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DMI Blogs | Archives
December, 2009
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Google has launched a tool that allows users to “shorten” URL’s. (For readers not familiar with these types of applications, you might want to have a look at this description of URL shortening tools).
By far the largest player in this market is Bit.ly. And, of course, we have a local (Irish) player called Short.ie. Now Google has launched Goo.gl.
Bit.ly commands about 75% of all shortened URL’s passing through Twitter. So, should they fel under pressure? Well, the market is obviously of some interest to the larger players in the market (Google and Facebook together have just launched a URL shortening tool called fb.me).
Bit.ly have also gone on the offensive by recently launching Bit.ly Pro, which will allow companies to use custom urls for their links. The company also introduced a real-time dashboard to let publishers track how and where their content is being shared.
Here’s what Bit.ly have to say:
“Users and publishers benefit from the additional transparency that this private-label service provides. When you see a short URL like nyti.ms, you know the destination web site before clicking on the link. The service includes all the bit.ly features users and publishers have come to expect. Placing a simple “+” at the end of any bit.ly link (including these white-label, bit.ly-powered links) takes you to real-time information about that page and how it is being shared: how many people clicked on that particular link, where they came from, and more. For publishers, the new service allows them to keep their brand visible while maintaining access to bit.ly statistics.”
While this is a prime product to grow Bit.ly’s revenue stream, the company is not yet charging for Pro accounts. Like its deal with Twitter, this is meant to further cement its dominance over the URL shortening business. In November, the company shortened 2.1 billion links. That’s up from 11.8 million the year before.
As Twitter’s default shortening company, Bit.ly currently accounts for about three quarters of all short links on Twitter. Sites from AOL to Bing, Foursquare and The Wall Street Journal are among those in the private beta of the Bit.ly Pro program.
Click here for more news regarding URL shortening tools
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Tags: bit.ly, goo.gl, url shortening
Posted in Keywords, Main Category, Online Marketing, online marketing study | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Six months ago, we were all amazed that social media started a lot of our conversations as online marketers; but it’s no surprise that the speed at which this space has grown in Ireland has quickened. With that, there is a requirement to ensure that we are no longer just throwing up a Facebook Page, Setting up a Twitter profile, or posting our television ads on YouTube. We need to look to more sophisticated methods for harnessing the power of social media marketing and this means only one thing: Strategy. So while we are building our social media strategies for 2010, we must think outside of the box and make all of our online communications more “social” and one way to make it happen is through Facebook Connect.
A key consideration for using Facebook in a social media strategy, is to allow consumers to engage with your content without ever taking them away from the positive user experience they have on the site. With that, Facebook Connect allows us to enhance the experience users have on our own site by bringing in pieces of their relationships within Facebook; and again, they don’t have to leave your website. It seems the ideal solution.
Officially, Facebook defines the services as “Facebook Connect has many features to help you drive traffic, increase engagement, and grow revenue on your website or application.” They outline what all that means in their official overview of the Facebook Connect benefits here. The crucial benefit Radical observes from this, is the ability to see a greater influence of Facebook on your social media revenue. A blog by Ken Barbary, written in August ’09, goes through his reasons why companies should use Facebook Connect; and one of them is increase conversion. One of the examples he highlights is CBInsider.com, with over 85% of new user registrations happening because of Facebook Connect.
The examples show the real power of this capability that a lot of us in Ireland have yet to adopt. At the Simply Zesty Winter Camp the week before last, Gail Power of Facebook walked through where Facebook Ireland stands today; and Facebook Connect was outlined by one of the better known examples: CNN’s coverage of the Obama inauguration and its integration on site with Facebook Connect. Gail said her experience of the event was enhance because while she watched the event live online, she was able to view comments not only from people that shared her interest; but from her real friends. This takes user engagement to a whole new level.
Radical are increasingly looking to make websites more “social” in addition to making brands and organisations active on the social networks. And in order to do this, we must not ignore the fact that people have already developed their persona in larger social networks like Facebook. The point being that “everyone is on Facebook.” Or according to Facebook Ireland, 1 in 4 people are! So sometimes trying to create a new community on your own website is not feasible; and this is why Facebook Connect is so powerful.
I myself might try out the Facebook Connect Wordpress plugin, that is outlined on the Sociable! Blog. And for the Radicalers, we might consider using Facebook Connect to develop our internal social media communication, the way Tac from New Comm Biz discusses it on his blog.
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Posted in Radical | No Comments »
Monday, December 14th, 2009
Nearly nine out of every 10 businesses intend to maintain or increase their marketing budgets in 2010. One half expect their customers to be spending more in the coming year.
Email Marketing and social media marketing are at the top of the list of marketing tactics respondents will increase spending on in 2010. Search Engine Marketing came in third.
Combining social media and email marketing is a growing trend. More than four out of every 10 business executives said integrating the two tactics was one of their most important email marketing initiatives for 2010, just after improving performance and targeting and growing opt-in lists.
Around one-quarter of respondents had already implemented an integrated strategy, and another 24% had formulated a strategy and were researching how to put it in practice. But 18% of business executives wanted to add social components into their e-mail campaigns and did not know where to begin.
The above results camefrom a survey comnducted by StrongMail
More information and further analysis available at eMarketer.com
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Tags: Email Marketing, social media training course
Posted in Email Marketing, Search Engine, digital marketing institute | No Comments »
Friday, December 11th, 2009
As Google Goggles still in infancy stage, this application kept in Google labs: a testing ground for new Google projects. So what is Google goggles all about? A visual tool designed specifically for Android devices to search information on the smart phone for documents and information containing specified image.
All you have to do is open this smart application from your phone, just take a photo and rest Google will do. Google searches in its database and gathers information that related to specific photo. There is much more to cheer about with Google Goggles. For local business information you no need to take picture just point your mobile at a store, it will show the name.
Now Google Goggles can be used to identify the landmark and places, access contact information and details of book. But it fails to identify objects like cars, animals, plants and other objects as it is in experimental stage.
Visit Google Goggle for more …..
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Tags: google goggle
Posted in Main Category | No Comments »
Friday, December 11th, 2009
Online advertising spending on the USA is set to drop this year for the first time since 2002. eMarketer estimates online ad spending will be down 4.6% this year. However, the slowly recovering economy, combined with basic structural changes in how marketers and the public use media, will lead to Internet ad spending growth in early 2010
The various components of online advertising react differently to cyclical and structural changes. While one format might show relatively healthy growth in the recession, another suffers due to the same economic climate. For example, pay per click advertising will grow by 2.2% in 2009, while classified ad spending will decline by 30.2%. Even during 2010 and 2011, eMarketer projects search will continue to grow at mid-single-digit rates, while classified spending will decrease again both years.
The full report is available here
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Tags: pay per click advertising
Posted in adwords, adwords campaign, social networking training | No Comments »
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
This dynamic and rapidly expanding online company are looking for several enthusiastic graduates to join their Search Marketing Team, working on a range of digital advertising campaigns for some of the highest performing sites in Europe. Full training will be given, and this offers a great opp [...]
Posted in Jobs | Comments Off
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
One of Europe’s leading online media companies is seeking an experienced SEM Specialist to implement, manage and monitor SEM campaigns across their portfolio of websites. Ideally you will have 18 months experience in an internet marketing role, working on Paid Search Campaigns, and if you a; [...]
Posted in Jobs | Comments Off
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Facebook recently announced that they had over 350 million users. So, the population of Facebook now exceeds that of America. Since September, Facebook Social Media network has added 50 million users, which means it now finds itself with 350 million of them.
There they are, cavorting away in cyberspace so thoughtfully (and expensively) provided by Facebook, where they post photographs of themselves in embarrassing situations, write affectionate or silly messages on one another’s “walls”, become “fans” of obscure comedians, join witty “groups” to support the Tiger Woods driving school and do other cool things too numerous to list. And all without paying a cent!
The above piece comes from, in the main, a piece in the Observer newspaper from December 6. The title says it all: “Facebook now has 350m users – and there’s no point in advertising to them.” Why? Because online advertising “really works” only in the context of search, where user motivation increases the likelihood of interaction with ads.
Of course, as we in the Digital Marketing Institute have been saying for a while now, it is not the the size that matters but the quality. So, let’s consider the advertising possibilities.
Let’s say that you are advertising “green training shoes”. Now, which would be better – have someone SEARCH for “green trainers” (using Google or their favourite serach engine) or woudl you be better advertising to someone who just might be interested in green shoes cos they happen to hang around on Facebook?
This is exactly why advertisers are spending their advertising euro’s on Google. The punters come to you ….. as opposed to you having to interrupt their Facebook activity.
So, what do you think?
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Tags: facebook, facebook adverts, google adwords
Posted in adwords, digital marketing institute, facebook, social networks | 2 Comments »
Monday, December 7th, 2009
ICT players Microsoft, Dell, IBM, Siemens, Eircom and Lionbridge have warned that reskilling and training are crucial to secure the 80,000 jobs outlined in the Government’s green strategy.
The companies who sit on the board of Fastrack to IT (FIT), an innovative programme now in its 10th year, focused on returning long-term unemployed individuals to the workforce, say that in one niche alone – wind turbine maintenance – as many as 1,500 jobs could be created.
Government announcement welcome
The group welcomed the Government’s announcement that 80,000 jobs could be created through the emerging green economy sector they but highlighted the point that these jobs are of no use unless Irish people have the skills to work in them.
FIT in partnership with industry, government, education and training providers, mainly FAS and the VECs, as well as with local development agencies, has successfully trained 8,000 long-term unemployed people over the past decade.
The Digital Marketing Institute is also playing it’s part – during the coming year, the company, Ireland’s only training firm specialising in digital marketing, is expecting to re-skill up to 500 marketing professionals in Ireland and UK.
Read the full story in Silicon Republic
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Tags: digital training, digital training course, online marketing course, training
Posted in Main Category, Online Marketing, adgroups, adwords campaign, digital marketing institute | No Comments »
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