Optimising’s newest recruit, Nathan.

We’re growing pretty quickly here at Optimising, so we’ve put a lot of effort into finding the right people & we think we’ve hit the jackpot with Nathan, our new Business Development Manager. Nath brings an international flavour to the group, crossing the Tasman from New Zealand. Nathan comes from a strong sales background at a top-tier digital agency and his list of credentials is impressive. He worked with global media juggernaut Shazaam in the UK, managed muti-national corporate SEO & PPC campaigns across the UK, NZ & Australia and managed digital marketing campaigns both in-house and agency. Yeah, we were impressed too.

He’s an office table tennis champion, which can only show he has a killer competitive edge, even when it comes to something as pointless as table tennis. Nathan has been a serious globetrotter in his youth; working, travelling and picking up skills you can only get from life experience, like table tennis skills, which makes him a bit like a Kiwi Forrest Gump but with better social skills. He has settled in Melbourne because let’s face it, the coffee is way better here.

Nathan knows that various digital marketing tactics must all tie in together, with SEO, PPC, social media, web design and the rest working together toward a common goal with a cohesive strategic approach. His international experience helps Optimising ply world class marketing approaches for local clients’ needs. He’s a true believer in making sure his clients get a return on their investment in SEO.

Samsung’s latest phone, aka ‘phablet’ (half phone, half tablet) is a giant 5.3″ monster.

On first use I thought I could never get use to a phone this big. That impression only lasted a day or so. Now the phone doesn’t even look odd to me.

I originally bought this device as an interim phone until the Samsung Galaxy S3 comes out, but now I am thinking my next phone might be the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 !

It works brilliantly as a GPS (the screen is nearly as big as a dedicated GPS device), great for emailing and even better for watching videos/podcasts on the vibrant 320dpi screen.

The first 6 people that saw my phone all did the ‘Pocket Test’ – check to see if the phone actually does fit in their pockets! And it surprisingly does, easily.

Being the typical tinkerer/Android fanboy I am, the first thing I did was root (jailbreak) the Galaxy Note, and install a custom ROM (ICS Stunner for those playing at home).

I didn’t expect to ever use the stylus (‘S Pen’ = Samsung’s lame name), and I was right. I avoid hand writing anything at all costs so I never bought this phone to free write instead of developing an SMS related RSI.

So who is this phone actually for?

If you walk around a lot holding the phone to your ear, then it’s probably not for you. It’s slightly awkward to hold for long periods of time. If you like emailing in your down time (i.e. on a train), watching NBA.TV on the go, or require directions a lot, then this is a great device for you.

Google have update their search algorithm in a bid for more user-centric content on websites and less junk content intended only for search engine bots. The update comes as a response to sneaky spam tactics focussed on generating links and it’s a real indication that the internet is now being shaped by users, its for users.

We already know that the internet is full of spam, a main culprit being the SEO industry. This is an excellent example of why relevant and quality content is one of the most valuable assets a website can have.  Here’s a summary of the most important changes.

Exact Match Domains

The idea behind exact match domains is pretty simple. You match your URL to the search terms you want relevance with, It’s a pretty solid SEO tactic. In the past, some websites have purchased heaps of URL’s with popular search terms to drive more traffic. It’s pretty naughty SEO and its being targeted by Google in coming updates.

Paid Text Links (with exact anchor text)

Paid links with exact anchor text are just ‘too perfect’ for Google to handle, so when there’s heaps of links with the same anchor text, Google’s alarm bells go off. The Penguin update will target and identify these paid links, there’s definitely going to be some wrist slapping going on at Google.

Comment Spam

Placing comments on a blog makes it appear more popular, so if you put heaps of comments, you can fool Google into thinking its popular, when it’s really not. Theres some tighter regulations with comment spam, particularly those in Russian. (Jokes! Anyone with a blog will get it..) The new update will help identify and separate comment spam from the real deals.

Guest Posts

Guest posting can build quality back links, Period. It’s great when guest authors contribute to online communities and Google would neve stifle that. Where people can get in trouble, is by adding posts to websites that are set up purely to make money on the guest posts, based on the links they would generate. Not all blogs are created equal, and guest authors should focus on writing for quality sites.

Article Marketing

Article marketing is placing poorly written content on your website that is keyword rich, so when Google’s bots crawls and index’s your content, it seems more relevant. This tactic is close to it’s demise, with non user-centric content being targeted in these updates.

Change is a fact of life in the SEO industry and it’s important that SEO providers are agile enough to move with the industry. If your SEO search rankings have been affected by the Penguin update, get in touch and we can discuss some of your options, help you overcome the changes and support your growth online.

Content is one of those buzz words used in social media that describes any piece of consumable information. It’s such a general soulless term and it’s difficult to define any further. Sometimes content can be hard to swallow and other times it can be downright vomit-inducing, but when content just doesn’t fit, it turns customers away. 

I would share some horrible examples, but pointing fingers doesn’t help anyone. Let’s think about how we should produce interesting, simple and engaging content for our websites or social media pages that is embodying your purpose.

I’ve put together a check list of things you should think about.

• Alignment – does this image/film/blog reflect my business or personal brand? What are you trying to achieve?
• Audience response – Will this content get a response? Is it worth their attention? Will they react well or not?
• Visual – Does it look good? Or with written content, how readable is this? Sometimes it’s worth the time getting an experienced copywriter that can teach you clear and concise writing.

Remember these key points when you write social media content.

• Write in the active voice. Google ‘active voice’ and learn the difference from passive voice.  An active voice is better understood!
• Replace complex words with simple words. Why say ‘possess’ when you can just say ‘have’ ? Only use complex words when creating a complex meaning; like making connotations, nuance or communicating specific and complex ideas.  In other words, keep it simple
• See what I did at the end of the paragraph above? Summarise your key message in a few words at the end. It reminds readers why their reading and the ‘take-away’ messages

When your readers take the messages from your content, this is when your social media strategy starts working for you. If it’s interesting, eye-catching and aligns with your purpose, then you’re really starting a solid library of content for your sites.

Google Adwords is one of the best tools for targeted advertising and online marketing, but since it’s beginnings, Adwords has become increasingly complex and pushed smaller business away. This is mainly because they don’t have the technical expertise to get real results from online marketing campaigns.

Google’s incredible market awareness has helped them launch Adwords Express, a simplified Adwords portal purposed with making online advertising and marketing easier and more effective for small to medium businesses (SMB’s). It’s an excellent idea but practically, Adwords Express poses more problems for small business than it solves.

The main problem with AdWords Express comes from  judging whether you’re getting a good return on your advertising spend. Most SMB owners considering Express would have limited knowledge around tracking engagement and knowing which ads should go with relevant keywords and why. It takes a fairly specialised and technical knowledge to make sure a business gets everything out of each dollar they spend. Without understanding SEO strategies, small business will be spending more on their online advertising budgets and getting less. As a result, the whole process becomes less efficient.

Cost isn’t the only consideration for Pay per Click (PPC), we should also consider the man hours allocated to online marketing. SMB’s must honestly  assess their own PPC ability and ask themselves if they can get the best results with their money and time. An experienced PPC professional knows what success looks like; they have enough industry experience and knowledge to know the difference.

We’re not saying don’t use Adwords Express, but if you think your business deserves a more efficient solution, talk to one of the Optimising Team for an honest assessment on which options suit you best.

Have you or anyone you know tried this new system? How has it worked for you?

Industry by industry, we’re beginning to see more organisations getting on board with digital marketing. This year, the AFL and sports media has ramped up their spend in digital and the difference is palpable. Australia’s most popular AFL program, The Footy Show, has launched a daring campaign for a Facebook Page with 500,000 likes and an incentive with a difference – if they reach the target, AFL Footy Show panellist Garry Lyon will be ‘manscaped’ on live television (see included photo)

Whatever the gimmick, social media managers need to be realistic about their goals and properly assess whether they can be achieved at all. Without having any accurate historical data around their Facebook page, it’s hard to project if topping 500,000 likes is possible. This is the problem with social media campaigns, they can be unpredictable and sticking reliable outcomes or ROI’s to them can be tenuous.

If you look at the data for the month, the page has enjoyed nearly 30,000 likes every day for a week, but dropped by two thirds to 10,000 likes the following week. Now before you start comparing these results to your own, think about the differences between your Facebook page and the Footy Show. Despite this, getting 500,000 likes might be achievable when you have national media coverage to millions of viewers tied to a sporting institution with huge influence and celebrity clout, but people approaching social media without the developed offline audience will struggle.

Whether they reach their target or not, we can’t look to campaigns like this and model our own on them. Sure, we can use public stunts and tactics to build audiences like they have, but setting goals such as ‘when we reach 5000 likes we will …’ takes some sophisticated projections and data analysis to decide what’s realistic and what’s not, or else it’s just guessing.

So what do we take away from this? Don’t worry about how many likes you have, it’ll drive you nuts! If you want to improve your social media presence, stick to the basics of business growth; take care of your customers, build relationships with them and encourage them to become advocates for your brand. Though the correct community management techniques and approaches, we can then enhance your hard work through social media.

You can do this by interacting with them; excite them, delight them, surprise them, make them love you and they’ll share the love with their friends across social media. Facilitate their love for your brand online and THEN you’ll see your numbers shoot up. The Footy Show easily mobilised their audience because they’re already loved; you are starting from scratch.

So don’t let big campaigns give you dreams of 500,00 likes, because you’ll loose focus on whats important for your social media presence; making your customers love your brand online. In social media, customer experience is everything.

Can any small business owners relate to this? Feel free to let me know what you think.

This month at Optimising we welcome our newest member, Misko, or ‘Mish’ as he likes to be called. Mish brings with him a fresh perspective in social media marketing, copywriting and data analysis, which all help companies build audiences, engage users and amplify brand presence. Having completed a Bachelor in Business Marketing degree at Victoria University with an Advanced Diploma in Advertising and Marketing, Mish has wanted nothing more than to put his studies behind him and knuckle down with an excelling search engine marketing company in always changing and competitive online marketing industry.

Since finishing uni, he began his career as an Account Manager at a social media agency before deciding to come aboard the Optimising ship. With recent  SEO and creative agency experience, Mish brings with him a raw and energetic perspective on online marketing. Being a workhorse/humorist he is able to grasp all types of online marketing strategies, while cracking a joke or two.

Mish loves to take on a challenge, and while at Optimising he has embraced his role as account manager nurturing client relationships by acting as the interface between our customer service team. His goals are to care of our existing relationships with clients. Mish is also working on new SEO and marketing ideas for clients who enjoy being number 1 on search engines.

In his spare time, Misko likes to keep fit and healthy by taking long walks along the beach with his German Shepherd, Sammie. He also is part of a soccer club and plays professionally on Saturday nights.

‘Discount Codes‘ are one of the great marketing tools available to online stores.

Once online shoppers add their items to the shopping cart, the discount code is entered and the user gets a discount on their items. It’s simple and effective.

The discount can work in a variety of ways including:

• % of cart price discount, 5-10%
• $ Value off, $10-$20 off
• Free Options,like Shipping or Insurance.

They can get a little more complex, but you get the idea.

This week, SurfStich.com launched a great email campaign that showed how getting creative with discount codes can push online sales. They sent a unique discount code that ranged between $5 and $500 value.

The users just had to;

1. Visit SurfStitch.com
2. Fill their cart with items & continue to checkout
3. Proceed to payment & enter their discount code
4. Press ‘Use Certificate’ to see their unique discount value.

YOUR GIFT CARD NO. XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The genius of doing this kind of promotion is it:

• rewards loyal and regular customers
• builds up an attachment to the product, in claiming the reward, the user must fill and complete a cart, so they might buy the products even without a discount
• builds anticipation and open rates for current and future email campaigns.

Seen anything like this before? We’d love to hear about it!

Facebook seems to be giving Pinterest a high priority in terms of what is displayed on your feed from your friends. (It also tends to stick around your timeline for extended periods which is interesting in itself). This can be a little annoying for all if you or others are playing with Pinterest lately and pinning a lot of photos/crap.

However, you may not want to disable Facebook integration entirely as it’s the easiest way for your friends to find your newfound social network. Lucky for you there is a setting for that.

Just go to the drop down menu in the top right with your mug on it, and then to Settings. Halfway down there is a setting to leave Facebook integration on, but turn off updates to your Timeline. If you haven’t already linked Facebook you can do this here too.

And, voila! Your friends can still find you, and you don’t fill Facebook with more junk.

If you don’t already own an iPad, and can find a good enough reason to buy one, then now is a good time. The iPad 3 (actually known as the ‘New iPad’), comes with a beautiful ‘retina’ display and finally Apple has accepted Australia has better exchange rate than the US! If you minus our GST component, the iPad is actually $9 cheaper to purchase in Australia.

(Without getting caught up in all the hype, if you already own an iPad 1 or iPad 2, I can’t give you a good reason to upgrade unfortunately.)

“Retina display. See everything like never before. Four times more pixels than iPad 2. Razor-sharp text. Richer colours. The Retina display transforms the entire iPad experience.” – Apple website

“Retina” is just a fancy buzz-word Apple give to their displays. To explain this ‘Retina’ display technology a little further… The New iPad display crams 3,145,728 pixels into 10″ of screen. If you compare this to a Full HD TV which is 60″ big, it only holds 2,073,600 pixels. This means that the pictures on the New iPad will be VERY sharp and crisp.

So, who actually needs one?

I think sporting clubs will actually make great use of the new specs. Apple’s new 5MB camera can take reasonable action photos, and it also does HD video recording at 30 frames per second. Sporting clubs will then be able to analyse the recordings straight back on the new super high definition screen.

A myriad of sports already make use the iPad 1 & 2. Grand Prix teams use it trackside to measure their car’s performance with live data feeds and Major League Baseball also use them to analyse batters and pitchers on-the-fly.

We could also see this extend into the workforce a little further, with potential for Parking Inspectors, or even Insurance Assessors to take photos on the scene and automatically ‘geotag’ the photos at their exact location.