Blur the Lines
If you go to search Google today, you’ll find this in the top right hand corner of your screen:
Once upon a time, the list included ‘Blogs’ as a category. You can still search blogs exclusively if you click the ‘more’ carrot – but the significance here is that blogs have been absorbed into the greater category of ‘Web’. This didn’t happen yesterday, mind you – it’s not breaking news, but it’s a prime example of lines being blurred and the inclusion of social media in mainstream ‘information accrual.’
The other day, I was talking to the glorious Nevette Previd, and I was explaining social bookmarking. As I defined it in a narrow box kind of a way, Digg, Stumble, etc., she (who admittedly is not uber-familiar with social media) asked me, “wouldn’t links within blogs be social bookmarks as well?”
But, of course. And brilliant. It’s all so clear to those of us not bogged down by it, right?
For a while now, I’ve been referring to Twitter as a social bookmarking tool – but she is exactly right. All of the social networking sites and blogs are also social bookmarking tools – because links are being favorited, shared and saved.
And social networking extends beyond Facebook, Linkedin, etc. because we’re also networking, connecting and becoming fans on Digg, Stumble and Kirtsy and on blogs via subcriptions, blogrolls and comments.
And blogging? Well, we’re microblogging on social media sites with our updates and we’re leaving comments and reviews on social bookmarking sites…so that works too.
But don’t just stop there. Social media, new media, traditional media – they’re all blending. Or rather television and print journalism are integrating with new media at a neck-breaking rate.
The definitions are growing fuzzy and that’s good, I think – everything is being integrated. The best parts are being used, the bad stuff will be left behind. Maybe we’ll all be on the same page some day…or perhaps just on the same url.
Image by billselak
Filed under Blogging, How To, Myth or Reality, Networking, Social Media | Tags: blog, Blogging, Digg, facebook. linkedin, Julie Roads, kirtsy, social bookmarking, social media, social networking, stumble, Twitter, Writing Roads | Comment (1)SEO vs VEO vs Social Media: Which is More Important?
According to Wikipedia, Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results.
So what’s VEO? Visitor Enhanced Optimization is the practice of making sure that your readers can enjoy, understand and relate to your blog, site, content, message, call to action and more. For example, you can’t dump keywords into your site copy if the paragraphs they sit in don’t make any sense. VEO is about building relationships and trust with your visitors. It’s about offering quality content, value and information.
If you only do SEO – link, metatags, keywords, etc. and it brings you good search rankings – but you don’t have good content, readable content, interesting content – then why would anyone stay? Why would they come back?
On the other hand, if you have great content and VEO – but you don’t metatag your site or the site map is difficult for the search engines to read, etc…it’ll be harder for people to find you, but if they do find you, you’ll have a good chance of getting them to subscribe and possibly hire you or buy your product.
SEO and VEO really do work in concert with each other. I think they feed each other well. And, truth be told, the search engine algorithms strive to mimic the human mind. They’re not just looking for links or keywords.
Could you change your search rank by being social?
What about social media? How do you classify social networking? Is it in a class of its own? And can you build a strong readership, a nice Alexa rank and good search engine results if you replace hardcore SEO with a blog that you use well and a large, positive presence on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn?
At the end of the day, I think that using all three components will get you the farthest. But…
- If you hate networking and just can’t be social like that – use VEO and SEO.
- If you’re a born networking and you love promotion, building relationships and connecting – use VEO and Social Media.
- If you want many one-time visitors with no punch or staying power – use SEO and Social Media. I feel quite strongly that losing the VEO will destroy you. There’s just too much good stuff out there and people can smell crap a mile away.
I’m tempted to say that Social Media could replace traditional SEO if you’re really good at working the networks.
Think about it: Are 20K followers on Twitter that adore you and feel like they know you better than thousands of dollars worth of keyword research and placement? I think so. And that’s because I’m a proponent of relationship and ‘word of mouth’ marketing. I also believe that if you’re an expert in your field, the keywords you need are going to naturally fill your site.
Of course, SEO can be good and full of quality, But, some SEO gets a deserved bad rap – because it’s black hat, or dirty pool, and to be honest it isn’t “natural” or “organic” – it seeks to reach a goal of high rankings without taking the reader into consideration. I suppose the spammers on social networking sites are the same – but they don’t usually come out on top, do they? I, for one, give them the big old BLOCK.
Bottomline: traffic drives your search engine ranking. And good content drives traffic. Social media has given us, the writers and readers, the opportunity to have a say in what sites are popular or not. The writers can populate with good content, the readers can share the site with social bookmarking and networking – even through email.
To answer my original question, ‘Which is more important?’ I’m going with this order:
1. VEO: have the goods
2. Social Media: build relationships, market, manage your PR, promote, be real
3. SEO: follow the basic guidelines and best practices, making it easy for your site to be searched, ranked and found
Image by alborzshawn
Filed under How To, Marketing, Social Media | Tags: Julie Roads, search engine optimization, search engines, SEO, social bookmarking, social media, social networking, VEO, web traffic, Writing Roads | Comments (10)digg it: the niched edition
As far as social bookmarking tools go, Digg is up there. It’s huge, and so is its playing field. The point of Digg is to allow anyone to post and share any good web content they find – whether it’s from a mega-site or a small blog – about any topic and from any perspective. They claim to be leveling the field by giving anyone a chance to be seen in this central place. And, this does happen. In the end, though, it’s all about the best content making it to the top….sort of. Right now, on the front page of Digg, there’s an article titled, “The 6 Biggest A**holes in the Animal Kingdom” – to be honest, I didn’t read it, maybe it’s a fantastic read.
Lauren Weitzman decided that the Digg pool was just too big. She’s right, you know. Why should people looking for political news wade through sports content? Why should gamers wade through celebrity fashions? And, why should moms wade through everything that is un-mommish?
Lauren’s (that’s @mommybar to all of you Twitterheads) solution was to develop MommyRanks. A site that allows Moms to post content about every subject you can imagine and then vote, or rank, the content. Just like Digg, the cream rises to the top. Yet, the field has narrowed because the common denominator is now Mom, whereas on Digg, it’s ‘everything Web’.
I asked Lauren what gave her the kick in the pants to create MommyRanks.
“I wanted to create a new type of site.” She said, “Most social networks are all looking the same lately, so I didn’t want to create another one of those. The social bookmarking and voting sites are a new breed and I enjoy participating in them, and I thought there was a great opportunity for the mom niche in this arena.”
And, why do Moms need their own social bookmarking site?
“Most of the big social bookmarking sites are great, but they are very broad. I thought that I could fill a need for mom bloggers. Also, mom bloggers love to promote themselves and their posts, and MommyRanks caters to this. Finally, with the new dsesign of MommyRanks, not only can moms promote their own site, but a screenshot of their webpage is embedded into MommyRanks for all to see. The slogan for mommyRanks is ‘Submit*Vote*Comment*Discover’, and I think that the site allows mom bloggers to do all four of these very easily.”
I think so too…and there’s a little more elbow room, more space (because it’s smaller) to let yourself step up and be heard. I would never suggest that a mom blogger somehow can’t play in the Digg sandbox (sorry, couldn’t help that), you know I think mom bloggers are uber-powerful…but for those of you just starting out, isn’t it nice to know that you can start here? Lauren will even help you if you need it…just ask.
Addition: If you read the comments below, you’ll see that Sandra, who is a fantastic mommy blogger, isn’t totally wowed by MommyRanks – and I think this opinion is totally valid and deserves some explanation on my part up here. MommyRanks is not Digg…yet. It’s still young, so neither its validity nor its impact has been proven. But I think there’s hope. And one of the best ways to grow it as a powerful site is to spread the word and encourage people to visit it and use it…so here I am, talking to you.
Filed under How To, Networking | Tags: Digg, Lauren Weitzman, MommyRanks, social bookmarking, social media, Writing Roads | Comments (3)how to craft your marketing message
Whether you’re creating your website, blog, ads or a print brochure, you have to decide on a message, a personality, an identity for your business or company. And, this will be communicated to your audience via your design and the WORDS you choose. Here are some things to think about as you begin to formulate your message (or reformulate for those of you in a makeover situation) and the feeling you would like to evoke:
1. Writing and Design must be united. Imagine a site where the words sound like they were penned by the Queen, while the design looks like it was composed by Austin Powers. OY. If it’s possible, find a writer and a designer that have a solid relationship and thrive on working together on projects. The words must support the design. The design must support the words.
2. Ask yourself some serious questions. What makes you different from everyone else in your industry? What is your background and how does it influence your work? How do you want people to feel when they see and read your marketing materials? A good copywriter and a good designer will ask you these questions…and many more.
3. What does your audience want? Don’t make it all about you – because it isn’t. Your clients/customers are the most important factor in this equation. Listen to them by reading blogs and/or joining online communities that discuss your company, product, service or industry. People are talking, so find out what they’re saying.
4. Make it personal. People identify with brands that don’t feel like gimmicks. If you haven’t noticed this lately, many companies are putting the personal spin on their brand – either by telling personal stories (Visa), making their CEO’s real people (Dave from Wendy’s), giving their company a relatable, familiar spokesperson (the Verizon guy) or even making their product into a real person (Mac vs. PC ads).
5. Be true, be you. There may be many CPA’s but there is only one you. Show your personality, reveal yourself and you will attract people. You will also repel people, but I think this is a good thing as it filters out those that won’t appreciate you ahead of time.
6. Test it out. The internet has made it possible to test products, messages, etc. online for relatively low costs via ad words, social bookmarking & networking sites and blogs. Use these tools to market effectively.
P.S. I love my Mac.
Filed under How To, Marketing | Tags: Blogging, blogs, copywriter, effective copy, graphic design, how to brand, Julie Roads, marketing message, marketing writer, relationship marketing, social bookmarking, Social Media, social networking, Writing Roads | Comment (0)why we are so important: The Groundswell
One of my favorite bloggers, Ron Miller, who I unabashedly write about from time to time, has written another stunning post that happens to align directly with my current goings-on. His post illustrates one of the things that I love about Web 2.0: you just never know where the day or your interactions will take you. Ron was interviewing Brent Leary, a partner at CRM Essentials, about something completely different, and Brent mentioned that if your vendors aren’t supporting you the way they should be, you can just go to Twitter for help…help from the people, all of us regular Joes and Jolenes.
I just so happen to be reading a fantastic book by the likes of Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff called Groundswell: Winning in a World Tranformed by Social Technologies. It’s a bestseller, a must-read and a must-understand kind of book. And, it speaks to Brent’s comment above precisely.
The ‘groundswell’ is us – you and me, the people who are on social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube and MySpace; the people who use digg, de.licio.us and hugg; people talking on forums, in chatgroups, and on listserves; bloggers; blog readers; websurfers….people on Twitter who are ready to provide guidance.
We are beyond powerful. Through our online communication, our listening, our sharing, our reading, our participation, we have figured out ways to work around big companies. Not only do we not need them so much (are they here for us anyway?), but we can tell them about how to improve their product, services, company. Companies/people can be smacked down by the groundswell, ie. when they try to fight it by trying to get something taken off-line which creates an instant fervor to spread the item far and wide, or they can find incredible success by listening to the groundswell and participating themselves – ultimately by respecting the groundswell, ie. all of us.
I could talk about Groundswell all day long, but I won’t! Go read it…especially if:
- You think this Web 2.0 stuff is going to kill you, meanwhile, you have no idea what it is or even if it’s a good idea.
- You know this Web2.0 stuff is critical for your business, but you have no idea how to do it or you think you know exactly how to do it.
- You are a writer, designer, marketer, etc…and want to serve your clients in the best way possible.
how to become a freelance copywriter: NETWORKING
Networking, word of mouth and relationships have been the greatest marketing tools for my business. While I had to have the skill, know-how, tools, etc. in order to actually do any networking, my business was built on and continues to be sustained by this growing, active network and my participation in it.
1. Join a networking group or 5. I was a member of my local BNI chapter back in Northampton, MA where my business was born. You could also join your local chamber but most people find that it isn’t as effective for relationship building as BNI. Another smart choice is to find online, local if possible, groups that support each other. I’m part of a group called Hidden-Tech where jobs are posted, questions are asked and answered, information is shared, relationships grow and people collaborate every single day. You can find groups that directly relate any profession. BNI has been the most supportive of my business, however. I find it to be brilliant in several ways:
- a weekly meeting of a committed group of professionals with open networking, educational information, self-promotion requirements and shenanigans at 7am
- one seat is allowed for each profession – one writer, one graphic designer, one CPA
- you have the chance to tell your group all about your business and educate them about what you do every week
- everyone is there to network and help each other
- your chapter is your marketing team – they learn about you and your business and spread the word on a daily basis
- good chapters pass millions of dollars each year
2. You’ve heard me say it before, but I believe that every situation is a networking opportunity. Without being obnoxious (really), I talk to people about what they do and about what I do all the time. It’s seed planting and you never know where it will lead. Sometimes the rewards are instantaneous…and priceless.
3. Web 2.0, social networking, social bookmarking, blogging. Participate online. The internet was created to share information and to communicate. If you are just focusing on your local clientele, you are missing out on an entire world of opportunity. Participate by
- blogging and sharing information
- reading other blogs
- commenting on other blogs
- responding to comments on your blog
- bookmarking blogs, sites and articles on sites such as Digg, Hugg, Technorati, etc.
- actively networking on sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Squidoo, etc.
- being respectful and unspamlike at all times
web 2.0: if I give it away for free, how do I make my money?
I admit, it does seem a bit backward, this whole 2.0 thing. Basically, you give away top-notch information, via your content – articles, video, etc. – and then you become a wild success…but the question that comes up over and over again, is ‘HOW?’ How do you make money if you are giving away your expertise for free?
I love what I just found, because it gives such a great example of how 2.0 works and it essentially answers this question. Ron Miller spoke to David Meerman Scott, who is the author of the bestselling book The New Rules of Marketing & PR (and also a fellow Contributing Editor at EContent Magazine)…and David illustrated the point with this:
“This idea is not new. Starting in the 1960s, the Grateful Dead encouraged concertgoers to record their live shows by establishing “taper sections” where fans’ equipment could be set up for the best sound quality. The band encouraged Deadheads to trade tapes and make copies for friends. The cult of a Grateful Dead concert became a pre-Internet World Wide Rave driving millions to the band’s live shows over thirty years of touring and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. “
Brilliant. That’s exactly it. You give it away for free, so people take it. IF THE CONTENT IS GOOD (mind you this is a rather large necessity for success), THEY GIVE IT TO ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS. All of these friends want more now that they know about you…so they come and they see you for themselves and they tell their friends and they want more…and they ALL buy your goods and services.
If you want to read Ron and David’s entire interview, “The Press Release is Dead: How Web 2.0 Could Save PR and Marketing” click here.
Filed under Marketing | Tags: copywriter, copywriting, Julie Roads, Marketing, PR, press release, social bookmarking, Social Media, social media, social networking, viral marketing, web content, Writing Roads | Comments (5)
