The real power of Social Media Marketing (SMM) is the “social” part meaning that anyone with the desire can now become a publisher, host or broadcaster of content.  There are new SMM sites popping up daily. 

Just visit www.Go2Web20.netand you’ll find thousands of sites on every topic imaginable. Eventually, there will be a few winners and a ton of losers. It’s easy to get carried away and jump at every new site, but before you waste a ton of your time — think about the purpose and outcome of your efforts.

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It’s a fact: People won’t use your website if they can’t find their way around it.

Yesterday’s Web looked far different from today’s Web, and tomorrow’s Web will look more different still. Amidst all of this change, however, one aspect of Web use remains the same: The sites that offer the best, easiest, most intuitive experience are the ones people visit again and again.

To ensure that your sites provide the best user experience, you and your web developer need the essential guide from Steve Krug “Don’t Make Me Think; A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability” (2nd Edition)  that distills his years of on-the-job experience into a practical primer on the do’s and don’ts of good Web design. His book is a quick read and while there are a couple of points I don’t agree with for SEO reasons, I agree with his basic concepts outlined below.

The number-one usability rule, most often expressed by users…  

1. Don’t Make Me Think. Basically your website visitor doesn’t want to venture into a site that requires them to figure it out. It should be self-explanatory. Web pages should be obvious and self-explanatory. Buttons should have short text and look ‘clickable.’ The default search for your site should be simple.

2. Design for scanning not reading. By observing users Krug found that people glance, scan some text, and click on the first reasonable option. People scan Web pages, they don’t read them. We don’t make optimal choices, we click on impulse.
 

** In our copywriting courses (Ford Saeks), I express that there are two main types of people reading your copy (text in print or online) and those are “scanners” and “readers.”  You should write your copy for both types of readers. Give enough headlines, subheads, and bullets along with limited use of bold and color to help the scanner get the gist of the main benefits or message, and then enough information for the reader to get the necessary details. Formatting is just as important as the copy. **

Okay, back to Steve Krug’s Book points…

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The beauty of blogging is that if you can send e-mail, you can blog.  Blogs make it easy for the non-techie person to add new content to their site and build relationships with new prospects and customers.  Every site we build now includes a blog as part of the actual domain. 

Q:  Why do I want my blog to be part of my site when I can set one up for little to nothing at sites like BlogSpot.com or WordPress.com?

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For you Social Media Marketing buffs… another day… another social media site… and they all need your profile information to help you benefit from the site and help you drive traffic to your other sites.

The SMM site of the day is http://www.naymz.com/ and it offers you the opportunity to tell the world why you are talented, valuable, and unique.  What I like about Naymz is that it allows information to be verified, and as such, should become a trusted resource.

Anybody can post information about themselves on the Internet.  This site allows the people who are closest to you to vouch for your reputation.  Through the power of the Naymz Reputation Network, you can now allow others to verify the information you claim about yourself.

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The rules are changing and business models are evolving fast!

As a marketer… the buzz, hype and hysteria about Web 2.0 is similar to the Dot Com explosion of the late 1990s.   Everyone was scrambling to claim their space.  Experts were everywhere and multiplied exponentially as everyone rushed to create their sites. They started off simple, then got crazy with colors and animated .gifs, and we’ve all watched as the web evolved into one of the best business-building and social mediums in the world.  

Why do I think you should pay attention to Web 2.0?  Because if you’re a savvy business owner, marketing professional, entrepreneur, or corporate executive you’ll miss the next big wave on the Internet that can help you build your business.

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Social Media Marketing (SMM) | Social Networking | Social Marketing

Do you have a profile page on Facebook.com? Or one on MySpace.com or Linkedin.com? What about the other social marketing sites and getting listed at social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us and a host of others.  Are you posting Videos on YouTube.com?

Wait, you say. Aren’t those just for kids or college students to share gossip?

Not any more.

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What’s a Blog and why should I care?

I get asked this all the time.  Let’s see if we can clear this up… 

Short Answer:

A blog is a type of website that is usually arranged in chronological order from the most recent ‘post’ at the top of the main page to the older entries toward the bottom. Watch this short video that answers the questions in simple and easy — non-techie — terms.

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If you are thinking about using PPC to drive traffic to your site… this is a “must read!”

It happened again, I received a frantic call from an associate saying, “Help, I was charged $7,650.00 on my credit card for Google AdWords® charges and didn’t make any sales!”  I said, “John, I warned you to take the time to learn how to use PPC or hire someone with experience.”

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Can anyone write great copy? I get asked that all the time. I tell them all the same thing: You already know how to do it! Because you already know how to tell stories. I just have to teach you the proper structure, and UNTEACH you all the stuff your elementary and high school teachers taught you.

If you ever made up a story for your children, you’re a copywriter. If you’ve ever gathered with friends as a teenager and told ghost stories, you can write copy. Great copywriters simply paint visual pictures of events. Events that happened in the past, events that may happen in the future, or events that won’t ever happen, unless you buy their product. You either paint the picture of the joy the prospect will get using your product, or you paint the picture of the hardship he will continue to endure without it. Why?

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When one of my clients says to me, “Ford… I’m not sure what to write about.  Aren’t press releases just for big news?” I tell them that kind of assumption just isn’t true. You can create press releases for a wide variety of topics, as long as you keep a few key elements in mind.

One of the most important ones to always follow is to adapt your “story”(or theme) to a favorite media topic in the news. That will make it more interesting to your media contact, as well as to their readers. To help you get started, here are my TOP 5 topics that I use to increase the chances of getting publicity through traditional sources like newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. 

HEALTH is one of the most popular topics covered in the media. Can you find a way to tie your product, service, or media promotion to a current, health-related topic? One of my clients runs a successful pilates studio and even though it’s a local studio, her press releases and articles have been published in several national publications and on tons of sites.  

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