Ten Simple Blogging Tips to Increase Your Traffic
Are you satisfied with your blog traffic? Do you know hot to increase it?
I was reading some of the posts on Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals (a group of which I’m a member on Linked In) and saw a post by one of our members, Erin Smith that resonated with me. She put together a practical list of top 10 Simple Blogging Tricks (that will jump-start traffic to your business). I am happy to say I do some of these things already, but there are certainly tips I can start using today! Here is the list:
1. Install the Onlywire plug-in and submit all your blog posts to social media bookmarks, your readers will be able to use this button as well.
- I’ve been using Onlywire for a while now, and am very impressed with the ease of use and performance.
2. Put up a video with you introducing them to your blog and say thanks for visiting, this is what you’re going to get out of my blog.
- Ok, I need to do this. Maybe once I have a good hair day!
3. Don’t pitch with every blog post, post content that will actually benefit others.
- I would like to think I’m doing this!
4. Insert a visible opt-in form that appears on every page. My intro video also invites them to opt-in and tell them what they’ll get if they do.
I have one of those. Look on the right column – you can sign up to receive notifications of my posts, and/or sign up for the RSS feed.
5. Put the Retweet and Facebook share plug-ins on your posts. The more you create a social buzz with your content, the more Google looks at it.
As I don’t (yet) use WordPress.org (that allows plug-ins), I rely on the ‘add-this’ tool and the other built-in buttons provided by WordPress (looks like they’re expanding their ‘share’ buttons pretty frequently).
6. You personally can share your new blog posts on Twitter and Facebook
Yep – I share… ;D
7. Make a video about your post on Youtube and link it back to your blog.
Hmm – good idea.. again. I hope I have a good hair day tomorrow! Oh, and you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here 
8. Use an article submitter to blast out your post to hundreds of article directories. The more “hooks” you have out there the more people are going to be “caught.”
I haven’t found a submitter I like, so if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. In the meantime, I do use Ezinearticles and Squidoo.
9. Make sure you have a keyword in mind and have that keyword in the title, description, tags, body, and anchor text (the text that you click on in a link)
I do try doing this, but I’m not as diligent about this as I could or should be…
10. Make a Squidoo and a Hubpage with links back to your original post on your blog.
Yep – on my todo list
Excerpt: FourSquare, Groupon offer small-biz benefits – Article
Excerpt from an article I wrote for Inside Business newspaper (print and online):
<– I have a friend whose daily activities can be viewed by the world through FourSquare. We know where he is almost every minute of the day (and boy, does he eat a lot!). So what is FourSquare? And how can you use it to benefit your business?
So if you’re a small business in Hampton Roads, and you want to get more business (who doesn’t!) then you might like to consider coming up with a great offer to include in Groupon. You gain traffic, sales and buzz! Oh, and one more thing, Groupon pays its members $10 for every referral they get. So if I like an offer, and put it on Facebook (with a unique link to their website provided just for me), and someone buys a Groupon through that link, then I get $10 credit on my account. How cool is that! Gives me an incentive to promote Groupon to my friends and followers, creating a viral promotion.
Read the article in its entirety here!
The Number ONE Secret To Successful Email Marketing Campaigns
There is a VERY simple email marketing tactic that can be the biggest deciding factor between a successful and ineffective email marketing initiative. The secret? Developing the RIGHT subject line for an email message.
How often have you bought a magazine at the grocery store because of the headline on the front? Or watched a tv show or movie because you liked the trailer?
How often have you received emails with subject lines like these:
“MAKE $60,000 EVERY WEEK GUARANTEED!”
“EXPLOSIVE STOCK PICK AT $0.45!!!!”
“Melt the fat off!”
“THIS IS NOT SPAM!”
How often do you open them? I get hundreds like this every day… and I automatically delete them without reading them. So how many of your legitimate emails do you think may end up in someone’s SPAM folder, or are mistakenly deleted by your subscribers who read your subject lines and assume it must be spam?
Jupiter research indicates that 35 percent of e-mail users open their messages simply because of what is contained in the subject line – so create relevant subject lines. How?
The best way to create relevance is to personalize the message. This can be as simple as creating basic salutations to more complex customized content. Here are the top three ways to personalize a message:
1. Basic Personalization : Include the recipient’s first name in the subject line and in the copy salutation—and if it’s a business-to-business campaign, include the recipient’s company name and/or industry.
2. Attribution Based Personalization : Customize the full e-mail copy based on the recipient’s attributes. For example, include examples or case studies based on the recipient’s industry or vertical.
3. Purchased Based Personalization : Write sections of the e-mail copy based on the recipient’s purchase history.
These extra steps may add a little extra time to implement, however I think you’ll see the upside with the increase in your open rates (and hopefully, in turn, your response rates!)
In my next post, I will discuss other methods of creating relevant subject lines!
Where, Oh Where Is Wave Marketing?
If you’ve visited Wave Marketing lately, you’ll see that my website is undergoing a few changes … I have someone working on a whole new design, but it will take a while, so if you’re looking to find out more about Wave Marketing, visit the Wave page here.
Thanks!
Top 15 Favorites – Social Media Websites and Experts
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Lately, a few friends have asked me who I follow for Social Media news. So here is my list of just a few of my favorites – both websites and ‘experts’. It includes folks I know who may not yet be famous, but are pretty darn smart Please feel free to add your recommendations in the ‘comments’. I’ll also probably keep adding to this list as I find more great people to recommend. Enjoy!
- Debbie Weil : Leading lady of social media.
- Sue Young : PR expert – follow her on Twitter!
- Chris Brogan : Social media god.
- Brian Solis : Social media legend
- Liz Strauss : Another of the leading ladies of Social Media. She’s a star!
- Terry Crosby : Terry is amazing – follow her on Facebook, Twitter etc. She is a wealth of information!
- CopyBlogger : You want to start a blog? Then this is your bible!
- SmartBlogs – Social Media : Sign up for their newsletter. Great array of stories – including case studies.
- Social Media Examiner : Great social media insights in a fun and digestible format.
- Mashable : This is where I get my breaking news from (if not from Twitter, or Mashable on Twitter). It is a resource STOCK FULL of info on social, new media, tech trends and WAY more.
- John Haydon : Social media, marketing, non-profits, how-to guides, video blogging, musician, storyteller – John wears all these caps and more.
- Amy Howell : Amy is smart – super smart.
- Justin Levy : Everyone retweets and quotes Justin. Leading social media.
- The Social CMO : Aggregate of great content by Social Media smart people.
- ReadWriteWeb : Latest in web technology and social media trends.
Nike, Videography and Advertising.
I really appreciate great videography in advertising.
This video for Nike Football (aka soccer) was directed by Hollywood director/producer – Alejandro G. Iñarritu (of 21 Grams & Babel fame). In the video, an epic football journey unfolds through a match of goal line clearances, game-winning tackles and lightning footwork that literally send a ripple effect across the world. It is an amazing video that captures so much emotion – heartache and joy! The videography is beautiful.
Congrats to the creative agency of W+K, Amsterdam and Production Company: Independent Films London / Anonymous Content.
10 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page Following
10 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page Following - by guest blogger, Kylie Ross
Who doesn’t like tips? We recently found a comprehensive (and LONG) list of tips to get people to like your Facebook page. Thanks to Kylie Ross, our guest blogger, who has summarized and simplified the list for those of us who don’t have time to review the long version.
Just remember that it takes time to build a new fan base from scratch and requires an ongoing commitment to brand, monitor and network with people who find interest in your product.
#1: Be Prepared With Quality Wall Posts and Consistent Engagement
Keep your page organized and loaded with fresh, quality content. Be consistent and active in your engagement with fans and also with the brand.
#2: Reward Your Loyal Supporters
Encourage existing and loyal customers to join your Facebok page as supporters, reward them with customizable badges/tabs (to be placed on their profiles for visibility) and special deals for consistent support.
#3: Leverage Your Existing Social Networks
If you’ve built a strong Twitter network for your business, utilize it to promote your Facebook page. Your followers can broadcast your message on both of their social platforms by reaching out to a greater audience about your business.
#4: Integrate Facebook Social Plugins to Your Website
It’s essential to have a main hub correlating all your social media activities. Your company’s website is the only place that gives you full control over content and brand management. Integrate Facebook social plugins to encourage connections such as Facebook’s Likebox, Like button, and Comment stream.
#5: Remind Your Fans to Like and Share
Facebook has some easy ready-made sharing buttons with which people can promote your tabs and pages to their friends. Place a shout-out or reminder to ‘Like’ your status updates and instruct fans to click that little ‘Share’ button right next to your message so their friends will be alerted about the update.
#6: Utilize Forum Signatures and Membership Sites
If you’re an active participant in a forum or membership site, placing a signature with your fan page link is a plus. No-one will care about your information unless you stand out from the crowd. Be an active helper in a LinkedIn Group or a frequent poster of special tips and tricks.
#7: Take the Initiative: Request Help From Friends
It’s difficult to start a fan page with no engagement whatsoever. Why not initiate messages to your friends and buddies who are supportive of your business? Ask them to help out in some discussions, reward them with publicity or return the favor. Make sure the question is interesting enough to get them talking.
#8: Use Tagging and Acknowledgments
A great networking tool, status-tagging, can even drive in new connections. Tag an author or a popular Facebook page to draw attention, but only if you have good reason to do so. For example, selflessly promote a niche-post and how it benefits people who like your page.
#9: Participate Outside Your Page
Use the Facebook Directory and Facebook Search to locate other Facebook pages in your niche and look for public discussions based on search terms related to your business. Provide value to the popular pages; build credibility and relationships with the admin and members.
#10: Collaborate With Other Page Admins for a Social Event
You can collaborate with other page admins to create a special event that may benefit both your fans and bring in new connections. There should be a mutual understanding and proper planning to make it work for everyone’s professional goals.
Excerpted from a post by Mari Smith – Original Post
Email Marketing Trends – Click Rates by Number of Links
Part 3: Email marketing – one of the most cost effective marketing channels available.
(Read my post on “The Social Media – Email Connection and Four Strategies to Connect Them” to see how email marketing can be even MORE effective!)
A study was recently released showing the latest email marketing trends. There are a few great nuggets of information I will share over the next few blog posts.
Today: Click Rates by Number of Links
Which emails do you think have higher click through rates? Ones that have a lot of links, or ones with fewer links?
In 2009, click rates were highest on email messages with more than 20 links. Most of these messages were likely email newsletters, with multiple articles and other items of interest to the recipients.
It’s a best practice in email newsletters to make the headline a link to the full article text, as well as including a “read more” link at the end of the article summary.
The second highest click rates went to email messages with between 1 and 5 links. These tend to be brief promotional emails with a few calls to action. With promotional email messages, don’t make your subscribers scroll through the entire email to get to the link you want them to click on. It’s a best practice to include the key call to action in multiple places in the email.
Be sure you have a call to action with a link at the beginning, middle and end of your email message so that subscribers don’t have to search for a link when they are ready to take action.
- Tip: Just because you can link to something doesn’t mean that you should. Make sure that every link in your email message drives people toward the action you want them to take. Don’t take them on tangents where they’ll have trouble getting to your desired action.
Email marketing trends click rates by number of links
From: MailerMailer July 2010 Email Marketing Metric report.
LMX – Local Marketing: There’s An Expo For That!
Check out this recent post I wrote for LMX: Local Marketing Expo.
I am so excited to be a part of this fantastic convention coming in September to Virginia Beach. If you haven’t bought a ticket yet, please do. You won’t want to miss the lineup of keynote speakers, and all the fantastic panels that will be held on topics from Social Media 101, to Targeted Media, and Email Marketing (presented by yours truly!)
To receive a 30% discount on tickets, enter the code ‘marketing’ in the discount field when you purchase your tickets online.
Email Marketing Trends – Click Rates
Part 2: Email marketing – one of the most cost effective marketing channels available.
(Read my post on “The Social Media – Email Connection and Four Strategies to Connect Them” to see how email marketing can be even MORE effective!)
A study was recently released showing the latest email marketing trends. There are a few great nuggets of information I will share over the next few blog posts.
Today: Click Rates
Definition: Click rate, sometimes referred to as Click-Through Rate or CTR, is a measure of the performance of an email marketing message. Unlike open rate, the click rate represents an exact measure of the performance using data collected as the reader clicks through a link within any given message.
Note: Click rates are calculated by dividing the total number of unique clicks by the product of the number of links in each message and the number of total recipients.
Click Rates Trend:
Click rates declined sharply in 2009, especially in the second half of 2009. The second half decline marks the sharpest decline in either click or opens since we began reporting back in 2004.
First half of 2009: 2.6%
Second half of 2009: 1.6%
Reasons For Declining Click Rates:
- Links not live (to avoid phishing schemes, many email clients like Outlooks and Yahoo, deliver messages without making the links clickable. It is up to the recipient to take an action to enable the links.)
- List fatigue (the best way to combat this is by providing highly relevant content to your subscribers. Segmenting the list by interests and targeting content appropriately is a good way to increase relevance and your email click rates.)
Tip: The best way to address the live link issues is to ask your email subscribers to add your sender address to their address book. Most email clients will automatically make links live (and show images) if the sender’s address is in the recipient’s address book.
Key Takeaway: Stay on top of email client trends – and adapt your email delivery to counteract issues that arise. Ask recipients help – if that means asking for their permission, or asking them to add your sender address to their address book.
From: MailerMailer July 2010 Email Marketing Metric report.
