SONAR Marketing, More Comprehensive and Targeted Than Content Marketing Alone!

Here's a great article about content marketing, from a strategic standpoint with SEO.


http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2186953/Why-Content-Marketing-is-a-Great-SEO-Strategy-Not-a-Short-Term-Tactic?wt.mc_ev=click&WT.tsrc=Email&utm_term=&utm_content=Why%20Content%20Marketing%20is%20a%20Great%20SEO%20Strategy%2C%20Not%20a%20Short-Term%20Tactic&utm_campaign=06%2F26%2F12%20-%20SEW%20Daily&utm_source=Search%20Engine%20Watch%20Daily&utm_medium=Email

It's important to note, especially to the naysayers and 'haters', that SONAR marketing and the SONAR Content Distribution Model is similar to content marketing, but it's more comprehensive and targeted-- it's like content marketing on steroids. It's organic and combines SEO/SEM, social marketing, viral marketing PR, and more.

It always amazes me when SEO people don't get SONAR, when it's really not a hard strategy to grasp...it's just as organic and effective as article/content marketing, just better.

And of course, the major difference is that it's a systematic, synchronized method of disseminating repurposed content on the Web based on audience, website and SEO keywords.

Most, if not all, SEO folks don't have issue with content marketing (especially using hi-quality, relevant content)...so I don't understand the confusion about SONAR.


It's proven. It's organic (free). It uses hi-quality content for natural relevant backlinks. And it hasn't been negatively affected by search engine algorithm updates like Farmer/Panda, and recent, Penguin.

You Heard It Hear First...

Recently, I did a wonderful and informative interview with LA-based radio host, Rey Ybarra or NewMediaRadioHour.

We chatted about my SONAR Content Distribution Model as well as social marketing, duplicate content, Google updates, content creation, and more!

I really think it's a 'must listen to' for any marketer, entrepreneur or business owner.

To hear the full interview, visit:

http://newmediaradiohour.com/author-interviews/content-is-cash-author-wendy-montes-de-oca-m-b-a/

 

Enjoy!

Check Your Backlinks...

Since Google's latest update, Penguin, targets low quality, irrelevant, spammy websites and links (which we'll call 'bad links'), it's prudent to check your own website's back-links to ensure those who are linking to your are relevant and synergistic to your own site's content.

To do this you can use several free back-link checkers, such as http://www.opensiteexplorer.org/, http://www.backlinkwatch.com/, or http://www.iwebtool.com/backlink_checker .  

Then, go down the list and see who's linking to you. This may be laborious, but well worth it. Especially if you noticed your traffic and SERP precense drop in the last few weeks, you may have speculated that Penguin is to blame.

Next, it's literally a manual process of visiting the 'bad link's' website and contacting them to remove the link going to your site. If there's several 'bad links', it's best to create a form letter. According to searchenginewatch.com, the letter should state that you are a website owner trying to recover from a Google penalty and would like the following links removed. Then, list the URLs where the links can be found, the URL on your site they point to, the anchor text ─ all the info needed to easily find the link you're requesting removed.

Sometimes, it's easy to find contact information of 'bad links', you simply visit the site and can find email or similar information in the footer or 'Contact Us' area of the website.

Other times it's harder, and you may need to engage in some free tools to help determine a 'bad link's' website owner. According to searchenginewatch.com, such tools are:

• Domaintools.com: If you want to find out who owns the site your link is on, visit domain tools or type "whois.sc" in front of a URL.
• C-Class Checker: If you have a list of all the links you want to get rid of, you can run them through a bulk C-class checker to see how many of them are on the same C-class.
• SpyonWeb: If you only have 1 URL to work with, this tool lets you find out what other domains they are associated with. Just put in a website URL, IP address or even the Google analytics or AdSense code and you can find all of the websites that are connected to it.Keep a record of all efforts to contact 'bad links', as it will show Google you've been making a good effort to get rid of these irrelevant links.

If you find that Google's Panda & Penguin updates have affected your website and you believe there may have been an error of some sort, there is a form on Google you can fill out to pinpoint search terms that you believe you shouldn't be penalized for: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEVxdmdRWFJRTjRoLWZVTHZkaTBQbkE6MQ&ndplr=1

Reader Questions On Content Syndication, Duplicate Content and Back-Links

As a follower of my blog, you've likely read about the SONAR Content Distribution Model and how it uses quality, original content through strategic, synchronized and targeted distribution on organic online channels.

Readers of my ezine as well as my book, Content Is Cash, often email me questions about 'SONAR marketing' and I thought it would be helpful to publish these real-life questions, as it may be something that was on your mind.

So here goes...

Q:  Do I have repurpose the original content every time I add it to a new SONAR site or do it only by individual SONAR categories?   

A: Yes. Your original 'catalyst content' should be the source content that goes to your in-house audience first (i.e. blog, email), then you should take that source and repurpose and reuse it -- adapting it accordingly -- to each SONAR site you disseminate it to as well as for each target audience within those select SONAR site. SONAR's key is using quality, original, content that is useful, valuable, and actionable.  For each site/audience, you can repurpose it in many ways:

--add new sentences, remove sentences
--add/change headlines, subheadings and intro copy
--change closing paragraph/call to action
--modify bullets, mix them up, or add/delete to existing ones

A press release of your repurposed version is a completely different format as the original source. It's written in third person and using quotes. It also should have a headline that is newsworthy and gets readers attention quickly. This version is different from a version that is, let's say, used in article marketing (article) or in social networking sites (content blurbs) -- yet all of these uses originated from the same source.

Q: If I have two Social media bookmarking sites, like Digg and Reddit, do I have to repurpose the article for each site or use the same content for the SONAR Social Media Bookmarking sites?

A: Yes, but it doesn't have to be heavy edits. You may change headline and add/remove sentences or paragraphs based on each audience and headline being used. It needs to be relevant and make sense to your target reader. That's what makes SONAR unique -- it's targeted and relevant -- it also leverages high quality content and is uploaded to synergistic website's where that audience would find it relevant.

Q: Wouldn't Google pick up that the back-link found in each repurposed articles as the same link as the original content and declare them the same?

Read my blogposts (below) on what is duplicate content and what isn't. If you target the content for each audience and repurpose it -- as long as it's quality content, relevant to each site and audience, and are on different domains -- it's not duplicate content or spam.  Your press release is targeted for one audience type; and your article marketing or social marketing blurb is targeted to another audience.  Google's updates like Farmer, Panda and Penguin are targeting sites that use irrelevant links, poor quality content and that are spammy. 

SONAR's uses are relevant to each audience/site it's on. It's not the same article over and over again, it's repurposed and modified. It's also not on the same domain -- it's all over the web in targeted locations that you're hand selecting.      

I like to mix up back-links as well. So some repurposed versions may link back to your source content. For example, your online press release may link back to the press release on your website or blog in the 'Press' or 'Media' section of your website; I also put in two other links in my press releases (in the About Us section, including social media account and free ezine sign up page -- for lead gen purposes). Your article (full or excerpt) may link back to the original article in your 'Newsletter archives' section. Your social media blurbs may link to 'Newsletter article', home page', or 'ezine sign up page', and so on.   Your links should be strategically chosen based on your call to action

Extra reading:

http://www.musclemarketing.blogspot.com/2012_03_18_archive.html 

http://www.musclemarketing.blogspot.com/2012_05_06_archive.html

Pinterest And Other Social Sites You Should Be Aware Of

Pinterest And Other Social Sites You Should Be Aware Of

Most people know about popular social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. However, I get a lot of questions about other, underutilized sites that are on the tipping point of popularity, and how to use those sites for marketing purposes.  

First, I'd like to clarify the differences between various 'social' sites:

Social bookmarking, news and tagging are sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Delicious, and Pinterest. These websites allow users to 'bookmark' things they like - content, images, videos, websites - and allow others in the community to see what's been bookmarked and 'follow' if they wish. This is the epitome of viral marketing and community interaction. When groups of people are like-minded, it's fun and easy to share feedback of things of common interest. For business purposes, it's also a strong way to bond with your audience through content, news and images that are synergistic and leverage those interests for increased website traffic and more.

Social networking are communities like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus. It's a way for groups of people to meet and stay in touch with each other, for personal and professional purposes. People can friend, follow or fan someone based on affiliation or interest. Another new site is Quora.com, which is a social question and answer site. Users can view by category and post questions or answers on virtually a business related topic.

Social media refers to sites like Youtube, Flicker or Tumblr where groups of users share media content such as video, audio or pictures (photos). There's also new sites like Spotify.com, which are social music sharing sites, where users can listen to mp3 files as well as with friends via Facebook.

The following are some social marketing and bookmarking sites that you may want to include in your online marketing mix as well as some other tid bits you should be aware of.

Pinterest.com is a social community where users 'pin' (think of a bulletin board) things that they like. Quite simply, it's a virtual pin board. Users can re-pin (which promotes viral marketing ) or follow someone with the same interest. Pineterst is a fun site because it focuses on the visual element. You can utilize content (when you add your descriptive text to your 'pin') as well as include a back-link, but Pinterest primarily leverages graphics, images (pics) and videos pictures.  

Important Tip! For marketing purposes, you can use Pinterest to promote your business or websites related to your business, such as landing pages, squeeze pages, product pages and more. What's important to know is that if your website, or the webpages you're thinking of pinning are flash webpages, you will be unable to 'pin' it, as there's no static images on a flash page for Pineterst to 'grab' for posting.  

I've never been a fan of flash-based website. These sites may look pretty, but it's very hard for search engines to 'crawl' the page, for the very same reason Pinterest can't 'pin' it ... because it's dynamic. (Something to think about for those using search engine marketing and optimization!)

So if you're thinking about using testing Pinterest in your social marketing plan, make sure to pick websites or modify your own webpages to be graphic, image or video rich. Also, like any marketing tactics you're testing, make sure it's in sync with your overall marketing plan and target audience.

If you're target audience is an older crowd, then this may not be the best website, or channel, to reach them.

Quora.com is a great online resource community of questions and answers. If you want to reinforce yourself as an expert, you can search questions related to your area of expertise and post responses that are useful, valuable, and actionable. If you have a legitimate question about any topic, you can post by category and view replies from others who may be versed in that field.

Important Tip! It's important to keep a steady presence on Quora. Stick to your areas of expertise (categories and topics). Make sure you have a keyword rich descriptive bio about yourself and include back-links to relevant websites. All of these things help with credibility and bonding. In addition, Quora's pages are indexed by search engines and do appear and organic search results listing pages (SERPs). Than can expand your reach and visibility, which can lead to traffic to your website, which can then be parlayed into leads or sales.

Digg.com.com is one of my favorite content bookmarking sites. You can upload content 'snippets' or news nuggets. The site will also pull in any images and well as back-links appearing on the same page as your content. Content can be given a 'category' so that the right readers will find it. The more popular your content (number of 'diggs'), the more people in the community it gets exposed to. Viral marketing and traffic generation (to the source website in the 'digg') are typical outcomes from this website. Reddit.com is a similar site which allows users to upload a content excerpts (article, video, picture) and link to the full version. This is a great site to increase your market visibility and extend reach. It's also a powerful platform to drive website traffic.  

Important Tip! Pick content that is useful, valuable and actionable - something newsworthy and/or interesting to your target reader. It's very important to have a strong, eye-catching, or persuasive headline that people in the community will want to read. There's so much background noise on Digg, that you want your content/headline to jump out at the reader. Also, include a back-link in the body copy you are uploading. With Reddit, excerpt space is limited, so make sure to pick content that will not only resonate with the target audience, but also include a headline that screams out to the reader to 'click here' to read more.  

With social marketing, it's a matter of matching the content type to the most synergistic platform and audience. Social marketing may not be for every business. But I believe it's certainly worth a strategic test. Just remember an old copywriting rule of thumb, which is 'know your audience'. If you know who your target reader (prospect) is, then you can craft enticing messages and pick social platforms where those prospects are likely to congregate.

Most any social marketing site can be leveraged for marketing and business purposes. But make sure to keep your messages fun, entertaining, engaging and interactive. Because after all, that's what the 'social' in 'social marketing' is all about.

Content Is Cash Author, Wendy Montes de Oca MBA, Interview: Newmediaradiohour.com

Below is my interview with LA-based radio host, Rey Ybarra, of the popular social marketing show, NewMediaRadioHour.

Full interview: http://newmediaradiohour.com/author-interviews/content-is-cash-author-wendy-montes-de-oca-m-b-a/

YouTube version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h04gB9fSeM&feature=youtu.be

Business Alert: Monetize Content, Maximize Marketing ROI, and Leverage Search Engines with Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, Content is Cash, By Wendy Montes de Oca

Monetize Content, Maximize Marketing ROI, and Leverage Search Engines with Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, Content is Cash, By Wendy Montes de Oca

Concerned by the recent Google Penguin update? No need for SEO crisis management if you have former #1 Amazon Web marketing bestseller, Content Is Cash. Content Is Cash focuses on content curation and syndication – using great high quality, original content, strategic repurposing, and targeted distribution (based by audience) to relevant websites and online channels. This comprehensive strategy lets users work with search engines and is virtually unscathed by Google algorithm changes such as Farmer/Panda and the recent Penguin updates, which aim to reduce webspam, low quality content websites, and other 'black hat' SEO practices.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL (PRWEB) May 08, 2012    Former #1 Amazon web marketing bestseller, Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz’ by Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA [Que Publishing, Paperback, ISBN# 0789741083], shows readers an innovative, high performing, organic strategy that leverages content and the Web for maximum marketing ROI.

The book focuses on a systematic, comprehensive, organic online marketing strategy that harnesses the power of quality, original content that is 'UVA' (useful, valuable, and actionable) and its targeted distribution based by audience on the Internet. It also works with search engines, not against them.

According to Montes de Oca, “Content Is Cash centers around my SONAR Content Distribution Model, and its common sense approach to leveraging great content and the Web.”

Montes de Oca continues, “SONAR is a systematic and synchronized form of content curation and syndication -- that is -- using high quality, original content, strategically repurpsosing the content for each target audience, and then disseminating the content to select, relevant websites and online channels. This tactical, hands-on approach helps SONAR marketing go virtually unscathed by search engine algorithm changes (such as Farmer/Panda, and the recent Google Penguin).”

Montes de Oca adds, “What makes the Content Is Cash so attractive to small business owners, marketers, and online publishers is that the strategy the book touts is free, it’s targeted, it’s relevant, and it can be applied to most any niche, as long as there’s great high quality, original content … that is the key ingredient. Content Is Cash and SONAR marketing do not condone or use 'black hat' techniques such as keyword stuffing, link schemes, cloaking, hidden text, content spamming, and more. And the way SONAR is implemented, it's not duplicate content.”

Montes de Oca adds, “I’ve been using SONAR and SONAR-type principles in the publishing world and as consultant for over a decade. Leveraging original content through this manner is extremely beneficial and utilizes ‘white hat’, organic search engine marketing principles as well as search engine optimization, online press releases, social marketing and bookmarking, article marketing, guerrilla marketing and more. It’s helped increase website traffic, rank, relevant back-links, search engine visibility, and leads.”
Montes de Oca concludes, “So many small business owners are recognizing the power of SONAR because it uses something they already have (content), it’s easy to learn and implement, and it doesn’t impact their budget. And maximizing ROI is a universal goal that all businesses strive for.”

For more information visit http://www.amazon.com/Content-Cash-Leveraging-Increased-Biz-Tech/dp/0789741083 or http://www.quepublishing.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0789741083.

About Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA
Ms. Montes de Oca’s diversified background includes nearly 20 years of experience in direct response and online marketing, media, publishing, financial services and law. She’s worked for renowned publishers and Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Montes de Oca is the creator of the SONAR Content Distribution Model TM and an Internet marketing expert with a proven track record for both acquisition and retention efforts. During her career, she has generated over $150 million in total revenues for various corporations, consulting clients, and her own consulting firm, Precision Marketing and Media, LLC (http://www.precisionmarketingmedia.com/).

###

Concerned by the recent Google Penguin update? No need for SEO crisis management if you're informed...

Is the "A" in SONAR (article marketing) still a viable tactic with search engines and the Farmer/PANDA and the recent, Penguin, updates?

Lately I've been hearing a lot of people saying things such as: 'Google doesn't like content or article marketing since they changed their algorithms' and 'article directories are not useful for search engine marketing and link-building efforts anymore.' I like to remind people of a few fundamental rules of online marketing, specifically involving content, that virtually never changes and is extremely helpful to know (and do!) ...

-- 'Mix' it up. It's always a smart thing to have a diversified online marketing mix. I suggest to clients to look at their online marketing plan like a pie, and each slice is a tactical allocation -- organic and paid for strategies. As with your financial planning ventures (such as with your retirement account), it's always safer to diversify than put all your eggs in one basket. The same holds true for your online marketing plan. Mix it up and keep it diversified. Some allocations may be smaller than others, based on budget, objective, and other variables. But it's good to spread it out across many tactics and online marketing channels such as organic search, paid search, social media, online PR, content marketing, etc. Then if one tactic is a laggard and others are leaders, it all balances out in the end. This also helps compensate for algorithmic `bumps in the road' that may temporarily affect your search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) efforts.

--Doing It 'Right' Can't Be Wrong. Google and other search engines often change their algorithms to as keep search results relevant and fresh to related queries as well as impact unscrupulous 'black hat' practicing marketers who use no-no tactics such as gateway pages, keyword stuffing, link baiting, link farming, content farming and more. These are the folks that link to irrelevant sites with irrelevant content to the equivalent of content spamming. For compliant content marketers or those using the SONAR Content Distribution Model -- the core strategy is to leverage high quality, useful, content through synchronized, synergistic and relevant online distribution. SONAR and content marketing, when implemented correctly, include 'white hat' SEO principles. And if you're using quality, original content with either of those marketing tactics and distributing your content to targeted, relevant sites, you really can't go wrong.

--Quality And Relevance Are Key! According to Webpronews.com, when Google released their official statement about the algorithm change in 2011, the Farmer/Panda update was aimed to help more quality websites be higher in the search results versus content farms with irrelevant, unbeneficial content based on the keywords being searched. Article directories may have initially been stuck in the cross-hairs losing some initial value, but again, if you are putting out `UVA' (useful, valuable, actionable) content into numerous organic online channels, the diversity and balance will offset any temporary side affects which may occur versus doing article directory marketing by itself. Based on my experience, if you push out quality, original content in several places including article directories, your articles should appear in pages 1-5 of Google search results. And with Google's latest `freshness' update, the most timely and relevant content should appear in descending order by date from the top of the search results. Quality and relevance are key.

--Targeted Link-Building. Links, whether it's one way back link or a reciprocal back link, are still links. Quality links help SEO, and that is undisputable. But again, there's some ground rules to do it right within best practices ... and do it wrong. Links should be quality links, and by that I mean on sites that have relevant content and a synergistic audience as to your own. It should also be a site with a good traffic rank. I prefer to do link building manually and do it strategically. I research sites that are synergistic in all ways to the site I'm working with (albeit one-way or reciprocal links). Doing it manually allows more targeted selection and control over where you want your links to go. Manual selection and distribution can also lead to other opportunities down the road with those sites you're building relationships with including cross-marketing or editorial efforts such as editorial contributions, revenue shares and more. In my view, this approach is both link building and relationship building.

--Location, Location, Location. Where you link to is important. When doing SONAR or content marketing, I always tell clients to deep link, that is, not just link to their home page -- which to me, doesn't make any sense anyway, as there's too many distractions on a home page. Readers need a simple, direct call to action. Keep them focused. It's always smarter to link to your source article, which should be on one of your subpages, such as the newsletter archive page or press release page. Now you have a connection -- the article/content excerpt you pushed out and is appearing in the SERPs (search engine result pages) and its redirect links to the full version on your archive or press page. You've satisfied the searches expectations by not doing a `bait and switch'. There's relevance and continuity. And to help monetize that traffic, that newsletter archive or press webpage (which you're driving the traffic to), the background should contain fixed elements to 'harness' the traffic it will be getting for list growth and cross-selling such as fixed lead gen boxes, text ads, banner ads, editorial notes, and more. These elements should blend with your overall format, not being to obnoxious, but being easily seen.

--Catalyst Content. It's always important to make sure you publish the content on your website first ... I call this your 'catalyst content'. This is the driving source which all other inbound marketing will occur and be focused around. Your website articles should be dated and be formatted similar to a news feed or blog. Also, posting timely press releases will work favorable as they will be viewed by Google and human readers as the latest news (again favorable to Google's latest `freshness' update). At the same time, send your content out via email (i.e. ezine) to your in-house list before external marketing channels see it. This helps from an SEO standpoint, but also helps with credibility and bonding with your subscribers and regular website visitors as they should get your information before the masses. There you go. My best practices for marketing with content. I don't practice nor condone 'black hat' marketing tactics. I've always been lucky enough to work for top publishers and clients that put out great, original content. It really does all boil down to the quality of the content when you talk about any form of article and search engine marketing. Content is king, and when you have strong editorial, along with being a `creatively strategic' thinker, you don't need to engage in 'black hat' or questionable SEO/SEM. Algorithms are always changing. It's good to be aware of the latest news, trends and techniques, but also not to put you're your eggs in one basket and build your entire online marketing strategy based on the `current' algorithms. Using solid content, analyzing your websites visitor and usage patterns and keeping general best practices in mind are staple components that will always play an important role in content marketing.


Google, SEO and Content Syndication: Debunking The Duplicate Content Myth

Oftentimes, real-life experiences with my clients influence my blog posts.For instance, recently a consulting client of mine asked me if I agreed with a colleague of his about Google disliking duplicate content and to reduce or refrain the amount of content he syndicates (distributes) on the Web.I think there’s a huge misunderstanding out there about how to distribute your content without hurting your website in the eyes of search engines.If you publish content, you should have the first, original content on your website. No doubt.

However, you can "repurpose" it and strategically distribute it on the Web, and this will not hurt your search engine/Google SEO efforts.This is something I refer to in my SONAR Content Distribution Model TM and has helped my clients’ quantifiably increase traffic rank, traffic visits, leads and sales.SONAR is a cost effective, yet powerful, method of repurposing and synchronizing content (albeit text, audio, video) distribution into various, targeted channels. And it allows companies, publishers, entrepreneurs … basically anyone with content on their website … the ability to ultimately turn traffic into sales.

SONAR represents the following online distribution platforms:

S Syndicate partners, content syndication networks, and user generate content sites

O Online press releases

N Network (social) communities

A Article directories

R Relevant posts to blogs, forums, and bulletin boards

SONAR Case study: My synchronized content distribution technique helped increase traffic ranking and visits to a alternative health website by 3,160% and 81.5% respectively in only three months. And in four months, traffic visits increased to an investment website by nearly 80% as well as an increase its traffic ranking by nearly 150 percent. Plus, the traffic to this investment site was monetized for an ROI of 221%.So not only was the website’s SEO/SEM efforts NOT hut by content syndication, it actually improved exponentially with rank, visits and sales.

The key is to repurpose the content. To tweek an original article on your website with minor changes (for example to headline, intro paragraph, closing, etc.) and then syndicate on other different websites.Google tries to look for the best version…where the content originated...the first, primary source (usually your website) and typically that site that gets the "search engine credit" so to speak via the higher ranking in the organic results listing.

In Google's view, duplicate content is more hurtful for a site if it's posted in more then one place on that SAME DOMAIN (not via syndication on other websites such as through online press releases, article directories, etc.) .

For example, if you may have two pages on your site with virtually the same content, in most cases, Google notices this and ignores one of those webpages. You will not get both of those listings in the search engine organic results…just one of them.Keep in mind, Google will decide your pages are duplicate if ONLY your (page titles and meta descriptions) are the same. So make sure each webpage on your site has unique, relevant tags with targeted keywords.Now if you’re concerned about webpages on your website and it’s text "printer friendly version" hurting your website’s SEO… simply block the search engines from spidering the print friendly version.When you think about it...syndicating content is the SEO model of social sites (like Digg, Drop Jack, StumpleUpon, etc.) and article directories.

So make sure you understand the power of your content and how to syndicate it the right way before you hit the breaks on any SEO/SEM efforts.

Because that’s what will actually hurt your site … doing nothing and not leveraging your content.

Myths And Misconceptions: The Real Truth About Content Marketing And The Search Engines

[Editorial Note: The below is a copy of the article I wrote for my blog on TargetMarketingMag.com. Enjoy!]

Lately I've been hearing a lot of people saying things such as: 'Google doesn't like content or article marketing since they changed their algorithms' and 'article directories are not useful for search engine marketing and link-building efforts anymore.'

I like to remind people of a few fundamental rules of online marketing, specifically involving content, that virtually never changes and is extremely helpful to know (and do!) ...

· 'Mix' it up. It's always a smart thing to have a diversified online marketing mix. I suggest to clients to look at their online marketing plan like a pie, and each slice is a tactical allocation -- organic and paid for strategies. As with your financial planning ventures (such as with your retirement account), it's always safer to diversify than put all your eggs in one basket. The same holds true for your online marketing plan. Mix it up and keep it diversified. Some allocations may be smaller than others, based on budget, objective, and other variables. But it's good to spread it out across many tactics and online marketing channels such as organic search, paid search, social media, online PR, content marketing, etc. Then if one tactic is a laggard and others are leaders, it all balances out in the end. This also helps compensate for algorithmic ‘bumps in the road’ that may temporarily affect your search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) efforts.

· Doing It 'Right' Can't Be Wrong. Google and other search engines often change their algorithms to as keep search results relevant and fresh to related queries as well as impact unscrupulous 'black hat' practicing marketers who use no-no tactics such as gateway pages, keyword stuffing, link baiting, link farming, content farming and more. These are the folks that link to irrelevant sites with irrelevant content to the equivalent of content spamming. For compliant content marketers or those using the SONAR Content Distribution Model -- the core strategy is to leverage high quality, useful, content through synchronized, synergistic and relevant online distribution. SONAR and content marketing, when implemented correctly, include 'white hat' SEO principles. And if you're using quality, original content with either of those marketing tactics and distributing your content to targeted, relevant sites, you really can't go wrong.

· Quality And Relevance Are Key! According to Webpronews.com, when Google released their official statement about the algorithm change in 2011, the Farmer/Panda update was aimed to help more quality websites be higher in the search results versus content farms with irrelevant, unbeneficial content based on the keywords being searched. Article directories may have initially been stuck in the cross-hairs losing some initial value, but again, if you are putting out ‘UVA’ (useful, valuable, actionable) content into numerous organic online channels, the diversity and balance will offset any temporary side affects which may occur versus doing article directory marketing by itself. Based on my experience, if you push out quality, original content in several places including article directories, your articles should appear in pages 1-5 of Google search results. And with Google’s latest ‘freshness’ update, the most timely and relevant content should appear in descending order by date from the top of the search results. Quality and relevance are key.

· Targeted Link-Building. Links, whether it's one way back link or a reciprocal back link, are still links. Quality links help SEO, and that is undisputable. But again, there's some ground rules to do it right within best practices ... and do it wrong. Links should be quality links, and by that I mean on sites that have relevant content and a synergistic audience as to your own. It should also be a site with a good traffic rank. I prefer to do link building manually and do it strategically. I research sites that are synergistic in all ways to the site I'm working with (albeit one-way or reciprocal links). Doing it manually allows more targeted selection and control over where you want your links to go. Manual selection and distribution can also lead to other opportunities down the road with those sites you're building relationships with including cross-marketing or editorial efforts such as editorial contributions, revenue shares and more. In my view, this approach is both link building and relationship building.

· Location, Location, Location. Where you link to is important. When doing SONAR or content marketing, I always tell clients to deep link, that is, not just link to their home page -- which to me, doesn't make any sense anyway, as there's too many distractions on a home page. Readers need a simple, direct call to action. Keep them focused. It's always smarter to link to your source article, which should be on one of your subpages, such as the newsletter archive page or press release page. Now you have a connection -- the article/content excerpt you pushed out and is appearing in the SERPs (search engine result pages) and its redirect links to the full version on your archive or press page. You’ve satisfied the searches expectations by not doing a ‘bait and switch’. There’s relevance and continuity. And to help monetize that traffic, that newsletter archive or press webpage (which you're driving the traffic to), the background should contain fixed elements to 'harness' the traffic it will be getting for list growth and cross-selling such as fixed lead gen boxes, text ads, banner ads, editorial notes, and more. These elements should blend with your overall format, not being to obnoxious, but being easily seen.

· Catalyst Content. It's always important to make sure you publish the content on your website first ... I call this your 'catalyst content'. This is the driving source which all other inbound marketing will occur and be focused around. Your website articles should be dated and be formatted similar to a news feed or blog. Also, posting timely press releases will work favorable as they will be viewed by Google and human readers as the latest news (again favorable to Google’s latest ‘freshness’ update). At the same time, send your content out via email (i.e. ezine) to your in-house list before external marketing channels see it. This helps from an SEO standpoint, but also helps with credibility and bonding with your subscribers and regular website visitors as they should get your information before the masses.

There you go. My best practices for marketing with content. I don't practice nor condone 'black hat' marketing tactics. I've always been lucky enough to work for top publishers and clients that put out great, original content.

It really does all boil down to the quality of the content when you talk about any form of article and search engine marketing. Content is king, and when you have strong editorial, along with being a ‘creatively strategic’ thinker, you don't need to engage in 'black hat' or questionable SEO/SEM.

Algorithms are always changing. It’s good to be aware of the latest news, trends and techniques, but also not to put you’re your eggs in one basket and build your entire online marketing strategy based on the ‘current’ algorithms. Using solid content, analyzing your websites visitor and usage patterns and keeping general best practices in mind are staple components that will always play an important role in content marketing.

In a nutshell: I believe articles can have the same theme and have some content overlap, but should be tailored to each platform it's being posted to and to each target audience/niche group that will be reading it. That will keep the content relevant and specific. With content marketing (and especially with the SONAR Content Distribution Model) I like to think of leveraging UVA content and it's targeted dissemination on the Web as 'relevant repurposing and redistribution with a purpose'. It should also not be 'fluff''. Content, in my opinion (in article marketing), should be 'UVA': useful, valuable and actionable.

Boost your online sales: eComm tips and tricks

I've published this next article before, but still get many emails about it. If you've read it, please re-read, as you may learn something new. If this is your first time reading it, don't take the following recommendations for granted. They may seem simplistic, but they DO most definitely impact your online conversion rate. The current economic environment has been hard on both brick and mortar & online sales. But there are a few simple, yet powerful, things you could do to boost online sales and gain loyal customers.

1. Make Sure Your SSL Seal is Prominent. SSL or secure socket layer is a sign that the site is encrypted...that the information consumers enter, such as personal and credit card information, is protected. Most eCommerce sites must file for an SSL certificate from vendors such as VeriSign, GoDaddy, eTrust, TRUSTe, and others. It's a good practice to display the vendors logo on your order page, as well as make sure in the browser window the "https" or image of a lock is present. This is a clear and comforting sign to consumers that they can order on line with confidence.

2. Encourage Online Sales vs. Other Order Mechanisms. Offer special "Internet Only Pricing" to customers. It could be a discount of 5-10%. This reduces any potential overhead costs for staffing fees such as telesales or order entry personnel.

3. Offer Free Shipping. Many eTailers already factor shipping into their published price, so when there's a big, flashing banner next to the item saying "free shipping" it gives consumers that extra little push to move forward with the transaction. It boils down to basic psychology. Everyone likes to feel like they're getting something for free.

4. Use Buyer Feedback To Your Advantage. Have an area on your website or next to select items that says "Customer Favorite" or "Hot Item". Also, have some glowing customer testimonials next to the product for potential prospect to see. Consumers like to feel good about the item they are about to purchase. To see a great testimonial and knowing that others purchased the product is a validation and comforting feeling. In addition to helping the conversion, this tactic also helps reduce buyer's remorse and product returns.

5. Advertise Products in Google Product Search (formerly Froogle). http://www.google.com/shopping is a free product information platform from Google where you can post a single item or submit a data feed. Your products will appear in Google Product search and may also appear in Google.com search results, depending on keywords used.

6. Make Sure Your Product Pages are Optimized for Search Engines. After doing some keyword research on actual search behavior for your product, refine your meta description, meta keywords and title tag of your product pages. This will help consumers find your product in the organic listing of search engine results.

7. Have a Special Coupon Code Banner on Your Home Page. This is a best practice with online fashion retailers. There's typically a banner ad on their home page stating something like, "Summer Blow Out Sale, Use Coupon Code 1234". This is another great way to offer a special discount for your online customers that makes them feel good about the purchase. You can also encourage viral activity by having a "forward to friend" text link that opens a MSOutlook email window with the coupon or coupon code. Make sure to have some great intro copy mentioning how customers should "pass on the great savings to friends, family, and colleagues."

8. Consider Payment Plans. For your higher ticket items, consider setting up extended payment plans that allows customers to pay for an item over a few payments. If an item is let's say, $200, you might want to offer a flex pay of "6 easy payments of $33.33" that is conveniently auto-billed to their credit card. Just be diligent when calculating your payment prices as well as creating your return/refund policy for these items. The general rule is that your actual production costs/hard costs should be covered in the first 1-3 payments.

Remember to keep testing methods that help improve sales and drive prospects to your storefront. Make note of when you implement new tactics, such as the above, and then after a month of being live, compare sales results year-over-year to see if you found the sweet spot in your eCommerce efforts. I'm confident that you will see an improvement in online sales.

12 Things You Must Do To Grow Your Biz For Free or Cheap

Ok, so 2011 was a tough year for a lot of business owners. Perhaps you got caught in the maelstrom of economic uncertainty and your business paid the price either by being neglected with marketing or duped by so-called online gurus who promise the world with their wonder products, which ultimately only benefit one person - them. Certain marketing tactics are tried and true because they work year after year, decade after decade. They're proven. And they get results.

But for some strange reason, I can't figure out for the life of me why someone would pay hundreds, or even, thousands of dollars to learn something that is already out there for free and given a new, jazzy name. Today, I going to go over some proven winners to help create visibility, drive website traffic, increase sales, generate leads and produce buzz for the low, low price of F-R-E-E (or cheap). These are low to no cost tactics that fit most any budget and most any business niche. All you really need is the time or resources (manpower) to implement them. And the few that do involve a budget, are extremely cost effective. Without further ado...

1. Affiliate Partnerships/Affiliate Marketing Plan. This includes JVs (joint ventures), affiliate marketing, guest editorials, and editorial contributions. This tactic is extremely effective and cost efficient. The key here is having some kind of leverage then approaching publishers that may want your content or a cross-marketing opportunity to your current list (note: this only works if you have a list of decent size another publisher will find attractive). In exchange for content or revenue share efforts, you and the other publisher agree to reciprocate either eNews ads or solo emails to each other's lists, thereby sending a message to a target, relevant list for free. Well, if you agree on a rev share, it's free as far as ad costs, but you are giving that publisher a split of your net revenues. In addition, you can create a robust affiliate program offering a competitive commission and incentive program as well as using cost-effective, off-the-shelf or WordPress-based affiliate tracking software. The key here is PR, getting the news out about your program to as many targeted locations as possible.




2. Content Syndication. I've written about this many times, but can't stress it enough. Content is king and you can leverage it via my SONAR Content Distribution Model TM, which is the focus of my best-selling book (formerly the #1 web marketing book on Amazon!), "Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web For Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz". SONAR is an organic (free) online strategy that is powerful and proven. It's a method of repurposing and synchronizing content (albeit text, audio, video) distribution into various, targeted channels. And it allows companies, publishers, entrepreneurs ... basically anyone with content on their website ... the ability to ultimately turn traffic into sales. SONAR represents the following online distribution platforms:S Syndicate partners, content syndication networks, and user generate content sitesO Online press releasesN Network (social) communitiesA Article directoriesR Relevant posts to blogs, forums, and bulletin boards. SONAR works hand-in-hand with your existing search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing (SMM), and search engine optimization (SEO) tactics.
   If you have original content ... you can do SONAR marketing!




3. Search Engine Optimization. In order to drive as much organic traffic as possible to your website you need to make sure your site is optimized for the correct keywords and your target audience. Once you optimize your site with title tags, meta descriptions, and meta keywords, you need to make sure you have revised your site to harness the traffic that will be coming. That means adding eye-catching email collection boxes to home page, relevant banners, and obvious links to get to product pages. You don't want to miss any opportunity to turn traffic in to sales or free newsletter subscribers. Done your SEO already? Great, but you need to review your analytics and visitor usage patterns, keyword history and more and refine keywords quarterly.




4. Online Lead Generation Polls. Incorporating a poll on your website, or having a poll on another site or eNewsletter (via a media buy or ad swap) is a great way to build your list. It's important to spend time thinking about your poll question - something that a hot topic, controversial, and relevant to the locations you're placing your poll. You want to pull people in with your headline and make the poll entertaining. Your answers should be multiple choice and have an "other" field which encourages participant to engage with your question. I've found this "other" field as a fantastic way to make the poll interactive. Many people are passionate about certain subject matters and won't mind giving you their two cents. Then to show appreciation for talking the poll, tell participants they are getting a bonus report and free eNewsletter subscription (which they can opt out of at any time). And of course, make sure to mention - and link to - your privacy/anti spam policy. After you kick off your list building efforts, make sure you start tracking them so you can quantify the time and resources spent. This involves working with your webmaster on setting up tracking URLs specific to each website you're advertising on. It also means looking at Google Analytics for your website and corresponding landing pages to see traffic and referring page sources.




5. Viral Marketing. Make sure you have a "forward to friend" feature in your eNewsletter to encourage viral marketing. It's also important to have a content syndication blurb in your newsletter, this also encourages other websites, publishers, editors and so forth to republish your content as long as they give you author attribution and a back-link to your site. In addition, the SONAR model above incorporates viral buzz in its strategy, so deploying SONAR will help you increase your website visibility and reach.




6. Cost Effective Media Buying. To compliment your "free" online efforts, you may want to consider targeted, low cost media buys (paid online advertising) in the form of text ads, banner ads, blog networks/ads, or list rentals (i.e. eNews sponsorships or solo emails). You're paying for the placement in these locations, so you must make sure you have strong promotional copy and offer for the best results possible. Blog ad networks and online ad networks are a great, cheap alternative and they have a wider reach. Networks to consider: Advertising.com, ValueClick.com, BurstMedia.com, and FastClick.com. You can find a full list of sites here: http://www.imediaconnection.com/resourceconnection/adnetwork.asp.




7. Pay Per Click (PPC). Many people try pay per click only to spend thousands of dollars with little results. Creating a successful PPC campaign is an art - one that I've had success with. If PPC is new for you, then don't start out with the big guys like Google or Yahoo, run your 'test' campaign on smaller, second tier networks. In addition, you must make sure you have a strong text ad and landing page and that the ad is keyword dense. You must also have a compelling offer and make sure you do your keyword research. Picking the correct keywords that coincide with your actual ad and landing page is crucial. You don't want to pick keywords that are too vague, too competitive, or unpopular. You also need to be active with your campaign management which includes bid amounts and daily budget. All these things - bid, budget, keywords, popularity, and placement - will determine the success of the campaign. And most campaigns are trial and error and take anywhere from 3-6 weeks to optimize.




8. Free Teleseminars or Webinars. These are a great way to collect names for list building, then cross-sell to those names once they're in your sales funnel. You can use services like FreeConferenceCall.com, where it's a toll (not toll free) call. But in my experience, if the value proposition of the subject matter is strong, people will pay that nominal fee. Promote a free teleseminar or webinar to prospects (that is not your internal list). Remember, this is for lead generation. So your goal is to give away valuable information in exchange for an email address. You can have a 'soft sell' at the end of the call and follow up with an email blast within 24 hours. But the most important thing is getting that name THEN bonding with them through your editorial.




9. Free Online classified ads. Using http://www.craigslist.org/ or similar high traffic classified sites is a great way to sell a product or get leads. The trick is geo-targeting, picking the right location to run your ad in. Picking the right category. As well as creating an ad that is persuasive and powerful. Ads are free, so why not test it out. For a full list of states and cities, check out: http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.




10. Reciprocal Ad Swaps. One of the best kept secrets in the industry. Some of your best resources will be your fellow publishers. This channel often gets overlooked by marketers who don't give it the respect it deserves. In the work I do for my clients, I spend a good portion of my time researching publishers and websites in related, synergistic industries. I look for relevant connections between their publications (print and online) and my clients. Let's say I come across a natural health e-letter about that has a list of readers similar in size to one of my clients, who is a supplement manufacturer. Since many of their audience share similar interests, cross marketing each other products (or even lead gen efforts) can be mutually rewarding. Swapping ads will save you money on lead-generation initiatives. Since you won't be paying for access to the other publisher's list of subscribers, you can get new customers for free. The only "cost" is allowing the other publisher to access your own list. It's a win-win situation. This technique also opens the door to potential joint-venture opportunities.




11. Snail Mail. Direct mail is still a consumer favorite - and another good way to get your sales message out. It can be especially effective used in concert with another effort, such as an e-mail campaign. A recent survey published in DM News indicated that 70 percent of respondents preferred receiving unsolicited correspondence via mail vs. e-mail. As with any marketing medium, though, you can end up paying a lot between production costs, list rental costs, and mail shop/postage costs. The most costly direct-mail packages are magalogs and tabloids (four-color mailers that look like magazines). However, 6 x 9 postcards, tri-fold self-mailers, and simple sales letters are three low-cost ways of taking advantage of this channel. Note that copy, list selection and geo-targeting an be crucial for direct mail success no matter which cost-effective mail format you pick. Although 100 percent ROI (return on investment) is what you should aim for, many direct mailers are content with 80 percent. This lower figure takes into consideration the lifetime value of the names that come in from this channel, because they are typically reliable buyers in the future.




12. Print Ads. This is another channel that's gets a raw deal. One reason is because it can be costly. To place an ad in a high-circulation magazine or newspaper, you could shell out serious money. But you don't need a big budget to take advantage of print ads. If you don't have deep pockets, consider targeted newspapers and periodicals. Let's say you're selling an investment report. Try using the Internet to research the wealthiest cities in America. Once you get that list, look online for local newspapers in those communities. These smaller newspapers hit your target audience... and offer a much cheaper ad rate than some of the larger, broad-circulation publications. You end up getting quality rather than quantity. I once paid for an ad in a local newspaper in Aspen, CO that had a flat rate of less than $500. My ROI on this effort turned out to be more than 1,000 percent. How's that for a positive response rate! Most important rule: Know your audience...that will determine placement (and price).

2012: The Year of Content (Article) Marketing

It’s been said that 2012 is going to be the year of content and social marketing. According to recent articles by Target Marketing and Forbes, “…content marketing and social media marketing should be part of your 2012 marketing strategy”.

January, 4, 2012 Palm Beach Gardens, FL (Free-Press-Release.com) It’s been said by marketers and publishers alike that 2012 is going to be the year of social marketing and content (article) marketing. According to recent articles by Target Marketing and Forbes, “…content marketing and social media marketing should be part of your 2012 marketing strategy”.

Content marketing has been a staple to seasoned Fortune 500 marketer and bestselling author, Wendy Montes de Oca, who’s book, ‘Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz’ [Que Publishing, Paperback, ISBN# 0789741083 http://www.quepublishing.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0789741083], hit #1 on Amazon bestseller list for web marketing books back in September.

In addition, Montes de Oca has created a proven, organic strategy called The SONAR Content Distribution Model TM, which is the focus of her book, and a powerful, method of repurposing and synchronizing release of original content it into targeted, free online channels.

According to Montes de Oca, “SONAR marketing is more comprehensive then article marketing and has extended reach … it’s like article marketing on steroids. SONAR is a systematic, methodical strategy which includes several no-cost, high performing online channels including syndicate partners, online press release distribution, network (social) communities, article directories, and relevant posts to forums, blogs and message boards.”

Montes de Oca adds, “I’ve been using SONAR for years and leveraging original content through this manner is extremely beneficial for a business owner or publisher and utilizes ‘white hat’ search engine marketing techniques. It’s helped create noticeable and measurable website traffic, relevant back-links, improved search engine visibility and rank, increased market presence, and even helped generate leads, sales and buzz.”

The SONAR Content Distribution Model TM and ‘Content Is Cash’ centers around the synchronized strategy of using great, original content that is ‘UVA’ (useful, valuable, and actionable), which business owners and publishers have already created, then repurpose and distribute it into targeted, relevant locations on the Web, based on target audience and business objectives.

Montes de Oca continues, “So many marketers are recognizing the power of content marketing (and social marketing) because it’s cost effective and easy to use. And in the current economic environment, business owners are looking for free and creative ways to create more visibility and traffic for their website.”

She concludes, “I’m utterly thrilled content marketing is finally getting the attention and respect it deserves. Content really is king. Creating solid, original content will first and foremost provide valued information to readers and encourage bonding; but it can also help the publisher with website exposure and visits. That increased traffic can then be harnessed for online product sales, advertising sales, and more. And best of all, this strategy can be used for virtually any business, in any niche, with any budget … all that’s needed is the content!”

For more information visit http://precisionmarketingmedia.com/book/wendy-book.html.

About Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA
Ms. Montes de Oca’s diversified background includes nearly 20 years of experience in direct response and online marketing, media, publishing, financial services and law. She’s worked for renowned publishers and Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Montes de Oca is an Internet marketing expert with a proven track record for both acquisition and retention efforts. During her career, she has generated over $150 million in total revenues for various corporations, consulting clients, and her own consulting firm, Precision Marketing and Media, LLC.

Want To See What's Inside Bestseller, Content Is Cash?

If you haven't had a chance to read the Internet marketing bestseller, Content is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz [Que Publishing], then check out the full Table of Contents.

Then you can decide if there's information in the book that appeals to you.

Take a sneak peek here: http://books.google.com/books?id=ANR1dLr3aeAC&pg=PR10&lpg=PR10&dq=content+is+cash+table+of+contents&source=bl&ots=g6ZtFcGen8&sig=g_MXb-cgMhXKAMymRqNUFgbLi1g&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false

Internet Marketing Bestseller, Content Is Cash, By Wendy Montes de Oca, On Amazon Top 100 List For Ten Weeks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Precision Marketing and Media

media@precisionmarketingmedia.com

http://www.precisionmarketingmedia.com/

Internet Marketing Bestseller, Content Is Cash, By Wendy Montes de Oca, On Amazon Top 100 List For Ten Weeks And Focuses On Leveraging Great Content And the Web

December, 6, 2011 Palm Beach Gardens, FL Looking for proven, powerful and cost-effective ideas to get the most out of great content? ‘Content Is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz’ [Que Publishing, Paperback, ISBN# 0789741083 http://www.quepublishing.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0789741083], by Fortune 500 and top publishing marketer, Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA, contains the formula for online success for virtually any business in any niche.

Content Is Cash has been on the Amazon ‘top 100’ best seller list for more than 10 weeks since it’s August publication date. The book hit #1 and #5 simultaneously in Internet Marketing (Kindle and paperback, respectively), #13 in Business and Culture, and #1,806 in Amazon’s entire universe of over 8,000,000 books on September 26, 2011. Content Is Cash was featured by Newsmax.com and Target Marketing Magazine as well as being on Website Magazine’s ‘Hot Reads for Web Marketer’s’ list and PracticalEcommerce.com’s ‘25 Top-Selling eCommerce Books in August 2011’.

Content Is Cash describes several high-performing, organic (free) strategies which are part of a comprehensive, systematic method known as the SONAR Content Distribution Model, to help increase website traffic, visibility, and more. SONAR marketing is similar to article (content) marketing, but more comprehensive and has an extended reach.

According to Montes de Oca, “The book centers around a synchronized strategy of using great, original content that is ‘UVA’ (useful, valuable, and actionable) which business owners and publishers have already created, then repurposing and distributing it to targeted, relevant locations on the Web, based on target audience and business objectives”.

She continues, “SONAR represents five organic online channels: S (Syndicate partners, content syndication networks, and user generate content sites), O (Online press releases), N (Network [social] communities, social bookmarking sites), A (Article directories) and R (Relevant posts to blogs, forums, and message boards).”

Content Is Cash has received praise from some of the most respected marketers, publishers, and entrepreneurs in the industry including Michael Masterson, Bob Bly, Martin Weiss, Ph.D., Marc Charles, MaryEllen Tribby, Brian Edmondson, Conrad Hall, Dr. Jonny Bowden, and more.

Says Montes de Oca, “The book has been embraced by consumers and colleagues alike. I think what resonates with people is this powerful, yet easy-to-implement strategy which leverages great content for virtually no cost. And in the current economic environment, business owners are looking for free and creative ways to create visibility and website traffic for their business.”

She concludes, “It really is all about the power of great content and that content is king.
Creating solid, original content will first and foremost provide valued information to its readers and encourage bonding; but it can also help the publisher (business owner) with increased website exposure and visits. That increased traffic can then be harnessed for online product sales, advertising sales, and more.”

Content Is Cash is available at Amazon.com, QuePublishing.com, BarnesandNoble.com other book retailers and e-tailers world-wide.

For more information visit http://precisionmarketingmedia.com/book/wendy-book.html.

About Wendy Montes de Oca, MBA
Ms. Montes de Oca’s diversified background includes nearly 20 years of experience in direct response and online marketing, media, publishing, financial services and law. She’s worked for renowned publishers and Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Montes de Oca is an Internet marketing expert with a proven track record for both acquisition and retention efforts. During her career, she has generated over $150 million in total revenues for various corporations, consulting clients, and her own consulting firm, Precision Marketing and Media, LLC.

###

Turn Your Website into a Powerful eCommerce Machine

The current economic environment has been hard on both brick and mortar & online sales. But there are a few simple, yet powerful, things you could do to boost online sales and gain loyal customers.

1. Make Sure Your SSL Seal is Prominent. SSL or secure socket layer is a sign that the site is encrypted…that the information consumers enter, such as personal and credit card information, is protected. Most eCommerce sites must file for an SSL certificate from vendors such as VeriSign, GoDaddy, eTrust, TRUSTe, and others. It’s a good practice to display the vendors logo on your order page, as well as make sure in the browser window the “https” or image of a lock is present. This is a clear and comforting sign to consumers that they can order on line with confidence.

2. Encourage Online Sales vs. Other Order Mechanisms. Offer special “Internet Only Pricing” to customers. It could be a discount of 5-10%. This reduces any potential overhead costs for staffing fees such as telesales or order entry personnel.

3. Offer Free Shipping. Many eTailers already factor shipping into their published price, so when there’s a big, flashing banner next to the item saying “free shipping” it gives consumers that extra little push to move forward with the transaction. It boils down to basic psychology. Everyone likes to feel like they’re getting something for free.

4. Use Buyer Feedback To Your Advantage. Have an area on your website or next to select items that says “Customer Favorite” or “Hot Item”. Also, have some glowing customer testimonials next to the product for potential prospect to see. Consumers like to feel good about the item they are about to purchase. To see a great testimonial and knowing that others purchased the product is a validation and comforting feeling. In addition to helping the conversion, this tactic also helps reduce buyer’s remorse and product returns.

5. Make Sure Your Product Pages are Optimized for Search Engines. After doing some keyword research on actual search behavior for your product, refine your meta description, meta keywords and title tag of your product pages. This will help consumers find your product in the organic listing of search engine results.

6. Have a Special Coupon Code Banner on Your Home Page. This is a best practice with online fashion retailers. There’s typically a banner ad on their home page stating something like, “Summer Blow Out Sale, Use Coupon Code 1234”. This is another great way to offer a special discount for your online customers that makes them feel good about the purchase. You can also encourage viral activity by having a “forward to friend” text link that opens a MSOutlook email window with the coupon or coupon code. Make sure to have some great intro copy mentioning how customers should “pass on the great savings to friends, family, and colleagues.”

7. Consider Payment Plans. For your higher ticket items, consider setting up extended payment plans that allows customers to pay for an item over a few payments. If an item is let’s say, $200, you might want to offer a flex pay of “6 easy payments of $33.33” that is conveniently auto-billed to their credit card. Just be diligent when calculating your payment prices as well as creating your return/refund policy for these items. The general rule is that your actual production costs/hard costs should be covered in the first 1-3 payments.

Remember to keep testing methods that help improve sales and drive prospects to your storefront. Make note of when you implement new tactics, such as the above, and then after a month of being live, compare sales results year-over-year to see if you found the sweet spot in your eCommerce efforts. I’m confident that you will see an improvement in online sales.

This will get your visitor's attention every time...

Whether your goal is cross-selling or lead generation, interstitials are a great way to get someone's attention. An interstitial is not a pop up ad. And typically doesn't get blocked, like pop up ads, by many website or search engines. (For example, Google Adwords won't approve an PPC campaign if the redirect URL goes to a website that has pop up ads).

An interstitial ad is a full-page ad that appears before the actual webpage. Your webmaster or web programmer can put in place via an html script. In a nutshell, it's an ad in the front/center of the screen (some sites even keep the ad in place if you scroll up or down, which I find annoying).

The ad is in color and typically has a strong headline, call to action and graphic. Then the background of the ad is greyed-out where you can still see the website behind the ad, but it's faded - so your focus is on the main ad - the interstitial. There's also a clear and obvious way to close the interstitial. No tricks or hard-to-find 'x' buttons.

Interstitials are ideal if you don't have room for banner or text ads on your website or you don't want to affect the current layout of you home page.Not all interstitials, however, are created equal. I've seen some implemented that are not only unattractive, but are also ineffective with its copy and execution.A text book example of an interstitial ad can be found at EarlytoRise.com. if you go to the home page, wait 10-25 seconds, the ad will appear in the center of the page with the backdrop shaded.

The beauty of this is that you can make your actual ad space as big or small as you need. Your offer can be to sell something or to obtain an email address. You can include eye-catching images or have a countdown box to an event.

Whatever your offer or need ... an interstitial can deliver. And best of all, you don't have to wonder if your website visitor saw the ad or not. It's no doubt they did. You are just giving them the option to act on it OR close it.

List Building 2.0: Polls For Prospecting

By now most people know that Web 2.0 is simply the evolution of the Internet into an environment of interactivity, reader participation, and usability. Web 2.0 opens up the dialog between user and website or blog. This connection can help generate traffic and a viral buzz.

But from a search engine marketing (SEM) standpoint, the benefits are clear and measurable: More traffic and frequent interactivity (or posts) equal better organic (free) rankings in search engine results. Getting good organic rankings is a powerful way to find qualified prospective customers.

So what online tactic encourages Web 2.0 principles as well as helps with search engine results page rank, visibility and listing building efforts? Targeted online acquisition polls.

Online acquisition polls can help you collect names and e-mail addresses, gauge general market (or subscriber) sentiment, and generate sales via a redirect to a promotional page. They also allow for interactivity, where a user can sound off about a hot topic. I've been including polls in my online marketing strategy for nearly a decade now, and have rarely been disappointed with the results. Some websites, like surveymonkey.com, allow members to set up free or low-cost surveys and polls.

However, they may not allow you to include a name-collection component or a redirect to a promotional offer. If that's the case, either ask your Webmaster to build you a proprietary poll platform or use a poll script. (You'll find examples at hotscripts.com, bgpoll.com/, ballot-box.net/faq.php, micropoll.com, and 2enetworx.com.) Here are eight ways to help make your online poll a success:

1. Make it engaging.Your poll question should engage the reader, encourage participation, pique interest, and tie into a current event. And be sure to have a "comments" field where people can make additional remarks. Sample topics: politics, the economy, health, consumer breakthroughs, the stock market, foreign affairs. Sites that highlight the most talked-about (and searched) topics on the Web include buzz.yahoo.com/, 50.lycos.com/, and google.com/press/zeitgeist.html.

2. Be relevant.Your poll question should also be related to your product, free e-zine topic, or free bonus report topic. This will greatly improve your conversion rate (the number of people who actually participate in your poll) and your up-sell rate. Let's say your free offer is a sign-up for an investment e-zine and your up-sell is a redirect landing page promotion for a paid investment newsletter. In that case, your poll question should be market related, something like "Where is gold headed in 2012?"

3. Offer an incentive.After people take your poll, tell them that to thank them for their participation you're automatically signing them up for your free e-zine or e-alerts... which they can opt out of at any time. To reduce the number of bogus e-mail addresses you get, offer a free "must-read" e-report too. And assuming it's your policy not to sell or rent e-mail names to third parties (and it should be), indicate that next to the sign-up button. This will reassure people that it's safe to give you their e-mail address.

4. Tag the responses.Having your poll question somehow tie into your product line makes the names you collect extremely qualified for future offers. Each name should be "tagged" by your database folks according to the answer they gave. Segmenting the names into such categories will make it easier for you to send targeted offers to them later. Let's say your product line includes an investment e-zine on equities. In that case, your poll question might ask people which investment product they think has the best returns: money market, gold, equities, or options. Those who answer "equities" will be prime candidates for a promotion for the e-zine.

5. Use the results for new initiatives.In addition to collecting names, online polls will help you gauge general market opinion - and could help you come up with new products. Keeping with our above example, you would flag all of the responses that come in. Then, if an overwhelming number of responders indicate an interest in an investment product you don't have - maybe one on gold - you should consider developing one. Because you now have an instant market of people to sell that product to.

6. Strengthen your new relationships.You need to reinforce the connection between the poll people just participated in and your e-zine or e-alerts. So make sure each name that comes in gets an immediate "thank you" (for taking the poll). Then send an automatically generated e-mail with the link for the downloadable free e-report you promised. Consider sending a series of "bonding" e-mails to them too - to help them get to know who you are, what you do, and how it will benefit them. This will help improve their lifetime customer value.

7. Gratify participants with the results.Don't just leave poll participants hanging. Make sure you tell them that the results will be published in your free e-zine or on your website (to encourage them to check it regularly). This will help increase readership and website traffic.

8. Publish the best reader comments.On your poll landing page, mention that some user feedback may be published (anonymously) in your e-zine or on your website. Pick the very best, most powerful responses to use. Republishing user feedback is fundamental to the Web 2.0 concept. And it has been extremely successful for social networking communities and blogs.

Marketers have used polls internally (on their own company website) for years. But now more than ever, with its cost effectiveness and efficiency, polls should be used to collect leads and interact with prospects. Polls aren't just for finding leads, either. They are also great for measuring market sentiment - which, in turn, can be insight that impacts your customer retention and service efforts.

Create Market Demand And Visibility

If you're about to launch a new product, book, website, or whatever and don't know where to begin - then you MUST read this...

After launching multiple products, websites and creating the marketing launch plans for several books that hit Amazon #1 best seller status in record time -- such as books by Michael Masterson, Bob Bly, and my own book, Content Is Cash -- there's a proven formula that works every time no matter what the actual "thing" is you're launching. Even better, many of these tactics are low to no cost. It's coordination and synchronization of online marketing efforts all culminating around a specific time period (i.e. certain a day of the week).

These efforts include:

--Staggered messages. These will go to your list and other external, synergistic lists such as affiliates, JV partners, friends, and industry contacts and include solo emails, ezine ads, editorial contributions (with ed. note) and social marketing efforts. The goal is to build anticipation and create a pent up demand about the "thing" that is going to be launched. Efforts should start 2-3 weeks out and pick up intensity and frequency on the designated launch date. Qualified people that demonstrated an interest during your pre-launch "teaser" efforts can be added to you hot list can also be the first to know about future new releases, beta testing and similar "insider" privileges. In addition to your regular bonding efforts and auto responder series, these names will then have potential to also be your top buyers new products.

--Social media. Start seeding relevant blogs, message boards, chat rooms and forums with information about your soon-to-be-released "thing". Record a video of yourself and your product on YouTube. Push out relevant, useful and actionable editorial that ties to your "thing" on top social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Ultimately, create messages that have the potential to go viral and create buzz around your launch.

--Content Marketing. Write a few keyword rich articles that tie into the theme of your launch and upload to top tiered article directory sites. Link all to your launch promo page (or wherever you want to drive traffic to for consumer to take action). Make sure you start your efforts a few weeks prior to launch so can gain momentum and exposure in search engine results pages.

--Pay per click. If you have the budget, bid on your relevant keywords to your launch theme and have a pre launch page that collects names to build your hot list. Offer a free report that also ties into your theme to help start the buy in and create demand. This is a great way to gauge general market interest in your product, but note, that this is a lead gen effort and not an immediate sale. So be prepared to pay for the lead. The sale should happen within 30 days of your launch, after proper bonding efforts are established and your normal sales funnel commences.

--Online PR. Get your message out quickly and cost effectively through free online press release distribution services. Make sure your release is truly newsworthy and not just fluff, if you want it to be credible. These efforts should occur the day of your release. If you have a budget, you can compliment free online PR efforts with a paid service, such as PRWeb.com, for a nominal one-time fee, and it will greatly increase your reach and exposure. Either distribution channel, the release will get picked up by bloggers, media websites, industry websites, and online news aggregators (such as Yahoo and Google) and not only increase awareness, but also give you back-links (SEO!) as well as have the potential to go viral.

--Online Classifieds. Increase your launch exposure by placing free text ads on sites such as CraigsList. The ad can be about your "thing" and link preferably to your promo webpage. Just make sure you select the right (relevant) category to put your add under in order to ensure you capture the right audience.

--Webinar/Teleseminar. Have a post-launch date free event to help increase visibility, leads and sales. Promote it through social media, internal lists and external partners. Again, the theme must tie into the "thing" you've launched as well as include an added value such as free Q&A session or workshop where participants can text in questions either real time or before the event (depending on how you set up your event). This also helps with bonding and credibility.

All of these efforts together tend to create an "avalanche" effect by picking up speed and getting bigger the more the efforts roll out. This helps create momentum and online traction. In a nutshell, you're creating market demand and interest poising yourself for optimum results.