Image: Detail of Skyword Infographic
The acceleration of social technologies along with continuously evolving consumer behaviors has many agencies in a state of flux and asking: Where to invest resources? Which positions to staff and how to structure the agency to be adaptable and to grow?
For the past few years we’ve been modeling our agency at TopRank Marketing to better adapt and integrate. The holistic approach I talk about here and in Optimize are a reflection of the changes we’ve made to better integrate content, social media and search optimization. With this context, I was happe to see this week Skyword released their Digital Agency of the Future Report. When I shared the accompanying infographic with my business partner, Susan Misukanis, her reply was, “That looks like us!”. Exactly.
In Other Online Marketing News…
Hashtags Are Coming To Facebook!
Finally. Now you can keyword spam, oops. I mean add thematic context to each of your Facebook stories, providing connective tissue for meme development and the potential for greater exposure. Mashable
SMX Advanced Gets Started With Boatload of Information From Cutts
This week marked the launch of SMX Advanced in Seattle, and if you were unable to be their live, you will certainly want to be a virtual audience member for Matt Cutts Q&A session. From structured data, to Panda updates, to the latest site speed penalties, this session was unique in the sheer volume of information Cutts revealed. As Search Engine Land’s Barry Schwartz commented, “of all my years watching Cutts talk, I have never seen him reveal so many new things in a single hour at a conference.” Search Engine Land
Google Claims It Can Predict Box Office Success With 92% Accuracy
Google is making this startling claim after evaluating search and paid click data for 99 of the top films in 2012. While most of us are excited for Man of Steel, and a good number of us are intrigued by the trivia of this story, look beyond the soft news angle and imagine the power that this type of predictive modeling can bring to your online marketing efforts. Search Engine Land
Google Spends More Than $1 Billion On Traffic Mapping Service Waze
In a move made perhaps solely for defensive reasons, Google has recently finalized its massive purchase of Waze, a Google Maps competitor reliant on real-time user data. This move helps the search giant maintain its dominance in the mapping arena, but also undercuts similar acquisition efforts by Apple and Facebook. The Verge
Apple To Get Into The Money Printing Business – Literally
Late last week, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Organization pushed an application forward for iMoney – Apple’s answer to Amazon Coins – and sly combination of virtual currency and digital wallet technology. Another interesting move for Apple and another swift kick to the Bitcoin. CoinDesk
Because Why Not? AmazonFresh Grocery Delivery Service Launches
In select Los Angeles neighborhoods, Amazon Prime members will soon be able to have fresh groceries delivered same day. Another interesting move for Amazon, another swift kick to going outside for some fresh air. The Verge
Despite The Chatter, Facebook Stock May Not Be A Bad Buy
A handful of catalysts suggest that Facebook’s earnings growth over the next ten years may exceed that of Google’s. I’ve buried this story a bit lower while our team does its own bit of due diligence into this tip. Forbes
For Millenials, It’s About Value & Engagement
Is there anything more frustrating than a demographic with huge purchasing muscle that refuses to flex? If you find yourself going out of your head when targeting millienials online, check out some new metrics that may help you focus on getting into their head. eMarketer
Infographic: How B2B Content Impacts Buying Decisions
Research indicates that more than 87% of B2B buyers say content impacts their buying decision. 87%. As in almost 90%. See what this research indicates as the most liked and disliked characteristics of online content – and then compare against your current content marketing strategy. MarketingProfs
From The Online Marketing Blog Community
For us (at IBM) a key business outcome to drive was social media governance by elevating the best examples of IBMers and IBM brand channels. So we are selective about which people and channels appear in Voices, though they are not all “professional” communicators or marketers (lots of topical subject matter experts in there.)
Moreover, while we continue to innovate on the experience layer (the page you see at www.ibm.com/voices) we are more interested, frankly, in the underlying data stream, the quality of it, the ability to apply it into different experiences such as other web pages, mobile apps etc.
Ethan McCarty – Social Media Hubs for Brands – Best Practices & 9 Examples
Even within a single customer, there are different audiences involved – from technical to economic to political. The content produced must appeal to diverse, audience pain points, concerns and information deficits – all of which are moving over time. I look for brand ubiquity throughout the cycle, which can stretch on for years and touch dozens of people. I want it impossible for anyone to go online without running into the brand.
For example, a presidential election can alter the plans for a large construction firm dramatically, especially if they are heavily involved in environmental programs. The target keywords/SEO content is aimed at this moving target – an audience on a carousel horse. You must predict their motions a turn or two ahead of time and make sure content exists, and can be found to address the information gap and advance your brand.
Scott Clark – Why SEO is Relevant When It Comes to B2B Thought Leadership
Basically good stuff but there is a more serious optimization problem at hand. A really good presentation isn’t dependent upon the slides and thus, the slides really won’t be of much value without the presenter. If it’s necessary to drown the audience in the foam of marketing, put the Twitter handles and quotes on a handout—and the Facebook connections and all the other distractions can go there as well.
All presentations should have:
1. A Goal (Everything else is a sub-piece of this)
B. A Strategy—Often presentations are collections of facts or “points” stabbing at the goal but are not part of a consistent strategy.
C. Story — or stories to add stickiness.
As the website can’t do it all, a presentation can’t and shouldn’t be designed with a purpose and then diluted with broad company marketing.
Chris Reich – 20 Plus Tips on How to Optimize Your Presentations & Public Speaking
Now You Tell Us
What do you think is this week’s biggest story? Or better yet – how will the online marketing stories we’ve shared this week make you a better online marketer next week? Let’s talk below.
