Posts by InsightsDigital

I agree - also, you can drive lots of traffic but my main concern is do they convert!

Me neither - there is nothing in life free and I would not trust a free hosting platform due to lack of controlling certain features or aspects, especially security.

Also keep in mind that each search engine has a PPC option and that if you are targeting certain segments, think of which keywords will help increase conversion if you are aiming outside Google.

Now that Facebook has expanded options for developers - I wonder if businesses will incorporate these new add-ons to expand their social media presence.

I also created a few social networks which died off due to lack of members and the valuable lesson I learned is that:
1. There are lurkers and contributors.
2. Remember the value of your community is to increase both.
3. Thus, start creating your promotional plan to increase both groups.
4. Imagine having a community with many members but only 1-2 contributing.

Thanks Chris for the upshot. This is really good information you shared on this community.

Thanks for all your great insights. What would you say are the top 4 summary lines you can say from above?

But with a lower PR, did you notice a lower amount of visitors?

You just have to make sure the company that does this for you have case reports and references.

So you are using Ning as a microsite?

I do think that Twitter may change to make it more business friendly. What do you think?

So social media is like the virtual word of mouth?

I also believe in using offline promotion to boost website traffic. It be great to use vanity urls but with relevant keywords to link up with web analytics and observe the success of the offline promotion.

I agree with the previous poster. I do believe that article submission along with with constant relevant content refresh will help the site organic placing.

Can someone explain to me what is the benefits of a DoFollow site?

Thanks for the great advice. It must be unique content that will attract others to visit and feel they obtain additional value.

As a former blogger, I totally commend your advice. I also believe in that the blog should have an easy to remember title and that the blogger should not practice any black hat SEO.

I wonder how the Ad sponsored Twitter feeds will affect usability and most of all, perception of experience? I personally dont see it as hindering any effect but I sure can imagine others finding a bad thing with it.

For all we know, Buzz will go in the same direction as Froogle.

I dont bother with Buzz anymore - I dont have time. It seems like a nice to have rather than a must have.

On Mashable, I read an article about Ning. This article made me think about how the current social media ecosystem has centered around Facebook and Ning has been pushed out due to its business model and pricing structure. I have used Ning before and to be honest, I liked Ning but the security aspect of it was a little cumbersome.

So what do you think? mashable.com/2010/04/18/ning-alternatives/

I do believe that some marketing plans should not incorporate facebook or twitter because it may not reach the right audience. For example, one business is funeral or death related. When do you think Facebook or Twitter is not appropriate in your marketing plan?

I remember last year this time, businesses were clamoring over Twitter. I dont hear that much hype about Twitter nor do I see the twitter name on ads. So do you think newcomers influenced the success of Twitter?

I think I got one for Myspace. Does anyone actually advertise on Myspace anymore?

Very true. Twitter may be a fad. Let us see how long this fad last.

There is a Firefox plugin for this.

Yes you can but you have to remember that with bookmarks, these links you provide much be sharing some kind of benefit to your community.

People come with the expectation that every thing that is online is free. Twitter has been providing a service and should make some revenue - yes, the method may not be agreeable to everyone - but at the same time - it has to stay afloat so the Fail Whale wont appear too often.

If you have a digital presence, you definitely need online marketing drivers - both paid (SEM) and unpaid (SEO).

Also remember it takes time to see SEO results. It depends on when the spiders find your site and the links.

I noticed that hardly anyone here mentions Myspace anymore. A few years ago, Myspace was all the rave. So yes, social media is here to stay, but the particular site is another question.

This seems like a Flame War and would like to this thread to be solved since it is not helping members of this community with new useful knowledge.

I loved your introduction. Fabulous. I can see such technology being adopted by the younger generation where they were not exposed to privacy concerns like older generations. I personally would not have opted because I dont want my every move to be reported.

So Lenny, what is your conclusion after reviewing all these responses?

Well my dear, thanks for the free advertising but I wonder what is the CTR rate? Conversion is what matters.

So what is the best way to tap to the power of Twitter?

Yeah alot of people hate Macs but Apple related products have gained market share and just like the iPod, the iPad may be the next thing.

If anyone here has redeemed those coupons, can someone share their success stories.

What do you mean by systems monitoring system? Do you mean web analytics tool or social media monitoring software?

I totally agree - you need to know your competitors and understand their weaknesses and market against that.

Email marketing helps but you do need to keep in mind that you wont saturate your target group to the point they wont open our emails anymore.

Have you split your advertising to include unbranded, which is ads that dont mention your company or brand but it does have the same look and feel of a branded message? if you have had, have you noticed if it worked for you?

It depends on:
1. how often you plan to email your list
2. if you will divide your list by segments
3. What are the call to action on your email
4. make sure the links in your emails are functional.

I have tried a few and WordPress is the best.

Maybe even 3rd generation. There are so many improvements to the iPad that we know Apple will take its sweet time to implement them.

Well I just read a blog that stated one of the best social networks is FourSquare, the social network site that does geolocating as well.

I like the answers. Does anybody actually check their Myspace accounts anymore?

Thanks for all your testimonials. I just know I personally have created a few Twitter accounts and use them and them let it die.

Oh my, that is a big question. First of all, if it was not through social networking, I would not be able to communicate with you nor would it be possible for people from all over the world to communicate. Second, social networking is ever present. Third, social networking always existed in one way or another.

I was looking into press releases but I wonder about:
1. What have been your experiences?
2. How has it helped your business?
3. Would you do it again?

I heard that PR Web was the best one but I dont know which is which.

Thanks