TopRank Digital Marketing News

As social media helps to boost online awareness for an ever-expanding list of companies, it poses the simultaneous challenge of measurement.  In an interview with eMarketer, Carol Kruse, Vice President of Global Interactive at Coca-Cola, stated, “Before you have ROI, you have to really understand how social media is driving your business.”

For B2B marketing programs, marked by traditionally longer lead times, the social media measurement challenge becomes even more pronounced. In essence, how can a company connect the dots between the online awareness generated by social media marketing and eventual sales?

Digital marketing’s importance in driving the success of a business cannot be overstated.  In a previous post, data from a recent eMarketer survey cited Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid search as the most effective tactics for generating conversions, according to senior level marketing executives.

Being found online quickly, whether via organic or paid search results, becomes even more critical for companies with a selective client base.  One such example is Archway, a company that caters its services to the Fortune 1000.

For more than 50 years, Archway has provided Fortune 1000 companies with marketing fulfillment services, including the execution and delivery of Point-of-Purchase (POP) signage and inventory management.  Many notable companies working with Archway have been engaged with the company for several years.

In data cited by Forrester Research, US search marketing spend approached nearly $16 million in 2009. Per the graph below, this number is expected to rise exponentially, nearly doubling in size by 2014:

The reason behind this rapidly increasing budget allocation can be summed up succinctly and powerfully: return on investment. In a survey by eMarketer, 53% of senior level marketing executives across multiple industries point to Search Engine Optimization as the most effective online marketing tactic for generating conversions, while 49% point to paid search.

When small to midsized Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) search for products ranging from cable ties, to electrical connectors, to circuit breaker blades, they seek out Waytek, Inc.

To increase online referrals and organic search engine traffic, Waytek, Inc. recently engaged TopRank® Online Marketing to develop an Internet marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) program.  In functioning as an online marketing consultant, TopRank will optimize the expanse of product pages existing on the Waytek, Inc. website, while deploying a full- scale search strategy.

From its corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, MN, family-owned Welter Heating has serviced and provided home heating systems and central air conditioners for nearly 100 years.  Welter Heating needed a solution that would grow its customer base by enhancing online awareness, but ensure any new inquiries could be serviced by its Twin Cities-based office.

Welter Heating found this solution with its recently finalized local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) agreement with TopRank® Online Marketing.  TopRank SEO services, including keyword research and onpage optimization, will be designed to increase traffic and referrals to Welter Heating stemming solely from the Twin Cities area.

Since being founded by Joe Pulizzi in mid-2007, Junta42 has existed as a premier destination helping marketers and publishers better understand content marketing.  Pulizzi himself posts on the subject of content marketing consistently, via his blog, The Content Marketing Revolution.

In a listing of the top 42 content marketing blogs released by Junta42 just last week, Online Marketing Blog was ranked #4 overall.

Online Marketing Blog, by TopRank, has been providing Internet marketing insights, resources and commentary since 2003.  Just a sampling of topics covered by Online Marketing Blog includes:

Memorable social media marketing campaigns can be described several different ways, from side-splittingly comical to thought-provokingly serious.  But unless a campaign can be described as strategic, memorable or not, it will be difficult to describe it as successful.

In the article, “Social Media Spreads The Word…For Ford”, Colleen O’Connor covers the Ford Fiesta Movement.  This article, syndicated by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, features insight by TopRank® Online Marketing CEO Lee Odden.

The Ford Fiesta Movement, a social campaign leveraging funny videos, is the company’s effort to reach a market of socially vibrant ‘millenials’ (ie those born between 1979-95, 11,000 of which reach driving age each day).

Public Relations 2.0:  The New Tools of The Trade
July 13th Minneapolis, MN

Now more than ever, journalists, bloggers and industry influentials use search engines to find subject matter experts, research companies, locate past media coverage and track topical trends.  A recent survey on journalists’ use of search by TopRank® Online Marketing reports that 91% of journalists, reporters and editors surveyed use search engines to do their jobs.

“Public Relations 2.0: The New Tools Of The Trade,” to be hosted by Kane Consulting and the Minnesota PRSA in Minneapolis Monday, July 13th, will inform public relations and communications professionals of the new tools ranging from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Social Media PR.

This past month, insight provided by TopRank® Online Marketing was featured in online publications including Mashable, Search Marketing Standard and WebProNews.

Below, find media highlights from June 2009:

5 Essential Steps to Make Your Site Search & Social Media Friendly

With the rapid evolution of social media, creation of new and fresh content isn’t just expected, it’s demanded.  This demand is coming from, in equal parts, both search engines and consumers.  As such, no online marketing program is complete unless it encompasses components of both Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social media marketing.

Twitter, a popular microblogging site that lets users communicate messages in 140 characters or less, has exploded in popularity. Twitter has become so popular, many companies feel they must have a presence there, if only to stay ahead of the curve.  But is this really the case?

As much as it may seem everyone is on Twitter, this simply isn’t true.  CNET reports that while 99 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds have profiles on social networks, only 22 percent use Twitter.

Both gut feelings about the number of Twitter users and statistics detailing exact numbers are fairly irrelevant to the question at hand.  What’s truly important is the percentage of your audience that is on Twitter.