Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankblacknoir/

Once you determine goals for your Web site and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to drive and measure that goal’s success, the next step is to create goals and KPIs for your supporting Internet marketing efforts including content.

Content includes everything from the text on your Web site pages, to your blog, video, Tweets, white papers, case studies, calls to action, forms, AdWords campaigns, e-mail campaigns, PowerPoint presentations, news releases… Whew! It’s no wonder content is so vital to online success and precisely why you need a strategy!

A sample content goal: Company ABC is a leading online resource center for energy-saving ideas in your home.

Who are you writing for?
Company ABC must first clearly understand its target customer. What words would this customer use online to search out this kind of information? How basic or advanced is the customer’s understanding of in-home projects? What are the key demographics for your target group? Any details you include help you choose the right kinds of content and speak in the language of that customer.

What do you want them to do?
Once you understand the target customer, decide what types of content work best. You also need to decide what outcomes you desire. Do you want a visitor to simply read, listen, or watch your content? Or do you want the prospect to take additional action and pay for a service? Watch this Internet Marketing TV video for an in depth look at cross promotion ideas.

Key points to remember…
Set a goal.
Know your target audience.
Plan your strategy.
Map it out on the calendar.
Cross promote.

For an in depth look at content strategy, follow Joe Pulizzi’s blog.

If you want to read some fantastic writing advice, watch Copyblogger.

The Google Business Solution Center lists several options for getting your content out through Google.

DoshDosh wrote an article about content strategy with some great suggestions.

Last week while visiting my grandpa in Panama City, Fla., I accompanied him on his daily ritual — the errand run.

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ooohoooh/

That day I was overwhelmed with southern hospitality. It made me consider how fantastic it would be if social media, or as I prefer to call it, online relationship building, followed the lesson of the simple errand run.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn — and a thousand other similar applications are merely tools. The challenge for us all is to use these tools effectively.

1. Engage people often.
2. Learn about them.
3. Laugh with them.
4. Look out for others.
5. Share your good energy.

And remember as grandpa told me years ago, “You can’t email a handshake.”

I welcome you to share your favorite customer service experience!

A press release is a great way to present newsworthy content for your readers. However, the cost can be prohibitive for a small business or association to subscribe to the big press release distribution sites. Before you shell out $350 or more to get your news noticed, you might consider registering for a few of the free directory websites. While the free sites do not normally contain links, video embeds, or graphic images, they do receive notice via Twitter, blogs, and search engines.

Before you launch into submitting your press release to any directory, ensure it is well written and targeted directly to your key online audience. David Meerman Scott writes extensively about online press release value. Here is a link to his blog post, the new rules for press releases.

Once you write your release targeted to your key audience, using your keywords, you can use hubspot’s press release grader to determine whether you have some revising to do.

If your social media budget is tight, register for free press release directories to share your content online.

www.24-7pressrelease.com
www.i-newswire.com
www.pr.com
www.pressbox.co.uk
www.przoom.com
www.free-press-release-center.info
www.clickpress.com
www.prlog.org

If you use a free press release directory and would like to share its domain, please add to the list!

Next we’ll take a look at distribution for high value “big news” announcements.

Leave nothing to chance is prudent advice. Social media opens exciting new doors for communication. Yet, as is always the case, people have found a way to exploit this new technology and wreak havoc in their wake.

Social media identity theft is a new and ever growing menace in our online society and having real life offline consequences.

Cybercriminals are tricking you into clicking links, divulging personal information they can use to hurt you, setting up fake accounts to spread malicious content about you, and more.

You shred important documents so personal information is not stolen from trash bins, but how can you protect yourself from social media infiltration?

Here are a few suggestions I’ve found online that are based on Robert Siciliano’s recommendations. Siciliano is CEO of IDtheftsecurity and a respected expert on the topic.

1. Use a policy. If your company uses social media, make sure you have a strong social media policy that you enforce and instruct employees on the proper way to use it.

2. Lengthen URLs. Never click on a shortened URL before pasting it into a lengthening service like TinyURL Decoder or Untiny. This takes a bit more time, but will help you avoid someone directing you to a harmful Web site.

3. Own your name. Claim your identity online. Grab your first and last name on every social media site you can find, not just the biggies. If you own your identity it is more difficult for someone else to claim it. If you run social media for your business, make sure you grab your company name, trademarked product names, president’s name, etc. There are hundreds of social media sites and this is a huge undertaking. A company called Knowem can help. According to Siciliano it costs about $65 and the company helps you register for up to 120 social media sites.

4. Security. Make sure you stay up to date on your Internet and hardware security by downloading security patches, using Web application software, firewall protection, and more. Plus, set your social media security preferences to protect against outsiders. And of course, watch what you post. Don’t tell the world your boss is driving to the local bank to make the nightly deposit or that your house is empty while you travel across Europe. Think before you post!

5. Report problems. If someone uses social media to hijack your identity, report it to the social media company immediately. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and all the others want to maintain their reputation and protect their companies from cybercriminals, but how can they when you neglect to report your problems?

6. Monitor your identity. The best way to keep on top of your identity is to watch it online. Google Alerts, StepRep, and Twitter Search are a few means to see who’s talking about you or your company.

There are always additional precautions you can take online. Please add your own and help us all learn to protect our social media identities. Good luck and be safe!

The social media sandbox might feel a tad intimidating at first – especially if you are not a 20-something, fresh out of college, tech-/Web 2.0-saavy go-getter. Before your eyes glaze over and that Twitter-twitch sets in, relax! You too can use social media to cross promote your content or event.

While this post will not provide a specific fill-in-the-blank formula for how to promote your event or product, I want you to expand your thoughts about targeted cross promotion.

Let’s take an example event and explore ways to promote it using social media: Your business is participating in a tradeshow to promote its latest product.

Ways to Use Web Sites for Publicity
First, use your own company Web site to highlight your participation in the tradeshow. You can do that in a number of ways…maybe you add a news release, make a calendar note on your home page, discuss it on your product review…you might want to add a downloadable .pdf file to your site that highlights the tradeshow…you certainly want to link to the tradeshow’s Web site and ask them to link back.

Blog to Spread the Word
If you blog, write a post or two about your upcoming participation. Consider adding a special offer to those who read your blog. This could be an incentive to attend the event and redeem the code for a discount or free gift. Establish Google and Twitter alerts to track conversations about the tradeshow and your product. If you see other people blogging about the event or your product, jump in and remind them of your participation and booth number. (You can set up alerts through Twitter when you type a word(s) into Search and then Save This Search, or use a separate program like TweetBeep.)

Are there appropriate industry blogs you can read and submit comments about the tradeshow and your participation? Remember that the idea is not to spam by simply adding your company link. Rather, you want to listen to relevant conversations and add valuable input whenever possible.

Video Makes it Visual
Video is another form of social media. Create a video that highlights your new product and invite customers to personally check it out at the tradeshow. Remember to distribute your video in places like YouTube and TubeMogul, as well as on your Web site.

Jump into Facebook and Twitter
Ask the tradeshow organizers whether they established a Facebook page and Twitter #hashtag for the event. If so, participate in those social media forums. You also want to create your own Tweets and Facebook status updates within your profile discussing your participation and product. Once again, these are both great places to make a special offer to create buzz. Tweet a discount code to be redeemed in person…or a special gift code available to Facebook fans. Remember, the value of cross promotion is to get your message out in as many targeted outlets as possible. In this case, you want to draw people to the tradeshow and to your booth where you can meet them face to face.

Delve even deeper into Facebook and Twitter by finding local businesses or people that are potential customers. What I mean is, maybe the tradeshow is in Chicago and your product is for restaurant kitchens. Search out Facebook fan pages for Chicago-based restaurants, the Chamber of Commerce, Chicago small businesses, etc. Become a fan of those pages and leave status updates about your participation in the upcoming tradeshow and how those fans can benefit from your product. Then, invite them to stop by your booth.

Likewise through Twitter’s advanced search…find appropriate Twitter profiles in Chicago and become a follower.

Participate in Forums
Search for appropriate forums and start commenting. Using the previous example, it might make sense to find forums that discuss Chicago restaurant reviews and join those discussions…even better, find a forum for restaurant owners!

I hope this discussion about using social media to cross promote sparked a few ideas and helps you find a way to integrate this neat medium into your publicity plan. Read the NetStrategies blog or watch Internet Marketing TV to learn more ways to improve your online presence and drive measurable results to your Web site.

A while ago I used Google to find information on a problem with my water heater. The second result was a link to an article in the “ezine @rticles directory.” The article provided the information I was looking for, so I was happy, and isn’t that the end result of website writing…that we answer a question for a searcher and make him or her happy?

Article directories offer another opportunity to get information out to the world. Your article could be picked up by other website owners and published on their sites. You may even get a live link to your site. More importantly, your name, site, and business name will get in front of searchers. You have answered their questions, and you may become a resource they rely on.

Submission Guidelines:

• Articles must be your own work. You can ghostwrite for someone who has given you permission to do so.
• Proofread and edit your work. Typos may get past an editor, but they most likely won’t get past a reader.
• Quantity and quality don’t always go hand in hand. If you can give good information in 300 words, stop there.
• Articles can generally only contain one or two links in the body. Note that some directories don’t allow any links.
• You cannot use any selfserving links or language in the body of the article. You are giving information in the article, and it cannot be commercial in nature.
• Press releases shouldn’t be used. Press releases are also good opportunities for linking, but a press release is not an article.
• The Author Resource Box should contain a link to your site. This is your chance to sell yourself, but don’t go for the hard sell.
• Take the time to read each site’s guidelines. One site may allow active links while another does not.

Article directories range from free submissions to paid, and editorial guidelines vary. Here are a few directories you can submit to while you research others:

Ezine offers several levels of free and paid memberships. Authors are allowed a limited number of article submissions after joining. Once an author has enough articles approved, he or she may receive unlimited article publishing. The paid premium membership allows scheduling of articles and moves articles to the front of the queue for review.

Article Dashboard has free membership. One drawback is it has taken more than a month for articles to be reviewed.

Articlesbase requires you to register, and it allows you to have multiple pen names. You can save a draft and edit it later. My articles were reviewed in 48 hours.

Article City does not require a membership to submit articles, and as of this writing, its links pass PageRank points.

Go Articles requires you to create an account; however, articles appear within a day, so they may not be editor reviewed.

Check out article directories and experience a new way to reach your customers!

Stacey Morgan Smith is the director of search engine optimization for Northern Virginia Internet Marketing Company NetStrategies. With over 14 years’ experience as an editor and proofreader, she brings a different viewpoint to SEO. Along with the rest of the NetStrategies team, she can help you increase your leads from search!

Passion: You’ve either got it or you don’t.

Passion means different things to different people. But one thing I think we can all agree upon is there is no such thing as lukewarm passion! Your social media presence cannot be lukewarm and still produce success.

Don’t over-extend yourself. Unless your organization employs a sizeable social media staff, chances are you’re a one (wo)man social media show. Rather than dabble in 20 different platforms at a minimal level, select the few that best reach your target audience and maximize your efforts. If your customers participate in a few forums on LinkedIn – get hot! If none of your customers Twitter, hold off and participate in the platforms they do use.

Don’t dilute your message. People will seek you out for your expertise on a topic. Exploit that expertise and be a passionate leader who stays on topic. Informing your followers that you just boarded a plane to Washington, D.C. is pointless, unless of course your expertise is travel, and you take your followers along on your trip, sharing with them your experiences, tips, and expertise.

Passionate leaders never stop learning. You must continue to stretch your knowledge in your area of expertise so that you can lead others. Read books, blogs, and articles about emerging technologies in your field. Every time you read something worthwhile, share that source with others.

An Eyeore attitude won’t cut it. (Do you remember A.A. Milne’s famous pessimistic donkey?) When you project enthusiasm, others will be drawn to your message. Make sure your social media voice represents your organization in a positive and professional way. You must put your best foot forward each and every time you use social media. Remember to clearly exhibit your passion, knowledge, and leadership in your industry!

How do you show passion in your work? Please share your ideas.

1. Do interview your existing clients and see what blogs they read. Start reading and commenting in those blogs.
2. Do not write meaningless comments just to get your Web site link attached. Do lend your expertise.
3. Do start blogging with relevant content.
4. Do not be inconsistent once you start blogging. Keep it up!
5. Do find out whether your customers Facebook, Twitter, or use some other social media platform. Open accounts and participate.
6. Do not Tweet or Facebook off topic. Your potential customers do not care that you are off to bed. They do care if you are testing a new and improved solution to their problem.
7. Do submit your news releases to Digg, Delicious, and a newswire (paid or free).
8. Do add RSS feeds to the content on your Web site and blog.
9. Don’t ignore negative comments about your company or product in social media.
10. Do address negative comments and see whether you can help solve the problem.

11. Do cross market your organization using many different media formats. After you write your blog, turn it into a video, a Podcast, and a slideshow.
12. Do submit your blogs and video blogs to a variety of directories.
13. Do ask your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and business contacts to take a look and your blog and leave a comment or rating.
14. Don’t use someone else’s material and “forget” to give them credit. First, it’s stealing. Second, you miss the opportunity for a link! (FYI, this list is compiled from helpful blog posts and Tweets I’ve learned from over the months, plus some life lessons I’ve figured out on my own!)
15. Do Tweet the praises of others.
16. Do check your social media writing for typos and grammar before you post.
17. Do use your own voice in social media.
18. Don’t forget about search engine optimization in social media.
19. Do look for tools to help your social media efforts. Many are free.
20. Don’t use foul or raunchy language when socializing online. You never know whom you might offend.
21. Do remember social media postings are long-lasting and far-reaching.
22. Don’t diss a customer, business associate, co-worker, boss, or competitor in social media. It will come back to haunt you.
23. Do use social media to share your expertise with others.
24. Don’t use social media to overtly sell your product or service. Social media is social!

What do’s and don’ts do you follow? Add your own do’s and don’ts and together we can build the social media list of all lists!