social-media/">Social Media Marketing</a> right away and be on your way to becoming the Martin Scorsese of your industry.</p>
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