Danish Lambe

My mom used to leave me notes and lists of chores right in my spot at the kitchen table, an easy drop for her on her way out in the morning. I couldn't eat breakfast without moving it out of the way, making the lists hard to ignore.

This should be the case with your company's online presence -- you need to be found in places where your target audience will naturally look for information.

One of the keys to getting found online is to have a broad online presence, but targeted in the places that make sense for you and for your potential clients, which is a recurring lesson among this week's top five news stories from InboundMarketing.com:

1. How Broad is Your Footprint on the Web?
Author: Bernie Borges

Lesson: Spread and Diversify Your Content
With millions of pages and more being created every day, it may seem impossible for your company to get found online. But according to Borges, broadening your online footprint is best accomplished by spreading and diversifying fresh content. As he says, "most marketers still think being found on the web means being found in a search engine either in an organic listing, or in a paid listing (PPC). This is a limited view of effective inbound marketing on the web."

Borges recently spoke to a prospective buyer who could not pinpoint where he had come across Borges, yet in the past week he had found his company's website, blog and a podcast. Borges emphasizes that sellers who want to succeed in the coming decades need to have strong content across a variety of web platforms and engage with relevant communities.

2. YouTube CTA Overlay Lets You Drive Users Elsewhere
Author: Marketing Vox

Lesson: Use Multimedia Channels to Drive Traffic
This new feature on YouTube adds a call-to-action overlay to videos; advertisers can now redirect viewers to their site or product through links in this overlay. (Here's an article that explains how to add the overlays.) Before, a viewer might have watched a video or commercial and then moved on to another clip, promptly forgetting any marketing messages. Now, an organization can bring the viewer to their site instantly.

Non-profits such as charity:water have already benefited from this new feature. YouTube recently put a video supporting charity:water on its homepage, which resulted in $10,000 in donations for the organization in a single day.

3. A Checklist to Choose Which Internet Marketing Channel is Right for Your Business
Author: Rand Fishkin

Lesson: Know Your Company & Your Resources
In his post, Fishkin addresses the following question: "If a client came to you with $1 million to invest in a single Internet marketing channel, which one would you choose?" Fishkin has put together a series of graphs and charts that show how a company could measure its budget, goals and available talent to determine which channel would have the highest ROI.

So, before you can attempt to bring in more visitors to your site and convert more of these visitors to leads, it's important to know your own capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. After taking these into account, you will have more insight to choose the internet marketing channel that will be the most effective for you.

4. Strategic Blogging and Some Tactics to Nail It
Author: Chris Brogan

Lesson: Go With What Works for You
This post by Brogan discusses various strategies to take with blogging for business to get back that ROI. Brogan emphasizes that a strategy does not have to be set in stone, it should be malleable, aligning with your company's current needs and goals.

There are many different ways to use a blog to accomplish a goal -- from how-to posts to posts that spotlight a customer or a case study. Figure out your goals first, and then choose the best strategy for you.

5. 7 Tips on how B2B marketers can leverage social media
Author: Brian Carroll

Lesson: You Have to Give to Get
The lesson here reflects a basic principle of good inbound marketing. Carroll's tips reiterate the teaching that you cannot expect to get visitors, leads, comments, customers, retweets, or whatever it may be, unless you give valuable content by sharing blog posts, e-books, whitepapers, presentations, webinars with people who are interested in that information.

Using social media is an easy way to share content, absorb others' content, to be helpful and to receive help from others. Establishing yourself as a trusted source in your industry can be accomplished through the continued use of social networks, but only if you are willing to listen and share.

Photo: SewPixie .: actually sewing :.

Webinar: How to Sell Social Media to Your Boss

Social media guru Chris Brogan explains how to demonstrate the value of social media marketing. Download the free webinar to learn how to get your company started with social media.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

Where do I start? Many marketers standing at the starting line of inbound marketing ask themselves this question. So did Laura Neufelder in a forum thread on InboundMarketing.com.


One of the best pieces of advice Laura received came from Alyce Lindquist, another inbound marketing rookie. "I recommend learning by immersion! Start small, but just start," wrote Alyce.

Here are some of the other insights I found in the forum:

Focus on Buyer Personas

Create a mental picture of your target audience and its interests, hobbies and activities. Where does this persona live? What does she or he like to read? Such questions will guide you in creating the right content for your readership. As David Meerman Scott wrote, targeting the right buyer persona is a determining factor in your online marketing initiatives.

"Developing a good understanding of the customer will do a lot to help you refine and focus your re-design to appeal to things they might like or would be looking for," commented on the forum thread Steve Early. In the end, identifying buyer personas will define not only your website redesign and content creation, but also your product promotion strategy.

Analyze Existing Pages

Website analytics is one of the first factors marketers should consider when starting their online marketing campaigns. Before you change anything, Simon Mason wrote, check the inbound links on your existing pages. "Otherwise you could lose all the linkjuice you are already getting," he noted.

By monitoring the analytics for your existing pages you will know what has worked for you in the past and how to expand it. This is especially helpful in determining a successful keyword strategy. Thus, you can optimize your site for the low-hanging fruit and produce great ROI.

Blog Consistently

Get your employees passionate about blogging and have them start writing remarkable and regular content. In order to engage with potential leads, industry leaders and other bloggers you need have a blog that encourages conversations. "Without interesting content to link to, you'll just be sharing other people's content on your network which is important for growing it, but it won't get you traffic," wrote Brian Rogers.

What will get you traffic, however, is the quality and consistency of your blog posts. Create a regular blogging schedule and make sure authors are following it. This will create a sense of anticipation in your readers and encourage other thought leaders to interact with you.

Follow Best Practices

In order to become a good leader, you have to first be a good follower. There are different industry-specific successes that you can learn from. Adapt best practices to your marketing initiatives but make sure you keep your own voice.

Companies such as the Roger Smith Hotel and Whole Foods are great examples, and demonstrate different approach to successful inbound marketing. Observe their strategies and decide if they can work for you, too.

Photo Credit: Jon_Marshall

Inbound Marketing Kit

Learn more about inbound marketing and how to combine blogging, SEO and social media for results. Download our inbound marketing kit.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

"Ever since Hotmail appeared on the scene and showed that one consumer can influence many, many others, brands have been chasing the kind of viral explosion that catapulted the Numa Numa dance to web glory," wrote Dave Balter in his new book The Word of Mouth Manual Vol. II. Dave is the founder of BzzAgent.com, a company providing word-of-mouth services for hundreds of major brands.

A recent guest of HubSpot TV, Dave offered insights into the pure word-of-mouth aspect of marketing. If you have questions about the new face of content promotion, advertising and blogging, read through Dave's thoughts on these subjects:

Offer Free Quality Content

ColdPlay did it. Dave Balter did it. You, too, should consider offering free, high-quality content. This is a way to demonstrate that you really care about your audience and create a positive buzz around your brand.



After Dave published The Word of Mouth Manual Vol. II, he listed it on Amazon for $45 and also offered it as a free PDF file online. "To release it we gave it away to 20 influential bloggers -- Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki and Chris Brogan -- and they were allowed to give it out for free," Dave said. As a result, he got 150 000 downloads and reached a wider audience.

Join the New-media Mix

In order for media planners to keep up with the evolving advertising industry, they, as Dave writes, "need to immerse themselves in new-media mix models." Brands should open up to taking risks in social media marketing programs and new measurement tools.



"I feel the whole infrastructure of advertising agency-new media vendor-client is just busted," said Dave. In order to work well together, all three actors have to adapt to the changing industry and to one another. Agencies, for instance, might consider restructuring their pricing models on a performance basis.

Blog with Authenticity

"Authenticity -- you got to have it, people," said Dave about blogging. A firm believer in the power of blogging, he emphasized the importance of being transparent. Yet for many companies the question of how to use blogging for authenticity remains unanswered.


It is essential for blogging to have open writers who reveal what they really think. If your company blog requires a board approval or other types of permissions, then you are not meeting your goal for maximum transparency.

Webinar: Advanced Business Blogging

Learn how to build your business blog into an inbound marketing machine. Download the free webinar to learn how to create a thriving blog.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

If WordPress were a country, our Bill of Rights would be the GPL because it protects our core freedoms. We’ve always done our best to keep WordPress.org clean and only promote things that are completely compatible and legal with WordPress’s license. There have been some questions in the community about whether the GPL applies to themes like we’ve always assumed. To help clarify this point, I reached out to the Software Freedom Law Center, the world’s preeminent experts on the GPL, which spent time with WordPress’s code, community, and provided us with an official legal opinion. One sentence summary: PHP in WordPress themes must be GPL, artwork and CSS may be but are not required.

Matt,

You asked the Software Freedom Law Center to clarify the status of themes as derivative works of WordPress, a content management software package written in PHP and licensed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License.

We examined release candidate 1 of WordPress 2.8, which you provided to us at http://wordpress.org/wordpress-2.8-RC1.tar.gz. The “classic” and “default” themes included in that release candidate comprise various PHP and CSS files along with an optional directory of images. The PHP files contain a mix of HTML markup and PHP calls to
WordPress functions. There is some programmatic logic in the PHP code, including loops and conditionals.

When WordPress is started, it executes various routines that prepare information for use by themes. In normal use, control is then transferred via PHP’s include() function to HTML and PHP templates found in theme package files. The PHP code in those template files relies on the earlier-prepared information to fill the templates for serving to the client.

On the basis of that version of WordPress, and considering those themes as if they had been added to WordPress by a third party, it is our opinion that the themes presented, and any that are substantially similar, contain elements that are derivative works of the WordPress software as well as elements that are potentially separate works. Specifically, the CSS files and material contained in the images directory of the “default” theme are works separate from the WordPress code. On the other hand, the PHP and HTML code that is intermingled with and operated on by PHP the code derives from the WordPress code.

In the WordPress themes, CSS files and images exist purely as data to be served by a web server. WordPress itself ignores these files[1]. The CSS and image files are simply read by the server as data and delivered verbatim to the user, avoiding the WordPress instance altogether. The CSS and images could easily be used with a range of HTML documents and read and displayed by a variety of software having no relation to WordPress. As such, these files are separate works from the WordPress code itself.

The PHP elements, taken together, are clearly derivative of WordPress code. The template is loaded via the include() function. Its contents are combined with the WordPress code in memory to be processed by PHP along with (and completely indistinguishable from) the rest of WordPress. The PHP code consists largely of calls to WordPress functions and sparse, minimal logic to control which WordPress functions are accessed and how many times they will be called. They are derivative of WordPress because every part of them is determined by the content of the WordPress functions they call. As works of authorship, they are designed only to be combined with WordPress into a larger work.

HTML elements are intermingled with PHP in the two themes presented. These snippets of HTML interspersed with PHP throughout the theme PHP files together form a work whose form is highly dependent on the PHP and thus derivative of it.

In conclusion, the WordPress themes supplied contain elements that are derivative of WordPress’s copyrighted code. These themes, being collections of distinct works (images, CSS files, PHP files), need not be GPL-licensed as a whole. Rather, the PHP files are subject to the requirements of the GPL while the images and CSS are not. Third-party developers of such themes may apply restrictive copyrights to these elements if they wish.

Finally, we note that it might be possible to design a valid WordPress theme that avoids the factors that subject it to WordPress’s copyright, but such a theme would have to forgo almost all the WordPress functionality that makes the software useful.

Sincerely,
James Vasile
Software Freedom Law Center

[1] There is one exception. WordPress does reads CSS and image files to create previews of templates for the template selection portion of the administrative interface. Even in that case, though, nothing in those files calls any WordPress functions, is treated as a command by PHP, or alters any other WordPress data structure. These files are read as data and used to create an image and display a miniaturized version of a webpage to the user.

Even though graphics and CSS aren’t required to be GPL legally, the lack thereof is pretty limiting. Can you imagine WordPress without any CSS or javascript? So as before, we will only promote and host things on WordPress.org that are 100% GPL or compatible. To celebrate a few folks creating 100% GPL themes and providing support and other services around them, we have a new page listing GPL commercially supported themes.

Yesterday YouTube rolled out Call-to-Action overlay ads to its paying advertisers. Until now, only specific partners and non-profit organizations could harness the benefits of this marketing feature.

Now businesses can explore one more aspect of online video marketing. By plugging in customized, semi-transparent pop-ups in their videos, YouTube advertisers can refer viewers back to their product sites. Although such YouTube overlay ads existed before, they were limited to only select partners, specific content and video genre. Today, as TechCrunch reported, "brands can link their commercials back to the products they're selling" and, as a result, increase their conversion rate.

How Do You Do It?

Promote Video
You need to be already promoting a video in order to use Call-to-Action Overlay ads. In order to do that, go to YouTube Promoted Videos and select (or upload) a desired video.

Then, simply follow the YouTube instructions to write a promotion description and enter keywords. Set the cost per click (CPC) rate for the amount of money you are willing to pay each time viewers click on your clip.

 

Edit Video
Once the clip gains a status of a promoted video, you should go back to your account and choose My Videos. Then, choose to edit your video and you will see a Call-to-Action Overlay option.

Fill Out the Call-to-Action Form
Filling out the Call-to-Action form is straightforward. First, you need to enter a headline and description. In addition, you can plug in a URL for an optional image (e.g. your brand logo) that will appear on the left-hand side of your ad. Lastly, choose the destination URL to which you will be referring interested viewers.

Refer to Landing Pages
Linking your Call-to-Action overlay ad to your existing landing page gives you the highest chance of lead conversion. Your destination URL should be a specific page on your website that requires leads to submit a form to get more information or try a free trial of your product.

Why Should You Use Call-to-Action Overlays?

Call-to-Action overlay ads have already been successful for non-profit organizations because, as blogger Ramya Raghavan reported, they "drive traffic to an off-YouTube web page, where they can collect signatures, email addresses or even donations." Charity: water best demonstrates the success potential of the new YouTube feature. This non-profit raised $10,000 in a single day by using the Call-to-Action overlay ads.

Why Shouldn't You Use Call-to-Action Overlays?

Some YouTube viewers consider overlay ads annoying outbound marketing. They easily get distracted from the video material they are watching and feel bothered by the pop-up URLs. To eliminate such distractions, viewers often close the ads (there is a close option available on the right-hand corner of the ad)."By habit, I always click the 'x,'" commented Spencer Schoeben on the recent news. That is why, many believe, a more successful marketing approach might be placing Call-to-Action ads at the end of featured videos insted of throughout them.

Webinar: How to Use Online Video for Inbound Marketing

How do you get started with YouTube, video podcasting, live streaming, or viral videos. Download the free webinar to learn how to use online video to grow your business with inbound marketing.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

Are you insecure about your marketing performance?

Are you afraid your marketing pipeline might be undersized? 

You're not alone! Here's the story of how one marketer learned how to get his leads up. 

(This video may not be appropriate for viewers under the age of 18.)

 

Manager: I was looking for a better performance from our marketing. - [You're doing it again!]

Marketer: [Oh come on!] - The size and quality of my lead flow just wasn't satisfying her sales demand.

Manager: You're doing it again!

Marketer: I finally came to understand this is happening to a lot of marketers, and maybe I did need a lot of help.

Manager: Now ... that he's using HubSpot, we've all the leads we need to keep our sales team and me very happy.

Marketer: And let's be honest. The extra sales aren't bad either.

Voice: If you experience unmanageable lead flow, please contact your inbound marketing representative.

Learn How to Increase The Size of Your Lead Flow

Download our inbound marketing kit to learn more about inbound marketing and how to combine blogging, SEO and social media for business results.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

Are there patterns in the marketing mistakes small and midsize companies make? Longtime B2B marketer (and Hubspot customer) Rebekah Donaldson thinks so. She's noticed six "gotchas" when it comes to CEO-led decisions about marketing and lists them in a new ebook called Six Marketing Gotchas that CEOs Can Avoid.

Here are some highlights:

#6 Marketing Gotcha: Me-Too Marketing Planning

Symptom: "I'll have what they're having."

You want your prospects to know that your company is better than the competition. The way to show them is with a marketing campaign designed specifically for you, not one generated by filling in blanks on a template. If you use a marketing plan template, you'll miss the whole point of planning. You won't be taking the best advantage of your strengths, or uncovering weaknesses that you can work on.

#5 Marketing Gotcha: Uncoordinated Specialists

Symptom: "Make sure the guy designing our branded giveaway items talks to our web designers and PR agency about this big conference."

If your B2B marketing is not fully managed in house or by an agency partner, you will need to navigate dozens of choices - including which specialist providers are needed, how to keep different teams coordinated, how to track ROI, how to stay abreast of best practices, technology choices, and more.

Providing just services for PR, web marketing or graphic design is one thing. Seeing all the options and making them work together for you is quite another.

#4 Marketing Gotcha: Push (Not Inbound) Marketing

Symptom: "It may take seven tries or more before she responds."

Are you annoyed by interruptions? So are your prospects.

#3 Marketing Gotcha: Awareness - The Red Herring

Symptom: "These mailers/ads/calls will raise awareness about our company."

Marketing is not about creating awareness. Every faithful Pepsi drinker in the world is aware of Coke. Awareness alone isn't going to persuade them to switch.

Here are some other things that marketing isn't about: Branding. "Reaching people." Or search engine rank.

#2 Marketing Gotcha: Hiring Specialists Too Soon

Symptom: "Ed, help us put the right bids on the right Adwords keywords."

We've urged you to use a pro when it comes to improving your marketing. But what kind of pro? Do you pick a specialist, or a generalist?

The answer: It depends.

#1 Marketing Gotcha: Tactical Tunnel Vision

Symptom: "We need a pay-per-click campaign in order to jumpstart leads and sales."

Do you have a favorite marketing tactic? Maybe it's one you tried a few years ago, and you were thrilled with the results. Now that times are tough, you automatically want to try the same tactic again. You may find yourself saying something like: "We need a pay per click campaign/ telemarketing campaign/ webinar series/ media outreach/ new website design in order to jumpstart leads and sales."

That's tactical tunnel vision -- grabbing at a solution before you have even analyzed the problem.

Can You Afford to Make These Mistakes? 

Rebekah's premise for the ebook is that, in a "normal" (non-recession) year, low-ROI marketing efforts hurt a company - through missed opportunities, burning up cash, and dings to staff morale. But this year, with so many companies in crisis, low-ROI marketing can kill. Are you making any of these mistakes?

Inbound Marketing Kit

Learn more about inbound marketing and how to combine blogging, SEO and social media for results. Download our inbound marketing kit.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

Soldering can't possibly have anything to do with blogging, right?

Wrong. For Indium Corporation, a supplier of soldering materials and electronics assembly equipment, blogging is now a central piece of the marketing mix.

Why? Because blogging helps Indium reach target audiences, get the company message out and -- above all -- get found via search engines and social media.

In a recent email interview, Rick Short, Indium's director of marketing, explained why blogging is so important to his company.

Q: You work at a company that supplies electronics assembly equipment. What made you want to start your first blog? Weren't you worried about a shortage of readers and topics to write about?

A: My goal was, and remains, to own the space as the "thought leader" for a wide variety of pertinent topics, technologies, etc. This, theoretically, delivers customer contacts on targeted topics-leading to increased sales, as well as insight into future opportunities (technologies, developments, etc.). It also delivers our customers a sophisticated source of support. Bottom line -- I wanted a win: win scenario.

Since the Indium Corporation has so many accomplished technologists who perform basic and applied research, as well as many individuals who are active with customer applications in the field, I knew I had the content. My real challenge was getting my staff to warm to the concept of being a blogger. This required a change in mindset, as well as a slight change in routine and responsibilities. Some perceived this "new" practice to be frivolous. After all, "writing a column" (like a journalist) seems quite unlike the traditional serious and deeply-involved creation of a "white paper" - it doesn't feel right to some scientists. Once they realized how this type of sharing is valuable, they started coming around.

Q: As the director of marketing communications at the Indium Corporation you manage trade exhibitions and blogs (among other things). Which channel is more efficient for you? Why?

First we need to know the units that you use to measure efficiency. To me it involves things like time, money, utilization rates, and (most importantly) contact generation. So, in terms of things like time/contact, money/contact, and "times used" (how many times we can put one piece of information out to the market), blogging and related social media is, by far, the most efficient activity.

That said, I don't have to select only one way to go to market, so I use a variety of activities to earn our target audience's respect, trust, and favor.

Q: Indium has 10 employees blogging about topics varying from electronics assembly and technology to interface materials and semiconductor packaging. How do you justify so much company time devoted to blogging?

A: Another way I've heard the same sentiments goes something like this, "I don't have time to do that silly stuff, I've got an experiment to finish (or a white paper to complete)." That was the voice of many of my bloggers at one time or another. Many people see blogging as an activity that takes precious time away from their "important" work.

My tactic is to reduce the process down to a very simple form, an inarguable form. In the case of my staff, it almost has to be a mathematical equation. Remember, my staff, and our customers, are extremely sophisticated, well-educated, and technologically astute. They seek and value data and logic, not warm fuzzies.

So, I break it down to this: products and technology generate content (meaningful information) which generates (customer) contact which generates profitable sales. Then, I demonstrate how easily my staff's hard-earned and extremely-valued content is purveyed via blogging (and other social media). Next, I use some anecdotes relating to the effect of delivering a white paper at a technology symposium, or having it printed in a trade journal versus having online, syndicated, and searchable for years and years.

Eventually, these smart people see that blogging thrusts them and their content into the spotlight in a long-term, efficient manner. They quickly get it.

Q: Which one of the Indium's blogs have you found to be the most successful and why do you think that is the case?

A: Each blog is a success since they each have different target audiences and expectations. I can't simply declare that, because blog "A" generates more leads than blog "B" it is better. We need to consider the population of the target audience, as well as other factors. We also need to consider the resources needed to keep the blog vibrant.

Q: Your company has facilities in China, Singapore, South Korea, the U.K. and Italy. How do you think your blogging and vlogging generate international leads?

A: In many ways, technology is "global." Sure, language matters, and barriers exist. We blog in Chinese as well as English. We wish we were blogging in many other languages. We have resource constraints and we make the best of them.

As usual, we seek to overcome cultural and language barriers via the use of numbers, tables, charts, graphs, and videos. We also seek to tap into emotions and experiences. We may be geeks here, but we're people. Our highly-technical audience has a tremendous sense of passion and of humor. My ideal communiqué has no spoken or written words-it conveys the message perfectly using only universally understood imagery. Alas, that ideal is rarely achieved-but we nail it sometimes.

Q: How do you compare your video marketing efforts on YouTube with your blogging program? Are your videos a source of leads, or do you have other goals for them?

A: There are similarities and differences. The basic similarities include our desire to earn respect and trust via authentic, unassailable facts, depicted clearly-and our customers' (almost universal) ability to easily access each. The differences are mechanical.

But, remember, a YouTube video can be easily embedded into a blog post. In fact, that is exactly why I created our YouTube channel. I wanted a place to house my embeddable video for blog usage.

In conclusion, I see them as being one comprehensive toolbox, not mutually exclusive.

Q: What advice would you give to a company that needs to increase online lead generation, but doesn't think blogging is right for its industry?

A: Rethink. And use outside experts to help you rethink. Many times, our leaders are very experienced. That could mean they've been doing the same old thing for too long and are in a rut. I've certainly been that guy a few times. Outsiders can refocus us, bring opportunities into the light, and wake us up.

If blogging truly offers no benefits, big deal. Move on. Do what works for you. There are so many scenarios out there, and so many lead-gen tools available that it should be possible to craft an effective program.

Q: What are your favorite blogs? (Other than ones run by Indium or HubSpot!)

A: Being a Marcom geek, I love Dan Santow's blog, Word Wise. Writing and grammar seem to be a forgotten art in communication. I believe it really matters a lot. I truly enjoy Dan's particular (and proper) attitude toward writing. Moving beyond the topic, he puts the blog together (mechanically) in a crisp, clear, easily understandable layout. Then, he writes succinctly and effectively. Bottom line: when I am done, I am better -- and I can implement what I've learned the rest of my life. That is value. Remember, a good blog (like all good Marcom) is all about the audience and never about the author.

Webinar: Blogging for Business

Want to learn more about publishing a blog on your business website? Download the free webinar to learn how to create a thriving inbound marketing blog.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

There is something fulfilling about waiting in a long queue for out-of-the-oven bread. Its freshness always justifies the wait.

Similarly, there will always be a long line for fresh content. The more you refresh your website with up-to-date information, the more readers you will get. That's the first lesson emerging from this week's top five news stories on InboundMarketing.com:

1. When It Comes To Search Trends, Google Is Lagging Behind Bing
Author: Erick Schonfeld

Lesson: Update Information Religiously
As real-time search becomes increasingly important, you should be refreshing your website's content regularly. It is exactly the newness of information that gives Microsoft's Bing an advantage over the giant Google. By displaying recent search trends Bing shows the most up-to-date data.

For instance, Bing showed an increase in interest for Neda, an Iranian woman who died in Tehran's protests. Google's data on the same subject was three days old. As search engines enhance their real-timeness, you need to become religious about your content's freshness.

2. TV Advertising advertising about TV advertising
Author: Jon King

Lesson: Make Audiences Active
Making audiences active is the goal of today's advertising. You are on the right track if you prompt targeted readers to join your conversations. You are on the wrong track if, like ThinkBox, you self-promote your business and leave audiences passive.

ThinkBox is a television marketing body that recently launched a TV ad campaign. "The catchy slogans take me back, back to the days when we couldn't avoid seeing commercials," writes Jon King about the ad campaign. However, Jon points out, today's audiences are "no longer passive." Now we want to be part of conversations and to be heard. We want to write product reviews, leave comments and interact with other customers.

3. PR Clients Demand More, Better Measurement
Author: MarketingVox

Lesson: Measure Data for Customer Needs
Since tracking is an integral part of marketing, you need to measure and analyze all data you can get your hands on. According to a recent Benchpoint study, more and more PR practitioners evaluate the effectiveness of their outreach campaigns. Their measurements are mostly targeted to fulfill customer needs.

The survey showed that customer demand for online communications measurement has increased from 29% in 2008 to 41% in 2009. PR experts now use internal reviews, opinion polling and other media tracking tools. Your goal, as a modern PR agent, should be to gather relevant data and analyze it to improve customer experience.

4. Social Media is Rife with Experts but Starved of Authorities
Author: Brian Solis

Lesson: First Observe and Listen, Then Participate
In order to harness the benefits of social media, you have to first observe and listen to the conversations taking place, and then engage in them. Many social media experts list the advantages of building brands online. Yet not many can provide detailed instructions about how to go about it. Designing specific networking programs remains the difficult part of social media marketing. Brian Solis suggests that "transformation begins with observation," listening and "less time broadcasting or talking "at" people."

5. Why Preaching to the Choir is a Good Thing
Author: Chris Guillebeau

Lesson: Find Targeted Audience
Delivering your message to the right people is a point that can't be emphasized enough. "Instead of knocking on doors or begging for spare change, recruitment is all about opening your own doors to the people who are already naturally predisposed to your message," writes Chris Gullebeau.

There is an audience segment, your church choir, which is actively interested in your content and products. In order to find these targeted choir members, you might have to filter out the ones lacking the needed predisposition. In this context, adequate filtering tools and selective judgment mean greater marketing efficiency.

Photo Credit: Charlyn W

Inbound Marketing Kit

Learn more about inbound marketing and how to combine blogging, SEO and social media for results. Download our inbound marketing kit.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->

      

      Smaller Businesses are now looking to join the world's largest social networking site, Facebook, to access and attract new customers. But what should they do when they arrive? Should these businesses set up a profile, a group or a fan page to establish their brand?

How are Facebook Fan Pages different than personal profiles and groups?

Facebook Fan Pages are interactive pages that enable users to share your business and products with other Facebook users. They typically include a wall, photos, a discussion board, an information tab and Facebook applications. These pages should be set up using a personal profile to receive full functionality but can be managed by multiple administrators, who remain anonymous to fans that join the page.

Facebook Profiles are used to represent an individual and are held under an individual's name. According to Facebook's Term of Service, each profile on the site can only be used by one individual. Users can receive and write wall posts, post bios, videos, and photos, and install applications.

Facebook Groups are similar to Fan Pages but are geared more toward informal communities of people that share a common interest. The members of these groups are not necessarily looking to learn more about the business or new products. Due to size and security limitations, interaction with group members has constraints. Only groups with fewer than 5,000 members can send email blasts; thus, its members are not updated as regularly as Fan Pages. Additionally, group members are more difficult to access because mutual acceptance is necessary to participate in a Facebook Group.

Why are Fan Pages the best for businesses?

      Creating a fan page is the optimal way to represent your business on Facebook because it is the most viral of the three. When someone becomes a fan of your business, that information is posted on their wall, exposing your business to their friends too. Moreover, when fans interact with the Fan Page, stories that are linked to your page are passed on to their friends via News Feed. One of the most valuable features is that businesses can send "updates" about new products and content to fans and the brand becomes even more visible.

      Fan Pages also pass along more SEO credit because the pages are public. Since logins are not required to view Fan Pages, search engines can index the page. The page can receive facebook.com link credit. When social networking platforms, like Facebook, are linked to a company's web page, the Fan Pages can channel more prospects throughout the network.

      Lastly, Facebook Fan Pages are easy to set up and manage. Facebook Fan Pages also give you access to data that can be used to target and monitor your prospects online. This information is extremely valuable in courting potential customers.

5 Tips for Interacting on Fan Pages:

1. Be Authentic: Don't always try to push your products and services on people. Start a relationship with visitors.

2. Provide interesting content: Frequently update content so updates constantly appear on walls of members.

3. Tell your story: Share how the business came about and what is going on now.

4. Control your page: Clearly state your policies somewhere on the page so your site does not get spammed.

5. Get a vanity URL: help with branding by putting the business  name right in the web address.

 Photo by 2 dogs

Webinar: How to Sell Social Media to Your Boss

Social media guru Chris Brogan explains how to demonstrate the value of social media marketing. Download the free webinar to learn how to get your company started with social media.

Become a Fan on Facebook Get inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->