The Sudden Rise of the Smartphone
Compared to its landline cousin, the smartphone went mainstream at an astonishing speed. The majority (58%) of smartphone users look for local information at least once a week—27% look daily. Yet most businesses still haven’t figured it out how to be found on one.
How Do I Get to the Top of the Search Engines?
Getting on Page One of Google is considered the Holy Grail of online marketing—a mythical quest only a chosen few seem to achieve. Yet, those who do get over 90 percent of Google’s search traffic. Here’s how it’s done.
When is a Phone not a Phone? Lessons in Mobile Marketing
In a previous article, I confessed that, despite my claim of being a web marketing geek, I did not own a smartphone. Recently, however, that changed when my company gave me a Droid HTC Incredible.
Frankly, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by the entire smartphone experience. Maybe it’s because the person on the other end sounds like they’re standing on the deck of the Titanic as it makes its final decent into the swirling waters of the North Atlantic. Or perhaps it’s the battery life that plummets faster than RIM’s stock prices. Or maybe I’m just asking too much.
Who Even Uses the Yellow Pages Anymore?
I had the opportunity to speak with an account rep at an Internet company recently. As we talked about different types of advertising, it became obvious that he distained old media. He said that television advertising was pointless because people TiVo past them, and that he “couldn’t begin to remember” the last time he’d looked in the Yellow Pages. Instead, he uses a smartphone, buying a new one every 3 to 6 months, because he gets bored with the old one.
Winning the Zero Moment of Truth
A few weeks ago, my wife saw a commercial for a Bowflex TreadClimber and asked me to find out how much one cost. After discovering they were a few thousand dollars more than I was willing to pay, I went looking for a basic elliptical trainer (something I’ve wanted for some time).
I did a search for “best elliptical machines” and found a number within my price range, then read some reviews and did some preliminary price investigation.
The next day, I ran an errand after work. On a whim, as I was about to leave the Lowe’s parking lot, I decided to search for a local sporting good store on my mobile phone. Finding two within a few miles, I drove to each to see what they had.
Confessions of a Twitter #Newbie
If you’re wondering why I’ve inserted the # symbol before ‘Newbie’ in the title, fear not, you’ve come to the right place. Because I write about web marketing, it’s tempting to want to appear the expert on all things web. Which is why (until recently) I’ve avoided topics like marketing your business on Twitter.
I considered waiting until I learned enough to at least appear as if I knew what I was talking about. Instead, I decided to write about it as I stumbled along. That way, someone besides me would learn from my mistakes.
How to Market Your Business with Twitter
I must admit, of all social media, Twitter is the one I “get” the least. Don’t believe me? Check out my whopping 59 Twitter followers. (Oops, make that 60!) So if you want talk about RTs and #hashtags, this won’t be the read for you.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more basic, like “How can I market my business with Twitter?” then read on!
Buying Links: Google’s Okay with It. Really
It’s as controversial as Keynesian vs. Friedman economics. Is buying backlinks okay or not?
Twitter: Your Own Personal Pocket-Yoda
Whenever I’m asked about Twitter, it’s usually from people with the pre-conceived notion that everyone there is a self-absorbed narcissist tweeting about what they ate for breakfast. And while Twitter does attract more than its share of self-centeredness, it’s also much, much more.
Twitter often defies explanation, but my niece has one of the best I’ve heard:
Bazooka Joe, the Original Content Marketer
Walking to the corner market with my best friend to buy a packet of that little pink bubble gum wrapped in a comic strip was one of the highlights of my nine-year-old existence. Sure, there were other bubble gum brands on the shelf, but none of them had the latest adventures of Bazooka Joe inside. I was too young and blissfully ignorant to realize that my purchase decision was being influenced by a well-used, little-known marketing strategy, called Content Marketing.