Bisnis Paling Murah, Hasil Paling Banyak!

AKSARA BERMAKNA

Yth. Bapak/Ibu dimana saja berada,
Assalamu'alaikum Wr.Wb.
Salam sejahtera untuk kita semua.

Apakah anda sekalian ingin menambah
penghasilan
sampingan yang menggiurkan dengan cepat, hemat dan
efisien tanpa perantara?
Tak perlu dengan modal besar (hanya Rp 10.000,- saja),
cukup dengan kepercayaan dan kejujuran yang
diutamakan.

Bisnis tersebut dinamakan : AKSARA.
AKSARA adalah Arisan Kejujuran dan Sambung Rasa.
Dimana kami mencoba menawarkan suatu program untuk
menambah pendapatan kita semua secara halal dengan
konsep kerjasama secara ekonomis yang unik dan
mengagumkan dengan memanfaatkan jumlah penduduk
Indonesia yang besar dimana program ini dibangun
dan
dikelola oleh kita, dari kita dan untuk kita.
Konsep dasarnya adalah memberi ke atas dan menerima
dari bawah. Sederhana bukan?

Silahkan anda baca dengan teliti dan memahaminya
dengan tenang.


Caranya
sangat mudah dengan modal awal yang sangat
murah,uang akan dimasukkan kedalam rekening anda di
Bank oleh peserta lain tanpa anda ketahui.
PESAN !!!!! Jika anda tidak tertarik akan Program ini,
tolong berikan atau edarkan kepada orang lain yang
mungkin tertarik untuk
mengikutinya.

KISAH NYATA (Testimonial)

1. Dari Ahmad Supeni/ Medan , Sumatera Utara.

Seperti yang lain, saya juga waktu pertama kali
membaca brosur ini merasa tidak yakin namun hanya
sekedar untuk mencoba saja akhirnya saya putuskan
untuk ikut. Kemudian saya edarkan brosur ini kepada
teman, saudara dan beberapa nama dan alamat email yang
saya ambil di majalah. Waktu berlalu begitu cepat dan
saya sibuk dengan tugas-tugas saya sebagai dosen dan
lupa
dengan program ini. Waktu itu sekitar bulan
Mei2001 saya mencoba untuk mengambil uang di rekening
saya dan saat itu jantung saya terasa mau copot
setelah melihat saldo
tabungan saya
sebanyak
Rp.456.456.236,- sedangkan yang saya ketahui tabungan
saya paling-paling sekitar Rp. 30jutaan. Saya
termenung dan ingat sekitar 2 bulan sebelumnya
ketika
saya menyertai program ini yang dikirim oleh sepupu
saya dari Jakarta . Saya bersyukur kepada Tuhan YME
dan juga kepada sepupu saya yang telah memperkenalkan
saya kepada program ini.

2. Dari Ratna Agustina/Bekasi, Jawa Barat.

Terimakasih kepada Ibu Ambarwati yang telah mengirim
program ini kepada saya, walaupun sebelumnya saya
merasa was-was karena saya sama sekali tidak mengenal
ibu tersebut. Namun saya diyakini oleh teman satu
perkumpulan yang secara diam-diam ternyata telah
mengikuti program
ini. Teman tersebut dengan bangganya
menunjukkan buku tabungannya yang mempunyai saldo yang
cukup besar menurut saya, yaitu sebesar Rp. 600jutaan
dan ia mengatakan jumlah itu akan terus bertambah
setiap hari jika anggota baru ikut
serta
bergabung.
Dua setengah bulan setelah saya ikut, saya mencoba
melihat tabungan saya di Bank Mandiri dan
jumlahnya
sangat mengejutkan saya yakni Rp.486.659.402,-

3. Dari Imam Zuhri/Pandaan, Jawa Timur.

Perlu diketahui saya adalah salah seorang peserta
arisan dahsyat ini yang mendapatkan hasil jauh di atas
impian saya semula (walaupun itu hanya sekitar
sepertiga dari jumlah maksimum yang bisa didapat).
Surat yang Anda lihat ini pastilah surat yang telah
di-forward oleh partisipan-partisipan baru yang saya
bentuk setelah saya mendapatkan kesuksesan. Pasti Anda
akan bertanya, kenapa saya mau merepotkan diri
mengedarkan e-mail ini setelah sukses? Jawabnya
sederhana, karena saya percaya bahwa rejeki atau
keberuntungan yang datang tiba-tiba hanya bisa
bertahan lama kalau kita juga berusaha membagi
keberuntungan tersebut kepada orang lain. Apakah Anda
akan melakukan hal yang sama setelah berhasil?
Itu
terserah
pada diri Anda sendiri! Saya pun
pernah
seperti Anda saat ini, tidak yakin dan sama sekali
tidak percaya kalau uang Rp.10.000,- bisa menjadi
milyaran rupiah. Apalagi peserta dalam kegiatan ini
adalah orang-orang yang tidak saya kenal dan belum
pernah bertatap muka sebelumnya. Saya hanya tahu nama,
alamat e-mail dan nomor rekeningnya saja. Tetapi
setelah melihat dan mencoba persyaratannya,
lebih-lebih nama dan alamat e-mail serta nomor
rekening pesertanya cukup jelas, saya jadi tertarik
untuk mengikutinya. Pikir-pikir kalau tertipu, anggap
saja "Uang Hilang" dan ini tentu saja lebih baik dari
pada pasang lotre, judi atau sejenisnya yang haram dan
belum tentu dapat. Dan juga kalau dipikir dengan uang
Rp.10.000,- bisa menghasilkan lebih banyak kenapa
tidak patut dicoba ?
Setelah semua persyaratan saya penuhi.... ah luar
biasa!
Saya tidak yakin dan tidak percaya pada kenyataan yang
saya hadapi.
Setelah saya menunggu
sekitar 4 minggu
(sebulan lebih beberapa hari tepatnya), rekening saya
mulai dipenuhi transfer-tranfer uang dari seluruh
penjuru tanah air.Tak ubahnya hujan yang turun dari
langit. Setelah saya periksa saldo rekening
saya,ternyata semuanya berjumlah Rp.4.810.300.000,-
(empat milyar delapan ratus sepuluh juta tiga ratus
ribu rupiah). Pada saat Anda membaca ini Anda pasti
akan menyangka bahwa semua ini adalah tipu-menipu
berkedok penggandaan uang.

Saya tidak akan menyalahkan Anda, karena itu bacalah
terus surat ini, maka Anda akan mengerti bahwa ini
semua didasarkan pada logika rumus matematika
semata
dan tidak ada tipu menipu yang melanggar hukum. Dan
yang terlebih hebat, jumlah tersebut dapat berlipat
ganda bila jumlah e-mail yang terkirim (berarti
partisipan dari arisan ini juga berlipat) semakin
banyak!! Hasil dari Arisan ini akhirnya dapat saya
pergunakan untuk kakak saya yang akan
masuk perguruan
tinggi,
bahkan saya dapat membeli rumah, beli mobil
dan sisanya saya gunakan untuk modal usaha baru.
Saya berdoa semoga tidak lama lagi hal ini terjadi
pada diri Anda.

NASEHAT

Jangan terlalu memikirkan jumlah yang akan Anda
peroleh setelah membaca pengalaman orang2 yg berhasil
diatas. Hasil pendapatan anda tergantung dari jumlah
jaringan yang anda buat sendiri. Bersabarlah terhadap
usaha anda, berlakulah elegan dan ingatlah bahwa
peserta lain akan mengetahui segala penipuan
yang
mungkin terjadi. Keikhlasan adalah modal untuk dapat
meraih kesuksesan dalam hal ini dan bersabarlah untuk
menunggu giliran anda.
Penyelewengan yang dilakukan berarti anda mengambil
hak orang yang sudah seharusnya mendapat giliran dan
percayalah kalau sudah waktu dan saatnya anda pasti
akan mendapatkan apa yang sudah memang menjadi milik
anda. Dan diatas segalanya kita harus kembalikan semua
usaha yang
kita lakukan kepada Yang Maha
Kuasa agar
dilimpahkan Berkah dan KaruniaNya kepada kita semua.


KEJUJURAN ANDA MEMBAWA KEBERUNTUNGAN

Para Netter Yth,
Pernahkah terbayang di benak Anda akan mendapatkan
jumlah besar uang dalam waktu singkat, apalagi
ditengah badai krisis ekonomi saat ini? Impian Anda
ini akan segera terwujud dengan memanfaatkan
fasilitas
e-mail.
Baiklah, tanpa berpanjang lebar, untuk mewujudkan
impian Anda tersebut, saya akan menawarkan kepada Anda
suatu kesempatan emas berupa Arisan Kejujuran dan
Sambung Rasa (disingkat AKSARA) lewat e-mail.
Arisan ini akan mempererat tali persaudaraan
se-nusantara, hanya dengan uang Rp.10.000,- Anda akan
memperoleh milyaran rupiah dalam waktu 3-5 minggu.
Jangan kaget dan heran bila Anda mendapat e-mail ini
dari orang yang tidak Anda kenal sebelumnya. Bahkan
Anda sebaiknya patut senang dan bahagia, karena dengan
cara yang tiba-tiba, Anda mendapat
e-mail
keberuntungan

ini.

Program ini sudah dimulai sejak tahun 1985 dan
disponsori atau dimulai oleh seorang teman (dokter)
yang baru kembali dari pendidikannya di Inggris. Di
Inggris program ini sudah memasyarakat,sukses dan
sangat disukai, apalagi ditunjang dengan tersedianya
fasilitas e-mail.
Karena itu, sebaiknya Anda yakin dan percaya bahwa ini
tidak berkedok penipuan, apalagi merugikan Anda.
Jangan ragu maupun takut-takut untuk mencantumkan
Nama, Alamat e-mail dan Nomor Rekening Bank Anda
karena rekening tabungan anda aman tidak akan
terganggu atau berkurang,
malah akan segera bertambah
dengan cepat.

Jangan salah menuliskan Nomor Rekening Bank Anda,
karena hal ini dapat merugikan diri Anda sendiri. Uang
yang ditransfer dari seluruh pengirimakan masuk ke
rekening yang salah. Permainan ini akan mempererat dan
menambah tali persahabatan diantara kita sebangsa dan
setanah air. Jadi tidak
ada unsur Politik,
maupun
SARA, dan tidak mengganggu keamanan, TIDAK MELANGGAR
HUKUM, malah justru kita telah menghidupkan rasa
gotong royong dan saling bantu-membantu antar sesama.
Kunci dari permainan ini adalah kejujuran. Jangan
pernah membohongi diri sendiri. Jangan mengambil
posisi peserta yang telah lebih dahulu dari Anda
karena hukum karma akan terjadi juga kepada Anda.
(Kecurangan akan apapun sudah ada dalam formula ini).

Ingat ALAMAT E-MAIL PENGIRIM SURAT INI (ANDA SENDIRI)
HARUS SAMA DENGAN ALAMAT E-MAIL
ANDA YANG AKAN ANDA
CANTUMKAN. Dan yang lebih penting, jumlah uang yang
ditransfer adalah Rp.10.000, tidak lebih dan tidak
kurang. INILAH KUNCINYA !!
Oleh karena itu program ini diberi nama "Arisan
Kejujuran dan SAmbung RAsa" (AKSARA).
Percayalah, tanpa kejujuran dari para peserta maka
permainan ini akan gagal total dan tidak ada yang
mendapat hasil maksimal!!
Hanya dengan kejujuran maka semua
akan
mendapat
ganjaran yang setimpal, segala bentuk kecurangan sudah
diantisipasi. Percayalah, kejujuran dan kesertaan Anda
akan membuahkan hasil! Selamat bergabung bersama kami
& sukses untuk
semuanya!


BERIKUT INI DAFTAR PESERTA



1. SUSAN
E-mail : susan1075@yahoo.com
BCA CABANG PANGERAN JAYAKARTA
NO.Rek : 6450169216

2. Djimin Djono
E-mail : djimindjono@yahoo.com
BCA CABANG AGUNGSEDAYU
NO.Rek : 7460066276

3. Achmad Munawar
E-mail : mun1661@yahoo.com
BCA Cabang Bandara Soekarno-Hatta
No.Rek : 5510072644

4. Dadang Ismanaf
E-mail : dadang_ismanaf@yahoo.co.id
BNI Cabang Purworejo
No.Rek : 0149318184

PERSYARATAN DAN TATA-CARA:

*Transfer uang sebesar Rp 10.000,- ke Rekening Bank ke
peserta no.1 (lihat daftar
peserta di atas), karena
ini memang haknya.
Anda juga akan mengalami dengan sendirinya bila nama
Anda sudah tercantum sebagaipeserta.
Sekali lagi, disini dituntut kejujuran dan
keikhlasan
Anda karena aksara ini dibangun dan dikelola oleh
kita, dari kita dan untuk kita.

*Transfer dapat dilakukan melalui ATM atau
dengan
mengirim melalui bank kalau Bank anda tidak sama
dengan Bank peserta No.1.

*Peserta yang baru bergabung wajib mengirim email
kepada pengirim email yaitu peserta di urutan ke-4


Ubahlah daftar peserta sebagai berikut:

1. Hapus peserta posisi no.1 ( setelah anda transfer
uang Rp.10.000).
2. Ubah posisi peserta no. 2 menjadi no. 1.
3. Ubah posisi peserta no. 3 menjadi no. 2.
4. Ubah posisi peserta no. 4 menjadi no. 3.
5. Untuk posisi peserta no. 4 cantumkan Nama, Alamat
e-mail dan No. Rekening Bank Anda.

Teliti nama dan nomor-nomor rekening yang Anda ketik
ulang,
jangan terjadi kesalahan, karena dapat
merugikan peserta lain atau Anda sendiri.
Untuk menghindari kesalahan sebaiknya Anda gunakan
"Cut" dan"Paste"
pada windows anda.
Kemudian kirimkan e-mail ini kepada orang lain
sebanyak-banyaknya (semakin banyak semakin baik),
siapapun yang Anda inginkan teman, sahabat, saudara
dan
lain-lain, tentu saja setelah Anda mencantumkan
nama Anda pada posisi nomor 4.
Setelah mengirimkan e-mail tersebut, maka selesailah
tugas Anda.
Kirimkan secepatnya kepada orang lain setelah anda
menerima e-mail ini. Semakin Cepat, semakin baik,
karena semakin cepat pula Anda mendapatkan hasilnya.

Anda diminta untuktidak serakah atau berbuat curang.
Ikuti petunjuk dengan
seksama. Bersabarlah menunggu 3
- 5 minggu.
Gunakan akal sehat akibat membanjirnya transfer
direkening Anda.
Gunakan uang tersebut untuk hal-hal yang baik dan
berguna, terutama pendidikan dan ibadah.



PERHITUNGAN MAKSIMUM PEROLEHAN ARISAN KEJUJURAN DAN
SAMBUNG RASA

Kita ambil perumpamaan seorang mengirimkan 40 email:

-POSISI 4 : Anda mengirimkan 40 e-mail ini
kepada
peserta Anda.

-POSISI 3 : Pada posisi ini e-mail Anda akan tersebar
ke 1.600 orang (40 x 40 ).

-POSISI 2 : Pada posisi ini e-mail Anda akan
tersebar
ke 64.000 orang (1600 x 40 ).

-POSISI 1 : Pada posisi ini E-Mail Anda akan tersebar
ke 2.560.000 orang (64.000 x 40 ).

Ini berarti 2.560.000 x Rp 10.000 = Rp 25.600.000.000
(Dua Puluh Lima Milyar Enam Ratus Juta
Rupiah).
FANTASTIS bukan!!!
Ya, angka di atas adalah bukan hasil tipu menipu
tetapi berdasarkan perhitungan logis formula
matematika.
Ingat, ini bukan bisnis penggandaan uang melainkan
arisan gotong royong dengan jumlah yang nyaris tidak
seberapa
(Rp.10.000,-) tetapi memanfaatkan jumlah
rakyat Indonesia yang besar dan juga jaringan
internet.

AKAN TETAPI PATUT DIINGAT!!!
Angka di atas adalah hasil maksimum, yaitu bila semua
peserta benar-benar berpartisipasi dengan mengirimkan
e-mail ini dan mentransfer uangnya ke orang-orang yang
ditentukan.
Harus diakui,jarang terjadi hal ideal seperti diatas
bukan? Maka mari kita melihat apa yang terjadi bila
kita ambil pendekatan
pesimistik, yaitu misalkan dari
setiap peserta hanya mengedarkan e-mail ini ke 20
orang saja.

PERHITUNGAN PESIMISTIK PEROLEHAN ARISAN KEJUJURAN DAN
SAMBUNG RASA

Kita ambil perumpamaan seorang mengirimkan 20 e-mail:

-POSISI 4 : Anda mengirimkan 20 e-mail ini
kepada
peserta Anda.

-POSISI 3 : Pada posisi ini E-Mail Anda akan tersebar
ke 400 orang (20 x20).

-POSISI 2 : Pada posisi ini E-Mail Anda akan tersebar
ke 8000 orang(400x20 ).

-POSISI 1 : Pada posisi ini E-Mail Anda akan tersebar
ke 160.000 orang (8..000 x 20 ).

Ini berarti 160.000
orang akan mengirimkan Rp.10.000
(sepuluh ribu rupiah) kepada Anda = 160.000 x
Rp
10.000 = Rp 1.600.000.000 (Satu Milyar Enam Ratus Juta
Rupiah)SAMA SEKALI BUKAN HASIL YANG JELEK !!

Apabila pada setiap putaran hanya ada :
15 penerima e-mail yang ikut, Anda menerima
15x15x15x15xRp.10.000 =Rp.506.250.000.
10 penerima e-mail yang
ikut, Anda menerima =
10x10x10x10xRp.10.000=Rp.100.000.000.
5 penerima e-mail yang ikut, Anda menerima
5x5x5x5xRp.10.000 =Rp.6.250.000.
Terlalu sedikit? Jangan serakah, tetapi bersyukurlah
dengan hasil pendapatan demikian! Tidakkah modal Anda
hanya Rp.10.000?


PESAN KAMI:

Dengan MODAL KEJUJURAN DAN KEYAKINAN! Anda dapat
mengikuti Arisan ini dan berhasil. Hargailah kebaikan
orang lain yang telah berusaha membahagiakan Anda.
Sekali lagi, jangan lupa, apabila Anda menyalin Nama,
Alamat e-mail dan No. Rekening Bank peserta harus sama
dan benar. Harap diteliti
kembali sebelum dikirimkan
ke peserta lain.

INGAT !!! Orang gagal adalah orang yang tidak pernah
berani mencoba dan
mengambil tindakan. Hanya dengan
keyakinan Anda, Anda dapat mencapai apa yang Anda
inginkan!
Jangan pernah menunda keinginan anda untuk bergabung
karena anda akan kehilangan kesempatan yang lebih
besar.
Selamat atas
keputusan dan keberuntungan Anda ikut
serta dalam Arisan ini!

INGAT SEKALI LAGI !

Anda hanya mengirim uang sekali saja, mudah bukan?
Setelah itu forward informasi ini kepada yang lain
sebanyak mungkin nama teman/kenalan Anda setelah
Anda
mencantumkan nama Anda pada urutan keempat ( selalu
ada hanya 4 nama ).
Maka urutan 2 berubah menjadi 1, urutan 3
berubahmenjadi 2, urutan 4 berubah menjadi 3, dan nama
Anda ada di urutan keempat (4).

Terakhir kami ucapkan SELAMAT kepada anda yang telah
menerima brosur ini dan telah mengedarkannya pula
kepada
saudara-saudara kita yang lain. Dan jangan lupa
untuk bersyukur atas rejeki yang telah dilimpahkan
oleh Tuhan Yang Maha Esa kepada kita dengan
mengeluarkan 20% untuk hadiah ini atau menyisihkan
sebagian untuk fakir miskin dan kaum
papa.

KIAT-KIAT SUKSES MENGIKUTI BISNIS AKSARA INI:

1. Kita harus yakin dan optimis, dimana kita yang
akan
mengikuti aksara ini harus menjalankan peraturan dan
kewajiban kita karena hal ini untuk kita juga.
2. Jangan pernah menunggu dan melihat bukti dari orang
lain. Kita sendirilah yang membuktikannya.
3. Kirimkan ke alamat e-mail orang lain
sebanyak-banyaknya karena tidak memerlukan biaya.
4. Kirimkan secara berkala. Artinya kirimkan ke alamat
e-mail tujuan berulang-ulang, misalnya setiap 1 minggu
sekali, dst..dst..
Ini untuk mengingatkan mereka.
5. Kejujuran kita dan kepercayaan adalah kunci
keberhasilan kita.
6. Cantumkan beberapa No. Rek. Bank anda (Bank
yg
berbeda jika ada).
Ini untuk memudahkan partisipan-partisipan mentransfer
uang, cukup dari ATM saja (boleh juga dari bank).
7. Jangan melakukan SPAM, kalau anda melakukannya percuma anda kirim uang 10.000
saya doakan gak akan berhasil.
8. Bila anda ikut bergabung maka kirimkan juga ke
peserta urutan no.1 (yang baru anda hapus) karena dia
akan sangat senang dan pasti akan ikut bergabung lagi
karena namanya sudah tidak ada tercantum diurutan yang
tersebut
diatas.

SELAMAT BERGABUNG DENGAN NIAT YANG BAIK. TUHAN PASTI
MENGABULKAN!

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* Know your audience - Should you be targeting a product’s end-users or distributors? What stage of the buying cycle are you targeting? A good online marketing team conducts the proper background research in order to fully understand who they are trying to reach, where they are in the buying cycle and plans content creation, optimization and promotion accordingly.
* Book your prospect’s favorite venue - Once you feel you have actionable knowledge of your target audience, you can select appropriate places for reaching them. Research communities, influencers and behaviors of the target audience to establish a useful presence and content, be it on social networks, forums, blogs or the company web site.

* Give fans what they want - Make sure the offer and conversion opportunity are a good match for what the target audience is looking for. In some cases they will be looking to buy your product, but in others they may want more information like a white paper or a case study, or the opportunity to be contacted.

* Choose the right ‘lyrics’ - When selecting keywords to optimize your site content or pay-per-click campaign, keyword popularity is only a starting point. Choosing the most appropriate keywords to describe product or service offerings considering relevancy, context and intent are important. Â Research, consideration, evaluation and purchasing are different phases of the buyer’s search experience. Optimizing the right content with the right keywords for each of these phases will help prospects find your site in a more relevant way.

* Sing it loud - The copy, images and overall design of your website and landing pages should be obvious cues to the type of product or service offered and consistent with search query that brought them there. Structure your site design and calls to action so that prospects immediately know that they’ve found what they are looking for. For example, sending PPC traffic from a specific product keyword to the company home page will alienate and confuse the searcher. Send specific traffic queries to specific landing pages. For SEO, optimize specific content for specific phrases to help searchers pull themselves to the right content for conversion.

Implementing these tactics can increase web site traffic specifically for people who are more likely to convert. When you pose Lionel Richie’s question to your visitors, more will respond with a resounding “Yes, it is you I’m looking for!” And while you may not receive thanks in the form of a clay sculpture, the increase in your conversions should more than make up for it.

What metaphors for increasing qualified traffic and conversions have you found to be effective? Or maybe you have other SEO insights derived from Lionel Richie songs?

Exposing Gray/Black Hat Information - What Should SEOmoz Do?

For a long time, I've held the personal belief that being the best search marketer you can be requires knowledge of a vast information set. This includes black hat tactics - the unethical, the illegal, and those that merely violate a website's TOS or search engine's guidelines (or walk that fine line). Naturally, the SEO blogosphere has a number of places where this material is discussed, from forums and blogs to wikis and articles, but my stance has historically been to never suppress this type of content on SEOmoz, and in fact to encourage discovery and discussion. I've found that, at least for me, the more I know about what black hats do and what tactics exist, the better I am at every aspect of my job - from advising clients to protecting sites to identifying manipulative competitors and knowing which boundaries to cross and which to avoid.

However, a series of experiences provided a catalyst to re-examine my position regarding our publication. In the spirit of transparency, I'll describe them as best I can to help provide an accurate perspective:

* We've received some harsh criticism from those who engage in black/gray hat practices and been asked to STFU about these topics. Spam, obviously, succeeds more when less is known about it, so it's natural for those with a potential interest to keep it close to the vest.
* We've gotten some very angry comments/emails/posts written about exposing specific sites that engage in manipulative practices as well, both from the site owners themselves and from those who don't think "outing" spammers is an appropriate practice for those in the SEO field.
* Several folks who work for search engines have expressed disappointment and frustration in our open discussions of these topics, both because they're worried that our coverage will appear to be an endorsement and because they feel a wide audience with knowledge of this material, even when accompanied by an appropriate warning, may attempt more abuse of their systems (and perhaps for other reasons that I haven't heard as well).
* We recently lost a very large, very important contract due to the client asking a respected source in the search community about our work and hearing that our work is "black hat and could get them banned from the engines." Apparently, this association came not from any "black hat" work we've done, but from the blog post content :(
* In our upcoming Expert Seminar here in Seattle, we mentioned that search engine representatives would not be present, and despite my specific announcement that the seminar would contain no black hat material, this was seen as a sign to some that we'd be going into gray/black hat territory. The real reason we don't have search engineers is that we have a partnership with Third Door Media (who runs the SMX conference series), and we wanted to be as careful as possible to position our "training" as true "training" with none of the conference elements (blogging, search reps, multiple panels, expo hall, keynotes, etc). In hindsight, I should have made this crystal clear from the beginning. Let me be 100% clear now - the reason for no search reps at the show has NOTHING to do with presenting black hat material. We honestly wouldn't even know how to give high-level material on that topic, as none of us have ever run spammy, manipulative (or even affiliate) sites. We did this to differentiate the seminar from the format of shows like SES San Jose and the SMX series. To be bluntly honest, if it weren't for this concern, I would have gladly invited search engine reps and been honored if they would have accepted. It would be good for the seminar, the attendees, and the SEOmoz brand to have them present.
* In that same conference, we also gave the horribly misleading title of "Black Hat Tactics & Search Engine Penalties/Dodging Spam Detection" to Nick Gerner's presentation. Although the descriptive text below does a good job explaining what Nick's actually presenting on, a far more accurate title - "Avoid Being Labeled a 'False Positive' - How Black Hat Tactics Impact White Hat Websites" - should have been given from the start.
* Blog posts such as our WB Friday Give it Up and White Hat Cloaking suggested that we might be endorsing or recommending black hat tactics. I believe this is due to misinterpretation or a careless reading/listening to the caveats and warnings we provided, but it's true that particularly on the web (but nearly everywhere in life), content often comes through with a very different perception than how the message was intended.

Now, naturally, there are literally thousands of topics we could cover on the blog, and while we believe in diversity of information and I personally believe in sharing white hat, gray hat, black hat, and every other kind of known method that Internet marketers conduct business, I feel that perhaps the SEOmoz community would rather we expend effort on content that any and every website can use, and can/will turn elsewhere to learn about black/gray hat tactics.

So today, I'm bringing this issue to you, our community, as a pointed question: Do you believe SEOmoz should continue to share gray/black hat tactics & content via the public blog & articles?

BTW - For those wondering how black hat SEOmoz really is, the truth is that we're pansies. While I'm fascinated by web spam and all the subtleties and fine points that surround it, we've never recommended anything more gray hat than some user agent cloaking to get rid of duplicate content (which, according to Stephan Spencer's post, all the major engines endorse) and some link buying (which, while it does violate search engine guidelines, is, IMO, a necessary part of many link building campaigns and very light gray on the hat scale). We've never had a client's site get banned from the engines, never had a person who got advice from us in Q+A report back that our suggestions got them into trouble, and never had to hide a client or site we worked on out of the fear of being penalized.

Video Takes To The Web - Be Optimized

Video is growing into an incredibly popular marketing medium. The Web is rapidly emerging as the largest video-distribution platform in history, and it is imperative that search engines can find your videos as easily as they can find your other Web content.
In today's post, ClipBlast CEO Gary Baker gives us some tips for making sure your video is indexed and found on search engines. Because video search is a completely different animal than traditional text search, take these five steps to help video search engines find your clips:

Create quality metadata for each video you post Video-search engines use metadata to index, categorize and rank video content.

The most important metadata are:

* Title — accurately describe your video in 40 characters or less, using upper- and lowercase letters for optimal readability.
* Description — explain exactly what users will see, emphasizing the keywords and terms for which people might search.
* Categories, tags or keywords — specify any and all relevant terms for which users are likely to search.
* Image — include a visually descriptive thumbnail, typically 60-by-60, 80-by-80 or 100-by-100 pixels.
* Publish date — typically the day you actually publish.
* Link — spell out and include the URL where a video resides.

Register your site with video search engines If you create good metadata, any video search engine worth its salt should eventually index your content. However, you can speed things up by registering with specific video search engines.

Create a media RSS feed RSS is the preferred way for most video search engines to index and update your video content.

The media RSS format uses standard fields to categorize content, virtually ensuring quality metadata. When video search engines have access to your RSS feed, they instantaneously get new video content as soon as you add it.

Have a robust library of video content Having a large library of video content, as apposed to just a clip or two, is one of the ways you can set your site apart as a serious video content provider that ranks high in search results.

Post several clips with related video content If you post more than one video on a similar topic, video search engines will leverage your other content to make “more like this” recommendations.

This will help to drive up your overall viewership and bring in more traffic.

Gary Baker is founder and CEO of ClipBlast, Agoura Hills, CA Reach him at gary@clipblast.com.
Posted by Michael Fleischner - Marketing Expert at 8:14 AM 0 comments
Labels: internet marketing, seo, video marketing
Friday, May 23, 2008
Landing Pages Improve Conversions
Today's Marketing Tip: Improve your performance with landing pages that work.

Landing pages are created to improve conversions for marketers spending on email and PPC advertising. When thinking about paid search and email, email is the cheaper route, and allows more freedom and speed in testing. Paid search is more difficult because it's not overly intrusive. As might be obvious, email puts a marketer's message directly in front of the consumer whereas search requires not only the consumer to actively seek out but to not be blind to advertisements.

As an extension to that, most effective marketers believe that landing pages should not be subtle. She prefers the "buy it now" approach, especially with smaller ticket items for sale that don't require a lot of research.

Knowing the intent of the consumer then, plays a big part in developing a landing page. Make sure the landing page matches where the consumer expects to be taken. Consumers hate to see someone come in and hit the search button immediately. That's making consumers work too hard and costing you good marketing dollars. Landing pages more closely aligned to PPC ads can also reduce click costs. Here are some other things to consider...

1. Get top-level buy-in for strategic projects; not all projects produce immediate sales, but have more strategic implications for the business.

2. Create urgency, such as a deadline to increase CTR and conversion

3. Print destination URLs on pages in your catalog

4. Sepertate CSS and data points for ease of use

5. Make sure landing pages deliver on a promise that drove the shopper to the site with consistent products, benefits, offers and branding

6. Split test different paid search landing pages

7. Split test different email landing pages. Don't throw consumers to a category page, but a specifically designed page using the email messaging, creative and extended product offering

8. Track key performance on all pages

9. With landing pages - think like a consumer

10. Test, test, test

Landing pages are a good investment, especially when they're done right. Follow these landing page guidelines and optimize your conversions.

Today's Marketing Tip: Innovative Ways To Market

Each day, marketers are seeking new ways to reach their target market more efficiently than every before. Marketing is a multi-faceted approach to promoting a product or service. Both traditional and unconventional marketing methods have a place in the small business world. Marketing helps small businesses focus on building their brand and identity.

There are few limitations to tradition marketing options, and the opportunities listed here are just a few that will result in a positive ROI (Return On Investment) for most businesses. That said, do not be afraid to be creative. No one knows or understands a small business like its owner, so think outside of the box and don't be afraid to experiment.

Identity Consistency

Create continuity between an online website, logos, letterheads, business cards, and packaging. Create an identity that will make your business stand out from the competition, and leave a good initial impression on potential customers. A professional image associated with your company or product will remind customers of their past brand experiences, and will reinforce your product line.

Trade Publications

Niche publications are journals or magazines that focus on a specific market. If your product or service is appropriate for a specific market, then advertising in their trade publications will allow you to immediately drill down and target that very specific audience.

Promotional Items

Branded giveaways have long been used by marketers to attract potential customers. Products that have a long shelf life will help keep your business in the forefront of a customer's mind. Weeks, months, and even years after a product is purchased or service is performed, promotional items will remind the customer of your brand.

Reviews

Solicit product reviews from reputable industry sources, magazine reviewers, bloggers, or industry journalists. Product reviews lend credibility to a product or company.

Keyword Advertising

In order to help your website's search engine ranking, use keyword advertising. Focused and targeted keyword advertising will drive web traffic that has a genuine interest in your product or service.

Niche Directories

Use online niche directories to promote products or services. Visitors who frequent topical directories have a strong interest and are more likely to purchase.

Viral Marking

Once known as "word of mouth" marketing, viral marketing has taken on a life of its own. Encourage product buzz, as well as customers referring customers.

Opt-In Email Marketing

Use email as a marketing tool to notify your existing customers about specials, new products or services, or product releases and updates. While some say email marketing is dead, others say that measured results of email marketing tell a very different story. Opt-in, targeted email marketing works, and produces results when done correctly.

Partnerships / Strategic Relationships

We see large companies leveraging their assets every day, and small online businesses should too! Whether it be as a partner, an affiliate, or a strategic relationship, all of these relationships can benefit small businesses. Businesses can use strategic relationships to penetrate niche markets. Affiliates can expand their reach and tap into the customer bases of similar products. Partners can provide additional value to existing products or services. Determine what types of relationships could be beneficial to your small business.

RSS

RSS is growing in popularity. It is an alternative communication channel that has the benefit of reaching a larger audience through syndication. Supplement and enhance email and newsletter campaigns by providing an RSS channel for their content.

Forums / Newsgroups

Participation in newsgroups and forums will result in building credibility. Business relationships will often result from online dialogue in industry forums and newsgroups. Actively participate and always behave in a professional manner.

Forum / Email Signatures

All forum posts and emails you send should contain a "signature" that advertises your business name, tag line, and URL.

Blogs

Blogging and posting comments on blogs can result in an increase in web links and traffic. Socialization and engaging others with well thought out comments can establish a business reputation and generate product interest.

Article Syndication

Writing articles can help lend credibility to your product line and improve your business reputation.

Local Newspapers

Contact local newspapers and pitch a unique story to them. Publicity is free and can generate discussions and interest. Consider exploring alternative channels for advertising and marketing. Keep in mind that advertising need not be costly; creative marketers can often find inexpensive avenues that will result in a great return.

This post adapted and provided by Sharon Housley who manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.

Make Your Website Sticky With 7 Helpful Optimization Techniques

Attracting visitors to your website is only the first step. Once there, you need to help your browsers find what they're looking for and have an experience that will keep them coming back for more. Keeping website visitors engaged is more important than ever.

Engagement doesn’t end with an individual browser reading content or clicking on an ad. Rather, engagement is an ongoing process that results in loyal customers who come back again and again, becoming more vested in your web site. So, how can you make sure you’re engaging and keeping customers?

In order to create a loyal following, there are some basic principles you need to consider. From first impressions to life-long membership, put yourself in the shoes of your browsers and make their experience a valuable one.

1. Reduce Clutter. How many times have you visited a website only to be overwhelmed and confused? What is this site about you may have asked yourself. Or perhaps you found yourself asking, ‘Where is the information I’m looking for?’ Don’t ask your browsers or potential customers to figure this out. Make your site clutter free and create a visual priority that emphasizes the information, resources, or actions your browsers want. By reducing obstacles you build trust among new web site visitors and allow for simple decision making – which benefits everyone.


2. Make Navigation Intuitive. There are many ways to navigate a web page but intuition rules the day. Don’t try to get fancy with your navigation or overuse java script. Basic navigation that follows current convention is the best way to lead individuals through your web site to the information they’re looking for.

3. Make The Initial Site Interaction Relevant. When a browser reaches your web site, you have less than seven seconds to get them engaged. Making your initial site interaction relevant to what individuals are looking for is essential for keeping them interacting long term. If you are promoting your web site with Google Adwords, or any pay per click advertising for that matter, be sure to create customer landing pages that are truly relevant to the individual who clicks-through your ad. Once you’ve established relevancy, you can move them deeper into your content, tools, and resources.

4. Ensure That Your Content Is Up-to-date. Web site content that isn’t up to date does not serve your audience and browsers are likely to move on. One way to ensure that information is timely is by providing a feed of relevant news or information. If including static text on your web pages, try not to include specific dates. However, if you must publish dates, be sure to update this information on a regular basis.

5. Start An Interaction With Your Users. Each time a browser views your web page, you have an opportunity to interact with them. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. One great way to interact is to offer something of value at no cost. This can be a white paper, access to an exclusive list, or simply a 30 day free trial. Be sure to capture an individual’s valid email address and include them on your mailing list. An auto-responder is best if you wish to engage these individuals on an ongoing basis.

6. Provide Plenty Of Support. Don’t hesitate to offer support right from your home page. Prominently display your 800 number, support email address, and additional information for your prospects and customers such as mailing address. This information is viewed favorably by search engines and also creates a sense of legitimacy. Contact information builds trust among prospects and elicits interest in your company.


7. Make Sharing Easy. Once you’ve made your web site easy to use, don’t hesitate to offer browsers the ability to share your web site with others. This can be in the form of a simple widget that allows users to bookmark your page, subscribe to an Rss feed, or submit your content to popular news sites like Digg.com. Individuals are much more likely to visit a web site based on a friend’s recommendation versus some other type of marketing initiative. Leverage the power of viral marketing with easy sharing tools.


Your web site can be your greatest asset. Unfortunately, many marketers and website owners are so focused on increasing traffic that they lose site of the audience that’s already visiting their web pages but are simply not converting.

Don’t make the same mistake. Improve the quality of you site through relevant content that is up-to-date and easy to find. Once you’ve engaged users, encourage them to share. Doing so will make your site perform better, increase conversions, and deliver value for all involved.

Visit MarketingScoop.com for more helpful web site development tips and helpful marketing articles.

Optimizing Your Site Using Social Media

Social media is in full swing. Using social media to build traffic to your website is referred to as social media optimization. Content sharing, social bookmarking, and collaborative websites form the basis of this initiative and it is these types of website that you need to use in order to leverage the power of the social web.

Social Media Optimization As Guerrilla Marketing

The nature of Social Media Optimization is such that it could be considered form of guerrilla marketing. Website owners and blog owners have the choice of either investing money or their own skills and time in order to generate traffic from social sites. As long as your efforts are directed appropriately, the more work you put in the more reward you will reap.

Using Social Media Optimization For Link Building

Social optimization also has a happy side effect - it helps to build your link profile so you will usually gain search engine traffic in the long term. Becoming a part of an online community is essential to your social optimization and this, in turn, will naturally provide links to your website. The links will usually be from relevant pages based on a similar topic to that of your own page. The more popular social sites are also given a lot of weight by certain search engines.

Optimize Your Existing Site Using Social Media

Create genuinely interesting, intriguing, or informative pages. Includes images, links, video, and collaborative tools so that visitors really get involved when they do visit your site. Social media optimization is basically digital word-of-mouth and if your website doesn't offer some kind of appealing experience to your visitors, then it simply won't attract the positive word-of-mouth that you want.

Add new pages, if necessary, so that you can include more information. However, don't just add pages for the sake of it - ensure that each page really does have something unique to offer. A website still needs to be well structured.

Develop A Blog

Add a blog. Every website has potential blog posts in it so find yours and start blogging regularly. Blog posts tend to attract links from other blog posts and those in turn will spread the word of your website. The more popular your blog becomes, the more value it is perceived to offer and the more visitors you will continue to get.

Be active in those blogs that are within your industry and use your link where permitted and relevant. Don't spam because that will lose you more friends than it will make but if you offer relevant information and a forum or blog allows you to link to it, then offer an insightful comment and provide a link.

Some Social Sites To Join

You really do reap what you sow in terms of social media optimization. Determine the sites that are most suitable to your website, join them, and become an active member. Choose some broad topic sites as well as some that are specific to those interested in the industry in which you operate or topic that you cover. Look at social news submission sites, content sharing sites, bookmarking, and networking sites and try to get a broad coverage of all of them. Here are just a few of the sites you should seriously consider using:

Social News/Media Sharing Websites

* Reddit - Reddit is a very popular social news website that boasts a lot of subscribers and covers a wide range of topics.
* Digg - Initially, Digg was reserved to technology and related topics but is now a broad topic news site that again has a lot of subscribers and regular readers.
* Newsvine - Not as popular as the two above but offering a slightly more formal tone to its content. Again, a good range of topics are covered.

Social Networking Sites

* MySpace - It may be largely riddled with spam but there are still too many genuine users for you to ignore MySpace. You don't have to be an unsigned band to take advantage either.
* Facebook - Has caused quite a stir and offers users the chance to create and distribute their own applications as well as content. Another very popular site. * LinkedIn - LinkedIn is a social networking site dedicated to professionals and businesses. It can really help to build a huge network of partners, customers, and other useful contacts in a business network.

Social Bookmarking Websites

* del.icio.us - Register, store bookmarks that you find useful, and include a bookmark to your own website and use a public profile.
* Stumble Upon - Same again. Alternatively you can add a Stumble icon to each of your pages, blog posts, and other media and let your readers do the walking for you.

Buttons For Your Pages

Many social websites offer a button that your readers or visitors can use to automatically add a page. Bookmarking and content sharing sites, in particular, have these buttons and if you've ever read a website or an article site then you will have seen the Digg This and Stumble buttons at the bottom of each entry. Users registered with these sites can click the button and quickly add your page. The most popular websites are usually displayed on the high traffic home pages delivering yet more visitors to your site.

About the Author: WebWiseWords is a web content writer offering appealing and professional web content. Whether you are looking to implement an SEO or social media optimization campaign, or you want to improve your visitor's experience while on your website WebWiseWords can create the content you need.

Affiliate Marketing Basics

Affiliate marketing is a great way to generate income online. However, there are many steps to take when trying to make money online through affiliate programs. The most tedious and most important step will always be the marketing aspect. Beginners affiliate marketing should begin with knowledge. Read everything that you can to find out the different paths that are available.

As an affiliate, there will be millions of products and services to choose from. You should always choose a product that is in a similar niche to that of your websites.

A website that is based on technology should not have ads and affiliate programs about curtains and bedding. You can choose to display shoe ads if your website is about shoes, or you can select products that will go well with that topic such as clothing and accessories.

Whatever you choose as an affiliate program, always try to start with a product that you have used. As an affiliate marketer, you are recommending these products to your visitors, and they will not be pleased to find out that the product is subpar after they have purchased it.

You want to suggest a product that you know and love. By telling your website visitors about the honest experience that you have had with a product, the more they will grow to trust your word. Always be honest with your customers. As large as the internet is, it is still small enough and a few bad reviews about you and your website, can travel quickly and destroy your reputation before it has even begun.

A great way to receive and keep new visitors is with a free offer. When free products are available, other websites will at times link to that web page so that they can tell their own visitors about the great deal. This helps you to get back links as well as new visitors who may decide to check out your website. This can help you to gain new visitors as well as repeat customers.

A well made site can become self sustaining in a short amount of time. This means that you will be able to simply add new content, done by yourself or through a freelancer, while you do other tasks, such as setting up more affiliate websites. You should always keep an eye on all of your web pages, to update and to make sure that there are no problems with your site or server.

While you are still learning, it is best to start with one affiliate program before moving to others. Trying to do, too much too soon can be a recipe for disaster. Put all of your efforts and concentration into making your first affiliate program a success.

Once you have learned how to put your skills into effect, your beginners affiliate marketing techniques can move on to new websites, blogs and affiliate programs.

With the knowledge that you have gained through your first website, you can begin to apply the same techniques to duplicate your previous success. However, you should always remember to check back with websites, ebooks and blogs, so that you are kept up to date on the new affiliate marketing techniques that are available.

About the Author:
Jude Wright has been the owner of http://aboutaffiliatemarketing.com since 2002. Stop by and pick up her free report, Newbie's Affiliate Guide.

Be sure to check out the top selling Internet marketing affiliate products on the right-hand side of our blog now featuring The Webmasters Book of Secrets - the top selling ebook of all-time!

Link Building 101: Acquiring Links From New Websites

I've never been a big believer in spending time acquiring links from new sites. With so many changes in link building over the last twelve months, my thinking is beginning to change. Here is a great post on the subject from Justilien Gaspard of Search Engine Watch.

We've all heard it -- people don't want links from new Web sites. Why? It's assumed that new sites don't have enough quality backlinks, and haven't earned "trust" in Google to pass real value. However, if you flatly skip over links from new sites, you're losing out on immense opportunities. It's time to rethink the matter.

I admit to having encouraged this line of thinking by telling people to go after links from old, trusted sites. Going after high-value targets is just one strategy. Even with that strategy, you cannot skip over new sites without any analysis.

That would be like a stockbroker refusing to consider a stock that hasn't been around for at least 20 years, or an employer refusing to look at resumes from people who haven't been in the workforce at least 15 years.

Today's new site could be tomorrow's rock star. Most successful companies start small. Cisco Systems was started in a garage by a married couple. GE was started in a barn. Starbucks started as a single coffee store in a public market. The same holds true of Web sites. Most sites, just as traditional businesses, start small unless a large corporation develops it.

If a large corporation is developing the new site, go after the link because the site has a greater likelihood of success. Usually such sites will have a superb promotional budget -- not to mention links from the corporation's site(s) to jumpstart it.

What to look for?

Usually, you can easily sift through sites by learning how they're handling promotions. Look for those sites with marketing budgets, as those will be the safest bet. Be careful of sites that think they're the "best" and expect the world to magically discover them. We all know the type and have heard the pitch.

Advertising Campaigns

Find out what type of advertising the site is doing. It might just surprise you to find out they have a targeted advertising program going after specific demographics. Most will gladly share with you what magazines, journals, newspapers, television and other media outlets they're advertising with. Also, find out if they're running a PPC campaign.

The Real PR (Public Relations)

Find out what type of PR campaigns they're running. This might be in-house, or through an agency. Discover where they're trying to get publicity. They may already have several mentions in mainstream media.

Quality of Backlinks

Examining the site's backlinks can tell you a great deal about the quality of the promotions. If it looks like they're gaining links from quality sites, then they're on the right track and worth your time. Are there links from the media or industry sites? Go for it! If all their links are from blog comments, template links in blog themes, or low-value link trades, move on.

Serial Entrepreneur?

Is the site being developed by a company that has a record of successful Web sites? There are many large and small publishers who have a solid history of developing and promoting Internet properties. They've learned from their previous successes and failures. These types of sites generally will provide much more value over time than the new Webmasters that still operate under the fallacy, "build it and they will come."

The point is not to skip over link opportunities just because a site is new. Instead, find out if they're doing a notable job of promotions. The more they promote their site, the more valuable links from it will become over time. Think of it as investing in the stock market. Look for undervalued, or unnoticed, sites that have a high likelihood of rising in popularity.

So there you have it. Link building that includes "new" sites may pay dividends - opportunity or risk? You decide.

Search Engine Optimization For New Websites

Are you launching a new website? There's no better time to think about search engine optimization than prior to launching a new site. By giving consideration to your on-page optimization factors, you can increase your chances of achieving top organic search results.

To prepare your site for easy indexing, be sure to follow these basis guidelines:

1. Design your site in html or similar format that minimizes the use of java script and flash. The more complex you make your code, the more difficult it becomes for the search engine spiders to read your content and prescribe the appropriate Google PR to your web page.

2. Make sure that your meta tags are coded properly and include the Robots.txt tag. Many individuals downplay the importance of meta tags. Although meta tags themselves won't drastically change the organic ranking of your site, they do create the display text users will see when your site appears in search results. If your meta tags are search engine optimized and compelling, you increase the changes of improving click-throughs.

3. Apply the proper tags to your page. H1, H2, and H3 tags are a great wall to call attention to your content and promote your keywords and keyword phrases. Try to use each tag at least once, but don't force the issues. You want your text to flow and appear normal.

In addition to ensuring that you've made your page easy to access and presented text that is optimized, you also want to consider other factors that can help long-term with your SEO efforts. So often, web designers get caught up with on page factors, that they overlook the requirements for establishing a foundation that supports long-term initiatives.

In particular, consider adding pages that you can add to over time that support link building and accessibility for search engine spiders. Be sure to include:

1. An html sitemap and an xml sitemap. Including a sitemap on you site makes it easy for search engines to access all of your website pages and index your site accordingly. Your sitemap should be in both html as well as xml. Although users would not access the xml sitemap, search engine spiders use this version to crawl websites. Additionally, key search engine submission resources like Google's Webmasters Tools require xml site map versions.

2. Include a partners page. Previously referred to as a links page, the partners page is essential for reciprocal linking. This strategy isn't as powerful as developing one-way links, but until your site has been assigned a Google PR, one-way links can be difficult to acquire. So begin your link exchange program with a partners page that allows you add or remove link quickly and easily.

3. Submission pages that encourage new content. One of the most powerful seo techniques is the addition of new content. Make it easy for your users to add or submit content to your website. When search engines see new content, they rejoice. Don't underestimate how important it is to make it simple for your browsers to add or submit content.

When focusing on search engine optimization, especially with a new website, follow the basic ideas outlined above. There are a number of other factors to consider as well. However, you should always start with a strong foundation - a site design that meets basic SEO standards but one that also supports your long range search engine optimization goals.

Increase Response Rates By Getting Personal

In an increasingly crowded market space, getting personal with your customers goes a long way. I wanted to share this recent article with all of my readers from Crystal Uppercue, a marketing manager of EU Services. Whether you have technical marketing expertise or are simply looking to improve your marketing results, you'll benefit from learning more about "modeling" and personalization.

As marketers implement more sophisticated customer relationship management sys­tems, databases gather richer content. Integrate what you have with predictive modeling techniques and you're set to hit the market with wonderfully personalized communications. Custom­ized messages, in turn, open awesome opportunities for jacking up response and improving ROI.

Here's what you may not have realized: The direct market­ing manager who knows how to plan and automate the responses to a cross-channel campaign will shine in 2008.

The integration of database wealth and precise campaign planning promises amazing results, but it's not easy. It's not necessarily cost-prohibi­tive, either, but it does demand forethought. The best cam­paigns anticipate, embrace, and predict possibilities, then seamlessly direct the results into appropriate channels. The process can unfold automatically because the technology is in place to make this happen, but only when direct marketers prepare carefully, before day one.

For example, suppose you're planning your spring 2008 cam­paign. For starters, seriously consider running the numbers on a possible variable data personalization (VDP) investment.

Whatever your initial approach, when the returns flow in, stra­tegic planning will incorporate a series of automated responses. Did the prospect request more information? Those are ready to go out the door. Did an order come in? You send a “thank-you,” of course, but you also are prepared with a cross-sell or upsell. Your Web site is primed to persuade. Is the response from a particular market segment (geographic, cultural, income, gender, age)? You have an in-kind response waiting to go. If you've prepared, your responses are impressively customer-centric. And it all happens automatically.

In our experience, direct marketers who do this well follow clearly defined goals in their cross-media campaigns. From first-touch, they have a plan that focuses on the goal, the audience, and the workflow. Optimizing this process takes knowledge and experience. A sophisticated direct marketing production compa­ny should be able to deal with every aspect of your campaign, as well as suggest great ideas about how to personalize and auto­mate direct mail, e-mail, and Web site information.

The bottom line is that personalization improves results. Think about personalizing your next message to customers as well as implementing an ongoing campaign of personalization.

from : marketing-expert.blogspot.com

How to Prepare Your Sales Team for the Next Trade Show

Creating a trade show presence that is fun, enticing, and effective takes a great deal of work. Not only must you have a trade show display that creates an impact, you also need a staff that is friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient.

People skills are something not everyone has. The ability to quickly establish rapport, build confidence, and gain trust requires a skilled speaker. Your staff should also be knowledgeable of your offerings, and be able to answer any questions that your sales prospects may have.

When selecting staff for your trade show event, make sure you select staff have the following qualities:

- A warm, personable smile. The basis for any business relationship is the ability to make someone feel welcome and appreciated. An inviting smile can go a long way as an ice breaker.

-Comfort and confidence while maintaining priorities around strangers in a fast paced setting. Let's face it, no matter how friendly your sales staff are, they won't get the maximum value from attendees if they spend too much time focusing on a friendly prospect, or not enough time to make each attendee feel they have been personally welcomed. Your sales staff should be able to transition from one prospect to the next without rushing or prolonging the stay of each attendee; they should not spend too much or too little time on each potential lead.

- A command of product or service knowledge. Never let someone work a show who doesn't know the product well enough to sell it effectively. Spend time training your staff until you feel they can answer the vast majority of questions that could be introduced by prospects. Let your sales staff practice on each other before the show starts, ensuring that everyone is in gear for a successful show, and on top of their game.

Through effective teamwork and individual effectiveness, your next trade show should be a big hit!

About
Smash Hit Displays is a creator of custom trade show displays, and exhibit accessories. They can be found on the web at www.smashhitdisplays.com/.

Marketing to Millennials: What You Need To Know

The Millennial Generation was born between 1977 and 1998 and is just beginning to enter the workforce. Members of this 75 million person group are being raised at the most child-centric time in our history and the impact to marketers is undeniable.

In general, it is said that this group displays a great deal of confidence. This could be the result of focus they receive from parents and high expectations placed upon them – not to mention their new found independence with the advent of cell phones, the internet, and other electronic forms of communication. This is truly the first generation to grow up completely online and as a result, the marketing mix used to target them needs to evolve. As you might expect, this group is technically literate like none other.

Socially, Millennials are different as well. They are typically team-oriented, banding together to date and socialize rather than pairing off. They work well in groups, preferring this to individual endeavors. They are also good at multi-tasking and were the ones studying while listening to the radio or watching television - all the more reason to ensure that you utilize cross-media marketing and ensure consistency among your communications.

From an academic perspective, they are the group that was able to play a sport, attend school, and engage in social endeavors. Millennials believe in going green and supporting endeavors that are good for the environment.

When it comes to work, Millennials seem to expect structure. They acknowledge and respect positions and titles, and want a relationship with their boss. Millennials are in need of mentoring and they'll respond well to the personal attention. When considering the management of Millenials, be mindful that they appreciate structure and stability. Mentoring Millennials should be more formal, with set meetings and a more authoritative attitude on the mentor's part.

How to Market

Now that you understand a little more about the target you are seeking to attract, consider the places they go for information and the way they behave. Millennials are logging into their MySpace and Facebook accounts 3 – 4 times each day, sending instant messages to friends, and uploading their videos to YouTube. Are you there?

1. Listen to the conversation. Where many businesses are failing today is that they are not listening to the conversations that the Millennials are having about their products or their company. Sign up for Google Alerts, visit Technorati and see what individuals are blogging about.
2. Create accounts in FaceBook and MySpace and other Social Media. Put you name out there. Make sure that you company has a space among social media outlets. One thing to keep in mind though is to not be overly commercial. Millennials can see right through it. Rather, be genuine and let your prospective market understand what you’re really about and what you stand for.
3. Communicate on a personal level. Create a two way dialogue with your audience. Give them an opportunity to speak to you. Whether you let them rate your products, share comments, or share their experience with friends, providing a forum to socialize is essential.
4. Focus on consistent messaging. Regardless of which media type you use (email marketing, direct mail, adwords, etc.), keep your messaging consistent. If you say one think and do another, or change your messaging frequently, you will not be building the trust necessary to ensure lifetime customer value.
5. Be creative. When your marketing is creative, it can very quickly gain momentum. With the advent of YouTube, Flickr, and Delicious, messages are quickly shared and distributed. Don’t force the issue. Rather, create something meaningful, fun, and worth sharing. Before you know it, the Millennials will be sharing and distributing information about your and your brand.

Improving the effectiveness of your marketing to Millennials is no small undertaking. To be truly successful, you need to understand the social dependence these individuals have when communicating and the value they place on the opinion of others. Although much of Millennial marketing needs to happen online, don’t lose track of some tradition media like direct mail. As much as marketing has changed, traditional media can still be effective – just make sure it has a social component.