DIY SEO

Before taking MKT 595, I have tried to do SEO myself for my personal website because I don’t really have any budget to pay someone else to help my website get ranked high on google. Now I’m even more confident in SEO DIY after week 4. The week 4 class materials provided me sufficient knowledge of doing SEO. Some are even so technical. But surprisingly, those coding stuff didn’t bore me that much as I thought they would be.

However then, a question suddenly jumped into my head: Should I really do it myself? May be it is a silly question...But when I really searched online, I found this great article that answered my “silly question” on every level: "Choosing a Professional SEO or Doing It Yourself?"

(http://www.bigmouthmedia.com/live/articles/seo-customer-guide-11.asp)

So, yes, there are pros and cons for both “Doing it Yourself” and “Choosing a Professional SEO”. It is good to know all of them, but you should pay special attention to the following cons of DIY if you have decided to save the money.

§ Do it wrong and you could kill your site's search engine listings.

§ It takes a lot of time to learn how to perform SEO/SEM properly, to be able to predict changes in the search market and act accordingly, to develop and put into action new strategies etc.

§ You're at a disadvantage with SEO professionals because while they're becoming better and more experienced at what they do, you'll be starting from ground up and struggling to master the basics. These professionals could very well be those who market the websites of your competitors.

§ SEO is a constant process. You cannot do SEO for a week and then take a 2 months' break. You don't put your traditional marketing strategy on hold, do you? If you're expecting ROI from your online presence, then SEO has to be a constant factor in your strategy.

§ You will conduct SEO at your own risk. There are methods which can get your site banned if you employ tactics that search engines consider to be unethical. Be extremely careful not to get your site in trouble.

These three marked in red are exactly what I found hard or did wrong when I tried to DIY SEO. It is true that we are getting professional knowledge from the course itself, but that doesn't mean we are already experts. There are new strategies, new tools and new problems coming out all the time. There is no end of this learning process for everyone.

21 Rules of Engagement in Social Media

Nowadays, every brand is competing for attention from consumers. The process of connecting with those consumers can make you stand out. However, every company must know that it is not just visibility that they are looking for. They have to make sort of connection with their customers and get them engaged with our social media platform on a daily base. There are so many great things to do in social media to make a brand be well liked and remembered. For example, clarify and communicate objectives and social media activation plans prior to each event; streamline process to allow for more timely (and effective) content approval and uploads; consider supporting some events virtually, encouraging fans to create the “buzz”...

One good thing I want to particularly point out is that some of the best brands on social media, especially Twitter, are the brands that are attuned to what their audience likes and are interested in. For example, Timberland is known for their outdoor apparel from boots to jackets. However, their Twitter feed shows them asking people about how they are “eco-friendly” or “going green.” These are ideas and interests of the Timberland audience.

So...never ever update your Facebook page or Twitter just like posting a dumb and boring news about your products! Seriously, this is the most unacceptable mistake to me in social media. I believe there must be tons of audience who feel the same way and they are losing interests. So, if no engagement, then social media is nothing at all.

Here is an article (it is actually comes out of a chapter of a book named " Engage") that I happened to read online and liked a lot: http://www.briansolis.com/2010/06/21-rules-of-engagement-in-social-media/ I wanna share it with everyone here in my blog. It is a little bit long, but trust me, it definitely worth reading through the whole list!

Create your "brand voice"!

As of now, most companies have a Facebook fan page, Twitter handle, Flickr account, and YouTube channel. The continued support and utilization of these outlets should continue through the marketing and advertising plans. The use of these outlets,however, needs to be monitored and updated more regularly. More importantly, they need to be used effectively.

Before I finally got close with social media this summer by working on some social media projects for FIAT, I didn’t really pay much attention to the so called “brand voice”. One of the biggest indicators of success, especially on Twitter, is the brand’s voice. How are you perceived to the audience? However, I realized not every company see the importance of creating a “brand voice” and failure to do so will lead to ineffectiveness of social media. Some companies are sending out tweets and updates as a corporation, not as a personable brand.

Here is a good article that I want to share with everyone: http://mashable.com/2009/03/09/twitter-brand-voice/

Basically, it pointed out 8 approaches that can help a company to create brand voice.

1. DO see it as a branding exercise.

2. DON’T imitate the voice of the community.

3. DO let it all hang out.

4. DON’T just use Twitter as an RSS feed.

5. DO define your communication channel.

6. DON’T just talk about products & services.

7. DO have a casting call for your Brand Voice.

8. DO have a voice on Twitter, but first have a listen.

Having a brand voice also means engaging in the same voice. A brand voice can be clearly seen by @OldSpice, @TheMermaidNYC, and @ExpressLisaG.

Online Shopaholic

Well, I have a confession to make today.

First, let me count how much i have spent online yesterday...300 bucks only on skin care products! Honestly, i am shocked by this number! The last order even got declined by the credit card company because there were 2 other orders earlier and they thought my payment activity was abnormal...I have to say I’m over crazy for these deals, coupons, or sales...

I'm turning into an online shopaholic! Someone help me please!

I open this blog for Internet marketing course and why I choose this course? A big reason is that I'm a big fan of shopping online. I have this wonder to know how these companies play tricks to get my money. They are everywhere! Emails, google , facebook, forums… I feel struggling everyday to check my email box because I know lots of deals are waiting there for me and I barely resist them.

My ideal career plan is to be a professional in marketing and I guess in a world like this, Internet is the tool that I can't work without in future. Now, I already can't live without it. Yesterday, my Internet got down for a few hours and I was dying there waiting for its recovery. I do everything online, or more precisely, I can say I live online? I have to make myself familiar with Internet marketing because I believe it will be the most powerful tool in marketing world finally!

BTW, here is a link i wanna share with anyone who also like online shopping: Dealsea.com. Don't blame me if you become a shopholic, too:P