I have a bit of a fixation with eyes – for me they are the gateway to the soul. You can tell exactly how someone is feeling or whether they agree or disagree with you just by looking into them. Those little ‘inflections’ that appear when a person is talking about a subject that they’re passionate about and truly believe in, is clearly seen emanating from their eyes: sincerity, optimism, disappointment…

The thing is, and this is slightly off-piste, there are times during a conversation when I suddenly realise that I’ve been looking at one eye only – and I don’t know how long for! So, in an attempt to ‘balance the situation’, I switch to looking at the other eye. I’ve tried looking at both at the same time but feel my eyes start to cross over – which makes me a little self-conscious of how my own eyes must look to the person I’m speaking with or listening to… a real ‘Metallica moment’ – ‘Sad but true’…!

The eyes are just part of it, however, the lines around their eyes complete the story of how someone has lived; each one a chapter of laughter, love, challenges and are as unique as a finger print…

Now here’s the thing, the problem when communicating online is – that you don’t have the opportunity to see those ‘inflections’ that just show how a person really feels about what they’re taking about or about what they think of what you’re trying to convey…

When something is written, it can be misinterpreted by different readers, and the readers ‘understanding’ can be a ‘bus journey’ away from what the writer was meaning to convey. After all it’s written from one subjective opinion and interpreted by another…

How many times have you posted something online only to have to follow it up with a comment saying something like, “actually I didn’t mean it that way” because somebody wrote an ‘off-the-wall’ comment that left you asking yourself “what did they mean by that?”.

There are ways to combat this situation, especially when there’s something important to discuss and avoids any form of misunderstanding.

Online video.

There are so many video platforms out there that enable you to record directly to them and/or upload to them for free.

And if you’re wanting a great example of it in action, take a look at a video Steve Trister (@stevetrister – Twitter, TristerTV – YouTube) uploaded a few days ago.

It takes a lot to speak as openly as that, so – if you can – leave a comment on his video or better still leave a video reply. But if you can’t comment you can do your bit by sharing it – I know Steve would appreciate it

And finally…

Look at the eyes and see what I mean … But don’t worry about looking at only one of them

And if you’ve seen other great examples then post links to them in the comments section with why you liked them …

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This post is support my 7 min talk at the Late Late Breakfast Show, at the Sway Hotel in Holburn tonight (20th July 2010). I will keep adding to this list when I come across sites, but if you know of any that are not here please can you add them in comments.

For those of you who can’t make it tonight, here’s my presentation…:

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I seem to write a lot about the importance of using the correct keywords but seeing as I’ve been getting more questions than normal I thought I’d put finger to ‘board once more…

Almost any business these days needs to have a ‘strong’ web presence and in many instances, offline business activity will increase if the number of visitors that reach the website increases. Cause and Effect – Economics 101. But there are so many methods that will increase site visitors, but (and this is a big but – not ‘big butt‘ as in Jennifer Aniston in the scene of her dancing and singing to her baby in Friends) more web visitors do not necessarily bring higher profits to a business.  So it’s vitally important to attract the relevant traffic and keep non-targeted searchers away (more on that in a bit…)

Relevant traffic (i.e. those individuals that are looking to ‘buy right now’) depends on the quality and type of the keywords and keyword phrases that you use on your website, blog etc… And you have to identify what those keywords and keyword phrases are before you publish the content on said sites.

Behavioural Search

When someone starts a search, he/she/they will key in a keyword or a keyword phrase in the search engine box, and based on that, the browser will show a list of sites that match the query. Now, and this isn’t a Eureka moment – what you want here is to get your site to display in the search results (SERPs – search engine results pages) on the very first page, – preferably in the top 3 positions in those result pages.

But let’s work a small example through, and for examples sake let’s say that you sell Moisturising Wipes for Men… (chosen because I don’t know anyone that sells them… I think you can imagine that there would be several specialised (niche) keywords and keyword phrases that would be used like ‘moisturising wipes for sensitive male skin’, ‘how to moisturise your face with stubble’ etc. that should be utilised to promote this item. These sorts of keywords and phrases will increase website traffic and direct those website visitors, that are most likely to purchase something or leave some type of contact information through an ‘opt in’ feature on your website. But, if you make use of keywords that are too generic like ‘wipes’ or even ‘moisturising wipes’ you may bring in a huge amount of site visitors, however these visitors will offer little profit for your business.

So now it’s back to the ‘un-targeted traffic‘. All businesses that I speak with, large and small, that use ppc marketing with Adwords (pay per click) lose so much money on traffic that isn’t interested in buying. The % that do click through leave without doing anything – and it’s just cost the business £s for the privilege!

And finally…

An interested website visitor will spend more time on your site, searching through the items, reading content and making other searches – as long as your site has a search function that is… So you must endeavour to increase your traffic, reasonably and profitably by focusing on a your specific areas of what you do that is relevant to what people are searching for. The old adage of “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” really applies here. But once they are on your site make it easy for them to ‘discover’ the other ‘gems’ that you provide and show them that your content is constantly changing as this will position you as a ‘go to source’.

This continuous need to update a site is, for many businesses, deemed a waste of time and resources. However if a company is trying to increase the amount of relevant traffic to its site then creating site content should be approached in the same professional way as the products or services you sell or provide and not be not substandard.

Otherwise the effort you put into the website will make about the same difference as taking a bucket of water from the sea would do to reduce the rising sea levels!

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8th July WPSyndicator Update: $4000 Raised so far:

I had an email last night from Andy Fletcher, one of the developers of the WP Syndicator. In it Andy told me that they’ve raised just over $4k so far and he wanted me to pass on their thanks for all your support.

So, thank you to those that have purchased the WP Syndicator plugin so far and thanks also to those that have helped by telling your network about it.

If your reading this post for the first time carry on reading to find out what the WP Syndicator can do to create additional back links for your blog and remember that the $10 you pay for it all goes to Asthma Reasearch in the UK…

What is WP Syndicator?

Those that follow my blog will know that I do a Friday post called ‘One for your toolbox’… well, this post is a special entitled a ‘Essential WordPress plugin’ called WP Syndicator and it’s important you get it … the ‘why you should’ is explained further down.

But first, watch the following clip and see what it will do for you…

Why is it WP Syndicator essential?

For three reasons:

1. It automatically syndicates your wordpress blog post to 15 – yes 15 other sites creating 15 – yes 15 – immediate backlinks to your post on your blog… everytime you create a new post! (and we all lknow how important backlinks are right!)
2. It automatically posts your blog to your twitter network – letting everyone know of the masterpiece you’ve just created(!)
3. WP Syndicator is currently is priced with 80% off!!! Why? Read the next point…
4. The cost of each WP Syndicator plugin is $10 (about £6) and all the $10 will be donated to Asthma Research - so even if you don’t have a self-hosted WordPress blog yet you can still buy it and help a good cause plus you get to keep the plugin for when you do get a WordPress blog — Win Win all round
   

WP Syndicator Installation and Setup

Installation and setting up WP Syndicator is simple:

WPSyndicator Installation

• Once you’ve paid your money
• Download the plugin – it will be saved as wpsyndicator.zip
• Go to the ‘Plugins’ area your wordpress (self-hosted) blog http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/plugins.php
• Click ‘Add New’
• Browse to the ‘wpsyndicator.zip’ file
• Click upload

WPSyndicator Setup

Once installed you’ll see an additional link on the lefthand side of your WordPress (self-hosted) dashboard: WP Syndicator
(http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=WPSyndicator.php)

When clicked, it expands to 4 additional links:

• Config
• Accounts
• Authorize
• Syndicate

WP Syndicator Config

For this you’ll need your loginname for bit.ly and your bit.ly api key – This is not always easy to find, so when your logged in follow this link: your bit.ly api key

WP Syndicator Accounts

Here you fill out all your login details for the following accounts:

• WordPress
• TypePad
• Blogger
• Vox
• LiveJournal
• Tumblr
• Multiply
• Plurk
• FriendFeed
• Xanga
• Identica
• YouAre
• Blellow
• Bright Kite

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the accounts as they’ve included links to all the relevant sign ups pages which is why I haven’t included the links above…

NOTE: Don’t forget to enable them (with the tick box and then save when you complete them all)

WP Syndicator Authorise

This is where you allow WP Syndicator to post to your Twitter account

WP Syndicatator Syndicate

This displays your last 10 blog posts that you can just click each one to syndicate those posts – which is a great way of claiming those backlinks for those posts that you should have got

The whole set up process took me 35 mins and is extremely simple.

They’ve even created short help movies just in case you get stuck… How cool is that.

So please support Asthma Research (My Nan suffered with it badly all her life and I’m sure you know someone that does as well) by buying the WP Syndicator Plugin and if you don’t have a blog but you know someone that does… please tell them about this post.

Thanks

Lee

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So as promised becasue the #shoestring tag wasn’t displaying the stream correctly – I think it was sabotaged #joke – I’ve integrated my tweets into the stream for those who might have found it difficult to follow…

If you were following along and didn’t manage to get a question in or you’ve thought up a question since the Twinterview pop it in the comments section below.

nixdminx

#shoestring @andybargery @leesmallwood – are we ready to go? Hi everyone, grab yourselves an icecold drink & ask for our advice about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck

abarge

OK lets get cracking. Q1 @nixdminx, What is your area of expertise in social media marketing? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

nixdminx

@abarge I’m a strategist and prolific blogger too, I work with brands on the inside and also marketing agencies as a consultant #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to abarge

abarge

@nixdminx thanks. yes i’ve read your blog. worthwhile people reading for some insight i suggest http://bit.ly/5plySX #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck Retweeted by you

abarge

And Q1 to @leesmallwood. What is your area of expertise in social media marketing? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

LeeSmallwood

I specialise in integrating digital communications, incororating strategy where people are, what they’re saying and how they’re saying it about 1 hour ago via web

LeeSmallwood

for FMCGs, consumer electricals, and sportsware manufactuers #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

LeeSmallwood

I love blogging and tweeting – sometimes work gets in the way thoughlol #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

abarge

thanks @leesmallwood, so you too are a blogger. Do you think it’s important to have a blog as part of your social media mix #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to leesmallwood

LeeSmallowood

I believe so… it’s a way of letting people see what you’re passionate about – and your personality #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

LeeSmallwood

it also lets people see what’s going on ‘behind the brand’ #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

andsomepeople

Creative half of brain working on #intern #recruitment concepts, logical half keeping an eye on #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

nixdminx

@abarge There is no barrier to entry for a small business to get involved – common sense and savviness are required though #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to abarge

abarge

@nixdminx I guess the only barrier is the time and effort required to setup the right channels for your specific biz needs? #shoestring

nixdminx

@abarge when it comes to time; it all depends on finding relevant content and using it across facebook, twitter and or blogs #shoestring

nixdminx

@abarge an interior design company would showcase work well on facebook, a blog and youtube #shoestring

abarge

@nixdminx why then do you think business should care about social media? #shoestring

nixdminx

@abarge it’s great for start ups to make an inroad into online marketing; it’s also good to engage with your audiences #shoestring

LeeSmallwood

@abarge Social media itself is a term which, IMO, will be encapsulated under ‘communications’ #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

Lee Smallwood

@abarge so if we apply that to your question it kind of changes the context a bit as communicating effectively with people … #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge must be at the heart of everything any personal brand, SME or large multinational in order to deliver on its promises #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

ArchitectJane

@leesmallwood @nixdminx Q #shoestring how do you work out which channels are most appropriate – demographics / outreach information? about 2 hours ago via web

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane @leesmallwood facebook and youtube are mainstream mass audience vehicles; you can target any marketing spend #shoestring about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane @abarge I think social media shouldn’t be seen as a ‘channel’ in the more traditional sense of the word … #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane @leesmallwood #shoestring it’s my personal belief that a blog and bloggers are key influencers for your audiences and key about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

RT @nixdminx ‘it’s my personal belief that a blog &bloggers are key influencers for your audiences and key’ // completely agree #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge … it’s more of a direct dial directly to the people in an organisation that can deliver on the brands promises #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

abarge

@leesmallwood what do you mean by a direct dial? a way for customers to by pass your exsting custeomr service infrastructure? #shoestring

LeeSmallwood

@abarge yes, customer service, IMO, is the new marketing. Traditional forms of CS are failing badly … #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to abarge

LeeSmallwood

@abarge whilst SoMe CS use is proving to be very effective in delivering value to customers and clients … #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge @vodafoneuk is a great example opf this #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

abarge

@leesmallwood yes there are some examples of really great cust service online too, like @BTcare #shoestring about 2 hours ago via HootSuite in reply to leesmallwood

ArchitectJane

@nixdminx @leesmallwood #shoestring if your target is specific rather than mainstream how do you know best site to reach them? about 2 hours ago via web in reply to nixdminx

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane do you know where your audience hangs out in social media? if not, try research; lots of free tools are available #shoestring about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane that’s a great Q. In days gone by, people thought that you build it and people would come… #shoestring cc @abarge about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane … but now it’s finding the right platforms – and generally its more than just being on FB, twitter etc… #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane … niche platforms are generally far more appropriate, but it’s important that you go to people not expect it 2b #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane … the other way around #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane you can either spend a lot of time googling or use SoMe monitoring tools to help like @radian6 … #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane … although this may not be a viable option for a lot of companies – but there are freemium tools which can help #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane see the sources section here on measurementcamp wiki http://bit.ly/12Df0L really useful #shoestring about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane here’s a list of Free social media monitoring tools http://bit.ly/bbb7j5 #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

ArchitectJane

@leesmallwood @ArchitectJane here’s a list of Free social media monitoring tools http://bit.ly/bbb7j5 #shoestring <fantastic thanks! about 2 hours ago via web in reply to leesmallwood

BetterPM

RT @ArchitectJane: @leesmallwood @ArchitectJane here’s a list of Free social media monitoring tools http://bit.ly/bbb7j5 #shoestring… about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane free tools a great but #radian6 is v affordable if you look at the cost of advertising which is very hit and miss #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

nixdminx

Mr Tweet is a great place to identify other people to follow http://mrtweet.com/ #shoestring about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck

BetterPM

RT @nixdminx: Mr Tweet is a great place to identify other people to follow http://mrtweet.com/ #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

nixdminx

@leesmallwood can’t see your tweets but thanks for the RT! #shoestring about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to leesmallwood

LeeSmallwood

@nixdminx hmmm v weird #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to nixdminx

BetterPM

@nixdminx Not just me then, @leesmallwood not showing on public timeline for #shoestring about 2 hours ago via HootSuite

@BetterPM <sigh> #shoestring cc @abarge @nixdminx about 1 hour ago via web in reply to BetterPM

abarge

@nixdminx @leesmallwood Which companies are using social media well that we could all learn from? #shoestring about 2 hours ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge @vodafoneUK is a great model to follow for companies that are doing it well – pepsi is another and so is P&G #shoestring 45 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @vodafoneUK is a great model to follow for companies that are doing it well – pepsi is another and so is P&G #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge Tampax deal with a difficult subject matter for young girls very well on the site http://bit.ly/b8sNt6 #shoestring @nixdminx 34 minutes ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge but there are also smaller brands doing it just as well if not better… #shoestring 44 minutes ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge @teplio , @robertaward (mypropertymentor) , @robjcameron @dreamwall are some that definitely need to be mentioned #shoestring 43 minutes ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge plus I can;t miss out @subutcher #shoestring 42 minutes ago via web

ArchitectJane

@leesmallwood @nixdminx another Q how do you make yourself stand-out if you are using mass audience tools? #shoestring about 2 hours ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane quality content is key – don’t post for the sake of posting #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to ArchitectJane

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane make sure you have a coherent and integrated design for your channels; brand them, make them look professional #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

abarge

RT @nixdminx: @ArchitectJane make sure you have a coherent and integrated design for your channels; brand them, make them prof. #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to nixdminx

RobertaWard

@ArchitectJane You need a niche or a different way of communicating that folks like or can latch on to Jane #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

ArchitectJane

@RobertaWard how do you analyse what people are liking and what not? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to RobertaWard

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane also a good idea to check out trade association blogs and twitter feeds #shoestring about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

abarge

@nixdminx @leesmallwood What are the key first steps for starting to use social media for marketing? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge listening listening listening… so many organisations just rush in because they hear how ‘popular’ certain platforms R #shoestring 41 minutes ago via web in reply to abarge

LeeSmallwood

@abarge … without understanding what the tone of the conversation is or even if it’s relevant. These organisations use … #shoestring 40 minutes ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge … what I call a PR bomb: there’s a group of people, here’s our message, drop it on them and wait for the fallout #shoestring 39 minutes ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge @nixdminx make sur that policies and procedures are in place, this is not only for large brands it applies for everyone #shoestring 38 minutes ago via web

nixdminx

@abarge do some research; make a plan – it’s a new innovation in marketing but traditional rules apply too #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to abarge

nixdminx

@abarge blogging is the best way to create a credible community; facebook is great for retail but you need to get a following #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to abarge

abarge

@leesmallwood what is it that @vodafoneUK does so well? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge the team over at @vodafoneUK have learned a lot, they deal with communications v quickly, keep people informed & up2date #shoestring 32 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: the team at @vodafoneUK deal with communications v quickly, keep people informed & up2date #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge and @vodafoneUK are very approachable… I just wish my network provider was the same! #shoestring 31 minutes ago via web

@abarge no not just for big brands & in my experience big brands have a lot of bureaucracy to deal with… #shoestring 33 minutes ago via web in reply to abarge

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge no not just for big brands & in my experience big brands have a lot of bureaucracy to deal with… #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

abarge

@leesmallwood @nixdminx how can I measure the ROI from social media marketing? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

nixdminx

@abarge for a small business, create opportunities to sell will be a key KPI; business leads and footfall are important #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to abarge

LeeSmallwood

@abarge metrics depend on why you are using SoMe? It’s not such a straightforward answer… #shoestring @nixdminx 28 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge metrics depend on why you are using SoMe? It’s not such a straightforward answer… #shoestring @nixdminx about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: metrics dpnd on why you are using SoMe? It’s not such a strghtfrwrd answr. need to set objectives first then!? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge e.g. Activity Metrics: Posts (ideas/threads), Comments & Trackbacks, Active contributors, Ratios: Member to contributor #shoestring 26 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: e.g. Activity Metrics: Posts (ideas/threads), Comments & Trackbacks, Ratios: Member to contributor #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge or Customer Support: Customer satisfaction, Number of initiated support tickets per customer per period #shoestring 26 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge or Customer Support: Customer satisfaction, Number of initiated support tickets per cust. per period #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge orgs need to establsh the why then the what… e.g. Product Development: % of ideas from customers/prospects/community #shoestring 24 minutes ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge there are new metrics pretty much for any company dept, and if you’re a 1man/woman band then #shoestring 24 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge there are new metrics pretty much for any company dept, and if you’re a 1man/woman band then #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge orgs need to establsh the why then the what.e.g. Product Development: % of ideas from custs/prospectsy #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge you have all of these to think about then decide what is going to help the most: both you customers and your business #shoestring 22 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge you have all of these to think about then decide what is going to help most: both custs and your biz #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

ArchitectJane

@abarge @leesmallwood @nixdminx how can I measure the ROI from social media marketing? #shoestring <what is ROI? about 1 hour ago via web in reply to abarge

abarge

@ArchitectJane: ROI = Return on Investment i.e. is it worth your time and money #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane ROI is return on investment ; the cause and effect of marketing #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@architectjane the new ROI IMO isn’t what it’s traditionally known for return on investment… #shoestring @abarge @nixdminx 30 minutes ago via web

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @architectjane the new ROI IMO isn’t what it’s traditionally known for return on investment. #shoestring @abarge @nixdminx about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@architectjane for me ROI now stands for return on involvement – it better describes the process #shoestring 29 minutes ago via web

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane is your ROI question about your social media work for your company? what is the main objective of marketing? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

ArchitectJane

@nixdminx my main objective was originally to find new customers for architectural services… #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to nixdminx

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane you can showcase your work on social media really well ; it can be your social portfolio and influence people #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

ArchitectJane

@nixdminx …probably a bit naive and not very focussed! Now I´m busy&being selective about clients, but none gained through SM #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to nixdminx

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane you could also update your blog once a week and share the update on twitter to get some comments #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

ArchitectJane

@nixdminx I struggle with blogging – not sure what to write that others would find interesting and don´t want to bore people #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to nixdminx

ArchitectJane

RT @leesmallwood @architectjane for me ROI now stands for return on involvement – it better describes the process #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

abarge

Are you able to link scial media marketing effort to increased sales for example? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

nixdminx

@abarge of course you are; it’s easy to create simple tracking mechanisms to help you do this. #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to abarge

LeeSmallwood

@abarge tracking where sales have come from isn’t difficult – in fact it’s one of the easier ones #shoestring 20 minutes ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@abarge but an increase in sales shld never be at the cost of the purchasing experience both before, during and after #shoestring @nixdminx 19 minutes ago via web

nixdminx

#shoestring@ArchitectJane I love your article about top 5 reason to choose an architect – you can post a photo every week too #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

abarge

Final two questions: what are you going to talk about on July 13th’s Shoestring Marketing event? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

abarge

@leesmallwood @nixdminx and…. what should people expect to learn on July 13th? #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

nixdminx

@abarge they’ll get a taster of social media and practical tips; plus a chance to get their questions answered #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to abarge

LeeSmallwood

@abarge the stages involved prior to communicating though social media platforms – a roadmap to follow if you like #shoestring 15 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to abarge

abarge

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge the stages involved prior to communicating though social media platforms – a roadmap to follow… #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge hopefully that SoMe isn’t just about being on FB, twitter etc as that there are many other platforms to consider@nixdminx #shoestring 12 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to abarge

LeeSmallwood

@abarge and that these online comms tools are only one factor in a larger plan @nixdminx #shoestring 12 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to abarge

robjcameron

RT @leesmallwood: @abarge @teplio , @robertaward , @robjcameron @dreamwall some that definitely need to be mentioned #shoestring > thank you about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

RobertaWard

Thanks for blog mention @leesmallwood via #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

LeeSmallwood

@RobertaWard YW … deserved #shoestring cc @abarge @nixdminx 10 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to RobertaWard

abarge

if you would like to hear more from @Leesmallwood and @Nixdmiinx, join our workshop by clicking here http://bit.ly/a13iE9 #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

abarge

Thanks very much to @leesmallwood @nixdminx for the contribution this pm. Very interesting and look forward to hearing more. #shoestring about 1 hour ago via HootSuite

LeeSmallwood

@abarge thanks for the invite Andy and great to be with @nixdminx #shoestring 9 minutes ago via Twitterrific in reply to abarge

ArchitectJane

@nixdminx thank you! I guess when you get no comments it´s easy to assume that people aren´t interested. The photo idea is great #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web in reply to nixdminx

nixdminx

@ArchitectJane It took me a long time to start getting comments – you need to keep at it but enjoy it too #shoestring about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to ArchitectJane

LeeSmallwood

@nixdminx that’s true. I think I went months without… Then someone said to me ‘have you asked for them?’ @ArchitectJane #shoestring 7 minutes ago via Twitterrific in reply to nixdminx

abarge

thanks also to @architectjane @betterpm @dreamwalls and others for questions and RTs #shoestring 9 minutes ago via HootSuite Retweeted by you

BernieJMitchell

Looking at #shoestring about 1 hour ago via UberTwitter

LeeSmallwood

@BetterPM I’ll post my stream and intergrate it with the #shoestring stream on my blog in a bit … 2 minutes ago via web in reply to BetterPM

LeeSmallwood

@nixdminx looking forward to it have a great weekend cc @abarge #shoestring 3 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to nixdminx

ArchitectJane

thanks everyone really interesting Q&A… now to put lessons learned into practice #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

LeeSmallwood

@ArchitectJane you’re welcome #shoestring 5 minutes ago via Twitterrific in reply to ArchitectJane

ArchitectJane

RT @leesmallwood @nixdminx that’s true. I think I went months without..Then some1 said ‘have you asked for them?’ @ArchitectJane #shoestring about 1 hour ago via web

nixdminx

#shoestring thanks for your great questions; see you all on the 13th @andybargery @leesmallwood 45 minutes ago via TweetDeck

nixdminx

RT @tribaltalk: 5 smart ways to create additional content for your company blog – http://bit.ly/9WmJFr #shoestring 5 minutes ago via TweetDeck

BernieJMitchell

RT @abarge: if you would like to hear more from @Leesmallwood & @Nixdmiinx, join the @meetup workshop here http://bit.ly/a13iE9 #shoestring 2 minutes ago via UberTwitter

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I’m always on the look out for ‘funnies’, but it’s been a little while since I posted any so here’s some that made me chuckle…

If you come across any on your travels would you pop a link into the comments

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How To Make Every Keyword Count

Today keywords are almost a currency in their own right; as long as you’re in the top 3 positions on SERPs (search engine results pages) that is!

But unless you have more money and time to know what to do with it, some keywords will be out of reach i.e. keywords like ‘consultant’, ‘media consultant’, ‘mentor’, ‘marketing mentor’, ‘coach’ or ‘life coach’ etc

Keywords like these are very generic – top level – and people that use them are generally information gathering and are not really looking to make a decision…

And if you were in the top 3 positions on Google for similar keywords, you could have potentially a large amount of traffic visiting a specific page on your site, you would see a very low conversion rate.

So what’s the answer?

Longtail Keywords

If I use one of the examples from above to explain, I think the concept would be easier to grasp:

Take a ‘top level’ keyword like ‘Life Coach’ and put it into Google: there’s about 58 million results! This is an ‘approximate’ measure of the amount of sites competing globally for the same keyword…

However, change it to ‘Life coach UK’ and the number of results drops dramatically to 3,980,000 … which is better but still too much competition

But if we made the example keyword search term

‘NLP life coach Hampstead London’ the competition drops to 2,030 – much better

Now, armed with that information and the number of local people looking for that search term on a monthly basis – using Google’s Keyword Tool you’ll in a better position to get some targeted traffic.

…And finally

if you want to see how many of your competitors are optimising a page on their site for any given keyword term then use this:

allintitle:your keyword (note: no space after the ‘:’

To find the right keywords to optimise for can take time, I can easily spend a whole day finding golden nuggets for clients and cone up with about 30-40 thousand phrases, which each have approx 100 to 200 searches per day … that may not sound a lot of traffic by themselves however put all searches together and hey presto – watch the number of people visiting your site rocket ..!

But remember to use each keyword in your page title, heading tags and in your content to let the search engines know that that page is relevant to what people are searching for…

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Those beautiful people over at Vodafone UK have done it again…! They’ve produced a short 1 min youtube video of the iPad running on the Vodafone 3G network…!

Looks pretty fast… and with cheap dataplanstoo!

Look at it … it’s a thing of beauty… hopefully soon I’ll be able to buy a ‘My-Pad…’ and then my mates that keep sending me pics of their iPads won’t wind me up so much lol… ah well … soon be Christmas

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There’s a lot of chat at the moment about mobile tariffs – specifically how much data someone’s able to download without incurring other charges.

To say I was ‘concerned’ about it would be an understatement!

Why?

Well I consider myself to be a pretty heavy user – and before you start I’m not talking about my body mass(!)

A typical day would go something like this:

Morning Usage

Wake up, check phone for new emails and Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin messages and post replies

Open up news apps (sky news, telegraph, guardian and FT) and find out ‘what’s occuring’

Listen to news using tvcatchup.com whilst getting ready

Drive to work listening to audio books OTA (over the air) stored on system at home (it saves space on my iPhone…)

Park car and check for new emails and Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin messages and post replies

Open up Skype app so VoIP number’s available (020 3286 0219 in case you’re wondering) BTW, great deal on Skype – £2.83 per month – for unlimited landline calls… bargin!

Afternoon Usage

Repeat the above but in reverse…!

Check SEO projects using various iPhone apps (these ones are pretty good SEO it, LinkJuice)

Evening Usage

Periodically for new emails, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin messages and post replies

Write a blog post using iBlogger (which I could never do without, ever…!)

Night Time

Because I’m a bit of an insomniac and have tinitus I catch up on any programmes missed using BBC iPlayer app – very cool.

See if there’s anything good to watch on TVcatchup.com – it has more channels than our FreeView box

Watch a movie (or 2 or 3…) using AirVideo – that is a litterally sanity saver for me

Download a couple of books for my Kindle App – (don’t ask how much my amazon bill is per month…!)

…and eventually nod off

Is that ‘heavy usage?’ Well I thought it was but apparently not as the image [top left] is a shot of my total usage since getting my iPhone last October (10/2009). Only 1.2Gb used and I’ve never reset – as you can see at the bottom of the pic…

My tarrif says I have 1GB per MONTH…! if I actually used that I’d be even more of a sad bar steward than I already am…!

A mate of mine has only used 1.3GB since he got his iPhone last January (01/2010) and his tariff is 750mb per month…

Now, there are some iPhone tariffs that offer 3TB of data per month – WTF! What would you need to have that kind of allowance for…?

…And finally

So why do some mobile networks provide such a high data allowance? Well, and this is purely subjective, it could be to try and convince us – the consumer – that it’s a ‘better deal’ when, in point of fact, it’s more of a ploy to mask an inferior network service…

What do you think?

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