The Girlie Girl’s SEO Conference Guide

Filed Under Conferences, Video | 7 Comments

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And a “close-enough” transcript for those who still prefer to read:

Just because the SEO industry is dominated by men doesn’t mean the women in the industry need to dress like men. So this is my girlie girl’s conference survival guide.

Make a list of the activities you will need outfits for then choose an outfit for each activity. Then find shoes that will work with multiple outfits. Try to avoid bringing an outfit that needs a pair of shoes that you can’t wear with anything else.

If you are used to wearing heels, wear them. But I recommend wearing flats during the day to sessions to save your feet for nighttime. I carry a purse that is big enough that I can keep flip flops in them and put my heels in them late at night when I need to give my feet a rest.

To save more space when packing, only bring a coat if you are going to somewhere really cold. Also, if you are sharing a room, coordinate with your roommate to see what items you can share such as a hair dryer or curling iron. There are also plenty of websites about smart packing and avoiding wrinkles. Give those a read if you aren’t an experienced packer.

Once you get to the conference, find two places: a grocery store and the nearest greasy breakfast spot. Ask the locals. They will recommend the best places that you might not otherwise find.

Head to the grocery store and buy snacks, tons of water and some booze for your room to pre-party or make to-go drinks. Make sure you have enough to share so you can invite people to your room before going out.

When you are out, if you see someone you want to get to know, pay attention to what he or she is drinking and bring him/her a drink. Don’t bother asking if you can buy him or her a drink since the answer will usually be yes. So just do it.

As for what you drink, stick to what you know. Don’t mix a lot of alcohols and avoid shots. This is a conference, not spring break. You don’t want to end up in an SEO Girls Gone Wild video.

On the morning after, get up and go to the breakfast spot you found the day before. Order the greasiest thing on the menu and eat as much as you can to diminish your hangover.

Have fun, meet people and know that people will remember what you did when you were drunk much longer than they will remember anything else about you so be smart.

Nov

28

Marketing Unique Products Online

Filed Under Online Marketing | Leave a Comment

Cyber Monday is over and the results are in. It’s no surprise that Nielsen reported a 10% increase over 2006 in shopping traffic and comScore reported a 21% increase in online sales.

So what does this mean for you? It means if you are selling a consumer product online the future’s so bright you’ve got to wear shades…if you’re facing the right direction. Sure, Cyber Monday 2007 has passed but there is plenty of holiday shopping to be done. And all of 2008 on the horizon so get moving.

There is a lot of information about how to sell consumer products online via eBay and Amazon, as an affiliate and more. But what if you have your own unique product?

If you have a unique product that may not be known to the public, but you know they just won’t be able to live without it once they hear about it, you will need to get creative with your online marketing to get the word out. Build it and they will come only goes so far. Develop content on your website that will get people interested and promote it on relevant niche networking sites.

For instance, let’s say you are selling solar powered dancing lawn gnomes (you know you want one now). You could post photos on your site of the gnomes dancing in unexpected places. You could place the gnomes somewhere that unexpected passers by will be stunned by their presence and film their reactions. Or take the sex angle and get bikini models to dance with the gnomes. Have fun with your products and don’t take yourself too seriously. But be thoughtful with your efforts. Try to find an angle that will create interest and be memorable but will drive interest in your product so you will actually convert some of the traffic you generate.

And don’t waste all of that effort. Make sure that it is very easy for users to convert from your buzz content without making it seem too commercial. Don’t force BUY NOW links down the visitors’ throats or you won’t make it far. Offer opportunities to learn more about your product with easy ordering after they choose to get more information. Be creative, be smart and be successful.

Nov

27

Marketing and Optimization for Non-Viral Videos

Filed Under Online Marketing, Video | 1 Comment

A quick video about how to market non-viral videos online

And the transcript for those of you who don’t like to watch

TechCrunch recently had an article about the strategies behind viral videos with great tips about how to make your viral videos successful once you upload them. But what if your videos aren’t viral? What if they are simply informative or educational? What if you are a video blogger? How do you make non-viral videos successful?

First, don’t expect that you will get the views that the most recent skateboarding accident or kicked in the nuts video got. Understand who your target audience is and how big it is so you have reasonable expectations.

Next, treat your videos just as you would if you were writing the post. Use your target keywords in your video and talk about topics relevant to your market. Once you upload your videos you will want to include a compelling title, relevant keywords and ideally a transcript of the video where possible.

You should also promote your videos just as you would any other blog post. After all, in this instance, your video is just a spoken blog post. Embed your videos in your website with relevant surrounding text, share your videos with friends and colleagues, and most importantly be active in the communities you are promoting in. Friend people on YouTube just as you would on Digg or Stumble Upon. You’ll get social karma and exposure by subscribing to channels, commenting and rating videos.

It takes time to develop an audience for videos just as it does for a website. Be patient, keep producing quality content and promote promote, promote. Video is a great addition to any strategy and will pay off in the end.