Tag: google+

Why Classic Public Relations is the Future of Digital Marketing
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PR and digital marketingWe’ve always touted the importance of content. It’s not about what you say, but the content’s quality.

To underscore our point, Google’s recent change in its Search Engine Optimization (SEO) algorithm rewards social media links and quality content. The evolution of SEO makes a good case for traditional public relations (PR) in marketing.

Google wants sites to be rife with high-quality content that users will want to use and share. That’s where PR comes in. It can deliver consistently valuable content that appeals to target audiences. PR professionals can create good content, engage with influencers and devise a social networking strategy.

Traditional PR knows how to emphasize the interesting aspects of a business and craft an appropriate profile to engage with and engender trust with its audience. This can include handling media relations, corporate communications, and managing events through blogger outreach and social media.

Classic PR tactics can earn coverage from reputable news sites.  This can lead to a company’s website to gain inbound links, upping their SEO factor. Online and offline activities complement one another. If you’ve been mentioned in traditional media, bolster that by providing the content online as well.

PR is about quality, not quantity. Digital marketers should follow their lead. Build long-term relationships with both online and offline sources, such as bloggers and journalists who will give you coverage many times.

Websites see a spike in viewers after a traditional PR campaign is kicked off, like a newsletter or event. A regular review of your company’s PR strategy is key to succeeding digitally.

Try it. Let us know the results.

How Google, eBay, and Adobe are Working to Save Water During California’s Drought
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california droughtWe continue to tout the importance of energy and water conservation. The plight of Californians is but an example of the necessity for all of us to find ways to rethink and reuse our precious natural resources.

California’s severe drought has spurred Google, Adobe and eBay to find new ways to reduce water consumption.

Google is considering “urinal cakes” which contain enzymes that calcify urine so toilets only need to be flushed a few times each day, saving close to 500,000 gallons of water each year. Google is also looking to reduce water used in its landscaping by grouping plants with similar water needs together and installing sensors to monitor irrigation. Last year, their water recycling practice saved 9 million gallons of water.

ebay began recycling water on parts of its campus landscaping in 2013, also saving 9 million gallons of water that year. eBay has in place smart irrigation systems that respond to weather changes.

Adobe has cut water usage in its San Francisco Bay Area buildings by 62 percent since 2000 by using low-flow faucets and waterless urinals. Planting native drought-resistant plants and drip irrigation systems contributed to their water use reduction. Adobe is also researching ways to use recycled water for its cooling systems and is looking into ways to recapture rain water and reclaim their own waste water.

More than 120 California-based companies signed the “Climate Declaration,” a business leaders’ call-to-action that asks federal and state policymakers to address climate change as an economic opportunity.

We can applaud Google, eBay and Adobe, but we can also look in our own backyards for ways to conserve. Save the rainwater and reuse it to water indoor plants, wash automobiles and laundry. Ask your local hardware stores or government if they have rain barrels for that purpose.

Can you think a few?

How the the New YouTube Comment Policy Affects Businesses
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youtubeSince everyone has an opinion, I like to read what’s on their mind. There are times, however, when I am shocked, surprised, disappointed and in awe of what people have posted in many comments sections.

Google, which owns YouTube, recently took steps to control viewers’ comments. This move makes YouTube a more positive environment for businesses.

According to the new policy, users must open a Google+ account in order to leave comments. While there has been some backlash due to some brands experiencing fewer comments, the policy is still positive.

Mean-spirited comments proliferate with the wholly anonymous nature of postings. YouTube experienced the most negativity, ahead of blogs but behind sites like Tumblr, according to a report from Adobe.
Some negative YouTube commentors terrorized many brands’ campaigns.  Companies then shied away from the platform as a result.

YouTube expects the new policy to bring companies back to their platform to promote their goods and services. To get the most out of YouTube, businesses need to engage with their audience and a friendlier comment culture will make it much easier. Negative commentors who often spurred more negative comments are less likely to sound off without total anonymity.  When they don’t have a platform to spew their negativity, brands can focus on their genuine fans.

What Constitutes Content Marketing?
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content marketingWhile nearly 60 percent of businesses use at least one form of content marketing, many do not understand exactly what that can include—and its possibilities. Avenues to reach your audience grow at a rapid pace. New social media platforms are debuting almost daily. But apart from social media, content marketing includes other ways for businesses to reach out.

Content marketing is a part of a marketing strategy but can be defined more precisely as existing outside of marketing collateral, such as websites and brochures.

Here’s what it can include:

  • email marketing campaigns and newsletters
  • company blogs, which may include guest posts
  • books
  • slide presentations (Powerpoint, Google docs, Mac Keynote)
  • podcasts
  • video and micro-video (Vine)
  • social media: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google+, Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, to name just a few
  • webinars
  • live presentations
  • white papers

Is your business using any of the above? You don’t have to use everything listed, however a good marketing plan will pinpoint which ones will work best for you to reach out and build your audience.

If you’re not sure what will work for your company, reach out to us. We’re here to “make you more visible.”

Why NASA Landed on Instagram
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nasa instagram accountIn order to expand its audience, The National Aeronautics and  Space Administration (NASA) recently landed on the photo sharing site Instagram.

NASA’s image content will include Earth science, aeronautics, spaceflight, astrophysics, and historic photos as well as video.

The first day on Instagram, NASA featured the launch of its Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, a robotic research mission that will orbit the moon. Instagram is a good fit for the space agency with its rich visuals of space and the Earth. Their followers grew rapidly, to 32,000 within minutes of its first post.

NASA also uses social platforms Google+, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, Reddit and Flickr to tell their story. When Instagram tweeted to welcome NASA to its site, within one day it had been retweeted 1,000 times and 500 had given it a “favorite.” NASA had over 4.7 million Twitter followers, more than any other federal agency.

As NASA uses social media to reach a different demographic, other marketers can learn from their Instagram experience and adopt similar practices.

Can you think of ways you can use this growing social media tool? Whether you’re a construction or utility  company an academic institution or health care  agency, there are many ways to tell your story through pictures.

 

Creating and Customizing Your Google+ Company Page
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Google+ is becoming a very popular tool for individuals and businesses. If you don’t have a company page on Google+, this video is just right for you. Developed by Hootsuite University, the video is the second part in a series that breaks down the fundamentals of Google Plus for business and will guide you through setting up your page in four easy steps.

http://youtu.be/7rwJ_tYhFsg

After watching, check out some of the other useful videos Hootsuite has that can help you with your online presence.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink!
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Remember your Mom’s pocketbook? Most people call it a purse, but I think the older generation still refer to it as a pocketbook. My mom had everything but the kitchen sink in there! Tissues, gum, makeup, candy, mirrors, combs & brushes, nail file, sewing kit, pocket knife, pictures…you name it…it was in there. As I recall, they were much smaller than the ones we now carry!

While perusing the Internet, I came across a product called “Pocket.” It is actually a product by Get Pocket. How does it work? It reminds me of my mother’s pocketbook.

Sometimes while perusing the Internet, you may come across many stories you’d like to read or products you may want to buy. Maybe you’re in a rush and you just don’t have time at that moment. Using bookmarks or favorites in your browser used to be the way to go, but there really isn’t a clear way to define what it is or why you even thought to save it.

With Pocket, you add a bookmarklet in your browser. When you come across areas you want to revisit, you click your bookmarklet and it will save to your own Pocket (or Pocketbook as I keep referring to it. Using Pocket makes it so much easier to see everything at a glance and it’s easy to remember why it is saved it in the first place.

So, if you are as busy as I am and you don’t have a lot of time… go to Get Pocket and install it on your computer or mobile device. I am sure that once you start using it, you won’t want to live without it.

64 Google+ Content Strategies [Infographic]
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As I was reviewing some of my bookmarks, I came across a blog written by Maria Peagler, founder of SocialMediaOnlineClasses.com and an award-winning publisher and author, who had written this article for Copyblogger back in February. I don’t know how I missed sharing this, but it’s never too late to share.

In this article she expands her discussion on a few of her favorites from this list. You can read them here – http://www.copyblogger.com/google-plus-content-strategies/. Below is an Infographic that breaks down Google+ into areas you can use to create your own branding strategies.

64 Google+ Content Strategies [Infographic]

Like this infographic? Grab a proven framework for content marketing that works from Copyblogger.

I hope you will find this useful. If you have a chance, please let me know how it works for you.

Google+: What’s New and Why You Should Use It
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It seems that the mediums for sharing information will never end. There is, and probably always will be, a way for you to connect to anyone, anytime and anywhere.

Are you familiar with Google+?

Google+ has a fresh new look. Looking at it – it reminds me a little bit of Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter all rolled into one. PR Daily wrote an excellent breakdown of some of the changes to the Google+ platform. A few of the items noted that I particularly find interesting include:

#3 – Infographics will display in a nearly useful size at full length in the new layout. The estimated dimensions are 503 × 930 for desktop viewing. An influx of infographic posts is likely. Keep an eye on ensuring readability.

#7 – A Hangout is now any form of group communication. This can include Video Call, Group Chat or Group Calling. This new feature means many messaging and calling products can now merge.

#8 – Google has released a standalone Hangout app that replaces Google Chat and allows for text and video chat across Android, iOS, and Chrome.

#12 – YouTube expands its live-streaming feature to all channels with more than 1,000 subscribers.

Some of these can prove very useful when communicating with business colleagues, family and friends. No need to set up multiple accounts with different service providers – you have one-stop shopping right inside Google+.

To view the entire lis , go here (http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/19_things_you_need_to_know_about_the_NewGooglePlus_14559.aspx. You may find you have more favorites that I did!

How Google Hangout+ Can Help Your Business
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We’re busy people. Sometimes we just cannot fit enough business hours into our days to accomplish our goals. Not to mention, how difficult it is to coordinate meeting schedules with more than four or more people.

Google Hangouts lets users connect and communicate with colleagues in multi-user video rooms. Users might use Hangouts to hold a business meeting, discuss a particular “hot topic” or pressing issue, or just have a multi-user video chat.

Hangouts are limited to 10 video conference participants, with no time limit. You can also use Hangouts On Air to broadcast a hangout to many more people. There is still a limit of 10 active participants. If you activate Google+ premium features, the limit increases to 15 participants for both Hangouts and Hangouts On Air.

What’s more impressive, when team members are scattered, Hangouts includes built-in productivity apps (like Google Drive) that improve team collaboration. Your team can make last-minute changes to an important presentation, get live input on your analysis from remote team members, or even plan the company holiday party.

Following are a few features:

Chat Face-to-Face

Seeing someone’s face can make all the difference. Catch up with everyone from your computer, phone or tablet device.

Host Virtual Meetings

Complete work faster in virtual meetings with powerful tools like screen sharing and Google Drive collaboration.

Sharing Presentations

Hangouts let you share your computer screen so other people in the hangout can it. You can choose to share any open window on your computer. You can also share Google Drive files and collaborate to write meeting notes or draw on a shared whiteboard.

Broadcast to the world

Go live in front of a global audience, whether you’re an aspiring artist, a global celebrity or a concerned citizen. See examples.

Here is just one example of using Google Hangouts hosted by Entrepreneur Magazine with Guest from the hit show “Shark Tank.”

Google Hangouts is the “next best thing to being there.”  Learn more about it here and let me know what you think… here.

Many  thanks to Media Creations Group for contributing this blog.