So……

What is ROI and how do I measure it?

I think the easiest way to understand this difficult subject is with a bit of humor.  Olivier Blanchard does a good job with his Slideshare presentation.

Define Your Goals

So now you’re probably saying, “Gene, just give it to me in plain english!”

Ok…ROI is the ratio of money gained or lost, usually calculated as a percentage, on an investment compared to the amount of money invested.

If you are working on a tight budget to get your social media off the ground, it’s essential to do your homework.  First, figure out how you want to measure social media’s success (i.e. sales, traffic, Likes, etc.). Second, gather the appropriate tools (i.e. web scrapers, Google Analytics, etc.) for measuring in your desired increment.

Once you have your plans set out before you, establish a baseline from where to begin.  For example, if you’re looking at running a back link campaign, you first need to know how many back links you have now.

In Part 2 we’ll talk about the a few tools you’ll need to analyze data and measure your ROI.

Before you begin analyzing the keywords of your website, pay a lot of focus on to the importance to the content that you are going to include on your website. The niche you are currently operating in is also very important if you wish to succeed in online optimization of your website, mainly because that will determine what keywords you will use on to your page. For instance, if you are writing reviews for movies, using keywords such as the name of the movie, the month of release as well as the word ‘movies’ will prove to be a great example of a successful keyword analysis.

Secondly, when analyzing keywords, make sure that you choose keywords that are simple and ones that will easy come in to the mind of the person who’s searching. Rather than using long and difficult keywords on to your page, it is very important that you employ simplistic and easy to comprehend words in to your written content. Unless you do not properly analyze the keywords that you are going to use in the written content of your page, you cannot expect to gain any positive effects out of your page. Therefore, it is very important that you properly analyze the keywords. On the internet, you will find a variety of different tools that can be used in order to get an idea of the most popular keywords that are currently being used today. This will make it much easier for you to get a positive response.

Ryan Bredford  is a freelance writer who is also interested different web software, pc antivirus, new technologies, malware removal and mac applications.

When buying apple products like macbooks, ipod, or iphones, do you get their Applecare protection program or do you find other warranty alternatives? There are many Applecare alternatives that have been talked about in most forums but one that usually stands out is what they call SquareTrade Warranties. So which one is better? Applecare or SquareTrade?

Arguments are endless whenever you compare two things, two products or two services. It is like pitting two debate teams against each other talking about national issues. One can never be totally satisfied with just one so the trick is to get the one who will give you the better deal. More often than not, the first thing that people check is the price. The price has the biggest impact on the buyer. It will determine whether they will buy the plan or not. If the price difference is not much, then the pros and cons will be taken into consideration.

Applecare vs SquareTrade? Let us compare both their plan for the iPhone which is now one of the most popular mobile phone in the market.

The Cost
Applecare Plan - cost $69 for extension to two years
SquareTrade - cost $99 for two years with $50 deductible

The Coverage
Applecare Plan - two years warranty extension, no accidental damage coverage
SquareTrade - normal usage issues, spills and drops

Others
Applecare Plan - accidents are not covered
SquareTrade - great consumer rating and available in app store

In this comparison, you can clearly see that SquareTrade gives the better deal. Although the iPhone is an apple product, other companies gives more when it comes to their warranty plan. SquareTrade is definitely more superior than Applecare.

When checking the warranty plan you are getting, doing extensive research is the best. Although there are many cheap electronic products right now that can be used and thrown away when damaged, you still need to take care of those that you will purchase at a higher price. Apple products for one are the most vulnerable that is why they offer Applecare. The only problem is they are much more expensive than other warranty plans like those from SquareTrade.

Aside from electronic products, SquareTrade also offer warranties for appliances whether you buy them from BestBuy, Ebay, Amazon, PC Rush, Buy.com, Super Warehouse and other local retailers of electronic gadgets. They are constantly rated the highest rating of 5 by satisfied customers and you will get the most minimal hassle when using their warranty. That is definitely more than what you can get from Applecare.

So which one is better? Applecare or SquareTrade? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Weighing the pros and cons, SquareTrade is obviously the better choice. It will give you more value for your money. You can get a warranty plan whether you have an apple product or not. Protecting your electronic products is easy as it can be. There will be no more worries and no more stress. Your precious possessions will be protected with the SquareTrade warranty.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacob_I_King

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5092592

• Which mobile apps you use and how much you use them.
• What websites you visit on your phone. (including what you search for)
• What VZW features you use on your phone.
• The location of your device.
• Demographics provided by outside companies.

The wireless company begin to send out notices last week regarding the change.  They give real world examples of how the data collected in each scenario might help give the user a more personal experience.

A local restaurant may want to advertise only to people who live within 10 miles, and we might help deliver that ad on a website without sharing information that identifies you personally.

They say the information collected will be used to create business and marketing reports for both Verizon and outside companies that they may have a relation with.

If you wish to not have your information collected, you have choices! You can log onto the Verizon Wireless website (http://www.vzw.com/myprivacy) and log into your account and make the changes or call them at 866-241-0874.

I choose the calling option and found it easy. The complete process is automated so you don’t have someone on the other end trying to convince you to stay on the list.

My friend Dyea retweeted a post from Smashing Magazine referencing a post on WSJ about the dangers of “Like” popularity. I recognized the author, but couldn’t remember where from exactly until I looked at his bio and realized he authored the band Mötley Crüe’s biography “The Dirt” (which was a great read if you’re feeling nostalgic).

Mr. Strauss begins the article talking about the back story of content on the internet and how it used to be a place where you could come to state your point of view. It argues that now, it has been hijacked by advertising and is just a breeding ground for greed. While I understand that what the author wants is a pure internet where only good things and good/creative things happen, it just isn’t that way and it is absurd to think that it or anything can remain pure or what he deems pure. The author seems to be saying that you can either live in a fictional world where only good things happen or you live in a capitalistic world. I believe he confuses ambition with greed.

The author goes on to say that we are beginning to only view what is recommended to us by services like StumbleUpon, Facebook, Twitter, or Digg. What he doesn’t mention is that you are free to choose your interests in StumbleUpon, friends in Facebook, and followers on Twitter. None of these services puts content in your stream(s) that you don’t ask for. The exceptions are Promoted Tweets in Twitter and ads in Facebook. Digg has a different way of displaying content where the most popular stories are prominently featured first. I believe this is what the author is referring to.

I don’t think the author gives us as much credit as we deserve for seeking out information, and just sees us as lazy readers who won’t take the time to search out all the points of view of an issue. This is false, but I will say that many viewers don’t take that extra time and only read what is spoon fed to them. This is why you still get emails on how Facebook will start charging for it’s service or how Obama is paying for the resettlement of Hamas refugees to the U.S. Most viewers take what is given to them as gospel and just blindly pass it on.

I believe this is the point the author is trying to make; take the time to seek out the truth. Don’t rely on your friends’ “+1″ or “Like” for confirmation about a subject. Go seek out all the sides and draw your own conclusions.

For companies to see the full potential of social media, they must market themselves in a totally different way.

In old print media, you had a finite amount of space and you had to squeeze a large amount of data in it. With social media, the reins have been loosened so that you have the ability to share more information without paying a premium. Your audience doesn’t want to know “just the facts”. They want to hear all about why your product is something in which they should invest their time. If you’re selling a house, they want to know all about it, not just that it is a 3/2 with 2500sq. ft. But at the same time, they don’t want to hear the old pitch about “relax in luxury” or some other blurb from old media. You need to trim the fat and give your audience the meat!

Engaging the user is what you need to focus on in new media. You must keep the conversation going. For example, the longer a salesperson keeps a potential buyer engaged and in his stores, the more likely the potential buyer will become an actual buyer. Social media sites are your store and you need to keep your target audience involved so that they have all the information they must make a decision.

And finally, you should have content in place so that your well doesn’t run dry. If you only post something once a month, your audience isn’t going to give your posts as much of their time since you don’t seem to have time for them.

With marketing of products going on everywhere these days, Search Engine Marketing is one of the most commonly used and more directly aimed at consumers. Search engine marketing is a form of internet marketing that seeks to promote websites by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages by the help of search engine optimization, paid placement and paid inclusions.

In traditional print advertising or other similar adverts, companies pay for the number of people who are supposed to see the advert or at least that is what is supposed to happen. With search engine marketing, companies opting for pay per click programs, these companies actually pay the search engines each time a person clicks on their adverts. This system appears to be closer to a performance based ad program, since companies only pay to get eyeballs, and hopefully shoppers on their websites. However, there is a limitation to this idea, visitors who visit the website only to browse and not buy anything can dry up the budget of an advert. This has been a growing problem with internet marketing and savvy search engine marketers are coming up with new ideas to lower this affect and make businesses grow. To successfully attract customers to your site it is important to follow some basic rules which are simple and make a huge difference.

Describing a real feature or benefit of your product is one of the most crucial points in attracting in buyers and not just people are looking around. It is important to carefully list all the important features and benefits to the visitors can expect once they click on the advert. A good example of a feature or benefit can be ‘Save 20% on your next online purchase’ or ‘save £30 when you buy insurance online’. It is a well-known fact that a price discount or an added value to any product is a great way to attract more visitors. An important rule of incentives is that they should never outweigh the feature of the original product.

One should always target the audience in each of their adverts. Consumers could be of different types and so would be the products. Thus when targeting one must keep in mind the different consumers and the different kind of advert they would require. Since there is a very high competition today in the cyber world for marketing one must try and make their ad stand out from other competitors. With more and more people using search engines to find what they need, one must create a sense of urgency if they want the visitors to click on their ads now instead of later. In marketing and sales, there is always an ‘emotional and sensitive area’ with most people and one can create that sense of urgency by striking that sensitive area or by simply limiting the timeframe of the offering.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6155788

Ok, so your boss will get their kid to build a website or make a Facebook account for the company, but then what? You need to have a long term plan put in place because having a bad online presence is almost as bad as having no online presence. If you’re the person in charge of the company’s social presence you’ll need to know what social sites you need to invest time in and which ones are not worth the effort.

Your boss might say that it is too expensive to hire someone to manage the company’s social presence. In that case, you should take a look at your existing advertising and marketing methods and be sure that they are getting to your potential customers. For example, if you own a store that sells used video games or music, you might consider canceling that subscription with Yellow Book and put that money towards an online campaign.

Maybe you just don’t like the idea of having a social presence. In that case I would urge you to get past that. I can understand that it might be one more headache for you to deal with. I know that in the current economic environment it is tough to add one more duty to someone who works with you or even yourself. But as you may or may not know, your competition is not going to take the gamble.

Facebook is the the number two ranked site in terms of traffic on the Internet, second only to Google. And from what I hear from friends and colleagues in the know, Google is scared. So just in terms of traffic, you would be silly not to have a marketing presence on Facebook. The problem is most people at this point jump in and throw up a Facebook page and make lots of mistakes.

Here are 3 of the most common mistakes and what to do instead.

3 Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Not Having a Facebook Fan Page – While you have to start with a Profile Page, you do not want to stop there. Create your Profile Page for friends and family, and create your Fan Page for business and marketing.

Your Profile Page is limited to only 5000 followers. That may sound like a lot more than you will ever have right now, but you will need more room as you grow. You are also discouraged from marketing on your Profile Page as well.

What to do instead: Create your Fan Page. You can have an unlimited number of followers and you are able to freely market just as much as you want.

Mistake 2: Inconsistency: Once people set up their Fan Page, their biggest downfall is consistency. To create a loyal following, participation and interaction, you can’t just show up every now and then. Consistency is the key.

What to do instead: Be consistent. We are not talking here about posting massive updates several times a day. You can do something as simple as adding a great quote and asking your followers for their thoughts on the quote. Have regular features where you do the same feature each Tuesday for example. This really helps to get new followers and keep the followers you already have coming back for more.

Mistake 3: Not Inviting Followers to Visit Elsewhere – You can have lots of traffic on your Fan Page, but if you are not inviting them to visit elsewhere in your online world you are leaving lots of traffic and profits on the table. Keeping them just on your Fan Page is a big mistake.

What to do instead: Include an opt-in box on your Fan Page. Invite your followers to visit your blog, come to a teleseminar, or simply check out your other Social Marketing platforms such as Twitter or YouTube.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Herring

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4270444

You know by now that ranking high on a search engine is one of the top ways to drive traffic to your site and gain more exposure. If you find yourself not near the top of your searches, chances are your target audience is not going to find you and will go with another company instead. That is where we step in. We help grow with SEO. Ask us how we can help you find your target audience!