TopRank Internet Marketing News

Depending on who you talk to there are many varying opinions about content curation.  Some say there is no place for curation while others believe curation should be a leading element of your online marketing strategy.  What do we suggest?  Finding a middle ground somewhere in between.  There is without a doubt a place for curation it just has to be used appropriately.  Content curation should be considered an extension of your original content on your website or blog. Below we have included some content curation best practices as well as different types of curated content.

Content Curation Best Practices

Blogs are great for promoting key messages and distributing information about a brand, company or organizations. Starting a blog can be a valuable tool to help businesses sell their products while making better connections with customers, but it’s not as simple as slapping up some content. Creating a blog that is seen, shared and respected takes some research, strategy and consistency. Here are a few tips that I incorporate at Online Marketing Blog which other companies can follow to increase the value their corporate blog provides.

LinkedIn has long been the social media tool of choice by many professionals.  In the past it was used mostly as a contact database of everyone you have interacted with on a business level.  Recently LinkedIn has added some additional features that make it easier for marketers to reach their target audience. What are some best practice approaches to using LinkedIn for engagement?

Update Your Status Frequently
Your LinkedIn contacts will be very interested to know what you’re doing professionally.  Why? The majority these contacts will most likely be colleagues, prospects, or networking contacts. Your LinkedIn personal profile is a great stage for sharing your professional development and sharing things that you think they will find to be of interest.

The culmination of a deal signed just over a year ago is that Microsoft’s Bing now powers Yahoo! search. The actual search impact remains to be seen, but it’s worth noting that the two search engines together (Yahoo! and Bing) account for only about 30% of U.S. searches – with Google at 65%.

MarketingProfs University

In an ever-evolving age of interactive media, search marketers walk a tight rope.  Between paid and organic search, social media, optimization, search rankings and measuring success, it’s no surprise that this balancing act presents challenges.

MarketingProfs University is offering a 13-class course addressing popular questions on these topics to help search marketers find the perfect balance and be more effective in their careers.

Event details:
MarketingProfs University Search Marketing School
Modern SEO Strategy: Adapt or Die
Monday, Sept. 19, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Register and attend online classes live or access recordings

DreamForce Cloud Computing Event on SEO

Historically, the social media aspects of selling have been controlled by marketers.  Sales people traditionally are kept out of the loop until after a new lead is generated.  In today’s business landscape, successful sales reps are taking control of emerging social technologies to bring in new leads and close deals more quickly, marking the onset of a new era in social selling.

On Aug. 31, Dreamforce ’11 will host a session on tips and techniques addressing how businesses can effectively adopt the integration of sales and social media as a new norm.

When it comes to a business’ online strategy, questions abound for social media practitioners about how to best leverage and integrate the many online marketing tools available.

The disciplines of search, social media and content marketing continue to intersect and often combine to create a powerful mix. Companies and individuals are creating competitive advantages as they adapt to shifts in technology and consumer behavior.  On Aug. 26, the monthly Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis/St. Paul (SMBMSP) will hone in on this integration.

Event details:
Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis/St. Paul
Friday, Aug. 26, 2011
8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Cambria Suites Maple Grove
9655 Grove Circle North
Maple Grove, MN 55369

One of the most common forms of online marketing for small businesses is to have a website. The problem is, with today’s increasingly social and mobile web, a web site just isn’t enough. To help website owners take full advantage of the most important online marketing opportunities, here are 3 things small businesses can do to attract and engage new customers.

1. Content Publishing & Marketing: Consumers are interacting with multiple content sources before purchase and businesses that provide useful information beyond product features and benefits can attract more traffic and referrals.

Loving Facebook fan pages for business?

Guess what, fan pages just got better – Whether you are a B2C or B2B company, Facebook has added new features and benefits that help you get the most out of your social media efforts.

Here are the top 10 Facebook changes TopRank Online Marketing team members think deserve a moment or two in the spotlight…

1. Engage with Fans More Directly – For the first time ever, Facebook fan pages can act as individual users with the ability to “Like” other Facebook pages – This feature allows brands to act essentially as an individual user. By “liking” other pages, you humanize your brand and show support for other organizations that are relevant to your fans.

When companies see the publicity of viral videos like Evian roller babies for consumers or BtoB successes like Cisco’s The Future of Shopping, they often get the urge to jump in to the video marketing game themselves. But where to start?

We get asked this kind of question a lot at TopRank and the ideal situation from a marketing performance perspective is when the company understands what they want to achieve through video marketing.  It’s essential to start with a position statement like: Company 123 wants to achieve X goal and thinks Y video marketing tactic makes the most sense because of Z research and observations.