Keeping Your Facebook Page Secure

Is your Internet marketing service provider keeping your Facebook page secure? Keeping your account secure on the world’s most popular social networking site is akin to keeping your virtual house locked and safe from intruders. It is important to not get too caught up in managing the wall and the promotions alone. Facebook security is serious business and here are our five tips, courtesy of the Social Media Examiner, for you and your Internet marketing service provider in protecting your Facebook page.

1. Moderate your page’s administrators. Make sure that administrative privileges are given to only a handful of people and only during the period when they need it. If, for example, you give admin access to interns and they leave for another job (worse, for a competitor), they can easily sabotage your Internet marketing campaign on Facebook by posting unauthorized content. If Facebook is part of your company’s marketing thrust, include it in your office policies so the rules are clear.

2. Be apprehensive about apps. Conduct research on the company behind the app and make sure that both of you have the same level of commitment to online security. Choose apps that add value to your page. Talk to your Internet marketing service provider about which apps will be beneficial to your business.

3. Always change and protect your password. We know this is a very elementary advice. But it’s one of the most often overlooked too. It’s really unwise and unsafe to use the same password for two social media accounts. You can ask your Internet marketing service team to sign you up for a password management program if the password managing gets too tricky.

4. Be active on your page. Watch out for opportunistic people who will use your network to try and pull off a scam on your legitimate customers. Even if this is not your doing, it can irrevocably damage your reputation and brand identity so be vigilant and take time to moderate your own wall.

5. Use the block lists. In fairness to Facebook, the company has updated its security options so that you can opt to block offensive content off of your wall. Take advantage of this option and use it to filter our spammy content as well as inappropriate posts.

Did you find these tips useful? We want to know what you think!

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Social Media Trash You Need To Get Rid Of

Too much of a good thing can be really bad for you, social media included.

According to an article from the Marketing Pilgrim, an average, large company in the US has 178 corporate social media accounts.

Wow. It makes you kind of wonder what kind of Internet marketing expert they have.

The most popular social networking site among these companies is Twitter followed by Facebook. The article states that the reason behind the multiple accounts is to “split out brands or for a specific marketing campaign.” Since signing up is free, why not make the most out of it by registering as many accounts as you want, right? Wrong.

Any reputable Internet marketing expert should tell you that you are headed for social media oblivion if you keep at it. Don’t believe us? Here are three more reasons why you should clean up your social media act.

1. It won’t work without a strategy. Throwing spaghetti at the wall is not a strategy. On the contrary, it betrays a lack of one. Signing up for all the social networking sites means you are not doing research. What do people respond to? What posts or content do they share? Answer these questions and make a plan. And then set goals. While it’s good to hope for the best, hoping alone won’t make you successful in the social media landscape.

2. It looks bad if you are uncoordinated. For big social media campaigns, coordination is key. What you say on Facebook should echo what you just posted on Twitter. Your company blog should have Facebook plug-ins and a Twitter feed on the side bar. All these accounts should function under one direction and should adhere to the same guidelines. Always keep all of your relevant employees in the loop. Running multiple accounts can be more tedious than you think so you can always put your Internet marketing expert in charge of the coordinating process.

3. It clutters the Internet. Any Internet marketing expert will tell you than an abandoned account makes your business look like it closed shop. And if it’s not true, then it’s definitely a bad sign. If you can’t maintain your account, shut it down. This is to avoid it being overrun by spam content and links. If you have a new account on the same network, don’t forget to post it on your old one so your customers know where to find you.

Do you agree with this? Let us know what you think!

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New YouTube Tips For The New YouTube

Are you up-to-date with the latest changes on YouTube?

If not, contact your social media agency now and make sure that you include YouTube’s changes in strategizing for your Internet marketing campaign for 2012. The changes, launched December of last year, were met with a lot of criticism but it does not change the fact that they are here to stay. So instead of whining, why not learn to embrace and maximize the benefits of these changes?

Courtesy of the Social Media Examiner, here are our top three tips for better video marketing on YouTube.

1. YouTube’s new home page now has a Subscription Feed function (which looks like Facebook’s Live Feed) which requires you to be logged on for full viewing. Is what we see here an attempt by the world’s most popular video sharing site to be more like a social network? What can you and your social media agency do to take advantage of this? Well, for starters, it helps a lot to be active on a regular basis. Upload fresh content and follow up on it. The more activity you have, the more exposure you get. Next, have a call to action. Ask your viewers to subscribe, rate and comment on your videos. Again, this helps you get more exposure on the YouTube home page. And don’t forget the golden rule, quality over quantity!

2. The new YouTube has a new look for their channel layout but in essence, the functionality is basically retained. You will notice that YouTube is starting to feature channels on search results pages for relevant keywords so here’s a note for you and your social media agency: focus on channel optimization so you are easier to find. You can start by setting up a relevant background image which reflects your brand identity and the services or products you offer. Next, edit your channel details especially since the changes can affect your existing channel details. Fill out the title, description and tags using your main keyword phrases. Be clear, concise and benefit-driven. Activate the “Blogger Template” which is YouTube’s new feature wherein you can choose from four templates to customize your channel layout and design. We also recommend selecting a featured video which will auto-play when people go to your channel. We suggest choosing a more recent video. Lastly, don’t forget to add links. Make sure your social media marketing agency does this because like we said earlier, it makes you easier to find online!

3. YouTube now has analytics. Using this really handy tool, you can now learn more about your viewers, your videos and your activity on YouTube! You and your social media agency can use this tool to find out the flaws in your channel and make the necessary changes to achieve better results. For example, you can assess audience retention using a tool (previously called “Hotspots”) which identifies the exact moments when your viewers “run for the hills” or do a “digital double-take.” With the new YouTube, you can now also see the exact location from where your videos are being viewed. That’s valuable information right there!

Aren’t these changes exciting? We want to know what you think!

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PPC Management Tips: New Year Analyzations

It’s that time of the year again, folks! Along with clearing out your Holiday decorations and putting your gift wrap paraphernalia back into their respective boxes, it’s also time for your annual new year analyzations!

I know most of us would rather prolong the holidays but a real PPC management expert knows how important it is to sit down and analyze a year’s worth of PPC data. So we came up with some tips to help you shift through a load of information and concentrate on what matters most.

First, take a look at your data from a third person perspective. Name your top performing campaigns and list your most productive keywords. PPC management dictates that high performers should be put into action during your slowest months to help you get by. Also, if you have been in PPC for a few years, take time to compare your data annually – see how you have been performing year after year to know if the tools you are using are helping you progress.

If you’re not really into numbers (like many people) try a visual approach in viewing your data. Graphs and charts make it easier to analyze data because you can actually see it, rather than confusing yourself with endless numbers. PPC management should be made easy as pie (no pun intended).

Look for negative trends that happen every year and act before it happens on the next. Have sales dipped during winter for the past three years? Then start this year’s winter season with your most productive keywords and campaigns.

Lastly, take a look at how the competition is doing. If you’re in AdWords, click on the Opportunities tab to see how you fare against your competitors. Data should reflect that you are right up there with your top competitors in these categories: impressions, clicks, average position and click through rate.

Whatever the results, you should have a good idea on how to optimize performance this coming year, based on the things you did right and wrong in the past year. Start the year right with improved PPC management! Good luck!

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2011 Was A Good Year for E-mail Marketing

As 2012 settles in, your Internet marketing service provider is most likely ready with your social media battle plan for the year. Hopefully, e-mail marketing is among the key priorities because according to a report from the Internet Retailer, last year proved to be a good year for e-mail marketing.

According to Responsys Inc., online shoppers received more e-mail marketing messages last year than they did in 2010. On average, the data revealed that retailers sent out 177 promotional e-mails to each subscriber which is a 16% improvement from 2010. The study also found that the upbeat performance of e-mail last year was greatly helped by a “late season surge” in holiday shopping season messages. The company is looking at the same kind of growth as 2012 unfolds. This is good news for e-mail marketing service providers because in the past year, e-mail marketing has taken a backseat to a more popular form of Internet marketing service—social media.

Responsys Research Director Chad White was quoted in the article saying that e-mail marketing was preferred by many major online retailers because of its low cost factor. However, he also noted that the bigger challenge now is to focus less on volume and more on content and relevance of message. He reminded e-commerce merchants and Internet marketing service providers to focus on “better analytics, more triggered e-mails and more segmented and personalized messaging” for a more successful e-mail marketing campaign in 2012.

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