MediaVision Blog » Online PR

Don’t forget your website!

Catherine — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:51:32 +0000

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.

Social media are a means to the end of drawing potential customers to your website, essentially the headquarters of your online operations. Blog and tweet your heart out but don’t forget to keep cohesion with your website, which must stay fresh and updated. As your business evolves, so should your website, so always include new products, promotions or major company news.

Your home page needs to make an impression. Remember that it takes mere seconds for a user to decide whether to exit a site immediately or stay and look around. The general appearance, design and layout of your home page are just as important as the copy on it in communicating information about your brand.

Your home page should tell users straightforwardly what you do, subtly how well you do it, and simply direct them where to go next. After the Home page the About and Contact pages are most important so details on these should always be accurate and up to date. In terms of SEO it is also good to ensure that copy on your website is optimised for commonly searched phrases, and that content is grouped on clearly arranged and easily navigable pages.

When thinking about your business’s online presence conversation on social media networks is crucial, but don’t forget your general housekeeping duties to keep your website clean and healthy.

Don’t forget your website!

Protect and empower – Snake oil salesmen can be stopped.

Katia Pereria — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:38:17 +0000

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.

So what can we do, you ask?

Agreed, these “guarantees” are very tempting. According to a blog post by Rishil on SEO Moz, the only way around this is to ensure that you have measures in place to protect your current clients and ensure that you empower and enlighten all new clients.

These are interesting observations, and I tend to agree. The argument goes as follows:

As ethical SEOs, we need to protect our clients by empowering and educating them. When a client receives a fluffy email from a shady SEO (this will happen often) that promises them 1st page glory within a matter of days, we need to make sure that that she or he is aware of the SEO processes and elements that make such guarantees virtually impossible. If something sounds too good to be true… it is!

If we have done our job properly, our clients should have some knowledge of basic SEO. Enough to know when there are fundamental SEO issues at play. Make sure that they know what all the essential processes involved are and how critical it is not to miss a beat. Taking all this into consideration, once clients examine the validity of what conmen are saying, the facts will speak for themselves. They will realise soon enough that it is a scam and that there is no quick way to get these kinds of results. To prove the point further, ensure you always use Google webmaster guidelines as a reference to back up your claims.

I use this tactic for several different questions that clients may have, and nothing works better because the guidelines provide solid, factual information directly from the horse’s mouth. There is a wealth of information available to everyone and nothing dissolves doubt faster than hard facts. Take this SEO Definition by Google for example:

Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue. Amazingly, we get these spam emails too: “Dear Google.com, I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories…” Reserve the same skepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as you do for “burn fat at night” diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed dictators. No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.

On the other side of the fence, we have all seen potential new clients who are mystified and delighted by these black magic types. These clients have been promised all the riches in the land, with guarantees to boost. The best way forward is to ask them the very same questions that you asked your clients. By educating and enlightening them you will not only earn a great deal of respect, but you will also be one step closer to eradicating these conmen from the world.

It’s all about complete transparency and truth; don’t beat around the bush and always keep the client in the loop; this is a principle that we at MediaVision believe is the most import of all. If we empower all clients to distinguish between ethical and shady SEO, then half our job is done.

At the end of the day, there is nothing more impressive than a solid track record of ethical practices, transparency with all existing and potential clients, empowerment, training and communication. All this, backed up by a comprehensive strategy and realistic targets, and you have all the ingredients needed to succeed as an ethical SEO agency, because good can prevail over evil.

Protect and empower – Snake oil salesmen can be stopped.

Why go Viral?

Kim Gordon — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:15:23 +0000

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.

According to Mat Siltala of 97th Floor, a viral campaign all comes together once you have found the right audience, a valuable piece of content, a good idea or catch phrase, done some networking and turned it into a whole lot of serious fun. Now this all sounds rather simple, but once you put it into practice, things can get fairly complicated. The most difficult step of this process, I believe, is coming up with that unforgettable catch phrase associated to your brand, which is really going to grab the attention of your target audience and encourage them to spread it like wild fire.

The campaign should flourish through a curiosity for the subject matter, thus emphasising the importance of getting the right target market involved. Without them, the campaign may go no where, as only interested parties will pass it on and make it go ‘viral`.

One of the factors driving people to send ‘viral` content to their friends/colleagues/family members is the ‘they might miss it` scenario, discussed by Dan Zarrella. He explains that people tend to forward on links and articles of interest (with viral tendency) because they think their friends may not receive it otherwise, and could potentially be uninformed regarding certain important issues, or some really amusing videos.

Ultimately, viral marketing will either work for your brand, or it won`t. Having the right team on the job definitely helps, as the viral piece needs to be worth spreading and must attract enough attention to create a buzz around the product, service, or preferably the company`s brand. Participation in online social communities will build the basis for the essential mass exposure of the campaign, and could, in due course, create a database for sharing other virally popular marketing operations.

Why go Viral?

Make the most of your online profile management

Kim Gordon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:02:52 +0000

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.

Ann Smarty recently wrote a rather informative article about creating a strategy to manage your online profile. It lists some useful sites such as Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Namyz and Spock, which she has categorized in such a way as to display their individual potential for outbound links and their ranking ability on Google. She also includes some helpful hints on how you can get your profile pages to rank in the Google SERPs by using various forms of effective promotion. However, she states that sites she has recommended, “are all general (no niche-specific ones)” and that she included services designed for creating personal online pages. She didn`t include various social bookmarking sites and social networking sites, which can also be very effective, but serve different purposes.

Online Reputation Management (ORM) is a valuable skill to have. It can be made a whole lot easier by simply being in control of what is said about you online and, ultimately, ensuring that the profiles you have setup are constantly updated and are being used wisely. Don`t be foolish by creating many profiles and then letting them go unattended. It only reflects badly on you when your outdated profile is sending out the wrong message. As the saying goes, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.

Make the most of your online profile management

Ever had a piece of bad press circulated online about you or your company?

Kim Gordon — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:01:02 +0000

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.

Online Reputation Management (ORM) is becoming a much sought after profession these days. The internet has turned into one of the most valued sources of news and information. It is accessible twenty four hours a day with, a world of sites to choose from. The search engines can turn into your worst enemies if you are the subject of a rather juicy news story. It is not uncommon for individuals, and large corporations, to find their most recent mishap published at the top of the first results page, for all to see.

Once your name is portrayed in such a negative light, it is vital for the sake of your reputation that you make every effort to hide the story. The best way to do this is by getting it bumped down the first page through the creation of profiles that contain the same name, on platforms that have a degree of online strength behind them. Ideally, this will result in the profiles slowly ranking higher than the damaging story, thereby moving it off the first page and onto the second, where the chances of it being read are relatively low, as most people don`t venture beyond the first page.

Another helpful read, which is tied to the first, is “how to bury negative online mentions of you”. It explains the steps you need to take to combat bad press on your own.

So, if you become the victim of bad press, and your only alternative is to manage it yourself, I suggest that you follow the steps outlined in the articles above. They will stand you in good stead as you try to salvage your reputation, at the very least, they will increase the chances of you surviving the incident relatively unscathed.

Ever had a piece of bad press circulated online about you or your company?

Their experience is part of your service

Caitlin Smythe — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:22:42 +0000

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.

So, going back to the monetised destination site: it`s extremely valuable if you get it right. I think the extrapolation of that counts, i.e. the more platforms you`re able to create optimum user experience on, the higher your traffic/income. I`m no teccie; I admit that freely. But I understand the thesis that any service that is transactional or advertising-driven, will benefit from appearing on a number of interfaces or platforms. And if you have the resources, the energy and the ambition, you have no excuse but to do whatever it takes to reach the audiences that reside on those platforms. And that does not mean over-optimisation, content duplication and generally sucking at SEO.

I think it`s important to keep a tight leash on your brand and who has access to write/speak/appear under it. At the same time, it`s important to channel your efforts wholly into a select few potent platforms, as opposed to a number of “lucky dip” popular social media platforms. Just as fire`s fickle friend is destined only to be ash, so will social media`s careless users. So which platforms are the best to use? It depends who you are and what you want for your business on the web. Create a strategy for each platform and assign management, development and testing to it, as you would any traditional advertising venture, and you`ll succeed. Just remember that each time someone finds you online, it`s as if they`ve walked into your flagship premises, and it`s best to be approachable.

Their experience is part of your service

Getting your brand promoted to the next level

Kim Gordon — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:32:54 +0000

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.

To rattle off a few of the big names that are mentioned, Google (no one can deny their influence on consumers), YouTube, Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook, Digg, Amazon (strangely enough) and Twitter, all act as platforms for businesses to either use to their advantage, or become vulnerable for slaughter by the online cavalry. When you think about it, the little guys (your local services directory, private travel company, homemade furniture shop, and neighbourhood B&B) are like the infantry in an unfair battle with the cavalry (Google, Thompsons Travel, Joshua Doore, and Hilton Hotels).

If you are wise, you will utilise the power of these established brands to move a step up, whether it is by submitting an unusual video on YouTube, or making sure that Oprah reads your first novel and loves it. There are various ways to go about positively exploiting these larger brands` power over the consumer market. You just need to find the most appropriate one for you and your brand.

The important thing is to know where you want to take your brand and what kind of name you are building for it. In the online world, one false move forward can mean three steps back. And news travels fast these days, so step carefully.

Getting your brand promoted to the next level

Do you care if your favourite blogger is a lady?

Caitlin Smythe — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:22:54 +0000

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.

Caterina Fake, one of the founders of Flickr.com who has been in the news lately, surprised me by saying, “It is a rule of Web development that if you want a vital community, it has to start with women. It is just a higher level of discourse and behavior. If a site starts male, it stays male.” If I`m reading her correctly (and I may be doing so out of context), she`s implying that an essential, animated or alive community needs to be spearheaded by women in order for it to integrate genders. This comes from a woman who co-founded her incredible photo-sharing website in collaboration with her husband. For me, a site that represents a “higher level of discourse and behavior” would be Reddit. Apologies if you disagree, but to my mind, Reddit`s quirky humour, bizarre news and political debate creates a community that I can understand, interact with and gain knowledge from. Yet, the site was begun by men, and in this reddit poll, 86% of its contributors are male.

I don`t want to get lost in a gender debate, or to shoot my mouth off about feminism or any of those tricky concepts. Bear in mind also, that my country of origin is behind others in its embrace of online business and interaction, and so the people I see and speak to are surprised when I, a girl, know what Python is and can sing “Never Gonna Give You Up” at parties.

Putting that aside, I am your typical girl online who thirsts for what Fake dubs a “higher level of discourse and behaviour”, and the majority of the communities I interact within and the sites that I read are occupied by and run by men. In many, many cases I feel proud of a woman`s contribution to publishing online. But I don`t think that those sites which are dreamt up and put into practice by women all offer crucial content, and I don`t think that there are enough women online to convert a site that “began male” into a balanced readership. It has nothing to do with which sex thought up the great ideas. I think the difference lies in who is there to interact with them.

Do you care if your favourite blogger is a lady?

Only inspired online leaders can trigger industry changes

Kim Gordon — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:20:04 +0000

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.

Change can either be an impressive event or it can go unnoticed by the masses. Change can bring about any number of circumstances, good and bad. It can mean the end of an era or the declaration of war. Change could save a nation or change the world. The palpable power of change is a very impressive thing.

A fundamental element of triumphant change is the guidance and support of a strong leader. There are many examples of strong leaders across the globe, Nelson Mandela, for instance, as well as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Mother Theresa. All of these legendary leaders had the inspiration they needed to take on an important role in society and to enforce immeasurable progression in all aspects of life, while changing our perceptions of the world and the way we live in it.

Every industry has its own heroes, those who have taken a stand and enforced change for the betterment of its people. Online marketing is no different. We also require people to come together in order to make the changes that we complain about. So stand up and have your say, don`t back down because you think you may be the only one. It`s more than likely that there are thousands out there waiting for someone else to start the movement of change. As Gandhi said, ‘Be the change that you want to see in the world`, or in our case, that you want to see online.

Only inspired online leaders can trigger industry changes

Is your corporate blog on a downward slide?

Kim Gordon — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:44:37 +0000

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.

Keeping the company`s blog regularly updated is not an easy task, it is often too much for one person to handle, unless that is their only function, but even then it can become tedious. Many experts say that it is better to have numerous members of the company contribute towards the blog on a regular basis, so that fresh content is submitted on a regular basis, and it remains appealing for industry peers and consumers.

According to Lee Odden of Toprankblog.com, there are five reasons why corporate blogs fail:
• Not planning key objectives for your blog

• Having unrealistic expectations and failing to allocate resources effectively

• Not sourcing enough content for the long term can hinder your blog`s versatility

• Having only one person contribute restricts the free flow of ideas and limits the number of newsworthy topics that you can cover.

• Not having any feedback mechanisms (for example, analytics), which would allow you to access vital information that could contribute to effectively intertwining the blog with other components of the marketing plan, and ultimately reinforce the corporate message and brand.

The final point that Odden makes is that companies often think that they can setup and manage the blog successfully on their own. This misconception is often unmasked a few months into the blog, when things start to die down and new ideas begin to run low. Soon enough the last post appears to have been made over a month ago. It is never a bad move to call in an experienced consultant to provide strategic and tactical insight into what is necessary to make your blog a success.

Blogging is not an easy job to master, to some it may come naturally, but to most it is a challenge to have to churn out worthy news every day/week/month. However, the benefits of having a blog are often well worth the effort. It is a way of developing relationships with customers, and reaching a larger potential market than you would with only a corporate website. But to ensure it produces benefits for the company, proper and consistent management of the blog needs to be firmly established.

Is your corporate blog on a downward slide?