Marketing Experts News

The Business Of Video Games

This video gives a great perspective & overview on why interactive media such as video games can be highly profitable if done right. It also gives perspective on how to wreck something great if done wrong.

 

Cool Social Media Counter

This counter gives you up-to-the-second stats on what's happening in social media.

How To Write A Great Online Article - Step-by-Step - By Bob Cefail

Here are the exact steps you need to take to write an effective internet article to use with article distribution Hubs.

Step One: Article Title

The purpose of article placement is two fold. First, you want to drive traffic to your web site when people see and read your article. Second, you want to gain exposure through placement on search engine listings. To do this you have to develop a compelling article title that will attract attention and you want to use words in the title that a large group of people are using in their internet searches (popular keywords). As an example, if you were in the weight loss business you would want to focus on the concept of “losing weight and keeping it off” when writing your articles. You would incorporate some, or even all, of those words in an effective article title. Just remember that the article title is your “first impression” so make it a good one.

Step Two: Initial Paragraph

The first paragraph of your article is where you SELL your story idea. You must close the reader on continuing their reading of your article in the first 3 or 4 sentences in the first paragraph. You must encapsulate your whole story theme in this first paragraph which is also sometimes referred to as a “summary paragraph”. You article must focus on one story concept just like the paragraph. Just make sure that you sell your story in the first 3 or 4 sentences.

Step Three: Article Body

The article itself, which includes the first paragraph, should only be 400-500 words in size. The article must focus on one theme. You should include quotes in the article if at all possible. The article should contain two or three compelling facts that surprise or teach the reader something. You should also place your web site address (URL) in the first or second paragraph as well as at the bottom of the article.

Step Four: Authors Bio

It is important to have a two or three sentence author’s bio which contains credible information about the writer. Many article content hubs insist on some type of biography of the writer.

Step Five: Article Resources

At the bottom of most articles it would be smart to include a brief description of the company itself including web site URLs where more information can be found about the subject of the article.

Step Six: Keywords

Some article content hubs ask the writer or author if there are specific keywords that the article should be pointed towards. You should prepare a list of 3 or 4 keywords where you would like to find your articles on the internet within the internet search results section.

Follow these simple step-by-step actions to write great articles that will get indexed by the search engines.

Bob Cefail
In Touch Marketing

Great Sales Leads: Are They An Endangered Species?

GREAT SALES LEADS:  ARE THEY AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

Whenever the subject of leads is brought up these days most lead buyers will talk about how bad the leads are getting, how hard they are to find, and how expensive that they are to buy. In addition to these challenges, the companies that have traditionally supplied leads are dropping like flies. This is because the methods used to generate leads are disappearing fast such which includes email marketing, telemarketing, and fax broadcasts.

What is the ultimate lead and how can one possibly find them these days? The ultimate sales lead has the following characteristics:

The prospect is ready to buy right now

• The prospects IS the decision maker
• The prospect has the money to buy now
• The prospect has already seen your offer and
• Has made the decision to buy from you
• The prospect is not being talked to by a large number of your competitors

Does this sound like the perfect lead? Of course it does. Is there some magical potion to produce such a lead? Actually there is, but only if you set the program up correctly. What is this program? Search engine marketing, otherwise known as paid search advertising coupled with a carefully designed lead generation site.

Google is considered by many to be the major player involved in the search engine field. Their service is very effective if the campaign is set up correctly. That is a big if though. It has been found that over 50% of all companies that attempt to use Google fail in their efforts.

One can use a firm like InTouch Marketing (www.intouchmarketing.us), a company that was awarded the highest expert level bestowed by Google, to correctly set up one’s campaign. There are independent consultants who promote a certain level of expertise, but whose qualifications are unverifiable. If someone claims that they can set up a campaign overnight one should be very wary. It is simply not possible to establish a proper and successful search engine campaign without several weeks’ worth of detailed research and testing.

The other key to lead generation is the use of a proper web presence that is designed to create leads. Many web sites are simply designed to graphically impress a visitor, yet produces nothing in terms of leads. A good lead generation site or page educates the prospect and then gives them specific action to do..

By having the right web site presence and driving traffic to the site, through paid search ads, one can truly create the ultimate lead. Remember that people who are searching for something on the internet have already made a buying decision. The key is how economically one can push prospects to a web site and then whether the site is effective or not. The prospects are certainly out there on the internet looking.

On a typical day at the end of 2004, some 70 million American adults logged onto the Internet to use email, get news, access government information, check out health and medical information, participate in auctions, book travel reservations, research their genealogy, gamble, seek out romantic partners, and engage in countless other activities. That represents a 37 percent increase from the 51 million Americans who were online on an average day in 2000 when the Pew Internet & American Life Project began its study of online life. This trend is ONLY going up.

Another Pew study identified that fact that over 50% of all online purchases are now PRECEDED by an internet search. 36% of all internet users under the age of 30 say that they could not live without internet search engines. This illustrates what many in ad agency executives now take for granted—that people, in higher and higher numbers, are using internet information, not mainstream media related advertising, to make buying decisions. Every day, more and more people are turning on computers versus the TV set for information and entertainment.

The lesson to be learned here is that one has to control one’s own lead generation. Companies can no longer depend on third party lead providers as a sole source for their new prospects. The ultimate lead can be found. They are all over the internet searching right now.

Bruce Prokopets
Executive Editor
Press Direct International
In Touch Media Group

Great Marketing Mistakes - Time & Money - Don't Sell Yourself Short

Marketing Mistakes – Time And Money – Don’t Sell Yourself Short

Time and money are the age old problems that we’ve all had since the dawn of civilization.

In the business of marketing, I have often had prospective clients come to me with little time and little money frantically wanting to accomplish an heroic marketing or sales feat.

If you’ve ever been short on time, or money, or both and needed to sell a lot of merchandise quickly, this marketing advice is for you.

First and foremost, you need to live in the real world.

In the words of the great Zig Ziglar, “Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance” and another popular quote: “time is money”; both of these sayings should be memorized by anyone who has anything to do with selling or marketing anything.

If you want to market something successfully and are on a limited budget, you need to start EARLY. Don’t wait until the last minute.

If you have a large budget you can get more done faster and with better quality.

Essentially, the more time you have the less money you need; and, the more money you have, the less time you need. So if your budget is tiny START EARLY and be prepared to invest a great deal of time.

Investing the time may seem difficult or unreasonable but this is reality and it’s important that you face it if you want to enjoy any success.

Conversely: if you’re short on time EXPECT TO PAY. The more quickly and professionally you want your project to come off, the larger your budget will need to be.

If you have both time and a decent budget you can expect to do well with professional help if you’re not a marketing pro yourself.

So save yourself a lot of stress. Plan your marketing early and make sure your budget allows for what you want.

---- Toli Cefail

Toli Cefail is a 30 year veteran marketing professional and has owned and operated businesses for her entire adult life. She is currently the Co-Founder, COO and Creative Director for In Touch Marketing, parent company of ITM Pro Solutions.

Marketing Hit: Soul Stealer could be the next Watchmen

By now you've hopefully heard about the "next big thing": graphic novels being made into feature films. With '09's forthcoming sure-to-be-blockbuster Watchmen, Hollywood is no doubt rabidly on the prowl for the next graphic novel hit, and Michael Easton's Soul Stealer may be just what the doctor ordered.

This dark, romantic, gothic tale has it all: heroes, villans, past lives, future lives, magic, action, drama, suspense and yes, it was written by a soap star.

Proving unequivocally that he is much more than a "pretty face", Michael Easton has created a thriilling gothic masterpiece of suspense, intrigue and mystery nestled in the ever popular theme: eternal love (literally). This story (and its forthcoming highly anticpated sequel) has everything it needs to be the next Watchmen.

Watch for it. No doubt, Hollywood is.

Anatomy Of A Website

Anatomy Of A Website

Many people take for granted the creation and deployment of a website. They often think of it as a purely a technical thing and that its content comes from some mystical place such as the webmaster’s or web designer’s mind or worse "The Website Fairy".

It is very very far from that and in fact, contains many elements both in its formation and continuing operation over time.

Think of a website much as you would a home or a building in which you plan to live or work. 

Approach the creation of your website as you would the building of your home or workplace. After all, your website is your virtual “home” or “residence” on the World Wide Web.

If you think of it this way, you will begin to see the
estimation of thought and work required to properly create, deploy and manage a
website. 

Let us take say, a restaurant as an example. If you were building a restaurant you would ask yourself a variety of questions (hopefully) before you began construction. Questions such as:

1. What kind of customers do I want to cater to?
2. What impression do I want to make on them when they enter the establishment?
3. What kind of food do I want to serve?
4. What kind of equipment do I require to adequately prepare and serve this food?
5. How do I want the food to be presented to the customers?
6. How many customers do I want to be able to serve simultaneously?
7. Do I want to serve alcohol? What types? Do I need a wine cellar since I plan to have a large wine selection?
8. Do I want televisions to display sporting events?
9. Do I want to provide WiFi internet to my patrons?
10. What type of wiring do I need? Lighting?
         Music?
11. Do I want a maître di?
12. How will phone calls be handled? Will I take reservations?
13. How will the restaurant be decorated?
14. How will I promote it to get people in the door?
15. What do I want them to be able to do when they get there?
16. What are your personnel requirements to stay in business and service your customers?
17. What will those personnel need to do their jobs?
18. Etc., Etc., Etc. 

In other words, you would make a fairly complete assessment of your needs, desires and those of your potential customers and employees BEFORE you began to invest the time and money to build your restaurant.

Well the same degree of thought and planning should go into the creation of your website. 

In fact, most of the highly successful websites and internet companies that you see employ this degree of planning, forethought and management, and then some. 

Below are the key overview points that should go into the successful planning and creation of any website.

The more sophisticated the site, the more users you plan to have, the more work and time is involved on each of the steps below.

Simple brochure type sites of only a few static web pages take less time, BUT, each of the steps below still applies. 

1. Purpose & Function Planning
2. Content Planning
3. Content Creation
4. Copywriting
5. Design Planning
6. Design Implementation & Execution
7. Functionality & Programming Execution
8. Hosting Planning & Set-Up
9. Promotion & Marketing
10. Sales & Lead Management
11. Content Updating
12. Content Management
13. Hosting Management
14. Site Performance Management (Technical)
15. Site Performance Management (Marketing & Sales)

Use these key 15 steps to successful website planning and development and your next website will be more likely to perform the way you envisioned. 

The next article in this series will discuss and define each of the above points in some detail. You will learn what each means and what is involved in each stage.

Do Not Buy Vista!

According to Google there are currently over 500,000 web pages with the phrase "Vista Sucks" in them. Believe it.

I can't even make the above link target blank because the Vista "update" I did won't let me scroll properly in menus!

I cannot say it enough times - DO NOT BUY VISTA! Do not buy a computer with Vista, Do not "upgrade" to Vista (it's a DOWNGRADE).

Vista is currently a disaster. The only people who seem to "like" it are people who are computer builders and tinkerers and people who only do word processing & email.

If you have a ton of time to mess with your computer and configure this & that then maybe you'll be okay with it.

If you ONLY use email & word processing and some general web surfing such as shopping, then you'll probably be "okay".

But if you actually use your computer for your work like design or lots of programs, games, etc., then FORGET VISTA, because it is horrid. I just "updated" my system & it got WORSE (if that was even possible).

If you are planning to buy a new computer then INSIST on XP ONLY or DON'T BUY A NEW COMPUTER.

If you absolutely must buy a new computer, then consider converting to a MAC because Vista is THAT AWFUL.

You will spend less time learning the Mac than you will fussing with Vista.

Maybe some Apple employees infiltrated Microsoft to develop Vista! :)

Anyway, don't get it, whatever you do.

Making A Website Sell - By Toli Cefail

I'm continually fascinated by people's viewpoints on websites and what it really takes to create a website that gets results.

I've met many people who expect to just build a website and automatically have it start getting sales from day one.

Well... sometimes this happens but most of the time is doesn't.

Building a website is really like setting up any BUSINESS. You can't really expect to open a brick-and-mortar store for example, and expect customers to just start coming in and buying things. I mean this can happen, but often it doesn't.

If you open a store you have to:

Stock the shelves with things people want
Promote to get people into the store
Observe the people while they're in the store regarding their reactions to the merchandise
Re-stock and add new merchandise according to those reactions
Adjust the presentation and pricing of the merchandise according to those reactions
Communicate with the customers both inside and outside of the sore to get them to buy
And many more things.

In short, it's a PROCESS. And it is a process unfortunately that many business owners are not prepared to confront when they set up their website.

The average lifespan of a website is about 18 months. I've built cutting edge type websites that have held their own for 3 or more years but you really should be prepared to redo your site at least once every 2 years. This is because the internet and web technology is constantly changing and improving.

You should plan to adjust your web content on a monthly basis at a minimum. The more often your site content updates, the more the search engines will like it.

When launching a web site don't be fixed on anything. Be prepared to change it on the fly, make corrections, add and remove features, etc. as you go.

Based on my experience, it can take as long as a few months to get a launched website really humming. And this is a few months with at least 2 people working on it - a site promoter and a webmaster/designer/programmer.

Some webmasters can do it all but this is rare. You will seldom find a good artistic designer who is also a good programmer and if you do, it will cost a lot to hire this person.

When hiring a company to build your site it's fine to hire one that is great  technically if you have in-house marketing personnel. But if you don't have web savvy in-house marketing personnel (and I mean really web savvy with regards to internet marketing and promotion as well as marketing in general) then you're better off hiring a web marketing company and letting them work with your webmaster to get the site built.

The way we work is we have teams of designers, teams of programmers (of all types) and our own in-house web savvy marketing experts who supervise these teams. Then when it's all done, we turn the site over to our client's webmaster with our recommendations and continue to work on whatever additional marketing plans the client wants.

Many times we will work with a client's in-house marketing team. I particularly like to work this way as marketers think alike and don't overdue the technology forsaking the consumer.

So to sum this up: when you're building a website recognize that it's a commitment and a process. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, make adjustments (many, many adjustments), and take the TIME to respond to your visitors' behavior to make your site perform.

Website Effectiveness

It never ceases to amaze me how an otherwise intelligent person can so grossly underestimate how much work is involved in creating something.

As an example: a business owner wants a web site with the functionality (and performance) of an amazon.com operational in under a month for less than it would cost to hire a full time web developer for that same time period.

If you're considering having a web site built or building one yourself, here are some key areas you need to plan on and be aware of to ensure your site building process runs as smoothly as possible.

1. Site concept - YOU need to determine a basic concept for your web site including what you want it to do, what needs you want it to fulfill for visitors and what you want it to do for your company. Be as thorough as possible in this determination.

Do you want to generate customers; sell merchandise; establish goodwill with your customers and the public in general; provide sales tools for your sales personell? Decide what you want the site to do and write it down.

Then when you meet with your web design firm they will be able to estimate more accurately the time and cost for building your site as well as give you suggestions on how to achieve your goals. Having this information for them will also help them to see where you want to go with your business. They may then have other ideas that will help you accomplish your aims that they wouldn't have thought of had they not had your information.

2. Design style preferences - take a look at competitive sites and note your likes and dislikes about each.

3. Function preferences - will your site be e-commerce? Have a member area? Allow user sign-up or newsletter subscription? Consider these things BEFORE beginning construction of your site and hiring a design firm.

An important thing to remember is that good designers are RARELY good programmers. When hiring a professional design firm, they usually have both on staff so your sure to receive quality design as well as good programming.

4. Results - Building a website takes time. Building a website that gets the desired results takes even more time. This is an ongoing process that usually requires DAILY work and adjustment to your website as well as continual feedback from your site visitors.

I generally recommend that once the site is built, or during the site building process, that the company hire a full time webmaster who's job it is to administer the website and get visitors to take the desired actions.

Be prepared to make regular changes to your site to get it performing like you want; ALOT of changes.

I could write more about this but I have to run (3 year old approaching). The above should be enough to get you going in the right direction in getting your new website off the ground.