SEO Experts Weigh in on the Future of Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]

Over the past year there have been a lot of changes in the SEO world, with the Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird updates the game has changed for all marketers. SEO is now the life force behind all marketing efforts, from social media, to content marketing, to lead nurturing all aspects of marketing are interconnected. But, with changes to the marketing landscape happening at every corner, many marketers are looking for advice on how to prepare for the future. Luckily, now all marketers can get advice from the experts on the future of SEO, social media, and marketing with the following infographic.  Continue reading

3 Lessons in Brand Passion from Winning Brand Builders

Brand PassionWhat separates two brands in an industry, from one being successful and another not? Brand passion! The passion that company founders have for their brands is transferred to their customers, so customers not only purchase products but they become brand advocates because they are as passionate about the brand as the brand creator.

There is no one formula for creating a successful brand, and while passion is often a key factor, it does not guarantee brand growth. To achieve phenomenal company growth and brand awareness, brand founders need to strategically focus their passion for their product into the right marketing outlets, i.e. newsletters, social media, website design, product design etc.

To better understand how brand passion, combined with strategic marketing, can lead to brand success I want to look further into three passionate company founders: Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, Pete Cashmore, founder and CEO of Mashable, and Susan Gregg Koger, founder of ModCloth.

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11 Questions Every Social Media Manager Should Be Able to Answer

If you are currently a digital marketer or a social media marketing professional, you have most likely heard someone say “well I use Facebook, I could ‘Do’ social media” or “How hard could it be, it’s just social media.” While offensive to those of us that have worked hard to become credible professional in the social media industry, these questions also have me worried for companies looking for help with their social media.

Companies understand the importance of social media, but they often need assistance developing and implementing a strategy, so they look to hire a social media manager to grow their brand on social media sites. Continue reading

social media workflow

Social Media Workflow [Infographic]

Ever wonder how much time you should devote to social media each week? While there is no set formula, this infographic breaks down the  components of maintaining and measuring a social media strategy  (based on a 40 hour work week). Maintaining a social media strategy is not only about scheduling tweets and replying to mentions. Rather, social media  marketing is a living process in which each component is connected to the others. From content creation, to post scheduling, to campaign development, to analytics reporting, social media is an ongoing process.

The social media work flow infographic below assigns time benchmarks for eleven components of a strong social media strategy: Continue reading

The Modern Marketer: Infographic

Want to be a marketer? Well, make sure you know what it truly means. To become a successful marketer it is no longer about developing a catchy ad campaign that you will shout from the roof tops. marketing has evolved into a combination of artistry and science. The modern marketer must have a strategic and analytical mind dedicated to measurable metrics but that is always craving a creative outlet.  Continue reading

rock social mendia in 30 minutes a day

How to Rock Social Media in 30 Minutes a Day Infographic

With a defined social media strategy in place, marketers can rock social media in 30 minutes a day.

Sound too good to be true? It is actually possible if your daily use of social media is built upon a well-developed social media strategy. But, a strong social media strategy does not mean that your brand has to be on every single social media channel out there. Instead, focus on the social media channels that the majority of your customers frequent.

The infographic below explains how having an over-arching social media strategy in place can save you time and make you a more effective social media strategist. This great infographic was developed by the talented Matt Wesson, a Marketing Content Specialist at the marketing automation company Pardot. It focuses on a six channel social media strategy, and how you can build engaged communities around your brand in as little as 30 minutes a day.

So how should you allocate your time on each channel? Well the  infographic breaks the recommended 30 minutes down as follows: Continue reading

2012 Social Media Report Card Infographic Pardot

The Social Media Report Card: Infographic

2012 was a very eventful year for the social media world. (understatement, I know!) Between acquisitions, introductions of new platforms, and grand site design changes, social media was an ever changing environment. Each time things seemed to calmed down, and marketers could catch their breath for a moment, things got flipped upside-down again. But, even though social media last year was a constantly changing arena, it is important for businesses to understand where each of the social media leaders stood at the end of the year; in addition to the opportunities and threats that face each platform during 2013. Continue reading

Social Media Case Studies: Twitter Successes to Learn From

Twitter can be a powerful tool for sharing information, following topics of interest, and connecting with industry leaders. However, for many businesses (both large and small), Twitter is still that “strange” social media platform that they would like to use but they are unsure how.

There are many different approaches that businesses can take when using Twitter, such as:

  • Customer service
  • Lead Generation
  • Sales and discounts for customers
  • Giveaways
  • Communicate with customers

The following are three case studies that showcase different ways that businesses have successfully used Twitter,  as well as lessons learned while implementing these different tactics. Continue reading

Social Media Case Studies: Facebook Successes to Learn From

Businesses large and small have discovered how to leverage their Facebook communities to strengthen brand loyalty and communicate directly with customers. The challenges that they have faced and the solutions they have discovered along the way are just a few of the things we can learn from the companies who are successfully using Facebook as a marketing platform.

The following are three case studies that I think offer a lot of great insights on how to use Facebook for your business, as well as a few innovative ideas about how to use different Facebook features. Continue reading

Why You Shouldn’t Give Up on Email Marketing

While many companies are focusing on integrating social media into their marketing strategies (as they should), they are tending to also over look tried-and-true practices to reach customers, one of which is email marketing. While other online medias, such as Facebook and Twitter, continue to grow in popularity, I think that there may be a growing assumption that email marketing is becoming passé. But, this is assumption is very far from true. Email usage and reach is actually growing and is still a powerful tool for any marketer, and can still offer companies various insight into their marketing efforts, including: Continue reading