The term “-------” represents The term “-------” represents media that users can easily media that users can easily

participate in and contribute to. participate in and contribute to. Forms include blogs, forums, Forms include blogs, forums,

virtual worlds, wikis andvirtual worlds, wikis andsocial networks.social networks.

Social media

Perhaps the biggest difference Perhaps the biggest difference between traditional (legacy) between traditional (legacy)

media (newspapers, television,media (newspapers, television,radio, books, etc.) and social radio, books, etc.) and social

media is the ---- and ---- nature media is the ---- and ---- nature of the social media.of the social media.

Dynamic & flexible

The service noted in the The service noted in the reading and class that is well-reading and class that is well-know for tracking blogs is ---know for tracking blogs is ---

Technorati

Traditional marketers are Traditional marketers are accustomed to carefully honing accustomed to carefully honing messages, allowing for control, messages, allowing for control,

but difficult & costly ---- of but difficult & costly ---- of results. With social media, results. With social media,

control is shared with ---, and control is shared with ---, and feedback becomes immediate.feedback becomes immediate.

Measurement / ‘the crowd’ (users)

Early positive cases Mentos candy into Diet CokeMentos candy into Diet Coke Robert Scoble started blogging about Robert Scoble started blogging about

MicrosoftMicrosoft March of the PenguinsMarch of the Penguins ITtoolbox Survey of 400,000 of its ITtoolbox Survey of 400,000 of its

membersmembers P & G ‘beinggirl community’P & G ‘beinggirl community’ Target’s “Dorm Survival Guide”Target’s “Dorm Survival Guide” ““Dell Hell”Dell Hell”

Early blunders

Kryptonite LocksKryptonite Locks GM ‘UGC’ ad for the 2007 Chevrolet GM ‘UGC’ ad for the 2007 Chevrolet

TahoeTahoe ““A Comcast Technician Sleeping on My A Comcast Technician Sleeping on My

Couch”Couch”

Suggestions on social media

Determine and measure goals Determine and measure goals – efforts undertaken should be measured with the efforts undertaken should be measured with the

same scrutiny as traditional marketing efforts.same scrutiny as traditional marketing efforts.– Same issue as traditional mediaSame issue as traditional media

Offer valueOffer value– Don’t Don’t try to apply traditional messaging to an try to apply traditional messaging to an

environment that it doesn’t resonate in. environment that it doesn’t resonate in. (shovelware)(shovelware)

– Take advantage of the ability to interact.Take advantage of the ability to interact.

Suggestions on social media

Consider it a “conversation”Consider it a “conversation”– Walmart failure of “Jim and Laura” traveling Walmart failure of “Jim and Laura” traveling

across the country speaking with employees across the country speaking with employees who all love working for the retailer.who all love working for the retailer.

– ‘‘transparency’transparency’ Recognize the need to experimentRecognize the need to experiment

– Your social media projectYour social media project– Ask for feedback and listen to what customers Ask for feedback and listen to what customers

are telling you. are telling you.

Usability article last week: Web page design & Web page design &

Blog site designBlog site design

Stick to the RulesStick to the Rules BorrowBorrow You are Less Interesting Than you ThinkYou are Less Interesting Than you Think We will not go into detail about html, web We will not go into detail about html, web

page authoring and such (420)page authoring and such (420) We will address WordPress and similarWe will address WordPress and similar

Usability article last week: Breadcrumbs

Use Corresponding LabelsUse Corresponding Labels– Make sure your crumbs are called the same as Make sure your crumbs are called the same as

the corresponding locationthe corresponding location Aid Navigation, don’t replace itAid Navigation, don’t replace it Don’t Link to Current PageDon’t Link to Current Page

Usability article: Tabs

One of the only metaphors from the office One of the only metaphors from the office that work really well on screen. that work really well on screen.

Best to only have one row of them.Best to only have one row of them. Short LabelsShort Labels Clearly indicate which tab is currently Clearly indicate which tab is currently

active; color indication works best.active; color indication works best. Home Page TabHome Page Tab

Usability article: links

One ofOne of

SEOSEO

WordPress blogs and web pagesWordPress blogs and web pages

ContentContent

The only surefire way to great search The only surefire way to great search rankings is to create great, original content. rankings is to create great, original content. Search engines do not need, nor do they Search engines do not need, nor do they reward, duplicate content. reward, duplicate content.

Be focused. Try to have a page dedicated to Be focused. Try to have a page dedicated to each keyword or phrase that you’re trying each keyword or phrase that you’re trying to rank well for. Use your keywords to rank well for. Use your keywords frequently in the body tags of your pages. frequently in the body tags of your pages.

ContentContent

While you should include your keywords While you should include your keywords frequently in the body tags, do not spam a frequently in the body tags, do not spam a page by placing text in the same color as the page by placing text in the same color as the background or hiding keywords in places background or hiding keywords in places that people can’t see. This is a way to get that people can’t see. This is a way to get banned from a search engine or be placed in banned from a search engine or be placed in the supplemental index. the supplemental index.

Page TitlesPage Titles

Page titles are extremely important for both Page titles are extremely important for both SEO and for CTR -- click through rateSEO and for CTR -- click through rate

Page titles should contain no more than 5 Page titles should contain no more than 5 words that are keyword-centric and directly words that are keyword-centric and directly relate to what is on the corresponding page. relate to what is on the corresponding page.

Using more than five words in a page title Using more than five words in a page title dilutes the strength of each word.dilutes the strength of each word.

Place important keywords early in the page Place important keywords early in the page title. The first word receives the highest title. The first word receives the highest reward. reward.

Page TitlesPage Titles

Page titles are extremely important for both Page titles are extremely important for both SEO and for CTR -- click through rateSEO and for CTR -- click through rate

Page titles should contain no more than 5 Page titles should contain no more than 5 words that are keyword-centric and directly words that are keyword-centric and directly relate to what is on the corresponding page. relate to what is on the corresponding page.

Using more than five words in a page title Using more than five words in a page title dilutes the strength of each word.dilutes the strength of each word.

Place important keywords early in the page Place important keywords early in the page title. The first word receives the highest title. The first word receives the highest reward. reward.

URLsURLs Search Engines take into account the names Search Engines take into account the names

of directories and files in each URL where of directories and files in each URL where there is content. Keywords should appear in there is content. Keywords should appear in the directory names and file names. the directory names and file names.

Static URLs rank better than dynamic.Static URLs rank better than dynamic. If you’re going to use multiple words when If you’re going to use multiple words when

naming a file or directory use a hyphen, not naming a file or directory use a hyphen, not an underscore, between the two words. an underscore, between the two words. Google ignores underscores, but views Google ignores underscores, but views hyphens as dividing two distinct words. hyphens as dividing two distinct words.

Two types of URLsTwo types of URLs

A dynamic URL is a page address that A dynamic URL is a page address that results from the search of a database-driven results from the search of a database-driven web site or the URL of a web site that runs web site or the URL of a web site that runs a script. Dynamic URLs are generated a script. Dynamic URLs are generated from specific queries to a site's database. from specific queries to a site's database.

Static URLs - the contents of the web page Static URLs - the contents of the web page stay the same unless the changes are hard-stay the same unless the changes are hard-coded into the HTMLcoded into the HTML

Header TagsHeader Tags

Header tags should be used to let both the Header tags should be used to let both the reader and the search engine know what is reader and the search engine know what is important.important.

There should only be one of each tag per There should only be one of each tag per page, with your most important keyword page, with your most important keyword appearing in the H1 tag and descending appearing in the H1 tag and descending from there in terms of importance. from there in terms of importance.

Link StructureLink Structure

How your pages link to one another is How your pages link to one another is important. important.

Important pages on your site should link to one Important pages on your site should link to one another. If you have your site broken into another. If you have your site broken into distinct sections, the main pages of each section distinct sections, the main pages of each section should link to one another. should link to one another.

Internal LinksInternal Links

Having internal links to pages to and from Having internal links to pages to and from one another is important. Even more one another is important. Even more important is the anchor text used to describe important is the anchor text used to describe that link. that link.

The anchor text of each link should contain The anchor text of each link should contain keywords that relate to what is on the keywords that relate to what is on the following page.following page.

Having a link for a digital camera say Having a link for a digital camera say “Click Here” does less for SEO than a link “Click Here” does less for SEO than a link that says “digital camera”that says “digital camera”

ImagesImages

Search engines cannot “see” what is inside Search engines cannot “see” what is inside an image. Therefore, most search engines an image. Therefore, most search engines have a hard time properly indexing images. have a hard time properly indexing images.

To have images help with search rankings, To have images help with search rankings, use keywords in the filenames and use keywords in the filenames and alternative text in the html to describe the alternative text in the html to describe the image.image.

Also good to use captions near images. Also good to use captions near images.

See more in readingSee more in reading

These are some of the issues you’ll see in These are some of the issues you’ll see in the reading about SEOthe reading about SEO

Social Media in Plain English Personal Branding: What NOT to do What is Branding

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