If you're an experienced writer just getting into blogging or into providing blog content, you'll want to learn more about the SEJ Search Engine Journal. It has daily posts about the topics of SEO, Search Engine News, Social Media, Entrepreneurship, WordPress, and Content Marketing. Besides daily updates, SEJ also creates in-depth content guides which are available as e-books for Kindle on Amazon. SEJ is a one-stop resource for white papers, pod casts and webinars on many of the things you want to know about blogging and providing content for your website or for others.
SEJ additionally offers an exclusive, invitation-only writers’ program that includes valuable perks such as conference press passes to its annual events and exposure on a site that gets about one million unique page views monthly. For details on these and the 2016 invitation only conferences check out Search Engine Journal.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
How Does Your Content Marketing Measure Up?
The results of the new 2015 survey by The Content Marketing Institute found that only 23% of Business to Consumer marketers successfully track their return on investment in content marketing. This year's survey reached more than 5,000 marketers,representing 25 industries in 109 countries.
Fifty-one percent, an increase of 15% over last year, say that measuring the effectiveness of content is a challenge. Only 27% of B2C marketers have taken the time to put their strategy in writing, while 50% of those surveyed only have a verbal strategy.
Other findings from this year's survey revealed that 69% of those responding are creating more content than they did a year ago and 45% of B2C marketers now have a dedicated content marketing group in their organization. On average they are using seven social media platforms this year compared to only six last year. The use of blogs dropped from 72% last year to 67% this year.
Seventy-one percent use print or other offline promotion, and while it is the paid method that they use most frequently to promote and distribute content, only 46% say that it's effective. The majority, or 57%, say that search engine marketing is the most effective way to promote/distribute content.
The 2015 survey included new questions showing that the average number of paid advertising methods for promoting/distributing content is four and that 48% of those surveyed say that they publish new content daily or multiple times per week. The average number of content marketing initiatives being worked on at the time of the survey was 13.
For more information on the findings from the 2015 survey visit the Content Marketing Institute site.
Fifty-one percent, an increase of 15% over last year, say that measuring the effectiveness of content is a challenge. Only 27% of B2C marketers have taken the time to put their strategy in writing, while 50% of those surveyed only have a verbal strategy.
Other findings from this year's survey revealed that 69% of those responding are creating more content than they did a year ago and 45% of B2C marketers now have a dedicated content marketing group in their organization. On average they are using seven social media platforms this year compared to only six last year. The use of blogs dropped from 72% last year to 67% this year.
Seventy-one percent use print or other offline promotion, and while it is the paid method that they use most frequently to promote and distribute content, only 46% say that it's effective. The majority, or 57%, say that search engine marketing is the most effective way to promote/distribute content.
The 2015 survey included new questions showing that the average number of paid advertising methods for promoting/distributing content is four and that 48% of those surveyed say that they publish new content daily or multiple times per week. The average number of content marketing initiatives being worked on at the time of the survey was 13.
For more information on the findings from the 2015 survey visit the Content Marketing Institute site.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Dotbiz Blog: Check Out Web.com for a Full Spectrum of Web Oriented Free Videos, E-books, White Papers, News and More
Small businesses can find a number of free resources on Web.com, a leading provider of Internet services and online marketing solutions. These include how-to videos, e-books, white papers, marketing tips, and more through its Small Business Forum, an online community built specifically for small businesses. Membership to the Web.com Small Business Forum is free (registration required. Once registration is complete, small businesses get instant entrance to a multi-purpose portal where they can access expert advice and tips to help them grow their businesses.
Web.com provides the latest small business and online marketing news with top stories from around the world added daily in both article and video formats. The E-books and White Papers section provides full access to Web.com's complete library of e-books covering some of today's most important small business and online marketing topics, with new e-books added every month. Members can also use the Small Business Forum to grow their personal and professional networks by getting help from other business owners and by sharing their own knowledge while building their online reputations from within the Small Business Forum's Groups, or its Guest Blogging program.
Web.com provides the latest small business and online marketing news with top stories from around the world added daily in both article and video formats. The E-books and White Papers section provides full access to Web.com's complete library of e-books covering some of today's most important small business and online marketing topics, with new e-books added every month. Members can also use the Small Business Forum to grow their personal and professional networks by getting help from other business owners and by sharing their own knowledge while building their online reputations from within the Small Business Forum's Groups, or its Guest Blogging program.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Dotbiz Blog: Google Changes Typeface of Logo To Make It Easier to Read Across Multiple Devices and Platforms
If you use Google for search, you probably notice that on September 1, 2015 the company launched a new logo. Why? According to the Google blog the popular search engine was once a destination reached from a desktop PC, while today people use Google products Google was one destination that you reached from one device: a desktop PC. These days, people access Google products from many different platforms,apps and devices including mobile phones, TVs, watches, automobile dashboards, and desktops.
So, the previous familiar logo with a serif font gives way to a simpler custom typeface that is sans-serif and thicker making it easier to read even on the smallest screens. The new logo tells you that you’re using Google, but also shows you how Google is working for you. For example, new elements like a colorful Google mic help you identify and interact with Google whether you’re talking, tapping or typing. And, the little blue “g” icon and replacing it with a four-color “G” that matches the logo and is used in places where the full name will not fit.
The new branding replaces the last Google logo, which the company has used since September 2013. The new san-serif logo is Google’s sixth logo since the company launched in 1998. Most of the updates have been subtle. In October 1998, Google change the color of the “G” from green to blue and added an exclamation point at the end. Google removed the exclamation point the following May.
Not everyone likes the new logo. My first reaction to seeing the old logo morph into the one was ugh, but I brushed it off because Google has artfully played with its search engine art in many different ways. I thought it was like a change for the day.
I actually prefer the old serif font, which lacks the utter simplicity of the new one. However, I do understand that serif type doesn't shrink down as well as san serif fonts. In instances when the type is used for a logo that needs to scale from really large to tiny, the new logo is better for that purpose.
Of note, there has been an on-going argument among those who take note of such things as to whether serif fonts are more legible than san serif. But such arguments always have to take into account the actual shape of the letter and the spacing between letters. With a logo that is just a font without other graphics parts are interplay the uniqueness, familiarity and memorability all
So, the previous familiar logo with a serif font gives way to a simpler custom typeface that is sans-serif and thicker making it easier to read even on the smallest screens. The new logo tells you that you’re using Google, but also shows you how Google is working for you. For example, new elements like a colorful Google mic help you identify and interact with Google whether you’re talking, tapping or typing. And, the little blue “g” icon and replacing it with a four-color “G” that matches the logo and is used in places where the full name will not fit.
The new branding replaces the last Google logo, which the company has used since September 2013. The new san-serif logo is Google’s sixth logo since the company launched in 1998. Most of the updates have been subtle. In October 1998, Google change the color of the “G” from green to blue and added an exclamation point at the end. Google removed the exclamation point the following May.
Not everyone likes the new logo. My first reaction to seeing the old logo morph into the one was ugh, but I brushed it off because Google has artfully played with its search engine art in many different ways. I thought it was like a change for the day.
I actually prefer the old serif font, which lacks the utter simplicity of the new one. However, I do understand that serif type doesn't shrink down as well as san serif fonts. In instances when the type is used for a logo that needs to scale from really large to tiny, the new logo is better for that purpose.
Of note, there has been an on-going argument among those who take note of such things as to whether serif fonts are more legible than san serif. But such arguments always have to take into account the actual shape of the letter and the spacing between letters. With a logo that is just a font without other graphics parts are interplay the uniqueness, familiarity and memorability all
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Dotbiz Blog: Reputation Management News
Reputation Management is an ongoing concern for anyone with online visibility. Profile Defenders is a company that offers tools to help fight off unwanted scam reports, negative search results and bad online listings that cost online businesses money by defaming legitimate companies and causing confusion on the worldwide web.
In business for more than four years, Profile Defenders has increased its selection of tools and expanded their reach across many different scam report websites such as Ripoff Report where they can almost all but guarantee to completely remove these results. According to Jordan Roberts of Profile Defenders, "The goal is to target not only consumer complaint sites and web searches but also some of the other commonly known listings on websites such as Scambook.com, for the purpose of complete removal of unwanted content that can hurt legitimate businesses and can cost them thousands of dollars.
In business for more than four years, Profile Defenders has increased its selection of tools and expanded their reach across many different scam report websites such as Ripoff Report where they can almost all but guarantee to completely remove these results. According to Jordan Roberts of Profile Defenders, "The goal is to target not only consumer complaint sites and web searches but also some of the other commonly known listings on websites such as Scambook.com, for the purpose of complete removal of unwanted content that can hurt legitimate businesses and can cost them thousands of dollars.
Friday, August 21, 2015
DotBiz Blog: Now You Can Create Web Content Thanks to Mozilla
Sure you can access the Web with your cell phone, but what about adding content to the Web. Thanks to Mozilla's new Webmaker app, anyone with an Android phone can now create web content. It not only allows all of the basics such as text, photos and links, but also enables the creation of photo galleries, guides and other easy-to-share content. The Android Webmaker app is available in English, Indonesian, Bengali, and Brazilian Portuguese.
The app was first launched as a web-based program three years ago. The Android version will enable more global initiated web content and will facilite mobile blogging. Android Webmaker is free from your Google store. Click here: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.webmaker]
The app was first launched as a web-based program three years ago. The Android version will enable more global initiated web content and will facilite mobile blogging. Android Webmaker is free from your Google store. Click here: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.webmaker]
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
DotBiz Blog:Volkswagen Made Me Do It.
Okay, I haven't blogged about car commercials in awhile, but Volkswagen has made me do it. I admit, I have not seen any of Volkswagen's diesel oriented "old lady" commercials, so I had nothing to go on when I saw their rear-end event featuring a Passat with the "Golden Sisters". But when I saw this one, it raised an immediate question in my mind: What was Volkswagen thinking?
So much of the commercial consisted of tight shots of the aging "sister" trio that the VW rear and any logo branding kind of dropped out of the picture. Furthermore, following their repartee was not all that easy. So instead of immediately grasping the fact that VW is having a year-end sale, I was left puzzling over what I had just seen and heard and why.
Big question: Are aging spinsters the new ideal target market for Passats? Why is this trio not reliving their youth by tire kicking a VW Mini Van? Third question: Is Volkswagen trying to refocus potential customers on a rear-end event? If so, could they not have auditioned a few more rears? I mean the actor is attractive enough, but his jeans are kind of saggy.
Finally, unless this really amps up floor traffic, what about placing a rear view mirror on these commercials and instead telling consumers why they should drop everything and buy a Volkswagen.
So much of the commercial consisted of tight shots of the aging "sister" trio that the VW rear and any logo branding kind of dropped out of the picture. Furthermore, following their repartee was not all that easy. So instead of immediately grasping the fact that VW is having a year-end sale, I was left puzzling over what I had just seen and heard and why.
Big question: Are aging spinsters the new ideal target market for Passats? Why is this trio not reliving their youth by tire kicking a VW Mini Van? Third question: Is Volkswagen trying to refocus potential customers on a rear-end event? If so, could they not have auditioned a few more rears? I mean the actor is attractive enough, but his jeans are kind of saggy.
Finally, unless this really amps up floor traffic, what about placing a rear view mirror on these commercials and instead telling consumers why they should drop everything and buy a Volkswagen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
