Author: jr2549a

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Google Analytics

I’d like to think I’m pretty web savvy.

I know my fair share of HTML code, and have a lot of experience measuring the performance of websites. But when I was asked if I’d like to attend some Google Analytics 101 training I jumped at the offer—even before I knew breakfast andlunch were going to be free.

To be honest, I am kind of a nerd and really enjoy looking through analytics and putting all the data together to tell a story. While it’s great to say “pageviews are up 15% over last month” or “the bounce rate for site A decreased over the past 2 months” many will yawn at these numbers and others will scratch their heads.

And perhaps more importantly, it is great fodder to get your boss/client/advertiser excited about the work you’re doing because they are seeing (and understanding) results.
(more…)

How to Set the Table for Word of Mouth Marketing

If I play my cards right you’ll tell your friends about this post.

In social media, the content you determine share-worthy is given your virtual seal of approval, making your friends more likely to read it and subsequently share it themselves.

This word of mouth can be a powerful way to have your fans, followers, or whoever deems your content valuable to do your advertising for you, allowing you to reach new markets that you may not have been able to with traditional methods.

Of course, it’s easier said than done. Here are three things to focus on to help your chances of social success.
(more…)

How Crowdsourcing Can Revolutionize Your Approach to Content

Afew months ago an international team of gamers solved a complex problem that had scientists baffled for years.

For a decade industry experts from around the globe had been unable to figure out how a protein-cutting enzyme from an AIDS-like virus found in rhesus monkeys folds.

In a final attempt to solve the riddle, they presented the molecular structure on a collaborative gaming platform called Foldit (where users are prompted to “solve puzzles for science”).

What left scientists stumped for 10 years was solved by gamers 365 times faster, thanks to the use of crowdsourcing.

Impressive, right? Thankfully, the tactic isn’t limited to molecular puzzles; crowdsourcing can bring major benefits to your company.

You just need to know how to harness it.
(more…)

5 Content Marketing Resolutions (That You Might Actually Keep)

The resolution bandwagon is full of false hope and empty promises at the beginning of every year.

You’ve got the classic “I will lose X number of pounds before bathing suit season” and “I will save more money this year (and stop buying so many video games.)”

Sure, those resolutions are good hearted but many fall to pieces well before the Super Bowl. So with so many failed attempts, why do we still bother? Because we hope one year they might magically stick.

Unfortunately, magic has nothing to do with it. So instead of focusing on unattainable goals we hope we’ll achieve, why not focus on reachable goals and make this New Year count?

The following content marketing resolutions are more practical than anything else and they focus on your bottom line instead of your waistline.

Here are five content marketing resolutions you might want to adopt as your own:
(more…)

7 Ways for Your Company to Break the Ice with the Blogosphere

Does your organization have a blog?

Though it seems the evidence that blogging pays off is everywhere, some companies are still struggling to get a blog up and running.

(Consider this 2011 HubSpot study where 69% of businesses surveyed attributed their success with lead generation directly to blogging. Business is built on consumer interest, and a blog will give you more opportunities to generate that interest.)

So why are so many organizations not taking advantage of the blogging channel?

According to a recent survey by Junta42 and MarketingProfs, producing content (i.e. actually creating it) is the biggest challenge facing content marketers, not lack of buy-in or budget.
(more…)

3 Things the Top 10 Viral Videos of All Time Have in Common

Want to watch a baby do flips on rollerblades?

How about people playing the piano with their feet? Maybe you’d rather see a biker riding on the tops of stores and jumping off bridges?

Well I’m sure I have your attention now…or maybe you’ve already seen the videos I’m talking about on YouTube or some other place on the web.

Both instances are probably true since those advertisements have gone viral from the time of their debut. Undoubtedly, that’s great news for the brands that produced them but what makes these 10 videos so great that viewership exploded?

Some will make you laugh and others will make you tilt your head in amazement. Whatever your reaction, you’re bound to be impressed by at least one of the videos. I mean, hey, they did receive well over a million views each.
(more…)

4 Tips for Developing a Blog Comment Policy

If you’ve spent time in social media, you’ve probably been warned not to “feed the trolls.”’

Trolls, as Wikipedia will tell you, are defined as “someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.”

Give them gasoline and a match, and they’ll start a fire on your blog. So don’t feed them content that might encourage them to, you know, troll.

But not feeding the trolls is a lot easier said than done. Why? Because trolls eat anything. The web to them is like an all you eat buffet.

Write a post about your favorite breakfast diner and a troll will claim you’re sleeping with the owner.
(more…)

4 Ways to Get More Mileage Out of Old Content

I’m a 90’s baby.

I grew up during, at least what I believe to be, the peak of Nickelodeon’s programming.

These classic Nick shows represented an iconic part of tv’s pop culture and had everything from talking babies (Rugrats), a dog and cat conjoined (Catdog), action shows (Legends of the Hidden Temple) and pretty much anything else a kid could dream of.

I was, of course, a devoted viewer and since the end of the ’90s have been missing my childhood roots—the shows that I would watch blissfully for hours on end … and I know I’m not the only one.

The people at Nickelodeon must have heard our cries because a few weeks ago they announced that they were bringing back classic ’90s programming. The greatest shows that ever aired would now be back for our complete enjoyment to reminisce of the simpler times. My early 20-something brethren were as happy as I was: Last week the hashtag #Nickelodeon ranked number 7 as the buzz of “The ’90s Are All That” block programming exploded. It dominated discussion which comes as no real surprise—people thrive on nostalgia, that feel-good that brings them back.
(more…)