Pinterest has jumped from only 40,000 users in October 2010, to more than 3.2 million in October 2011! This is pretty surprising, considering you still need an invitation to join the network. You can request an invitation from Pinterest, or if you know anybody that is already active on the site, they can hook you up with one. Once you get your invitation, you can sign in through Facebook or Twitter. (Pinterest does not post status updates or tweets automatically, unless you ask them to). I think that the most striking thing about Pinterest’s popularity is the amount of time that people are spending on the site. The site is relatively addicting, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if most users spend upwards of an hour there, each time they visit.

How Do You Use It?

There are a few different ways to go about your pinning. You can visit Pinterest and just browse the general boards, which are split up into categories: Art, Fitness, Food & Drink, Humor, Apparel, Outdoors, Pets, Travel, etc. By selecting a category, you will be shown a page that is full of images pertaining to the category. Decorating a room in your house? Head to the Home Decor category and get some ideas! Need some new threads? Check out the Apparel category and catch up on the latest styles!

You can also pin images while you are surfing the web. When you sign up for Pinterest, they will ask you to install the ‘Pin It’ button on your bookmarks toolbar. This button allows you to pin almost any image you come across while you browse the Internet. So lets say you’re a bit of a foodie, and you like to search for recipes online. If you see one that you would like to try, or have tried and love, pin the image of the dish and spread the love! When you pin an image, a link appears on the Pin that will lead any viewer back to the source. This will lead anybody that is drooling over your image of those homemade potato-cheese pierogis straight to the recipe!

This brings me to the next way to use Pinterest. As an SEO tool! Every Pin on Pinterest has a link included with it, leading back to the source of the image. There is an exception to this, as users are able to upload images directly to Pinterest, without finding them on the web. Users do do this, but at least 95% of the images on Pinterest were either pinned or repinned from the web. So how does pinning images help your SEO rankings? Back links. If you have images on your website, I suggest you start pinning them. This offers extra off-site exposure for your website, as well as providing back links. Even if nobody follows the link, it’s still there, and it still counts.

Why Should You Use It?

The obvious reason to use Pinterest is: because it’s awesome! Most of the users on Pinterest are just there for the images (which is a perfectly good reason to use the site). You can search images through the categories, by viewing a users specific boards, or by doing a keyword search on the top left corner of the page. Feel free to just browse Pinterest, the pin boards are almost never-ending. NOTE: Don’t visit this site if you have something important to do, as you will likely spend hours browsing pages and pages of the web’s finest imagery.

Pinterest is also quite useful as far as SEO goes. Each Pin contains a few links, that will certainly help SEO rankings. ‘Pin It’ buttons can be positioned right next to an image on your site, which is what I see a few retailers doing. If you are browsing the Internet, and see something that you want, pin it up for everybody to see! This is a fun and useful way to share what you think about the products you have, or wish you had. This also promotes the product itself, and depending on the popularity of the subject, could be repinned or shared over and over again.

This is a what a Pin looks like. (I've added the green arrows)

As you can see, there are several links being created each time an image is pinned. The link in the top right of the Pin will always be there, this shows where the image originally came from. The image itself also acts as a link, directing you to the source of the image. The third link, in the description of the Pin, was put there by me. Any URL in the description of the Pin is automatically turned into a link. As the image shows, it doesn’t have to be a complete URL, it can be something like Zappos.com. That link does not direct the user to the specific product or image, but the Zappos homepage instead.

When multiple images are pinned from the same site, there is a box that appears to the left of your pin, which shows pins that are from the same URL. After you stumble upon an image that you like, you’ll notice other related images from the same site, which you will surely want to check out. See how this could become addicting?

So if you are sick of tearing recipes and fashion inspiration out of magazines only to be left with a pile of clippings, or if you want to boost the SEO rankings of your website, OR if you just want to check out some of the best looking imagery on the web, you really need to check out Pinterest.

If you’ve asked for an invitation to Pinterest, and haven’t gotten one yet, email me and I will send you one (my email address is at the top of this post). Happy pinning!

Consumers use Twitter for many different reasons. Some tweet to their favorite celebrities, asking questions that may be answered by the celebrity, or anyone else that views the tweet (most tweets are public). Some tweet to their favorite sports radio show, hoping to get mentioned on the air, or get a retweet. Some don’t tweet at all, and just follow their favorite accounts looking for breaking news stories, or updates on Kim Kardashian’s latest marriage. Corporations use Twitter to announce new products and/or updates for old products. Marketers tweet about upcoming events, or promote new products and services to their followers. There are many ways to utilize Twitter, and everybody does it differently.

What is a Hashtag Chat?

People are also chatting on Twitter, using hashtag chats. These are discussions between two or more people on Twitter, in which followers connect through the use of hashtags. A hashtag is a group of characters that is preceded by a pound sign. Hashtags look like #this, and provide a great way for different people to organize related tweets in one feed. By including a certain hashtag somewhere within your tweet, it will be organized on a list with ALL other tweets that also contain the same hashtag.

So lets say you are interested in news and discussion pertaining to an NFL team, the New York Giants for instance. On Twitter, do a search for #NYG, and you will be given a constantly updating feed of every tweet containing that hashtag. All tweets containing that hashtag should have something to do with the Giants, whether it be breaking news, or some random person’s opinion on last week’s game. A hashtag chat is a way for people all over the world to connect with each other and discuss a specific topic in real-time.

NOTE: Hashtags cannot contain spaces or punctuation, so if you’re looking for tweets pertaining to Lake George, NY, search the hashtag #LakeGeorge or #LakeGeorgeNY. Hashtags are not case sensitive.

Why Should I Use Hashtag Chats?

Hashtag chats are a valuable way to learn information, from people that are interested in the same topics. You can choose a topic, maybe web design, or marketing in general, and participate in a chat with like-minded people. Participants in the chat may be people that are interested in learning, or interested in teaching and discussing the topic of choice, and could include industry experts and innovators. This encourages faster learning, you gain more information and get different viewpoints by having a discussion with experts than you would if you were on your own doing research.

Where else in the world can you just jump into a conversation among industry leaders and professionals? Because of their nature, hashtag chats are open to the public. You don’t need an invitation to be in on the discussion, just join it! You don’t even need to tweet, you can simply read a hashtag chat without ever tweeting a word. Depending on the topic, a hashtag chat could easily turn into a free webinar, with discussions, links and opinions from knowledgeable people that care about the subject of the chat. This is a great way to learn quality information, from quality sources (you can easily view the profile of people that are participating, and determine credibility). If you participate in a chat, people will see your tweets and might interact with them. This can develop connections and friendships over time, a great networking tool!

How Do I Find a Hashtag Chat? 

You can start by simply clicking on a hashtag that you see in the tweets of people you follow. This will bring you to the feed of ALL tweets containing this hashtag. If you are looking for a specific topic to discuss, and don’t see any related tweets, do a search on Twitter for related keywords with a # in front of the word.

A better way to find quality hashtag chats is to take a look at this Twitter Chat Schedule. If you are logged into a Google account, you should be able to open this spreadsheet through Google Docs. The spreadsheet is set up with hashtags on the left, in alphabetical order. The topic of discussion and any information pertaining to the chat is located in the cell directly to the right of the hashtag. The next column over holds the Twitter handles of the organizers, or any popular guests making an appearance in the chat. The colorful cells make up the schedule.

Lets use the hashtag chat #AdChat (from the spreadsheet) for an example. The chat is described as a “Weekly chat from the perspective of ad agency pros & students, those wishing to become one of those two, and those who are just interested in getting some perspective on the agency world!” The chat is hosted by @aaziADee, @HeidyCaminero, @j_fuji, and @TheCoolestCool. This chat takes place on Thursdays, from 8-9pm EST.

See how easy that is? If you are interested in this chat, log on to Twitter on Thursday at 8pm and search #AdChat, and you’re in! Please be polite and respectful when joining hashtag chats uninvited (or always).

Now you should be all set to join your first hashtag chat! It’s fun, it’s informative, and you can really get a lot out of conversations with experts. I urge everyone on Twitter to try it, just search the schedule for a topic that interests you, and join the discussion!

Recently, our client received a 1 (out of 5) star review. Normally, you would think this was a bad thing, but not in this case. Instead of being upset about his review, he took a proactive approach and immediately SHARED the 1 star review with his fans on Facebook. Why? He leveraged this negative review to ask his fans for help and support:

What happened next?
His fans responded. In DROVES! My email was flooded with 5 star review after 5 star review (27 to be exact!). From real fans I may add. Talk about turning a negative into a positive! Sometimes, all you have to do is ask. It probably even helped that he had received the 1 bad review as his happy fans wanted to defend their beloved attraction. Take a look >>

So what’s the moral of this story? In this case, the old saying holds true: “You ask and you shall receive.”

Please note: This option is not necessarily going to work for every situation. Weigh your options. If the negative comment is not one shared by a majority of your customers, this may be a good way to get both sides of the story. Sometimes reviews are a great way to know what your customers are feeling. Reading and responding to the specific reviewer directly is also a way to reach out and address a potential problem at hand. Read other ways to handle reviews.

Does anyone else have any great ideas or tips to get positive reviews? We would love to hear from you!

Read more about Online Reputation Management

The goal with your micro-site is to provide enough detail and calls to action that the site visitor (your potential customer) will be strongly compelled to call you, contact you, or visit your business – sometimes without even having to go to your website! Below, I have compiled my top 10 tips to maximizing your microsite.

Tip 1: Optimize your Content…for Users and for Search Engines

The Why: Search engines love content. In fact, in the online world, content is referred to as “king”. It is still one of the most important factors for getting found on the web. Without content, it would be hard for the search engine to determine what page to show a result for a given user’s search. Because of this, it is crucial you add content about your business on your micro-site. Without it, you could have a lot of missed opportunities.
Let me illustrate my point with an example:

If someone were looking for a bakery in Colonie, their first step would most likely be going to Google and typing in “Colonie bakery”.

Now, say you have a microsite on Albany.com and you are a Colonie bakery! Pretend your name is “Sweet as Pie”.

Without any description about your business, it would be very hard for people coming to Albany.com to realize you are a bakery in Colonie –  it would also be hard for the search engines to figure this out.
The best thing to do is spell it out for them: in title of your name, you can say “Sweet As Pie – a Gourmet Bakery in Colonie”. Now you have made it clear to users and to search engines that you are a bakery located in Colonie. In your content, consider including something like this:

Looking for a Colonie bakery? Visit Sweet as Pie, a delightfully delicious bakery located in the town of Colonie, just minutes from Albany, Latham and Schenectady. Enjoy our world famous scones, pies, cakes, cupcakes, breads and assorted danishes, all fresh from the oven each morning. Sweet as Pie Bakery offers the perfect sweets and treats for just about every occasion including meetings, birthdays, weddings, or even just to satisfy a nagging sweet tooth any day of the week.

We can customize any order! Our Colonie bakery will cater to your needs and will travel from Albany to the Adirondacks – we are committed to delivering the best baked goods around. People travel from far and wide to visit our bakery in Colonie. But don’t take it from us – Come see for yourself! We are open every day 7am-5pm. Interested in a custom order? Stop in or Call us at 555-2727 to make an appointment.

For even more impact, add calls to action like “Call us to place an order” and  bold pertinent text including your ‘keywords’ (like “bakery in Colonie” for this example).  This should help you get found in the search engines for that particular keyword phrase. Added Bonus: Because your microsite has a link to your website, adding these keywords to a page that links to your site can also help it get found in the search engines too.

The How: Login to your microsite account and click “Edit Your Business Details”. Click on the Details tab.  The intro paragraph field will allow you to add 250 characters and will show up on the listing page with all the other listings in your category. Choose wisely here and stick to your key components and services. The Long Description field is where you can add an unlimited amount of text – you can give as much information about your business offerings, location and more. We strongly recommend you list all of your services, provide hours of operation and showcase what region’s you service.

Tip 2: Add Social Media Links

The Why: Have a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn page? Let visitors see what you are up to in the ever-growing social media circles by linking up your social media accounts – yet another way for potential clients to reach you in the segments they are already present in.

The How: Login to your microsite account. Go to the Contact tab and add the hyperlink to your Facebook Page, Twitter account and/or LinkedIn profile for your business.

Tip 3: Add Photos

The Why: We now know content is king, but let’s not forget that pictures speak a thousand words. How many times have you been motivated to book a hotel or go to a restaurant because the photos looked so good!? On the flip side, how many times have you been turned away by the pictures you saw on a website? We know the power of photos, so we have given all of our microsite users the ability to add up to 20 photos to their microsite. Use this as an opportunity to showcase your store, your products, your logo or your inventory. It is amazing how adding photos to your listing can take it from mediocre to WOW. Plus, search engines love to see a mix of elements on a single page so adding photos can give your business an edge with the search engines.

The How: In your account, click on the Photos tab. Before uploading, slideshow photos must be sized to 550×340 pixels. If you need help sizing the photos, please contact Mannix Marketing at 518-743-9424 or send us your photos to help@mannximarketing.com. Click “Upload Photos” on the right hand side of the screen. Click “Add Files”. Browse your computer for the photos and click “Open”. Once you have added all photos, click “Upload”. If you need help, contact help@mannximarketing.com.

Tip 4: Add Coupons

The Why: Increase customer response with coupons. Everyone’s looking for a deal these days – especially with the economy the way it is. Why not drive traffic to your business by providing them with an offer! Coupons are a great motivator to buy, they can help you track your marketing, determine your target audience, and help get the word out. How many times have you told someone what a great deal you got?

When you add coupons, you are not just creating a buzz and driving consumer behavior, you are also aiding in getting your brand and microsite to stand out. The coupons will also be fed into the specific coupons pages on the sites you are advertising on. If you are marketing your business on Saratoga.com and you added a coupon to your microsite, this coupon would also be featured here: Saratoga.com/coupons/. If you are a lodging property, we have a special section devoted to just lodging specials too, seen here: LakeGeorge.com/specials/. On some of our sites, this will not only give you more exposure and more microsite clicks, but could potentially land your special or hot deal to be right on the homepage of the website! (as seen on Albany.com, LakeGeorge.com and Saratoga.com) Plus, you have flexibility. You can set the deal for any length of time you desire,  switch them out, set disclaimers and expiration dates. BONUS: on the listings page, your microsite listing will also have a link letting visitors know your business is offering HOT DEALS, making them more liable to click on your listing over one of your competitors!

The How: In your account, Click “Add Coupon”. Select whether your coupon is for a lodging special or any other coupon or special offer. Provide a title and add in details of the promotion. If there are any disclaimers, please fill in the box. (If there are no disclaimers, this field can be left blank.) If your coupon is located on your website, please include the link of the page on your website where this coupon is located (Coupon URL) (Include http://). Fill in the coupon expiration date. If there is no expiration date, leave the field blank. Once created, all coupons will be made into a printable link for users to print out and bring to your establishment.

Tip 5: Add Events

The Why: Get the word out about your businesses’ events! Whether you have happy hour specials, shopping sales, volunteer opportunities, community events, etc… you have the opportunity to let the public know the many things you have happening at your business. Plus, if you add an event to your microsite, your event will also be placed in a queue to go onto our regional events calendars spanning Albany NY to the Adirondacks. Our events calendar is one of most popular sections on each our websites and get over 11 million visits a year. Make sure your event is getting the exposure it deserves.

The How: In your account, click on the Events tab. Select “Add Event”. Submit your event information with a start and end date. Add in as much information about the event as possible for maximum impact. Click “Proceed”. Check your event details for accuracy. Click “Submit Event Now!” Your event will automatically be fed onto your micro-site, and will also be reviewed and approved for the main events calendar.

Tip 6: Add PDFs

The Why: Have a brochure or menu you want to feature? Upload your PDFs to your microsite. Not only will you be able to offer site visitors the opportunity to download or print information about your business, but you are also giving search engines another media on your microsite. Just like content and photos, search engines love a mixture of media and this is one more added advantage to boosting your search engine placements. PLUS, if you have information on your PDF, search engines may also index those pages as well.

The How: In your microsite account, go to the tab labeled PDFs. Click “Upload PDFs”. Click “Add Files”. Browse your computer for the PDF and click “Open” (please note: all PDFs need to have a file size of 256KB or smaller). Once you have added in all your PDFs, click “Upload”. You are allowed to add an unlimited number of PDFs to your microsite.

Tip 7: Add Videos

The Why: Did you know over 178 million US Internet users watch online video during the month?* Video is an increasingly popular way to showcase your brand, tell a story and keep users interacting with your business. Do you have a TV commercial or a product demo? Showcase this on your microsite. Don’t have a video for your business? No sweat! You can use this as an opportunity to showcase a latest industry feature pertaining to your business or trending video. Do a search on YouTube to see if anything fits within your industry. You may be surprised what relevant videos you find! Remember, this will help provide an even stronger online media mix, strengthening your search engine placements.

The How: Login to your microsite account, select “Edit Your Business Listing” and click on the Video tab. If you have your video on YouTube.com, Blip.tv or another video service, copy the embed code from that location. The embed code in YouTube.com can be found to the right of the video right under the account name. Please uncheck “Show Related Videos” before you copy the code. If you have a raw video file, please send us your video file to help@mannixmarketing.com so we can produce the embed code for the video. Click “Save Changes”.

Tip 8: Add Press Releases

The Why: Growing your business? Adding a new product launch? Holding a seminar? Upload a press release for free! It is easy to submit and lets our editorial staff know when you have something interesting happening! After review, your press release will be fed into our Business News RSS feed for thousands of subscribers to check out. PLUS, your story may even be picked up and featured on one of our local sites’ homepage for HUGE exposure! A press release is also a great way to gain a link back to your microsite, which helps give you an additional boost in your search engine’s placement.

The How: Under your account, click on “Submit a Free Press Release”. Fill out the form and include a picture or logo. Click “Submit”.

Tip 9: Encourage Reviews

The Why: Let’s face it. Most every site you visit, reviews are prevalent. Consumers, whether B2C or B2B, are actively looking for the best fit for their needs and are trusting the word of recommendations provided by customers who have already experienced your business. Since our sites offer reviews, take this as an opportunity to encourage your happy clients to post positive  testimonials about your business. Not only will this help you stand out from your competition and provide more content about you, but you are also helping to control your online reputation in a time when other review sites do not allow such active control.

The How:

Top 5 Ways To Get 5-Star Reviews**:
1. When someone thanks you in person, writes you an email or sends you a letter of appreciation, ask them if they would tell others by writing a review. Offer them a link.
2. Do you send e-newsletters to past guests? Provide a link to add reviews from each issue!
3. Monitor comments on your Facebook page, and reply with a link to clients that have positive things to say, encouraging them to review.
4. Target your regulars. Thank them for their loyalty and ask if they would write a review for your business. Write the link down for them, or email it to them.
5. Add a link to your email signature. In your everyday correspondence with hundreds of customers, you may get a good deal of people using this link to add a review.

Tip 10: Review for Accuracy

Almost done! The last tip is probably the most important. After you have finished filling out your microsite with content, photos, PDFs, events, coupons, press releases and videos, check to make sure all information is accurate and grammatically correct. Your micro-site may be the first place someone has heard of your business so you want to make it count. Make sure the map is directing visitors to the right location; test out the contact form to make sure you are receiving the emails; double check the phone and address listed with your company are correct. Once that is all done, sit back, relax and know you did everything you could to enhance and optimize your micro-site!

Whew! Although this appears to be a lot of work, optimizing and enhancing your microsite can pay out in dividends! We are confident you will see how impactful these changes will make to your brand exposure, inquiries and click- through rates.

What are you waiting for? Login to your account and get started on editing your microsite for FREE! All of these features are included free of charge, so make sure to take advantage. As always, the team at Mannix Marketing is here to help! If you need assistance or do not have an account, call us at 518-743-9424 or email help@mannixmarketing.com

*Cited from comScore Video Metrix April ‘10 (stats on average)
**Cited from Managing Your Brand: What To Do About Negative Consumer Reviews

Have quality content with a clear focus

Choose a clear, specific focus for your blog. So instead of a general “cooking” blog… you may choose to do “organic cooking on the cheap” or “gourmet meals even your 5 year old will eat.” Whatever your topic, hone in on what your passion really is, and make that your blog focus. Then do it better than anyone else. It’s also key to step back and evaluate whether there are enough prospective readers in your chosen niche. It’s better to be brutally honest with yourself than to toil away and end up disappointed.

Become a guest blogger

Ask a related blog if you can contribute a post to their blog. Contributing content to someone else’s blog may seem crazy when it’s YOUR blog you want to boost readership for, but it’s a solid strategy to gain exposure for your own blog and build your subscriber base. Just make it very clear to the blog owner that you require a very brief byline at the end of the post, which includes a link back to your own blog. And make sure it’s original content, not something recycled off of your blog. This way, you are contributing meaningful content to their blog (win for them) while gaining exposure to their readers (win for you).

Dedicated subscription landing page

The idea is to have one page whose sole purpose is to get people to subscribe. On this page, you want to use all your wiles to really convince them why they want to subscribe and then a really clear call to action (ie. SUBSCRIBE HERE! with a nice little RSS icon). This page can be linked to from the bottom of each of your blog posts with a simple line or two. “Did you enjoy reading this post? Be the first to find out when I post a new one.”

On your subscription page, you may also want to give a quick 411 on what RSS is and how it works for your less tech-oriented readers. You may want to make it clear that the “subscription” is free and allows new posts to automatically and conveniently “feed” or be delivered into your inbox, Google homepage or RSS reader of your choice, etc, etc.

More on subscription: Make it easy and obvious

You have gotten them to your blog… now make sure they come back! One of the best ways to secure readership for your blog is to secure visitors as loyal readers that will return again. Best way to do that? Getting them to subscribe to your RSS feed! Even if you don’t have a separate page to convince readers to subscribe, you will want to make your subscription options prominent. A link at the top AND bottom of your blog along with a “Subscribe here” call out and little orange RSS icon can do wonders. You can also ask for the subscription at the bottom of each post with a link.

Comment on Related Blogs

Even if you don’t contribute content to other blogs, you can leave a comment on related blogs to let that audience know that you exist… and better yet that your BLOG exists. Most blogs allow for a web address field for commenters, so you can just put your blog link in there. What you DON’T want to do, however, is just post solely for the purpose of advertising your blog. Make sure your comment is relevant to the topic of the post and contributes something meaningful to the discussion. Traffic to your own blog should be a side benefit and your secondary goal. If your comment is interesting enough, readers will click through to your website by instinct (no sell necessary).

READ ME! READ ME!

The title of each post should be powerful, effective, descriptive and clickable. They should draw attention and entice the reader to click it. Once you gain subscribers and your posts are feeding into their RSS reader or being delivered to their inbox, the title is what they are going to see. Depending on the title’s effectiveness, they will either click to read or not. You decide.

Side note: The title should always apply to your topic. Don’t let my “READ ME!” headline fool you. Your blog should never use titles that say this literally, but it should translate to your reader in that way. A better example would be something like: The MOST Toxic Human Food for Dogs

Whet Their Appetite

Once you have an effective title, you have a sentence or two to deliver. Make sure that your lead-in paragraph (before the “more…” link) is enough to tell them just enough to hold their interest but leave them wondering and wanting more.

For example, the above headline was for a blog post where the lead-in paragraph said: “It’s found in everything from cupcakes to toothpastes to nicotine gum. And it’s considered the most canine-toxic “human food” on the planet. No…It’s not chocolate.”

Some blogs come out and say “more after the jump” or you can leave them hanging with something like “and you’ll never believe what we used in her hair” or something to that effect. Something that has them saying, “Well, let me just click and see.”

Frequent Posting

Post! Post! Post! Be persistent! It can be too easy to give up on blogging when you feel as if you’re talking to no one. As you’re building up your blog readership base, be aware that it takes time. Use that time to turn your blog into the killerest blog you can. Post often with interesting, engaging, relevant content. That way when people find your blog, they won’t say, “yeah, seems interesting, but they don’t seem to update very often.” Take a long-term approach to your blog, and keep in mind your original spark and vision for your blog. They say the first 1,000 subscribers are the hardest to obtain. Treat every visitor with the same service you would if you had thousands of subscribers. You’ve done the work to get them there; now your blog should deliver with current, frequent information.

This Month’s Giveaway

Free stuff is always a big draw for people, so if you have a blog that lends itself to giveaways from time to time, that is a great way to gain some extra attention and encourage activity. I have seen many different bloggers make the only qualifier to win a giveaway that you must comment on their post. This can also be a great encouragement to you when you see all the traffic you are actually getting from people who might not otherwise comment on your posts. But throw in something free (granted, it has to be something that people want), and they’re all over it.

Have A Personality

Keep in mind that a blog is supposed to be casual. You are supposed to be opinionated. You are supposed to make up words that don’t exist. You are supposed to say things that everyone might not agree with. Controversialness (and yes I made that word up) can be your best friend, so feel free to state your opinion loudly, but encourage opinions from the opposing side as well.

Even if you’re not being overly opinionated, let your personality shine through. Write as if you’re talking to your audience one-on-one. Leave all the grammar rules you learned in English class at the login screen, and just express yourself freely on the topic of choice.

Search Engine Optimization

Most blogs have a place to input your title, description and keywords for each post. These make no difference to the way your post appears on your blog, but they make a huge difference for Google and other search engines. You want to tell the search engine spiders what your post is about, and you want to tell search engine users why they should click to read on.

If you do not currently see SEO title/description/keyword options when you post, look into your settings, and make sure these are enabled. They are more important than you can imagine.

Keywords are key here. Repeat the same primary keywords in your meta title, description, and keywords fields as well as in the text of your blog post itself (and your blog post title if you can). Most times, this comes almost naturally, and after you get the hang of it, it will become second nature to you.

Make A Splash

Get some attention for your blog however you can. Let your Facebook friends or fans know that you just posted a new blog post and provide a link. (Keep in mind, even though blogging might be a big part of your life, it is usually not top-of-mind awareness for your friends and fans). Announce your new post on Twitter. Submit your link to Digg, reddit and other social media giants and hope for the best. Even if it doesn’t make front page, you may gain some readers from it. Send an email to your friend and ask her to share with her friends who might be interested, etc. The point is to spread the word, and use what you have available at your fingertips to do so. You will be surprised how powerful you really are.

That Works!

When analyzing your stats or admiring the amount of comments you got on a particular post, take note. If something works, keep doing it! You may find there are certain types of posts, topics or questions that work particularly well with your readership. Once you learn those, try to recreate conditions like that to help increase readership.

On the other hand, if you notice a certain topic or headline that seems to get NO traffic or attention, steer clear of it for the future. Blogging is learning as much as it is writing.

Invite Guests to Contribute

Earlier, we talked about contributing to other blogs for more exposure, and this is just the opposite but can have the same effect. Having an expert in your field contribute something useful can not only be a big draw for readers, but that expert will likely do some promotion of his/her own once the article is live, doubling your efforts for exposure and obtaining new readers and subscribers by reaching a new audience.

Post 1 of 6: Keep ‘Em Coming Back

Build anticipation. Give readers a reason to come back and/or subscribe to your blog. For example, create series of interesting posts. At the bottom, provide a teaser for the next day’s/week’s post and a “don’t forget to subscribe” link so they don’t miss it.

A Call To Action For Comments

Disagree with me? Tell me why.
Do you have any additional tips for the first-time mom?
Questions and calls to action at the end of each post will spur comments. These comments will make readers feel a part of the blog, and just as importantly, it will entice newbies to subscribe. Often the most successful blogs post a paragraph or two and then let the commenters have at it. People can spend lots of time reading through comments, replying to people and checking back later to see what others wrote, etc. It invites conversation and contributes to reader interest, which is key.

Good luck!

I hope you have found these tips helpful, and I would love to hear if you have implemented these and how they are working for you. Please use the comment field below to let us know if you have other tips that have worked for you. Good luck, and happy blogging!

With so much emphasis once again being placed on content, we return to home base where search started. Quality content has always been the cement that is the base for successful optimization, providing relevance and authority for any website. Just as quality merchandise, customer service, access and pricing are key indicators for what makes a ‘brick and mortar’ business successful, the same is true for an online business.

We give our consumer trust – and dollar – to any number of business models that suit what we are looking for. Whether it’s a roll of packing tape, a cherry side table for our livingroom or the latest iPhone app we’re looking for, each demands a different shopping criteria. So…depending upon what we’re looking for, we might browse any of the following:

• Dollar Store
• Corner Grocery
• Exclusive boutique
• Furniture Store
• University Bookstore
• Big Box store

You get the idea. These are all completely different business models; each has a niche, each has relevance and value in its own area of influence. As Gray says, “Your link building activities should never be dominated by just one tactic.”  Bingo.

So…most article marketing sites will continually try to improve their content quality moving forward. That’s a good thing! Remember, the articles you submit to those sites will most likely attract like quality links.  Sort of that “birds of a feather flock together” phenom! You don’t have control of who links to you once that article is up, but you can do your best to stack the deck and create opportunities to get a link back from the university bookstore rather than the dollar store. (Unless that’s your target market, of course!)

The lesson here for successful search engine positioning? Same one we’ve been getting since the ‘birth of search’!  Submit quality content and earn relevant, discerning links from quality content. Oh, yeah…and be careful where you shop!

First, what exactly is Online Reputation Management? In a narrow sense it refers to the practice of trying to get any negative comments/pages/mentions about a person or business to appear lower on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). In a broad sense it means taking inventory of what people are saying about you online, and doing what you can to have the most positive view of you or your business represented. This includes responding to negative reviews or ratings that may be out there.

Now that you know what ORM is, you need to take inventory of where you currently stand. There are plenty of tools you can use, and some of the more popular ones are:

• Search Engines: Just do a search on your business name and see what comes up – are there any negative results?
• Review Sites: Head to review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List to see what people are saying about you.
• Social Media: Visit Social Media communities (large ones like Facebook and even smaller, niche ones) and see how people are talking about your business.

If it seems that there are only positive things being said about your business, great. But some times you may find a negative review or post. What do you do then? There is a two part answer to this.

If the site allows, develop a professional response to the post. Be courteous, and address the issue at hand. If need be, see if you can take the conversation offline. Always keep in mind that whatever you type could be there forever, so don’t take a defensive stand and don’t attack the Poster personally. (If the Post is totally false, try and get it removed, as many sites have a process for this.)

The second part is to develop positive content for your business that has a chance for showing up in the search engines and pushing the negative comments down the SERP (Please Note: The new content does not have to be related to the negative comment). So if you found negative web pages when you searched on your business name, you will want to develop new content optimized for your business name. Some places where you can post the new content:

• Your website
• Your blog
• As a press release that you distribute
• In online communities
• As an article that you distribute

You’ll want to be sure not to duplicate content as you spread a positive message about your company, as search engines will tend to only choose one version of similar content to rank on SERPs. So if your plan was to submit content to each of the above, the plan may look like:

• Develop a new About Us page for the website
• Write a blog about a charity your business is supporting
• Write a press release about a new product you are launching
• Post to your Facebook Page about promotions within the company
• Write an article about why a product that you offer is such a good solution for a problem, and be sure to include company name and backlink in your boilerplate

Remember, if you don’t control your reputation online, somebody else will.

Do you currently monitor your online reputation? Will you start? Do you think it is important? Let us know.

So what is Google HotPot? It’s an extension of Google Places, a Google Product where you can promote your business and business location. We’ve talked about it at length in the past, and you can read up on it here.

Now, you may be saying, “Not another tool we need to spend a ton of time on!” If you are, don’t worry. Google HotPot could be very instrumental in directing traffic to your business, but if you have been keeping up with recent online trends this shouldn’t add much more, if any, work to your plate.

An extension of Google Places? Well what does that mean? Google HotPot is the revamp section of Places where local business ratings and recommendations are entered and displayed. Google has rebranded it and updated it in the hopes that by making it easier to access more and more Internet users will come to HotPot to not only write reviews, but to also go to find reviews and recommendations to make a purchasing decision.

From a customer perspective, HotPot is truly easy to use. If you have a Google account you can update and access HotPot through a number of entryways:

• Google Maps for Android
• On Google Places Listings
• Google HotPot itself

And when you access HotPot, you can search for what you are looking for (like where to each lunch, buy a gift or stay for the night).  For each business listing you get an aggregate rating and a list of all the reviews. And if a user has used a business, they can rate and review the business as well.  After using HotPot for a bit, it will offer up recommendations based on your friends and your own reviews and ratings.

So…why do businesses need to know about this? If even more people will be using Places and HotPot to find a business, you need to make sure that you have claimed your Places listing, and filled it out as best you can. As you see with the below search results page, not having an image will really dull down results in HotPot, while having the image can make it stand out.

Also, you definitely want to ask customers to head to HotPot to rate their experience and write a review.  Every once in a while peek in on the ratings and recommendations for your business to make sure they are true, or need responding to.

And right now Google is offering Portland, Oregon businesses a free promotional kit to help get clients to review your business on HotPot. If they expand this offer you can be sure we will let you know.

See, HotSpot isn’t causing you too much more work, but you do see how it could have a big roll in bringing in new business, right? Have you used HotSpot or have had a customer say they found you there? Let us know.

• Website – Engagement is the key word for 2011. Not only should you engage with Social Media, but you should engage with visitors directly on your website. Add all the key elements to your site to keep the searcher involved. Are you utilizing videos? Are you giving the user an experience that will result in your end goal? Connect with your searchers on every level directly through your website.

• Facebook – A Facebook is an essential part of any Marketing Campaign. In 2011, take your Page to the next level! Make sure you are utilizing the Custom Tab feature. Make sure that your Tabs are functional and practical. Since there are only a few spots for Tabs, use ones that will benefit your campaign and your fans the most.By using the @ function, you can “tag” other people or companies, therefore posting your post on their wall in addition to your own. This is an easy way to spread your message!

  Make sure your posts are “share worthy”. This is the name of the game and is what truly makes this viral marketing. If you want your news to spread, make it interesting. Your goal for 2011 in regards to Facebook should be: More Likes.

• Mobile – With Tim Mayer predicting that mobile search will occupy 1 in 5 of the searches by 2012, it’s time to get involved! Ask yourself if searchers can find your content from their mobile device. If the answer is no, put this on your list for next year!

Blending all your marketing efforts will get you the best results. We at Mannix Marketing wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season!

A few weeks ago, WordPress 2.6 for iOS was released to the App Store, and was followed very quickly by some very critical comments and negative reviews. Lots of people were having problems even connecting to their blog, including Jon Katz ,a well-known author, and long time client of Mannix Marketing, Inc. I had the opportunity to work with Jon when he stopped by the office, trying to get the new version of the app to work right. Unfortunately, for Jon, who was getting ready to go on tour for his new book, we were unable to help him, as it was an issue with the app itself, and he opted to wait for another update. Well, that new update has come (WordPress 2.6.1 for iOS)… and while it seemed to solve the connection issues we were seeing before, it has brought an onslaught of new problems, rendering the app basically useless.

At the suggestion of  Senior Web Applications Developer Toby Dawes,  we took to the App Store to see if we could find an alternative solution. Enter BlogPress. For $2.99, one can connect to their WordPress blog (or, several other types of blogs) and post real-time updates. You can work with already live posts, post drafts, and even cross-post to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

BlogPress is a great solution for those WordPress 2.6 blues! Itʼs definitely a must-buy if youʼre having problems with the new WordPress app, like so many other people are having.

Our Mannix Marketing, Inc. programming team are problem solvers - we love to make things work! Contact us for custom programming applications, content management systems, etc. - we can help!