Hey Guys,
In todays marketing climate if your not at least somewhat familiar with the ins and outs of SEO your in danger of losing a lot of potential traffic to your site. I won't lie, while I'm pretty knowledgeable about marketing especially using web technologies my practical use of SEO is limited enough that I won't call myself an authority. Although for all of you who aren't the most web savvy or never really red on SEO here a few quick tips for on-page optimization.
- Make sure your brands tagline is not only something people remember, but also something that uses words people would look for. The key to SEO is using popular search terms in the most natural way possible. You tagline will be put in the most vital places by your web designer naturally, don't assume they are SEO experts so make sure wording is right.
- testimonials are a classy way of getting certain terms on your page over and over again without going overboard. Go out and ask your current consumers questions that might get them to use your target words naturally, it shouldn't be hard if the search terms your targeting are worth anything.
- make sure your site has some sort of blog that way it is crawled whenever there is new content and make sure to use your terms in any content added if it goes into it naturally of course.
Those are some quick tips for on-page optimization, otherwise email press releases to key blogs and newsletters which not only serves your PR goals but also helps SEO, got to love the online marketing karma.
- Alex Merced
P.S. go SEOFAQ and SEOmoz and don't forget about your link karma when making content.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Ad Storm #5 - Building your Own social network
Hello,
With Ning and Kickapps trailblazing in the world of Social Network Hosts, the question is what is the major benefit of building a separate branded network instead of just using myspace/facebook groups and profiles to build your community. I'll give the same explanation I gave the guys at SHANE&SHAWN (where I'm currently a marketing intern, amazing shoes) before I created their Ning network.
Having a profile on a social network is about building awareness, even though people can interact with your brand with comments and through reading content you put out the end user still have thousands of other profile to dedicate their time to while on this network than to really burn your brand into their brain.
If your brand is a lifestyle brand, then a social network is valid investment cause instead of putting out content to fight for the end users time, you let the end user create content in a branded space. This creates a deeper experience of the brand, and of course the air of exclusivity and legitimacy over a myspace group or profile.
It's the same difference as buying the latest Puma shoe at the foot locker at the mall over the Puma store at union square in NYC. In both locations you can buy the product but which brand are you truly immersing yourself in, Foot Locker or Puma?
A branded social network isn't something that's gonna tip the scales in your favor overnight, but through active community building and content producing you can carve yourself a niche to re-enforce your brand into your core consumers who'd appreciate the fan service. Though to get new faces make sure you still are building awareness with a heavy dose of Myspace/Facebook.
- Alex Merced
With Ning and Kickapps trailblazing in the world of Social Network Hosts, the question is what is the major benefit of building a separate branded network instead of just using myspace/facebook groups and profiles to build your community. I'll give the same explanation I gave the guys at SHANE&SHAWN (where I'm currently a marketing intern, amazing shoes) before I created their Ning network.
Having a profile on a social network is about building awareness, even though people can interact with your brand with comments and through reading content you put out the end user still have thousands of other profile to dedicate their time to while on this network than to really burn your brand into their brain.
If your brand is a lifestyle brand, then a social network is valid investment cause instead of putting out content to fight for the end users time, you let the end user create content in a branded space. This creates a deeper experience of the brand, and of course the air of exclusivity and legitimacy over a myspace group or profile.
It's the same difference as buying the latest Puma shoe at the foot locker at the mall over the Puma store at union square in NYC. In both locations you can buy the product but which brand are you truly immersing yourself in, Foot Locker or Puma?
A branded social network isn't something that's gonna tip the scales in your favor overnight, but through active community building and content producing you can carve yourself a niche to re-enforce your brand into your core consumers who'd appreciate the fan service. Though to get new faces make sure you still are building awareness with a heavy dose of Myspace/Facebook.
- Alex Merced
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Ad Memorial #9: MercedForFreedom.com
In my political efforts of late, I have created a website where I educate people on the issues called MercedForFreedom.com. While the site has a very simple design the drive of the site is the information in form of Videos, Mp3's, and Blogs that it's provides.
In videos by Eban Pagen of GetAltitude.com he talks about giving value, and that is essentially the idea of all the free media. By providing valuable and educational media for free the value of visiting the site increases. This is the idea behind most media driven websites who's ends is high traffic. While the purpose of my site is to educate and boost awareness of the Alex Merced political brand, this technique can be used to fulfill many Marketing Communication goals.
Remember, free media is a low cost way to add value to your brand.
In videos by Eban Pagen of GetAltitude.com he talks about giving value, and that is essentially the idea of all the free media. By providing valuable and educational media for free the value of visiting the site increases. This is the idea behind most media driven websites who's ends is high traffic. While the purpose of my site is to educate and boost awareness of the Alex Merced political brand, this technique can be used to fulfill many Marketing Communication goals.
Remember, free media is a low cost way to add value to your brand.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Ad Memorial #8: Ron Paul
Hey Guys,
As of late my new promotional obsession has been getting the word out about Ron Paul, who is running for the president of the United States. I have created many flyers like the ones above. These flyers try to do one thing I feel a lot of Ron Paul from supporters don't do, KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid). The Ron Paul campaign has done a good job of creating highly targeted slim jims to pass out but sometimes you just need something even simpler people can read on the fly, especially since we're in the process of building awareness, so too much information will trigger selective attention.
Many of us Ron Paul supporters I would claim are more educated than your average American and don't have a hard time following the logic and explanation of non-interventionism and Austrian Economics and attempt to explain them on materials. I just try to point prospects to the Ron Paul website where most issues are broken down in a way anyone fully digest and further understand. This is the argument I use in my politics blog, Cause of Freedom, as to why Mike Huckabees surge in the poll is at a faster pace than Paul's. Paul is the thinking mans candidate.
The point is I'm trying to drive home is simplicity when creating awareness. You want to make sure the only information given is that which NEEDS to be remembered such as Brand Names, Websites, and Logos. As long as these few pivotal things are registered the prospect is more likely to respond more in depth to the next level of information proliferation.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Ad Storm #4: Grassroots Support
Hey Guys,
It's been awhile but I've been involved in the political sphere as of late supporting Ron Paul. If you are a campaign supporter the question I'm about to pose is a no brainer, but if your not it's the question everyone is dying to understand, how does Ron Paul use the internet so effectively in communicating his message.
The Answer...
He Doesn't
While the Ron Paul official website is one of the most Web 2.0 candidate pages and is great at providing info and tools, the fact that he has permeated the net so strongly has nothing to do with a tech savey campaign staff, it's the message. The message behind his candidacy resonates in a way so deep rooted that people can get behind the Ron Paul brand to make grassroots videos, fundraising campaigns, and even renting a blimp without spending a dime.
This is where the other candidates fail in developing their marketing communications, they focus on how to make their message resonate without asking the question, what do the people want? Ron Paul himself doesn't quite have the campaign machine visibility as Romney or Giuliani yet he still permeates stronger in the free media, it's cause his supporters feel Ron Paul is the only one who understands them and is truly out there for them.
While Ron Paul isn't a marketing expert, he has a level of brand equity from a long career of honesty, integrity, and rationality which has afforded him the credibility and authenticity to have the strong loyalty he demands.
So what as Marketers should we learn from this?
- No amount of gimmicks and media saturation will beat having a clear target based marketing message
- Credibility and Authenticity is something that only develops truly over time, taking short cuts for short term gains only hurt your long terms brand equity
- A strong brand can survive on what it represents and will permeate without a huge marketing budget
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Ad Memorial #7: kissing Rabits
In order to promote my Social Bookmarking site, Zuki.Us I created a mock Public Service Announcement about an epidemic of Kissing Rabbits. The intention of course that the video would go viral so here's the video and let's see what happens.
Find more videos like this on Fashionably Numb World
Find more videos like this on Fashionably Numb World
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Ad Storm #3: Authenticity & Cultural Capital
Hello everyone,
Recently for my consumer behavior class we have had to read the book, "Chasing Cool", which is an amazing book. This book really articulates a lot of the ideas and concepts I've had about brand development back during the Gamers Lounge days that I did not yet had the knowledge to describe. It was just unsure intuition at the time, and makes me regret the many times I didn't listen to it after reading this book.
One of the reoccurring themes in the book is authenticity, and how to break into a market you need to be part of the market or at least make a sincere and in-depth effort to understand the market. My studies are primarily in Pop Culture first, and in marketing second so I approach many of these topics from a anthropological stand point where this idea is common sense. I think my background in Anthropology/Sociology as applied to Pop Culture gives me a distinct advantage in todays branding environment. Although much of what I've learned should be common knowledge so I'm gonna expound on some useful concepts, primarily, Cultural Capital.
I. What is Anthropology/Sociology and why does it Matter?
II. Cultural Capital
III. Conclusion
I. What is Anthropology/Sociology and why does it Matter?
Some definitions as written by the great Google:
Anthropology
The scientific and humanistic study of man's present and past biological, linguistic, social, and cultural variations. Its major subfields are archeology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and anthropological linguistics.
By this definition the study of all culture is anthropological. Most people assume it's only about past cultures, this generalization is why I think many marketers might not look to this valuable discipline for a lot wisdom to understanding the market.
Sociology
the study of social institutions and processes
Again, on the surface it may seem not completely relevant to marketing. But by understanding the underlying structure of a society you can see how to influence that structure which inherently influence the consumers, again this all relies on whether the consumer "wants" or "needs" the change or benefits you offer.
A lot of people have a lot of trouble distinguishing the two so I'm going to use some hypothetical based on the hip hop community on how Anthropologist would approach it than a sociologist.
If I were an anthropologist I'd use method research called, Ethnography, where I would immerse myself in hip hop culture and become part of it (remember this for later). I would become part of what I am studying and I'd be interested in the slang and dialects spoken among hip hop subgroups and what it means in social contexts. I would take a look at cultural forms such as breakdancing, graffiti, DJing, and rapping and study how it differs among different regions.
As a marketer at this point not only have you built an understanding of the culture giving you the ability of authenticity that the word "bling" does not provide, but it also helps to further segment and target.
Although, as a sociologist I'd be interested in the institutions that developed the culture like the education system in urban areas. The economics processes and more to understand where this culture is coming from. It's hard to know where something ends without knowing where it starts which is the beauty of sociology.
Why is this important?
To summarize many of the themes in "Chasing Cool" in order to have sustainable success in todays marketplace you must have a quality product with consistent and authentic brand image that your target market either relates or aspires to. In this search for authenticity a deeper level of understand your market in necessary, and this is why these disciplines are important.
II. Cultural Capital
A concept that was hinted at in "Cool Chasers" is the pivotal idea in Popular culture studies, Cultural capital. While personal branding is about the amount of value attached your personal association, Cultural Capital is about your knowledge of the subcultures canon of texts and processes in order to achieve authenticity. So to set out to present this authentic brand image, it must have an adequate level of Cultural Capital to satisfy your target market.
Let's take communism,
If I call myself communist and write a new book communism but never read the writings of Marx or studied read about the USSR, Cuba, or Vietnam do think I'd come across authentic enough for other communists to buy my book?
This is the question and answer Cultural Capital provides, and develop this cultural capital a firm understanding of sociology and anthropology concepts I would almost deem necessary.
III. Conclusion
In a world where marketing communications bombard everyone from every subgroup, the average consumers senses to authenticity is more acute than ever. No longer is only understanding what benefits your target market wants is enough for sustainable success, you must intimately understand your market and their unique culture. To achieve the cultural capital neccessary for effective brand communication you must understand social science concepts. Being a student of the Popular Culture studies department in Bowling Green State University has lent me many tools to achieve this authenticity.
- Alex Merced
Recently for my consumer behavior class we have had to read the book, "Chasing Cool", which is an amazing book. This book really articulates a lot of the ideas and concepts I've had about brand development back during the Gamers Lounge days that I did not yet had the knowledge to describe. It was just unsure intuition at the time, and makes me regret the many times I didn't listen to it after reading this book.
One of the reoccurring themes in the book is authenticity, and how to break into a market you need to be part of the market or at least make a sincere and in-depth effort to understand the market. My studies are primarily in Pop Culture first, and in marketing second so I approach many of these topics from a anthropological stand point where this idea is common sense. I think my background in Anthropology/Sociology as applied to Pop Culture gives me a distinct advantage in todays branding environment. Although much of what I've learned should be common knowledge so I'm gonna expound on some useful concepts, primarily, Cultural Capital.
I. What is Anthropology/Sociology and why does it Matter?
II. Cultural Capital
III. Conclusion
I. What is Anthropology/Sociology and why does it Matter?
Some definitions as written by the great Google:
Anthropology
The scientific and humanistic study of man's present and past biological, linguistic, social, and cultural variations. Its major subfields are archeology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and anthropological linguistics.
By this definition the study of all culture is anthropological. Most people assume it's only about past cultures, this generalization is why I think many marketers might not look to this valuable discipline for a lot wisdom to understanding the market.
Sociology
the study of social institutions and processes
Again, on the surface it may seem not completely relevant to marketing. But by understanding the underlying structure of a society you can see how to influence that structure which inherently influence the consumers, again this all relies on whether the consumer "wants" or "needs" the change or benefits you offer.
A lot of people have a lot of trouble distinguishing the two so I'm going to use some hypothetical based on the hip hop community on how Anthropologist would approach it than a sociologist.
If I were an anthropologist I'd use method research called, Ethnography, where I would immerse myself in hip hop culture and become part of it (remember this for later). I would become part of what I am studying and I'd be interested in the slang and dialects spoken among hip hop subgroups and what it means in social contexts. I would take a look at cultural forms such as breakdancing, graffiti, DJing, and rapping and study how it differs among different regions.
As a marketer at this point not only have you built an understanding of the culture giving you the ability of authenticity that the word "bling" does not provide, but it also helps to further segment and target.
Although, as a sociologist I'd be interested in the institutions that developed the culture like the education system in urban areas. The economics processes and more to understand where this culture is coming from. It's hard to know where something ends without knowing where it starts which is the beauty of sociology.
Why is this important?
To summarize many of the themes in "Chasing Cool" in order to have sustainable success in todays marketplace you must have a quality product with consistent and authentic brand image that your target market either relates or aspires to. In this search for authenticity a deeper level of understand your market in necessary, and this is why these disciplines are important.
II. Cultural Capital
A concept that was hinted at in "Cool Chasers" is the pivotal idea in Popular culture studies, Cultural capital. While personal branding is about the amount of value attached your personal association, Cultural Capital is about your knowledge of the subcultures canon of texts and processes in order to achieve authenticity. So to set out to present this authentic brand image, it must have an adequate level of Cultural Capital to satisfy your target market.
Let's take communism,
If I call myself communist and write a new book communism but never read the writings of Marx or studied read about the USSR, Cuba, or Vietnam do think I'd come across authentic enough for other communists to buy my book?
This is the question and answer Cultural Capital provides, and develop this cultural capital a firm understanding of sociology and anthropology concepts I would almost deem necessary.
III. Conclusion
In a world where marketing communications bombard everyone from every subgroup, the average consumers senses to authenticity is more acute than ever. No longer is only understanding what benefits your target market wants is enough for sustainable success, you must intimately understand your market and their unique culture. To achieve the cultural capital neccessary for effective brand communication you must understand social science concepts. Being a student of the Popular Culture studies department in Bowling Green State University has lent me many tools to achieve this authenticity.
- Alex Merced
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