How to get a full color ad on Google on page one of a search

October 31st, 2010

For today’s businesses, the first page of search results for your company name are absolutely critical. On the most basic level, your company’s website should be the top result. But what about the rest of the page?

The rest of the page may actually be more important. This is because in most cases a company’s website serves as the first level of validation for a potential buyer. Creating a website that effectively answers your customers’ questions and portrays your company’s professional image takes effort, but in some ways it is “the easy part”, as it’s the part that you have the most control over.

From there, your potential buyer will look at the rest of the page to “check you out”. They will look for customer experiences on third-party website such as Yelp, and they will look to see if articles or other accounts of your company appear. So, how can you control more “first page real estate” without spending thousands of dollars of AdWords campaigns?

Consider this image from the first page of search results for “Porte Brown”:

So, when someone goes to Google “Porte Brown” to check out the firm, even if they don’t click the video, they will see the only full color ad you can place on Google.

It’s just another neat benefit of the Search Optimized Video process.

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QR Codes Series Part 3: Best practices

October 21st, 2010

What are the best practices for using QR codes? While the book has yet to be written as far as the full capabilities of QR codes, here are a few guidelines to consider:

1. QR Codes work best in print advertising. Hyperlinks are still the best way to link to sites online. The real value of QR codes is in allowing people to see an advertisement in print, and then quickly and seamlessly be taken to the digital environment of the advertiser.

2. Link to mobile friendly content. Whether it’s a video or a specific mobile-friendly site, a QR code is worthless if the content it links to isn’t readable on a mobile device.

3. Create fresh content around the QR code campaign. QR codes are exciting, and people expect to find content at the other end that is as fresh and innovate as the code itself. On the same note, people want content that aligns to the ad itself, not just a general website. For this reason, it’s best to program fresh content around the QR initiative.

4. Tell people how to use the code. QR codes are new, so they require some explanation. Consider this template that we use:

5. Track your QR campaign, but manage expectations. Like any other campaign, it’s important to track your QR campaign. There are numerous software products that allow you to create and track QR codes, like Qreate Buzz or beQRious. Initially, however, you need to manage expectations.

I was speaking with the lead media buyer for one of America’s largest magazines recently. He mentioned that for 20 million eyes, he got 20,000 people to actually use the QR codes. However, remember that at this point, even if people don’t scan the codes, they will either reinforce your company as a cutting-edge firm, or at least draw attention to your ad. As such, while it’s important to track the activity from your QR code, don’t rely on analytics alone to measure their effectiveness.

- Nick Farina, e-Conversation Solutions

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QR Code Series Part 2: Standards battles

October 20th, 2010


Mark Goodman

If you couldn’t already tell, we really like QR codes. They are a great way to link your print campaign to the e-content world. You can scan the code with your smartphone and it links you directly to web content.

They are a perfect way to get your print readers to a short video showcasing your expertise…. consider this one that links to one of our videos on creating an e-network:



But, these are also QR codes. They require different readers….







So, why so many?

I have been through standards battles before. When something new comes out, there are choices. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages. Some choices are visible to users, such as VHS vs. Beta; or your choice in various video game players. Others are invisible, like GSM vs. CDMA.

I am not going to discuss the advantages of each QR code option. While it may be frustrating to you as a user, (you will have to download several readers to fully take advantage of the technology) have some patience. Premature selection of a standard can create a solution that may have ongoing issues. One example is WiFi.

For many years, the Motorola engineers fought the idea of people using WiFi for voice. In reality, the standard worked well for data, but not voice. But, it was the standard and became ubiquitous. Companies like (SKYPE, Vonage etc) had to figure out a way to make it work.

We will see what happens. We may evolve into a standard; a viewer may be created that will read all of the different codes or you as the user will have to continue to manage the diversity. For now, the most important task for users is to get involved. There is nothing like a robust market demand to help “make it work”.

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QR Code Series Part 1: Think about the content you’re linking to.

October 19th, 2010


Mark Goodman

If you are going to use a QR code, think about the user experience on the other end. Two codes in a recent edition of Elle had some issues.

One was a link to a hair dryer. It took you to a slide show about the appliance. The content was might have looked good in a regular browser, but was not smartphone friendly. I could see it, but it was really too much work to get anything out of it.

Another link was to a cosmetic company. It sent you to a rather extended music video about the fashion shoot for the advertisement you saw in the magazine. It was good extension of the ad, and encouraged you to go to a video about “behind the scenes”.

With this in mind, here are a few tips in creating content for QR codes:

First, keep it simple; tell the reader what they are going to see. Also, make sure you give a link to a website to download a reader.

Second, make sure the content that you deliver is smartphone friendly. Videos work well. If you are going to link to web material, a content optimized for a mobile environment is best.

As a final tip, if you are going to put the tag into a magazine, place it on the edge, not on toward the spine of the magazine. It’s extra hard to get the reader to work when you have to focus on the curving part of the publication.

This is the first in a series of posts about QR codes. Make sure to check back for Part 2, where I’ll draw from my background as an early cell phone executive and discuss the issues around standardization of QR codes.

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How to save $2 million a year.

October 16th, 2010


Mark Goodman

I was talking to a highly skilled wealth management consultant. He said that on average it takes him 3 personal visits to close a sale. The first personal face to face is always a “fact finding” / “getting to know you” visit.

This company has 10,000 representatives. The estimated cost of an in person visit, including travel is $200.

By using Search Optimized Video with the appropriate answer segments, they can reach out to some of those initial prospects. If each representative eliminated one visit per year, that saves $2,000,000.

Now, would anyone really search the internet and watch video insights when it comes to wealth management?

Guess the same person who asked that questions, asked the question, “would anyone really research an entire vacation online?”

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What does your elevator pitch have to do with your social media strategy?

October 13th, 2010


Mark Goodman

We were part of a workshop today for one of the major community banks in the Chicago area. One of the other presenters started out talking about creating an elevator speech for your business. I followed with a presentation on Search Optimized Video, and creating an e-Conversation.

When doing presentations on social media, we focus on creating the content, answering customer questions, managing a dialogue. How does the elevator speech fit?

Your dialogue should be consistent with your elevator speech. What you tweet, blog, post videos etc, should be checked against your elevator speech.

So here is the e-Conversation Solutions elevator speech:

e-Conversation Solutions creates Search Optimized Video (SOV) answer segments that showcase your company’s expertise. These segments are designed to serve as the cornerstone to a multi-faceted integrated social media effort that can include your website, print, electronic and personal marketing efforts. Our answer segments stand out, build trust, and are over 50 times more likely to show up on the first page of search results than text.

Does this blog posting fit this speech?

So, next time you tweet about being frustrated with air travel, or post a video of your staff picnic, sit back and look at your elevator speech.

If it doesn’t fit, you might reconsider your posting.

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Confused about the choices in social media?

October 7th, 2010


Mark Goodman

Looking for a way to begin with social media?

What is your first step? First, participate as an observer. Make a list of blogs in your industry and view them regularly. Sign up for Twitter. (You don’t have to write, you can simply follow for now.) Subscribe to some videos on YouTube. Become a participant, respond or comment on what others present.

Then make an inventory of the kinds of questions that prospects, customers and users are asking. If you are watching search terms, that’s a good place to start. One of the most common search terms on one of blogs we manage has been “how to be a good salesperson?” We’ve done a number of entries about sales and sales management in response.

Next, determine what experts are available to you. Think beyond just your company. Are there suppliers, partners or even customers who could be tapped for ideas or contributions? Look at what resources you have available. Are you comfortable writing, doing videos, creating conversations?

There was a painting contractor who specialized in restoring older homes. He was not much of a writer, so he hired a ghost writer to do his blog. Focusing on the key questions and aligning them to the search terms, he found his blog being read by key customers in his area.

Customer interviews are very powerful. Check out this one from Thomas Johnson, co producer of the Chicago Small Business Expo.





While these enhance your Web site or blog, your customers may also want to add your interview to their Web site. Experts often use a good interview to enhance their personal reputation.

Lastly, pick one or two of the social media tools and make a commitment to create regular content. Readers, viewers (and search engines) will better recognize your expertise if your content is continual as opposed to occasional. At e-Conversation Solutions, we focus on our website, YouTube, and our blog. We also reference people to the Twitter activities that do for @SCOREChicago and @MoneyInEnglish.

Establishing your company as a trusted information source takes time, money and effort. However, the payoff can be significant. Mindshare can be translated into market share. The value of knowledge cannot be discounted.

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QR Codes for to help your Video Marketing

October 5th, 2010

What is this thing?

qrcode

If you have a smartphone with QR code reading enabled, you can take a picture of it to find out – it will automatically redirect to the quick video demonstration on QR codes.

A QR code can best be thought of as a simple barcode. Just like at any store – where all items have barcodes, which are scanned at a register, and then the price shows up. QR (Quick Response) codes bring the same technology to the consumer.

If you own a smartphone, you can download barcode reader apps. To use them, you simply take a picture of the QR code and have the app scan the code. Then, whatever web address the QR code directs to will show up on the user’s phone. Just like prices at a cash register.

QR codes are a big leap forward for video marketing. Previously, advertisements contained only the web addresses of a homepage – after all, typing in a YouTube URL is too long and complicated for most people to do after seeing an ad. With QR codes, however, the length of a web address doesn’t matter – all a consumer has to do is scan the code, and they can get directed straight to a video from your company.

How cool is that? QR codes can be a great addition to your digital marketing strategy, and your e-Network…. and, just for good measure, you can learn more about e-Networks in the QR code below:

qrcode

P.S. – A question for our readers: will QR codes make needing a “good web address” obsolete in the near future? Leave us a comment!

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Today’s “right” decision may not be the best decision for tomorrow – Insights on innovation

October 3rd, 2010


Mark Goodman

Your company is making decisions that make sense… Right?

Interesting article in Time Magazine this week about Blockbuster, the video rental company. Here are a few excerpts….

When talking about Blockbuster’s innovation in the 1980’s, “Customers would pick an empty title case off a shelf and wait while a clerk hunted in a backroom to see if there were any copies left. Cook (the founder of Blockbuster) programmed computers to keep track of inventory and give him a daily report of what customers were renting. … That allowed Blockbuster to optimize its movie selection. Today it’s Retailing 101, but back then it was a revelation”

The article goes on to discuss decisions made by Blockbuster management that has led the company to bankruptcy. To summarize the situation, Stephen Gandel – the article’s author – quoted Clayton Christensen, a Harvard expert on change. Christensen noted, “Decisions that in other circumstances would have made sense, instead drove the company into the ground.”

Innovation can help create a billion dollar company; lack of innovation can move you toward bankruptcy. Yes, your company has survived… but you have limited resources. You can start changing your business processes today, or wait until 2011 or 2012. It’s your decision, but you never know when it may be too late.

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