A Google update affecting local searches
Value/Importance: [rating=5] (for local marketers)
Recommended link: SearchEngineLand announcement
Well, Pigeon would seem a logical follow-on from Google’s Hummingbird update. There seems to be an avian connection and it could change the search “pecking order” (sorry)…
Note that while Hummingbird, like Panda and Panda and Penguin, were terms coined by Google, this isn’t an official term. Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Journal has introduced the term to explain it on the Search Engine Land article above since Google haven’t given a defined name yet.
What do marketers need to know about Google Pigeon?
This algorithm update will only be relevant if your business targets local searches for a product or service in a location, for example through a store or office
It’s a major change which Google told search Engine Land, links:
“deeper into their web search capabilities, including the hundreds…
Are Facebook Admins not paying enough attention to the data behind their Reach figures?
I've been digging down a little deeper into Facebook Insights of late trying to get a handle on the organic reach issue with the current incarnation of the algorithm. I had this theory that whilst a lot of Page Admins were breezily talking about how their reach had not been throttled in recent months and were still regularly reaching over 50% of fans, that in fact they were reading their data wrongly.
I've watched really popular posts of mine in recent months and a cursory look at the Insights data does indeed suggest that some posts are reaching an awful lot of people. Here's our top performing Facebook post of recent months (it used to drag an image through but I imagine the original link author has since removed it).
…
Quick ideas to increase your followers
With over 70 million Pinterest users, which grew by 58% in 2013, then it's definitely a social media platform to evaluate to see if it fits your business and demographics. See our in-depth Pinterest marketing guide by Rhian Simms and Liz Edwards for more details.
In sectors where visual identity of products is important Pinterest can be influential:
Did you know that 'a Pin is repinned on average 10x compared to a Tweet, which is typically retweeted less than 1%?'
If you are fairly new to Pinterest and looking to grow your Followers to share your boards, then here are some practical steps:
Use high impact, high quality, colourful images - those with medium lightness are 20x more likely to be repinned.
Comment on the most popular pins to be noticed.
Give positive comments about those you are mentioning.
Use other social media platforms and offline channels to promote your presence…
A handy guide to the size specs and range of ads available on Facebook
If like the rest of us you are continually flummoxed by the myriad of ad types on Facebook, let alone the idea size dimensions for mobile, desktop newsfeed and right-hand side, help is at hand.
The nice people over at Facebook For Business have given us permission to publish their Facebook Ads Product Guide. You can download it here totally free-of-charge.
>> Download the Facebook_Ads_Product_Guide <<
You'll find other guides online but most are pre-April 2014 when lots of changes were made.
The aim of this guide is to introduce you to the various ad types available but also give advice on how best to drive awareness and engagement whether by video, image, offer or plain old message.
It will show you the ad types for driving clicks to your website, driving people…
Including the 5 reasons your content ISN'T Going Viral...
Since its inception, the Internet has opened new doors for growing a business by sharing viral content. Today business owners are naturally still keen that they "go viral" to increase their awareness. Content marketing offers opportunities to do this through the range of content marketing formats we have available to us.
What is viral marketing?
Viral internet marketing is not to be confused with ordinary online marketing. Neither is any viral content considered marketing. It isn't enough for something to spread rapidly. As it spreads, it should help get your company noticed.
Marketing guru, Seth Godin, emphasizes that true viral marketing “must market your business in a tangible and useful way.” Now that you know the difference, the next step is to find out how marketing becomes viral.
Why does content become viral?
If we're honest, there is no…
SMS is not just for promotion. Have you fully considered the possibilities of text marketing to grow your business?
What is the Marketing Mix?
For those unfamiliar with the 7Ps of the marketing mix, imagine your business represented in the form of a cake – yummy. All businesses will have different ingredients that make up their cake
Some cakes (businesses) will be different sizes. The marketing mix studies 7 ingredients to your business: product, price, promotion, place, process, people and physical evidence, assessing how each of them perform.
Despite primarily being a communications tool, SMS can add value in all areas of the marketing mix. This post illustrates how SMS can be used to make your cake taste better and make customers want more of it!
7 ingredients for SMS
1. Product/Service
SMS is a great way of adding a personal touch to your product or service;…
A summary of SEO techniques you should focus on
Some basic SEO mistakes are all too easy to make. Here are some problems with the overall approach to SEO that I've seen. Do you recognise them?
1. Putting all your eggs in the SEO basket.
SEO can be an extremely fruitful internet marketing strategy for any business, but depending solely on SEO is a dangerous game to play.
Here’s why:
Marketing is not 'one size fits all'. What works like gangbusters for one business may produce almost nothing for another. That’s why companies should use a multi-faceted marketing strategy to test the waters with a variety of tactics, and continue to evolve their strategy over time as results are produced.
SEO is not instant. Results from SEO don’t come overnight. It takes time (sometimes lots of it!) and patience. Other marketing strategies can fill your pipeline in the meantime and help you reach your target audience through multiple…
New research showing the most cost-effective techniques
Do you work in Higher Education, and interested to learn how digital marketing is driving student enrolments? Fathom has released the findings from their first quarterly EDU Standard Marketing Report to share how the sector is using the latest developments in SEO and paid search statistics in the sector, plus online advertising and email marketing trends.
Key takeaways in the infographic highlights:
Mobile marketing accounts for 15% of conversion strategies
Paid Search from Google and Bing drove 50% of the enquiries.
40% of leads from paid advertising were attributed to non-branded search.
You can download the Fathom Q1 2014 EDU Standard Marketing Report for more indepth results.…
23 techniques to build into your influencer outreach
'Influencer outreach' is often the missing part of the content marketing jigsaw, which is neglected in favour of gaining organic reach for your content. This infographic gives some ideas to shape your approach. There's no data in sight, instead it just gives ideas from well-known influencers on how you can improve your influencer outreach.
Key Influencers define the process as 'developing relationships with influential people' that can lead to their assisting you in creating visibility for your product or service.'
Listen to what some of the key influencers from the world of marketing like Jeff Bullas, Ann Handley, Joe Pullizi and Jay Baer recommend including:
Events are opportunities to build relationships.
Be open minded about who you define an Influencer to be.
Research and understand your Influencers, who are they now and what are their future goals.
Showcase your own knowledge and expertise…
How much does it cost to market a mobile app?
As a starting point for creating a budget for an app you need to be clear on the benefits for business and consumer of investing in the app. Why does your business need a mobile app distinct from a mobile responsive website? These reasons include:
The need to offer a mobile-optimized experience for your users, whether: shoppers, readers, and social network communities. For example, Zappos offers its smartphone users to shop via a mobile app.
A desire to create a stand-alone mobile app business with a free-to-play, ad-based or subscription-based business model. Games, useful apps and news services fall into this category.
The necessity to establish the brand’s presence in a mobile domain. Games and useful tools help users continue to interact with the brand on mobile devices. For example, Lego and McDonalds offers free smartphone games for kids.
Once the benefits are agreed…
