Google SEO Starter Guide Updated

September 29th, 2010 No Comments


Almost 2 years ago Google published it’s First SEO Starter Guide, offering insights into how webmasters can improve their website’s performance in Google. Google has published an updated version of their SEO Starter Guide this week and it’s loaded with information for beginners.

Some of the additions that have been made to the guide are a glossary to define terms that are mentioned throughout the guide. They offer more example images including more clear wording to help people understand and digest the content provided.

One of the sections I found most useful are the additions of mobile browsing and how to optimize your site for mobile devices.

Overall this guide gives people what they need to understand when building a website for the first time, it also re-introduces us to the Googlebot.

Popularity: 23% [?]

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Inside the Panthers #Purrsuit – A Social Media Competition

September 21st, 2010 2 Comments


On October 23, social media enthusiasts will fan out across Charlotte for The Panthers Purrsuit, a clever social media event presented by The Carolina Panthers and real-estate firm Allen Tate.

The event is a one-day, citywide social media challenge. Contestants will follow clues to check-in points and complete tasks ranging from simple to absurd, all while interacting with each other and friends on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare and other sites.

I caught up with Scott Hepburn, creator of the event, to get the story:

RM: First things first: Why would anyone want to play in The Panthers Purrsuit?

For starters, we’ve got some sweet prizes. Grand prize is a trip for two – including tickets, airfare and lodging – to see the Panthers take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh. There’s tons of Panthers gear, gift cards, and other cool prizes, too.

The Purrsuit is a one-of-a-kind event, and that’s a draw, too. No other city or NFL team has done anything like this. Scavenger hunts have been done, but nothing on this scale. The challenges are truly interactive, the sponsors are diving in from a social perspective, and contestants will have a chance to use over a dozen social and mobile apps. We’re shooting for a new type of social media experience.

RM: Where’d the idea for the Panthers Purrsuit come from?

Growing up, I was a fan of road rallies. Teams would navigate from point to point and visit historic landmarks, local businesses or locations to “check in” with race officials. The Purrsuit takes that concept and updates it with today’s social media angle. It’s a truly interactive event – a community event.

RM: How did the Panthers and Allen Tate get involved?

I’ve known Mike Mahoney of the Panthers for years via  – yeah, you guessed it – Twitter. Mike and I were catching up over coffee and I told him about this harebrained idea I was considering. He loved it. He asked me to pitch it to the Panthers, and it was a perfect fit.

Allen Tate is a Panthers corporate partner. They loved the idea, too. Their agents are passionate about social media and how they can use it to help home buyers and sellers. The entire organization has gotten involve in The Panthers Purrsuit, and their social media coordinator Genevieve Jooste has been a huge champion of the event.

RM: Any hints about the check-in spots or challenges.

30 LEGO kits. A giant chicken suit. Two superheroes stuck in a car wash. A rap battle. That’s all I’m gonna say.

RM: Seriously?

Chicken suit, Roy. Giant chicken suit.

RM: Okay…where do I sign up?

Register at http://bit.ly/purrsuit. The Panthers Purrsuit is a two-person team competition, so find a partner. The more team spirit, enthusiasm, and rockstar fandom you display, the better. Good luck!

Popularity: 16% [?]

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IZEA + WeReward = New Media Innovation

September 9th, 2010 3 Comments

When I started my social media agency in 2007 I knew the emerging new media industry needed to streamline and fill a growing void between public relations and advertising. Born was WeReward earlier this year and the advent of Social Media Sponsorships.


A social media sponsorship is a rapidly emerging word of mouth strategy that enables brands to provide material compensation, such as cash, coupons, products, points, trips, etc. to social media publishers to promote and/or review their products and services through blog posts, status updates, checkins, or other unique experiences.

“It not only validates that social media sponsorships are becoming an increasing important tool for marketers, but the projected rate of growth indicates that brand marketers will continue to become part of the conversation and build relationships with consumers through their social networks, whether that be on their computer or mobile device.” Said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA.

“The cascade of new media platforms and technologies have led to significant changes in consumer media use, which has forced brands to rethink long-held beliefs about effective strategies to reach target audiences,” said Patrick Quinn, CEO of PQ Media. “The availability of content through the internet, mobile devices and social networks, the difficulty of reaching more elusive target consumers, and the transformation of personal communications due to these developments have made it more important than ever for brands to invest in strategies to engage target consumers in captive locations for extended periods of time through the power of emotional connections.”

A recent Social Media Sponsorship Forecast spotlights on a clear consumer brand marketing trend toward increased adoption of Digital Sponsored Conversations, Digital Brand Ambassador Programs, Digital Seed/Viral Campaigns and Digital Marketing Agencies.

Social media sponsorship spending is expected to jump 23.6% in 2010, reaching $56.8 million, propelled by an improving advertising and marketing environment, increased social media usage as a share of time spent online, and more brands requiring WoMM campaigns to include a social media proponent. Non-cash sponsored social media will continue to demand the lion’s share of spending, but cash-sponsored social media will exhibit faster growth, driven by new services, particularly those linked to mobile phone applications. Similar to the 2009 results, social media sponsorship will significantly outperform the single-digit growth expected for the overall advertising and marketing industry, as non-digital media segments continue to struggle.

Popularity: 20% [?]

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12 Reasons Why We Like Brands on Facebook

September 1st, 2010 6 Comments

With 40% of Facebook users who become fans of a brand do so to show their support of a company to their friends, according to recent study by ExactTarget. As consumers continue to use Facebook to interact with friends, be entertained and express themselves through their public affiliation with brands – these factors combine to create a potent viral marketing platform.

By engaging consumers on Facebook in a way that keeps them entertained, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize Fans and get introduced to their friends. “Facebook provides a unique opportunity for marketers to creatively connect with motivated audiences online,” said Tim Kopp, ExactTarget’s chief marketing officer.

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers and three quarters of Millennials have created a profile on Facebook and the most common reason for using the site is to reconnect with old friends and friends who live far away (63%).

Other highlights from the study include:

*30 percent of consumers use Facebook to occupy their down time citing it as a “guilty pleasure,” and 31 percent say they monitor the amount of time spent on Facebook because of its addictive nature.

*Women are more likely than men to use Facebook for maintaining personal relationships (63 versus 54 percent), connecting with old friends (68 versus 56 percent) and managing their social lives (41 versus 34 percent).

*Consumers’ capacity for exposure to brand messages via Facebook is limited—half of all fans “like” only one to four brands and only 17 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to buy after becoming a “fan” on Facebook.

What has motivated you to follow a company, brand or association on Facebook?

  1. To receive discounts and promotions
  2. To show my support for the company to others
  3. To get a “freebie” (free samples, coupons)
  4. To stay informed about the activities of a company
  5. To get updates on future products
  6. To get updates on upcoming sales
  7. For fun or entertainment
  8. To get access to exclusive content
  9. Someone recommended it to me
  10. To learn more about the company
  11. For education about company topics
  12. To interact (share ideas, provide feedback)

Popularity: 64% [?]

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Top 10 Countries on Facebook

August 13th, 2010 1 Comment

facebook logo

The growth that Facebook has achieved in under 7 years has been incredible and to think that there are now more than half a billion users, is impressive to say the least. When we think of Facebook we typically think of users based in the United States (narcissistic, I know), but the growth of this top social networking site has been a global phenomenon.

Facebook’s current user base is more than 1.6 times the size of the entire US population. You’ve all heard by now that “If Facebook were a country, it’d be second only to China and India” but when you take a look at the Facebook economy, today’s valuation of the social network is over $10 billion dollars.

Top 10 Countries on Facebook

top 10 countries on Facebook 2010

From Pingdom:

Since we don’t have actual user numbers and demographics from Facebook itself (only Facebook has those), we looked at per-country traffic estimates to Facebook.com. The result is quite interesting. (We used data from Google Ad Planner, which provides traffic stats for a large number of sites.)

Facebook’s international expansion is well under way, and it’s arguably the largest and most wide-spread social network that ever existed. As Facebook grows on a global level, the current US dominance of the social network will gradually diminish and become more similar to the general distribution of Internet users.

  • The United States alone accounts for almost 24% of Facebook’s users.
  • The United States has 4.6 times as many Facebook users as the second-largest country on Facebook, the United Kingdom.
  • The top 10 countries on Facebook account for almost 58% of its users.
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Popularity: 48% [?]

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