We've Moved!

Visit our new blog at www.DotComConfessions.com.

As we've grown, our needs have grown as well, and we've moved on to bigger and better things. Blogger is a great tool to use, but we've found the popular blog platform, Wordpress, is better capable of meeting our needs as we expand our content base and reach.

Adorned with custom graphics and a simple layout, DotComConfessions.com will be the place to read all about interactive marketing, trends, social media and everything we are up to.

Again, our new blog is www.DotComConfessions.com

Panama City Beach CVB Launches New, Real. Fun. Web site.

Panama City Beach is making a new splash online just in time for Summer travel. The new web site promoting Panama City Beach as “Real. Fun. Beach.” among many other exciting attributes officially launched today with high praises and excited locals waiting for the official unveiling. The new web site developed by Jennifer Barbee, Inc. allows visitors to the site to begin their PCB experience with a FUN personality quiz to identify the rest of their jouney through the new site. The personality types are chosen for the user after a series of fun questions are asked and include After Dark Shark, Leader of the Sandy Bottom Bunch, Eco-Seeker, Wave Warrior and Soul Surfer. This personality each user is given coins them and their customized experience each time the user visits the site. Many other fun games can be found within the new site keeping new as well as returning visitors coming back for more FUN. The Jennifer Barbee, Inc. creative and marketing team had an amazing and “FUN” :) time developing ideas and promotions for the new site. Having an array of marketers and developers all fitting a variety of the personality types developed for the site really allowed for some very creative and interesting ideas to drive the new look and feel of the web site. Check it out! http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Send us your feedback! We would love to hear all your comments and enjoy the new site!

Time to Advertise on the Internet and TV

Last week, Businessweek.com published an article discussing why now is the right time to advertise on TV, the Internet and Radio. Citing that media companies are just looking to survive right now, being quite willing to negotiate rates and terms.

Prime-time TV spots are selling today for 25% less than what they were selling for just 12 months ago.

Some of the media companies before wouldn't work with smaller organizations, but given slower ad sales rates and decreased marketing budgest, they are growing ever more flexible. Furthermore, PR firms and production companies are reducing their rates to ensure their survival during a slow economy.

This is great if you are wanting to expand your advertising options. Freelance web developers, graphic artists and video production companies are more willing than ever to negotiate their cost of services.

In addition to ad and production rates coming down, viewership has risen and continues to rise dramatically. Quoted from the article: "People aren't going out as much; they're staying home watching TV or looking at the Internet. So these venues are getting more impressions but they're charging less money."

"Entrepreneurs should be prepared to haggle over pricing, he says, being aware that it's better to run more spots at a less desirable time than to blow their ad budgets on one prime-time slot"

Read the entire article: Time to Buy TV, Radio, and Internet Ads?

Video Marketing In All it’s Glory

Americans viewed 12 billion videos in May 2008. In 2006 sites such as YouTube took off allowing users of all ages and web expertise to upload millions of videos from around the globe in all types of topics. Billions of searches later, we find that video marketing is a real important form of marketing online. When you are speaking to a consumer about experiencing a place, product, message, etc. what better way to show them through visuals?

Marketing your video online is the key business differentiator for web companies that want to communicate their product profile and benefits within the shortest possible time and do it effectively. There is nothing else that comes close to the effectiveness and persuasion power of a well designed video message.

This doesn't mean that putting up a 10-min video tutorial on your site will automatically get you to double-up your conversion rate of new registrants or that you will instantly sell more of your products. There is more to effective video communication than just slamming some video content up on your web pages.

There are several reasons that in today’s marketing world, video is the best way to go. The average attention span of a web user is measured in seconds. Once delivered to you on a red carpet by a major search engine search query, or by a recommendation link on a review blog, the new web visitor applies only a very limited effort and time to see whether she can make sense of what you are communicating/selling/proposing and to decide whether your content, style, look and approach are a good fit for what she was actually looking for. If you can engage her interest right there and then, and offer a fast, highly visual way to let her discover what your "message" is, you have done bingo. See, at any given point within those first few vital seconds on your site, the new web visitor is on the verge of clicking away and abandoning that flimsy but unique opportunity to open up a relationship, possibly a conversation with you and your products.

Other notable findings from a May 2008 study include:

• 74 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
• The average online video viewer watched 228 minutes of video.
• 82.2 million viewers watched 4.1 billion videos on YouTube.com (50.4 videos per viewer).
• 54.8 million viewers watched 703 million videos on MySpace.com (12.8 videos per viewer).
• 6.8 million viewers watched 88 million videos on Hulu.com (13.0 videos per viewer).
• The duration of the average online video was 2.7 minutes.

Fast forward to today:

• 89 million viewers watch 5.5 billion movies each month on YouTube.com
• 9 million viewers watch 348 million movies each month on HuLu.com
• 25 million viewers watch 232 million movies each month on Yahoo.com

Tips for a Better Video Message:

• Put Your Video on your Home Page (or at least a link to it)
• Be Up Front About the Length of the Video
• Add Audio
• Create Buzzwords Around and Within the Video
• Post Your Video on Sites that Allow Free Video Posting

Video Marketing is much more than posting videos and waiting for consumers to watch them. Videos we post online need the same optimization a web page needs to be found through the search engines. On sites such as YouTube you can create keywords that are associated with your video which can be used to reach and download your video. The key to video marketing is to be savvy with where you post to begin with. Most videos are reached through buzz in social networks and through viral avenues. Keep in mind sites such as YouTube, MySpace, AOL, IGoUGo and Facebook.

Facebook as a Brand Builder not an Ad Network

Facebook is obviously widely popular these days. Everyone wants to advertise their brand or product on Facebook. We are here to say...don't just advertise...brand yourselves in your own way. Simpler put, you have only ample characters and a small pic to truly impress millions of users each day when you only place an ad. Do you think that will be effective enough to stimulate movement? Not really. eMarketer released excellent stats on Facebook usage last month. 

Each day during the month, Facebook users averaged over 3 billion minutes on the site. They updated their status 15 million times and became “fans” of a particular company, brand, product or person 3.5 million times daily.

In addition, Compete found that that US residents spent more time on Facebook than any other Website, beating out previous leader Yahoo!. However, Nielsen Online still ranks the site third behind AOL and Yahoo!.

But Facebook’s rapid user growth has not translated into advertising revenues.

The habits of social network users are one obstacle. In 2008,IDC found that 43% of social network users never clicked on ads, a dramatic difference from the 80% of other Internet users who did so at least once a year. Further, 23% of nonusers who clicked on an ad then made a purchase; only 11% of social network users who clicked on ads did the same.

When marketing professionals were surveyed by TNS Media Intelligence on what objectives had the most social media potential, most said brand-building initiatives such as gaining consumer insights, building brand awareness and increasing customer loyalty.

None said increasing intent to purchase.

So, that said from eMarketer. Build your brand through the applications that Facebook provides. Don't just think about ads...it's much more fun to create a whole page dedicated to your brand.

Search Engine Strategies Conference in NYC

The marketing team at Jennifer Barbee, Inc. attended the SES Conference in NYC last week. With over 50 speakers including marketing reps from Google and Microsoft, the content of both the educational sessions and the panel discussions was great. Cutting edge marketing tactics, interactive media development, paid and organic strategies and mobile marketing tactics were just the tip of the “marketing iceberg” for attendees at this year’s conference. 

After attending over 12 educational sessions and a “Twitter” keynote delivered by Guy Kawasaki, we have so much take away, it’s hard to boil down to a “Top” list but we want to share with you some of the key points and tactics learned by our marketers at Jennifer Barbee, Inc. To read more about the conference and the presentations, visit www.searchenginestrategies.com/newyork

·         Organic Strategy – Marketers should be thinking farther than the “World Wide Web”. There is a deeper level of web content called the “Deep Web” which is now what marketers should be considered their area of opportunity. The “Deep Web” contains 400-500x more content than the “World Wide Web”. What is the “Deep Web” consist of? Universal and Blended Media + Content. Including Whitepapers, Videos, Imagery, PDFs, Blogs, Social Network Profiles, etc. All of these new areas of content have come on to the web over the last 2-3 years. It’s important to optimize all your content and your media for blended search results.

·         Optimize the Right Content – The more important content on your page: Headline, Sub Headings, Bullet Points and Paragraph Headers.

·         Optimizing Flash – Oh yes, there is now a way to do this. Web sites will be flashier and more search friendly than ever.

·         Utilizing Google Analytics – There is now more ways to track and report than ever before. Make sure you are utilizing all the aspects their reporting system offers.

·         Twitter as a Tool – We can’t begin to explain all the new Twitter Tools and Tactics being utilized by the best Twitter marketers in the world. But here are some to definitely look into:

o   Retweetist

o   Twitter Counter

o   Monitor What People Say About You – Search.Twitter.com

o   TWIBS.com

o   Tweetdeck.com

·         Social Marketing – A great quote from Guy K, we have to share: “Forget the A-List, Nobodies are the New Somebodies”

·         SEM – Links are still important to Engine Algorithm (Links to your site AND Links within your site).

·         Design & SEO – It’s more important than ever to train your graphics team and designers in SEO stategy. Optimiztion HAS to start from the ground up. Before you build your web site, your team must design the blue prints together.

·         Your Web Site URL – Buy whole domain names instead of developing a special page or section within your site. The more relative your URL is to the content available on that URL, the more points you have with engines.

·         Mobile Marketing Statistic – In 2007 80% of mobile customers weren’t online. By 2011, 90% of mobile users will be searching.

·         Test Your Site’s Usability – Before you launch your site, test it on top mobile browsers for compatibility. Also test your site’s compatibility on all internet browsers including Firefox and Google Chrome.

·         Have Videos? Post Them! – YouTube is the 4^th Biggest Site on the Web. 1 in 4 searches on the web happen on YouTube. If you have videos, start a channel and make sure you add relative titles, descriptions and tags to your videos.

·         Theory by Many Marketing Execs – Everyone will be Mobile in 5 years, the screen for which we search is definitely shrinking.

·         Blog Marketing – Find blogs in your niche market, contact them to offer a blog within their blog in which you could become their guest blogger. Add your links and other helpful links within your posts as well.

·         Crazyegg.com – Find out whether your site is user friendly or not. See where users are clicking, whether they are clicking clickable areas or not.

·         Importance of Media Placement & Tactics – Retargeting is the most important tactic for media placement. If users don’t engage with your first effort, Maximize this effort by going back to users with different (but retargeted) ads and offers.

·         Marketing during the Recession – Digital media efforts are holding their own against TV, Print and Radio during the recession. Be more targeted, Be more efficient, Be smarter with your Buys.

How Do I Find my Facebook Fan Page?

If you are a Facebook addict, then you are well aware of the changes that were made to the main profile page when you log in. Many of these changes were not welcome and actually caused quite an uproar. There has actually been quite a commotion about it all. The other morning, this very topic was covered in the daily CNET newsletter:

"Facebook users haven't exactly been reticent about their dislike for Facebook's recent redesign. And Facebook staff want you to know they're listening."

Groups have been formed, emails have gone out to tens of thousands - all talking about how much the new changes are disliked.

I, for one, was having one huge issue that I hadn't been able to find any help on. The almighty google had no answers to the one looming question I had: How do I find my Facebook Fan Page?

Thankfully I installed the short URL app onto my fan page, so finding it was a short order. All I had to do was type in companies.to/panamacitybeach to find it, but there had to be 'the right' way to do it.

Well, for those of you that are smarter than I (which many of you are, I'm sure), then this post isn't for you, but for the rest of you, read on, it's easy.

When you log in to your main profile page, there is a nifty toolbar stuck to the bottom of your browser window. To the right is your online friend notifier, status updates and chat tool, but to the left is what I had never noticed: applications, page manager, photos, groups, events, marketplace and links.

Well, folks, there it is. How you find your Facebook Fan page on the new Facebook layout.

SES Conference...A Big Hit in NYC

Today was a very productive day for marketers in NYC at the Search Engine Strategies Conference. Just covered from the breakout sessions we could get to today (there were 6 every hour): Mobile Marketing Strategy for the Future, Twitter Tools and Using Twitter as a Marketing Tool, Video Marketing for Tomorrow, Branding in Social Networks, New PPC Marketing Tools, Text Message Marketing, New SEO Tips and Mistakes Marketers Make Online. Whew...what a day! Tomorrow is another full day of more marketing strategies, tips, trends and tactics for tomorrow and beyond. Check back later in the week...we'll be posting top tips and key points taken away from the conference.  

Twitter - Create a Custom Background, Keep Twits Informed

If you spend any time on Twitter, you've noticed the trend is fast growing to have a custom background for your Twitter page. The developers of Twitter were generous in developing a way for users to add custom background images and leaving the size limitations up to the user. If you so choose, you can upload a 1600 pixel wide by 1100 pixel tall background loaded with beautiful graphics and details of all that you do, including urls of whatever you want or anything else for that matter.

Some examples of innovative background ideas include:
twitter.com/pcbdaily
twitter.com/ijustine
twitter.com/problogger
twitter.com/chrisspooner

So, what's important to think about when designing your own custom background?

First off, you have to think about file size. A background graphic that is 500k won't load that quick for most users and for some, it may take quite a while. Short of getting the Fail Whale, Twitter loads extremely fast, you don't want to hold up your followers with a 500k png. I would say a good rule of thumb would be to keep the file size below 200k - this should be easy if you use some basic techniques when designing - use solid colors, use large areas of solid colors, keep the overall contrast low and overall number of colors to a minimum.

There are three basic design schools of thought when laying out a new Twitter background for your page.

1. Repeat Background: This is where you have an image of a smaller size that is repeatable. That is to say that if it repeats across the page, the pattern will remain consistent and look uniform. Many will do this with a regular image giving that "tiled" effect. Depending on the image, this can be good or bad. However, if you have a good pattern, this can be a very appealing effect. Examples: Good - Bad
2. Larger, then Fade to Color: This is when you have a larger background image, that will fade to a background color, off to the right and bottom. The overall file size will be smaller than example three and if done right, can have a great effect. Examples: twitter.com/gordymac, twitter.com/bittbox
   
3. Super Large: This is when you make an image that will span even the largest of screen resolutions. Some of the larger screen resolutions span to full HD territory - like my 24" iMac which is a ridiculous 1900 pixels wide. When using a background of this size, you have to be careful in your design. A 500k background image is easy to make in this size range. I recommend having large blank area and solid colors to keep the size down. Also, the less contrast the better. I still recommend in this option to fade out to a solid color and set up your background color in your Twitter settings to match, it will ensure a good smooth look for those really crazy people with screen resolutions larger than what you've accommodated for. Examples: twitter.com/pcbdaily, twitter.com/ijustine

Some of the things you want to think about including in your background design are your url(s) to your web site(s), a brief (and I mean brief) description of who you are and what you do, a picture of you (if you are branding yourself), and your logo. Also, remember to keep the important stuff all to the left and within around 200 pixels of the edge - you have to remember most user's screen resolution is around 1000 pixels wide.

Ok, so you've made a sweet design, but you can't figure out how to get it live on your Twitter page. All you have to do is login to your Twitter account, go to settings and click on the Design tab. Down at the bottom, click Change Background Image and upload your graphic, then click save changes. After you get your background image up, you'll want to be sure that you click on the Change Design Colors tab. Change all the colors to match your new background to finish off the look.

This is the 2nd of a series detailing what Twitter is and how you can use it to enhance your social network, create greater visibility on the web and ultimately use it to find new clients, customers or create new opportunities for your business. Click here to read the 1st.

Twitter, Brightkite, Facebook - Take It All Mobile

With social networking all the rage, you have to be able to do it from anywhere. Why be limited to keeping your audience updated from your computer, right? You can take a picture of something and send it to one location, and your Twitter and Facebook account will be updated as well. When you have multiple mediums to update, it's all about making them work together. Here's how.

What you will be capable of will depend on what type of cellular device and carrier you use, but most cell phones will handle at least some of these features. I use a Blackberry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile. I used to use the iPhone, and wanted so badly to love it (I'm a Mac guy), but I just couldn't love the touch screen, I need buttons. Most Blackberries will handle all that we'll discuss. If you are using an iPhone, there is an app out there for all of these services as well. If you use a regular cell phone and have the capability to use SMS Text, you're good to go for most of what we are talking about, but you'll need to be able to send email from the phone to send pictures.

How to Tweet from your phone.

Now, at this point, I'm assuming you use Twitter and you tweet often. The next thing we need to do is get you set up to Tweet from your phone. There are two ways to do this, you can download an application to your phone that will help you with this, or you can use SMS Text to send in updates to Twitter. I personally like the app idea as it utilizes any data network I may be on, rather than pinging me for a text message charge. However, if you are using a regular cell phone, then you'll probably need to do your updates via text.

Lets talk Blackberry, since I'm obviously biased. This is easy, all you have to do is go to the following link on your Blackberry's browser and download the app. Then, when you open the app, press the menu button, select configure and enter your login info. That's it, Tweet away, right from your Blackberry, 140 characters or less. Here's the link: http://orangatame.com/ota/twitterberry/

For the iPhone, it's all about Tweetie.

If you are using a cell phone with SMS Text, there are a few more steps to take. First, you'll need to log into your Twitter account and go to your Settings. Then click on the Devices tab. You'll need to enter your cell phone number and click the save button. Twitter will then ask you to verify your phone by giving you a six digit code and ask you to send it to 40404 - this is Twitter's text number. In the future, you'll use this number to send in Tweets via text message. NOTE: When you text a Tweet using this special number, Twitter recognizes your verified mobile number and knows to tag the Tweet to your account. Because of the way this works, it is only possible to have one phone number assigned to one Twitter account - you can't have one phone number tied to multiple accounts, Twitter won't allow it.

Imediately after you text the code provided, you'll receive a text back from Twitter that confirms that you've set up your mobile device. Now, all you have to do is save the number 40404 in your phone and name it Twitter. Next time you want to make a tweet, send a text message to Twitter and you'll be Tweeting on the go! Remember to keep the messages 140 characters or less, Twitter will cut off the rest.

How to Tweet pictures.

Have you ever wanted to share that moment you just happened to be able to capture on your cell phone's camera? Are you wanting to give visual updates of whatever you're doing? Well, there are two ways you can easily do it right through Twitter: Brightkite and Tweetpic. Both services require your phone to be able to send email, so if you phone can't do email, read on, this section isn't for you.

First lets talk a little about Brightkite and Twitpic, their differences and advantages to either one. Twitpic is purely a way to get pictures into Twitter, nothing more. Of course, I don't mean to minimize how great that really is. However, I should be clear, when I say it "gets" the pictures into Twitter, what I mean to say is that it will Tweet a link to the picture on twitpic.com. Twitter doesn't actually display photos. Brighkite is a little more in depth and has much more to offer, which is why I use Brightkite instead. But, who's to say you can't find uses for both. All the features of Brightkite would be a post in and of itself, so for the sake of brevity, I'll just focus on how to use it for this particular application.

Twitpic is a snap to set up. All you have to do is go to twitpic.com, enter your Twitter username and password and you're logged in. Then go to settings, your unique Twitpic email address will be displayed in big bold letters and numbers. Save this in your Blackberry or phone and name it Twitpic. Now, whenever you take a picture you want to share on your Blackberry or phone, all you have to do is email it to Twitipic, saved in your address book. Be sure to add the caption in the subject line.

Brightkite is easy to set up as well. Go to Brighkite.com and create a new account, then click on the Account Settings link in the left sidebar. There will be six tabs across the top, click on the Mobile tab. In order to send in pictures, all you need is the email feature, but in order to use some of the other features, you'll need to verify your phone number as well. Your unique Brightkite email address will be displayed. From here, it is the same as Twtipic, just save the email address in your address book and name it Brightkite.

Next, you need to set up your Brightkite account to talk to your Twitter account. This is a cinch. In the row of 6 tabs along the top, click on the Sharing tab. Enter in your Twitter login details in the fields provided, check the feature boxes you want Brightkite to perform, then click save. That's it!

Now whenever you want to send a picture from your Blackberry or phone, just email it to Brightkite and it will Tweet it automaticallly. Again, don't forget to add your caption in the subject line.

Facebook, on the go!

There are various ways to update Facebook on the go. If you have a Blackberry, there is a free Facebook app; if you use the iPhone, you can download one of various apps available all over the web. Facebook.com/apps even has one. The trick however, is getting everything connected so those that are following what you're doing on the varying mediums can keep up without you having to give so much attention to each.

So, we know how to Tweet from our phones, and if our phone is capable of sending email or if we are using a Blackberry or iPhone, we know how to email in pictures from anywhere, but how do we get Facebook in on the action? Well, again, it all comes back to the amazing Twitter. There is a brilliant app for your Facebook profile and fan page. Of course, there is a difference between what the app will do for your main profile and what it will do for your fan page, but we'll cover that in a sec.

The Twitter app for your Facebook profile is great as it allows you to Tweet right from Facebook, and it provides a very handy option that will allow it to update your Facebook status with every Tweet. That's right, I saw the lightbulb flip on above your head ;-). Whenever you Tweet from your phone, or Tweet a picture using Brightkite or Twitpic, your Facebook status will be updated with whatever you Tweeted. Cool huh? I can't tell you how many people that were personal friends of mine that had an interest in what's happening in Panama City Beach have approached me thanking me for updating my Facebook status with everything that I have going on. Little do they know that I'm just doing what I normally do, and the handy dandy apps are doing all the extra work for me. Now, the difference between the profile Twitter app and fan page Twitter app is that the fan page version of the app will not update your status using Tweets. I know, sad isn't it? Hopefully there will be a version of this app that will do that soon, someone will release an app that will do that, or Facebook will change something operationally that will allow this to happen.

I hope that you find this helpful. The idea for this post came from a session I spent yesterday with a client of mine that I set all this up for in just under 30 minutes. If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comments section.

Web 3.0 - The Future is Now

Cheesy title, I know, but nothing can be farther from the truth. Web 3.0 isn’t the future of the web, it’s really the evolution of the 2.0 version. It’s already happening, thinly disguised in more evolved 2.0 applications. Many corporations and high tech companies are already utilizing the technology with the help of highly developed programmers and computer techs, with the goal to connect in seamless – almost AI fashion.

Web 3.0 has as many definitions as there are words for “geek”, but the broadest definition of Web 3.0 is the ability to connect, share and utilize the web as if you have a constant personal assistant at your side. Imagine a world where you can communicate your needs to your handheld device such as making a doctors appointment and the handheld communicated with your computer to not only make the appointment, but also schedule it in your calendar and send you a reminder, driving directions and pull up digital medical records with one command. Your computer is redefined from a mere electronic device to AI 1.0 – or personal assistant.

Similar to the TiVo phenomenon – but much more intelligent in its algorithms, your computer begins to understand your needs, habits, schedule and behavior and perform your duties without having to be told or shown. Experts in large corporations estimate that the operational benefit can be as much as 50% increased productivity, while the entertainment junkies communicate with their communities, games and fun in record speed. In an even more important fashion, Web 3.0 will contribute in many more ways than new technology but also a cleaner environment reducing our planet’s paper use exponentially.

The World Wide Web in 3.0 is already changing the way we live and communicate with each other in ways we’ve only seen in Sci-Fi movies. When your computer can sync your schedule with the current household expense budget, recent searches about stress at work and knowing how many people are in your family and use that to book your relaxing beach vacation in Florida for next month, you’ll know we have reached Web 3.0. We predict 3.0 will be adopted faster than 2.0, as it relives the technical knowledge needed to fully utilize the web.

The way we market online has always been ever changing. There are no standards when it comes to web marketing. With an evolving web world, the look, the targeting and the structure of our advertisements are more sophisticated than we’ve ever seen. Ads are almost always delivered by a user’s behavior or geographic locations, search results have always been relevant to the users search terms but we now see ads, textual resources and imagery relative as well.

When we think about web marketing budgets we have to think big picture. A few years ago it seemed ok to split our web and traditional budgets but that can’t work any longer. Almost every person in the American family’s household is online now. From the adults to the teens down to the grade schoolers. An eight year old boy is playing games on Disney.com and being served up very appealing ads for the next Hulk movie and toys. Later that night, he asks him Mom about buying that toy. In one way or another, we can reach everyone online.

Hook 'em with Link Bait

Link bait has been the talk of the “internet town” for the past year. We hear these questions all the time, “What is link bait? How can we create link bait? How do we market link bait?” Link bait is all about the wow…does it have the appeal that users need to want to send it to someone else?

Link Bait Definition:
Link bait is any content or feature within a web site that somehow baits viewers to place links to it from other web sites. Matt Cutts defines link bait as anything “interesting enough to catch people’s attention.” Link bait can be an extremely powerful form of marketing as it is viral in nature.

Although there are no clear-cut subdivisions within link bait, many attempt to divide them into types of hooks. This is a short list of some of the most common approaches with brief descriptions:

Although there are no clear-cut subdivisions within link bait, many attempt to divide them into types of hooks. This is a short list of some of the most common approaches with brief descriptions:

• Informational Hooks – Provide information that a reader may find useful. Some rare tips and tricks or any personal experience through which readers can benefit.
• News Hooks – Provide fresh information and obtain citations and links as the news spreads.
• Humor Hooks – Tell a funny story or a joke. A bizarre picture of your subject or mocking cartoons can also prove to be link bait.
• Evil Hooks – Saying something unpopular or mean may also yield a lot of attention. Writing about something that is not appealing about a product or a popular blogger. Provide strong reasons for it.
• Tool Hooks – Create some sort of tool that is useful enough that people link to it.
• Widgets Hooks – A badge or tool that can be placed or embedded on other web sites with a link included.
  

There is a great article that has been circulated in the online world titled “21 Keys to Link Bait.” It’s an excellent break down of what it takes to make a link bait successful. So many intriguing articles, games, videos, etc. have caught the attention of online users that link bait is even harder to accomplish than before. It’s like in High School when the boy you like is now more popular than ever and you’re faced with competing for his attention all over again with even more of those snobby girls.

Link bait is a natural way to build link popularity that will ultimately build your search engine rankings. You don’t have to be a well known brand or a big budget company to build link bait. All it takes is some creative thinking. Fresh, logical, creative ideas. One way to create link bait is to get ranked well for phrases that will become popular in the future. Link bait is an excellent tactic if one of your goals (it should be every company’s goal) is to be ranked high in the search engines. In January 2006, there were only about 25 results for the term “link bait” but today there are 404,000 results. Everything ranging from articles to news releases to companies interviews on how they have tried and made headway on the link bait bandwagon.

Here are some examples of past link bait success stories:

• The Onion | Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory
• Wikipedia: Flying Spagetti Monster
• Boing Boing's $250,000 Intelligent Design challenge

Great forms of link bait…remember when those reports come out each year of the “Fattest Cities, Most Fashionable Cities, etc.”…these are all appealing articles not because it’s important information to know but because it’s interesting and relatable. Even if you think you aren’t fat or fashionable you still want to know if you live in either one of those cities. Those kind of reports sparked new more humorous articles such as “The Best Cities to Get Shot In” or “The Top 10 Worst Drivers Cities”. These are excellent examples of link bait. If you spent some time thinking about it, I bet you can come up with even more enticing forms of link bait. Happy thinking!

So, Everyone's Tweeting, But What's Twitter

So all your friends in the office are Tweeting, spending as much time on Twitter as they do on YouTube, but what is it? According to Wikipedia:

"Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length."

To say that Twitter's popularity has exploded would be an understatement. Started in 2006, the service has catapulted into mainstream vernacular and has seen spectacular growth spurts (i.e. over 900%) in the last 12 months alone. One could almost say today, that if you're not tweeting, you're definitely not cool.

To the casual user, Twitter is a way to keep friends in the loop about all the little things they have going on in life. Described in the video below, Twitter is a way to fill people in on all the little details in life you wouldn't include in an email or phone conversation.




But, to the professional, whether you be a business person, journalists, or professional blogger, twitter can be revolutionary in keeping your network abreast of all the little things that are relevant to your line of work. Take what I do for example. I own and run the popular blog PCBDaily.com, a news and information site all about Panama City Beach, Florida. I use Twitter for a variety of reasons. Twitter is cool, because I have my mobile phone set up so I can send updates via text or the app on my Blackberry from anywhere. Our readers can keep up with what is going on regardless of where we are. If I'm at a public meeting, I can Tweet updates as they unfold; at a real estate auction, I can Tweet breaking prices; if I'm driving down the street, I can Tweet that I just saw some crazy drunk spring breaker crush a can over his head (weird, I know); get the picture?

The uses for Twitter are only limited by your imagination. Our readers can set up their mobile devices to receive updates via text from us so they can keep up without even turning on their computer.

In addition to dripping with awesomeness as a stand alone application, Twitter is massively extendable through third-party applications. For instance, PCBDaily uses the self-hosted Wordpress blogging platform and has a plugin installed that will automatically Tweet our account when a new blog post is published. This is great because our "followers" know whenever we have a new article available. I also have my personal Facebook 'status' updated with our latest Tweets. I can see the gears turning in your head as you are realizing the network of connectivity we have created.

The uses for Twitter are only limited by your imagination. This is the 1st of a series detailing what Twitter is and how you can use it to enhance your social network, create greater visibility on the web and ultimately use it to find new clients, customers or create new opportunities for your business.

It takes an (online) community to raise a child

Have you ever sat back and thought of your school days? Ever thought of the friends that you had, your favorite teacher or even your favorite cafeteria food? Pizza day! I can almost taste the spicy pepperoni.

Now that I am older I look back and see the same with my children. Of course, they are much easier to wake up than I ever was. As they get on their bicycles with their hair freshly combed and clothes scented with Downy, they have a bright look in their eyes as they anticipate the day. With a smile on their face and their bellies filled with a good breakfast they head off to school to learn.

Rewind to my childhood (date undisclosed to protect the old).

The daily monotony of school seemed imminent with the only excitement coming from running away from someone with cooties or a game of well played dodge ball. The rest of the day was spent with knowledge being gently poured into my head that would soon lead me on my journey toward being an asset to society. Ahh, if everything was that perfect.

You see, growing up, I often used my fingers to assist in my counting. Actually, the shenanigans lasted well into grade school; not many people know that about me, please try and contain your laughter. After the semester meeting with my parents and teacher I received the not so exciting gift of spending an hour every day after school running regular math drills to keep the finger counting down. Needless to say, this particularly painful experience turned me off to math, even to this day.

Algebra never had a chance. In high school, by the time my parents realized I was failing it was almost too late. The communication gap between my teacher and parents was just too great. Months went by as my mother nursed my math back to a passing grade. Growing up, the teacher’s only resource at communicating with the parent was the infamous, yet antiquated Parent-Teacher Conference. Today, we have the internet and a beautiful plethora of online tools and resources to keep in touch with anyone we so desire.

Fast-forward to 2009.

Schools today use technology to communicate, some more effectively than others, but they use it none the less. With interactive web sites utilizing student/parent portals, assignments get forgotten less, test scores are more difficult to lie about and report cards make it home (or to your inbox). My kids teachers have my email address in which we correspond with regularly, we follow each other’s tweets, and some of them are even my friends on Facebook.

Had these communications lines been open when I was growing up, I wouldn’t have an aversion to math and could probably count without using my fingers. The problem could have been as Barney Fife so eloquently put it, “nipped in the bud.” Today, as parents, we are made aware of any debilitating habits immediately. We can address the issues and get our kids back on the right path quickly before any bad habits are formed.

The internet and all the valuable tools that come with that connectivity have given us a chance to become a stronger community. Our kids have more opportunity than we ever had at gaining knowledge in a greater variety of ways. If they want to learn something (or if we want to teach them something we don’t already know), it’s only a google search away. Our teachers can communicate with us quickly and easily; and conversely, we can respond fast and address issues before they get worse. As we strengthen the lines of communication between us and our kids teachers, a stronger bond is forged and we minimize the obstacles our children have to pass through in order to achieve success.

In an old story I can sign off by telling you, “… My part will not be missed.” - unless it comes to math.

Google and Microsoft – Battle of the browsers... one small step

Most of you have probably heard about Google joining the European Commission antitrust case against Microsoft.  Here we have Google leveraging its dollar power on the side of the Mozilla foundation all in the effort to unhinge Internet Explorer from the Microsoft build.  If Google and Mozilla win, I see this a large win for the user.  Now, you might think...“ How will I get on the internet and download Chrome, Firefox or Safari if I can’t use internet explorer to get online when I receive my computer!”  Well the simple answer is the machines manufacturer is not going to let it go out without the option to choose a browser, otherwise their market share will go down the toilet.  A win against Microsoft will be one more brick removed from the wall of proprietary software and one more brick placed in the steps being built toward open source.

According to Wikipedia we see the following statistics:

Internet explorer             67.55%

Mozilla Firefox                  21.53%

Safari                                     8.29%

Google Chrome                    1.12%

Opera                                       .7%

Netscape Navigator             .57%

Other                                     .22%

Not to knock Microsoft, they have been a way to bridge our computing and everyday needs into a seemless communication standard…Well...as good as can be with the obvious glitches.  They provided the next step in software evolution that was necessary, but the past is the past.. and this is the future.  Now that we have moved farther into the future, their market stranglehold stifles the independents and new generation of problem solvers' revolutionary ideas.  The next great open source ideas are waiting in the wings.  Unhinging I.E. will lead to more of an open source hold.  More revolutionary ideas and products all built by the people around us… and wouldn’t we all like to see that 12 year old that is creating viruses divert his attention to something more productive?

This is a time for open source methodologies. Let the community lead the way.

You Can’t Teach an Old Brand New Tricks

My roots and background are actually in traditional branding, few people know that.  I defected to the geek side of advertising so long ago, it’s almost not even relevant….until the last few years.

For so many years, us geeks weren’t allowed around brands with the exception of the brand bible given to us by the branding agency.  When we started building websites and executing web marketing for clients, there were only so many ways you could translate the fonts, colors, tag lines, tone, imagry, etc.  It was actually nice, we didn’t have to do the heavy lifting, and we were able to leverage the success of what worked traditionally.  And just about the time when we mastered how to “translate a brand” into this online brochure thing, web 2.0 reminded us that managing a brand online is like trying to rope a tornado.  And, we really knew better, but control was the name of the brand game .. back then.

It also took a lot longer to manage brands before open communication forced us to become transparent in brand creation.  To “Manage” a brand in today’s interactive communication is both ardent and cost-prohibitive.  Instead of working to “contrive” a thought, feeling or image about a brand, new brands/open brands plant seeds and allow them to grow naturally with consumers.  If you are a gardener you know, seeds are cheaper than full grown trees.

“The bar is being raised by Innovators like YouTube, Flickr, MySpace and Digg, which are redefining cultural relevance, paving the way for brand co-creation, social networking, citizen journalism and more.  Now brands are expected to provide faster and more customizable experiences, more enhanced content, and more opportunities for consumers to exchange and ideas and be both seen and heard.” Nita Rollins, PhD and author of The Open Brand.

The Travel Industry has shining examples of open brand, loyalty marketing and advertainment. (Las Vegas, Hyatt, Travelocity).  Smaller budget destinations have made great strides in developing popular, open brands (Virginia, Colorado).  It is a normal adoption cycle that the destinations and travel companies with less budget would take much longer to achieve a similar impact.  But, in today’s instant, low-cost communication, the only challenge for a creative destination with a modest budget to succeed in mass-market appeal is having new media focused, right brain capital…in droves. There is also a trend to choose an interactive communication agency to lead the brand.  Yea, I know it benefits us to report that.. but it’s true. J  But, still this misses the point of opening the brand up.  It doesn’t matter who leads your brand if they don’t understand the marketplace is not theirs to control.  The people leading your brand should be great promoters and know where they can help .. and where they are in the way.

Today’s brands are co-created with consumers.  The web is littered with case studies that show the aging brands are those that are “too tight” and “scripted”.  Newer, fresher brands are done transparently with customers.  Take Doritos for one example.  They definitely get an award for one of the most hilarious, hip commercials during SuperBowl (and still playing).  Check it out here.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPhabSD02X4 Two guys entered the contest for creating a commercial, and with 2K and some cool ideas of “advertainment”, won 2 Million Dollars for the winning commercial.  Doritos leverages another major trend that reality tv brought us:  Advertise the Byproduct.  It’s a huge story for Doritos that they held this contest + the marketing directly to consumers with the kitchy commercial.  That’s an open brand.  Advertise to us, share with us, entertain us.

The gap is closing fast on who can leverage emerging medias before they wear out or cost too much to produce.  Blogging is a form of authentic brand communication, and it’s two way.  Social Media (Interactive P.R.) is growing at the speed of the internet.  Wildly successful blogs have been largely due to a good idea and a lot of work.  In October, the blog Bankaholic was sold for a record 15 Million (popularity, readers, advertisers = dollars).  Bankaholic was a one man shop.  The New Media shares the American Dream –anyone with an idea, ingenuity and hard work can make their fortune. 

But, my friends, I am talking about engagement past blogs, past user comments.  Though I applaud those DMOs who bravely have communities on their sites and user review on their listings, this is a great start.  But, this is not a dialogue.  It’s an invitation for scrutiny.  Our websites are not live online focus groups.  These are real consumers who can be brand evangelists if they are moved. 

The open brand marketer creates dialogue and engagement in lieu of a monologue and awareness.

Relax the brand control and solicit the help of your consumers.  Ask them to talk about you, tell friends, give you ideas.  We are really helpful if we like your brand .. and actually, really helpful even if we don’t.  The big thing here is that, as marketers we can’t be afraid to be wrong.  Coming from a long interactive background, if I was afraid to try something that I hadn’t before… I would have never gotten my first site off the ground!  We have to get comfy with feedback and dialogue.  We have to learn how to create a constructive platform for brand communication.  Ya know what, we have to PLAY!  Inspire authentic communication, run a contest for a new branding campaign.  In the coming times, the DMO who can differentiate and communicate authentically with their end-users will be the most viable. 

What’s our lesson:  Loosen Up Brand Managers!!

No one gives a flying fig if the font is correct.  What new brands are about?  Can you Change Minds?  Can you Communicate?

JB University...Unveiled!

We've done it...officially unveiled the program we have been working on for some time. We at JB Inc. are all so amazed by the overwheming response from destinations and the media. It's a program we are all very proud to be a part of. JB University is a virtual education program that allows agencies, marketers, pr professions, media, etc. to be involved in a one on one education program combining classroom style education with individual training. Each month JB University will host a live webinar attended only by JB University students where topics and discussions are left open and to the point. Students can discuss challenges, concerns and questions and our panel of experts weigh in with helpful suggestions, thoughts and actions you can take to improve your program. We've thrown in a ton of extras including quarterly consulting, assignments we grade and review with you, online polls and surveys about YOUR questions and thoughts...and so much more. We are very excited to have the opportunity to do something no other agency is doing right now...educating and empowering the travel industry to rise above the times and build the strongest marketing strategies seen so far this decade. Our first webinar is March 2nd. Don't miss this exciting start to a program everyone is buzzing about. It's well worth it. www.jenniferbarbee.com/jbu 

Evolution of "Web 2.0"

Is there anything we can't do online anymore? After reading a very interesting article today about how much of our time spent and activities are done online, I began to think...what does all this movement to the web mean for things we are all used to...like cable television, our video game systems, etc. Like many other people I know, I watch almost everything that most of you see on television, online. Network cable shows, news, commercials, etc. I see it all on my computer screen, not my flatscreen. What does that mean for cable television companies? Satellite TV companies have been feeling the shift of the "digital" evolution for a few years now. We predict cable companies will be next. What does this mean for us marketers? More areas of promotion for our clients and brands...more video...means more need for rich media and video inspired ads. Your typical banners are no more. Video and live stream is the new wave of the digital evolution. 

Speaking at the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association

The thing I love about the South is that adversity doesn’t define us, it ignites us.  The conference in Louisiana last week was focused on educating the industry about the economy, it’s impact on their business, tourists and the community.  With such a sobering topic, and people (rightfully) concerned about firming tourism strategy in the near and long term, you’d have thought that “buckle down” would have been the theme.  Not at all, quite the opposite, tourism professionals were openly sharing ideas and challenges and creating some of the most innovative approaches to marketing.  My session was an overview of Web Marketing, and the specific impact of different mediums.  As has been the trend this year, the section on Social Marketing Strategy was the hottest topic.  Louisiana has a unique set of tourism product, and the culture is richly enhanced with Social Groups online.   I was delighted to find attendees “Twitter” me after the seminar.   It’s super gratifying to help others understand the web, it’s impact and how to utilize the tools. 

To my Louisiana peeps:  Keep Tweeting!

Oops...What a Careless Tweet Can Lead To

In a very public display of careless mini-blogging, Ketchum VP James Andrews did what all social marketers avoid first and foremost...insulting a client, or anyone for that matter on his Twitter account. There is a very fine line to voicing your opinion socially which is what this social phenomenon is about and causing a press circus by writing one sentence of pure careless thought. 

http://industry.bnet.com/advertising/1000525/worst-twitter-post-ever-ketchum-exec-insults-fedex-client-on-mini-blog/

Social marketing is THE form of marketing this year that has already taken the online marketing industry by storm. Organizations around the world are chomping at the bit to understand how they get themselves socially interactive. As an agency that markets socially everyday, we see common mistakes in being too candid and forgetting that in being brutally honest, you may not only be hurting yourself but hurting the business and brand you represent. Just as we say "think before you speak"..."think before you post".  Didn't his mama ever tell him if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all?? Of course, for consumers it's a completely different story. We look for the negative, what to watch out for, what hotels to avoid...this is where those negative comments belong. Where they are considered useful peices of information to other consumers. So if you happen to be a social marketer and socially active consumer, our suggestion would be to save the negative destination posts for sites that cater to consumer ratings and testimonials. Because in the end, we are all consumers too, right?? Please don't mix business with pleasure unless it's NICE, friends.

It's Time to Pull Out the BIG Ideas "Right Brain" Thinkers

We're all combing through our great ideas and how we make them shine this year. Where is that big idea that your peers said was 'too far off' and 'too creative' last year? It's time to pull it back out of the hat.

We 'Right Brain' thinkers come up with ideas all day long but many don't come to fruition...why? We know the end product in our minds, but how do we get there? Where are the high tech developers that can make this happen? Our suggestion is to find them and put them to work. Don't let 2009 be the year your great 2008 idea shows up...on someone elses campaign. :)

We right brainers need to find our equal left brain pairs and bring some magic to this industry this year. The great teams of our industry are equal in right brain/left brain numbers. The fun part of developing such a team is finding out who are the rights and lefts of your team. Take some of these fun quizzes to find out who your team is made up of.

• http://www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm
• http://www.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm
• http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi?q=right_brain_left_brain_2

If you are a Right Brain, send these links to your left brain counterparts because we all know Right Brains don't take very well to following directions and analyzing the result. :)

Have Fun and Be Creative. Until next time...

Jennifer Barbee’s Hot or Not: 2009 Digital Marketing

Whew! 2008 was a crazy year in digital marketing. Just as sites are starting to crawl to Web 2.0, the web community threw fuel on the fire and Social was on everyone’s lips. In 2008, over 5,700 books were published on the topics of communicating in the new media, social marketing and word-of-mouth brands. Every major ad journal and sales magazine supports daily articles and research to new/open branding and over 38 million websites compete for the readers of the same topic. With 2008 came a tsunami of social networks and research that said “Do This!”, “Be Here!”…yet we barely had time to read the last article before the next one exploded on Google!


As a company and a group of professionals in this amazingly large industry we are excited for what 2009 will unveil. It’s a new land of possibilities and we all need to grab as many as we can hold and run fast…real fast..fast as a speeding internet connection.


So, here it is -- a “geek chic” list of what we have found to be the hottest opportunities for 2009. Let the trending begin.

What’s Out and What’s In

OUT = Developed Proprietary Software
IN = Open Source Software

OUT = Flogging
IN = Inspired Influencers

OUT = Finding Friends
IN = Becoming a Fan

OUT = eNewsletters
IN = Blogs & Feeds

OUT = Receptionists
IN = PhoneVite

OUT = Banner Advertisements
IN = Video Advertisements

OUT = MySpace
IN = FaceBook

OUT = MapQuest
IN = Google Mapplets

OUT = Portals
IN = Partner Blogs

OUT = Outsourcing
IN = Empowering

OUT = B2B
IN = U2B (User to Business)

OUT = Brand Management
IN = Brand Evangelism

OUT = Counting Web Visits
IN = Measuring Popularity and Impact