Years ago online activity was static and simple. People visited websites and then emailed the address at the bottom of the page for further interaction.
How we use the internet now is very different and dynamic, with online interaction increasingly transferring to social network sites.

In the era of social media businesses are constantly advised on how best to establish a presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and other networks. Experts insist that in this day and age no business can afford to neglect their social media strategy because of the nearly limitless possibilities for reaching consumers and liaising with other businesses.

Of course this is correct. But be wary of losing yourself in a frenzy of company blogging and company twitter feed updating at the expense of maintaining what is still the most stable and important part of your business’s web presence – your own website. Vibrantly engaging with consumers, participating in online conversations, and convincing people to click on your links are worthless pursuits if there’s nothing exciting waiting at your website.

There are many shady SEOs out there; we call these guys Snake Oil salesmen because they’re scammers who would sell their own grandmothers given half a chance.

These are the guys who offer “Guaranteed” first page listings in a ridiculously short period of time. They target small businesses that don’t have a huge budget and are easily sucked into the vortex of deception. Of course, it’s not only small businesses that get approached, but these are the guys who will feel the impact most.

Whatever means these SEOs use to achieve rankings and deliver promised traffic, they cannot be ethical. At the end of the day, many small business owners don’t know any better, all they really know about SEO is what these conmen have sold him. Promises of great traffic and impressive listings, and they are sold. These are the bandits that give us ethical SEOs a really bad name and they must be stopped.

Viral marketing has proven to be very successful for many online companies, so long as they get it right. That`s the trick though: to get it right. There are many reasons why viral marketing can sometimes hit the mark, and will at other times slither into underground territory where no one takes any notice of it. Finding the right playing field can be tricky, but once you`ve correctly targeted and researched your market, your viral campaign should be set to go. Only the right target market will catch on to the intent of the campaign, so double check that you are distributing/introducing it into the appropriate social community.

Creating a thriving presence online among an array of social media sites can be taxing on your time and resources. There are so many choices out there that it can become confusing when deciding on which platform/s you want to create your profile, and with which communities you want to get involved. It`s best to keep your number of profiles down to two or three. This is because you want to be able to dedicate your focus, valuable resources and opinions to only a few areas, as opposed to spreading yourself across as many sites as possible.

Profile management is all good and well provided that you participate in your chosen communities regularly and keep your profile updated with relevant information. Many people start off with great enthusiasm for the first few weeks and then slowly drift into hibernation, until they can once again dedicate some of their time to participating on their community platform. If this is going to be the case, then you are probably better off not having a profile at all. In order for your profile to work to your benefit, you need to manage it properly and effectively to maximize the advantages of your brand and reputation.

If you answered yes to the question, then this is a necessary read that contains some helpful resources for healing the damaging effects of bad press. I came across an article by Jeff Quipp on the Search Engine People Blog, which discussed burying negative posts that may have surfaced online about you or your company. It lists an extensive array of sites that can be used to your advantage when building up profiles on various online platforms in order to detract attention from the actual negative article that is being circulated, and to push it off the first results page. Removing negative press from the first page of the SERPs can be an exhausting process, but it`s worth it in the end as it could well save your reputation.

I want to talk about monetised destination sites that have fluid user experience, and that reel in the absolute ceiling in conversions. What`s interesting is that even if the site/action/services are complicated, the structure and feel of the site makes short work of them.

It`s not unusual to order something online – book a flight in South Africa, find a book that`s actually in stock, ask for more details on a number of services – and for it to be a struggle. Immediately I think that the company in question doesn`t particularly care about their reputation or about the sale; it`s the equivalent of walking into a store and being ignored by a shopkeeper, and then treated to a grudging exchange of my money for their product. The point is, as Read Write Web so eloquently states, “Users perceive all elements of the service (online) as the service itself (offline).” Which, I`d say, also goes for the company`s brand, no matter on whose platform it appears. If I have a difficult time finding information on Facebook about a company that has a brand as its avatar, I`m still going to associate that user experience with the company`s services; as illogical as that may be.

There are many ways in which to promote your brand online, but it is vital that you find the way most beneficial to your site. Ensuring that your brand is being promoted through the right channels, and in a positive light, can make or break your company`s reputation and status. There are many routes you can take in order to spread your brand across the net and get people talking about your company. One of the ways in which to achieve this is to get a free ride in on the tails of the big guns. It`s only free if you do it right though.

I came across a very intriguing article that talked about the 15 Internet sites that can make or break your brand. It`s a very interesting read and I recommend that everyone who is trying to promote their company`s name to the next level of exposure use this information for the betterment of their brand. The article mentions some of the most influential websites on the net that can have a delightful or tragic effect on new and old brands in the marketplace.

Over the past three weeks I`ve been thinking about how print journalists, advertisers and PRs have made the cross into cyberspace, and wondered about the problems they`re encountering. I read this article (I wish I could say stumbled upon this article, but I think that the phrase is taken), which explores various women`s presence on the Internet. It implies that the online communities run by women resemble their print glossies, with mommy bloggers and weight-loss bloggers and Sex and the City-type chicks attracting generous traffic volumes, and both representing and dictating what women read and think about online. I`d add that in response to these communities, bloggers like Violent Acres, Greta Christina and College Call Girl also attract large volumes of readers who react with antipathy to the latest hairdos-type discourses.

In order for a particular process or trusted solution to take on a new direction, it is essential that a leader step forward, someone who will guide the necessary changes along a successful course. Online marketing, in particular, often encounters episodes of criticism where participants voice their concerns about the industry. However, instead of making the required effort that is needed to resolve the problem, very few of these participants ever do anything besides complain about the shortcomings they`ve come across.

Humans were born to complain, it`s ingrained in our systems. Subconsciously we know that in order for change to occur, someone needs to speak up about it. This usually results in an accumulation of concerns, which ideally leads to someone taking action to ensure that a change is made and the problem is transformed into a solution. The majority of the time, however, everyone sits back and waits for someone else to make the change on their behalf. In order for change to be effected, there needs to be a strong standing of people willing to enforce it. Without a leader to guide the group, the transformation is often given up or surrendered due to lack of encouragement or support.

A corporate blog can be a potent business tool for many companies, as long as effort is made to keep it up to date and relevant. A corporate blog can act as that vital connection between the organisation and the public (especially if it is an international org.), as well as a portal of views and advice on the particular industry or services offered.

With blogs being rather easy to setup, many companies have invested their time, knowledge and commitment to corporate blogs. But a major concern is how long they will last in today`s demanding working world? For most people, the working day is already pretty full, crammed with new assignments, meeting after meeting, and business travel etc. Without being specifically assigned to the blog (sometimes even when they are), many corporate members move it to the bottom of their to-do list, and the task often gets forgotten.