October 22, 2009
YouTube Lets Marketers Think Global or Act Local at WaWa Hoagiefest
Last week, I mentioned that Americans watch more YouTube videos than they conduct Google searches. Well, Americans aren't alone.
It turns out that 420 million unique visitors every month watch YouTube somewhere around the globe. If YouTube were a nation, it would rank #3 in population -- behind China and India, but ahead of the United States and Indonesia.
The YouTube community has its own quaint expressions, such as "Charlie bit my finger - again!" YouTubers also have their own culture and customs. For example, they share funny views of the "Evolution of Dance."
But I can't tell you how many marketers say, "Yes, yes, that's entertaining. But, how do I harness YouTube to promote my small or medium business?"
So, let me share a case study that show how Wawa's sandwich promotion reached hungry audiences with YouTube marketing.
With 570 stores throughout the mid-Atlantic region, Wawa makes hoagies, which are called subs, heroes, bombers, poor boys, grinders, or rockets in other parts of the country. During the summer of 2009, Wawa decided to kick off its second annual Hoagiefest campaign.
In partnership with their digital agency The Archer Group, Wawa launched Hoagiefest.com, a fully interactive site that combines music, video, and details regarding the summer promotions.
Once the site was up and running, the marketing challenge was raising awareness of Hoagiefest.com and driving engaged users to it efficiently.
To reach this marketing objectives, Wawa and The Archer Group used Google's Content Network. One of the site's in the network is YouTube. Yep, YouTube.
Wawa tested YouTube InVideo ads, which are animated overlays that appear on the bottom 20 percent of a YouTube video. Selecting video content that their target audience would likely watch, Wawa ran InVideo ads along with standard display placements on YouTube.
What were the results? Their campaign:
-- Generated interest and awareness of the Hoagiefest 2009 promotion;
-- Drove over 500,000 unique visitors to the campaign microsite;
-- Received CTRs 500% higher than typical rates from other placements; and
-- Achieved a cost of $7 per hour of site interaction time.
If you are interested in learning more, attend either the YouTube & Video Optimization session at SES Chicago 2009 or the YouTube & Video Optimization session at the Online Marketing Summit.
Posted by Greg Jarboe on October 22, 2009, 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
"The Art of SEO" Isn't a Paint-by-Numbers Kit
The Art of War by Sun Tzu isn't about Chinese pottery and The Art of SEO by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin and Jessie Stricchiola isn't a paint-by-numbers kit.
The Art of SEO is a comprehensive guide to search engine optimization strategies and tactics written by four SEO experts:
-- Eric Enge, the President of SEO consulting firm, Stone Temple Consulting, who is widely recognized as an expert on the topic of SEO.
-- Rand Fishkin, CEO and co-founder of SEOmoz.org, one of the web's most popular portals on the topic of search.
-- Stephan M. Spencer, the founder, President & CEO of the SEO firm Netconcepts.
-- Jessie Stricchiola, the founder of Alchemist Media, Inc., a San Francisco search engine marketing company.
The Art of SEO provides proven guidelines and cutting-edge techniques for planning and executing a comprehensive SEO strategy. The authors clearly explain SEO fundamentals, while correcting many common misconceptions. If you are new to SEO, you'll get a complete and thorough SEO education, as well as an array of effective tactics, from basic to advanced. Seasoned practitioners will find this book useful as a complete reference to SEO best practices.
The chapters on Keyword Research, Developing an SEO-Friendly Website, Creating Link-Worthy Content & Link Marketing, and Tracking Results and Measuring Success are must-reads for anyone interested in mastering search engine optimization.
I interviewed Fishkin on the future of SEO at SES London 2009. He said people are using more social elements and direct methods of getting information rather than using the traditional search engines. Programs such as Yelp, OpenTable for local search, and Kayak, Faircast Live for travel search are examples of this recent development.
Fishkin said people today who want to converse or learn more about social media don't use Google but use such applications as Facebook or Twitter. He also offered his take on the significance of links.
Rand Fishkin, SEOMoz, on the future of SEO in 2009
Fishkin and Enge will both be speaking at SES Chicago 2009. Fishkin will be speaking about "PPC or SEO? The Ultimate Search Marketing Battle" and "Black Hat, White Hat: Does it Really Matter Anymore?" Enge will be speaking about "Duplicate Content & Multiple Site Issues."
Posted by Greg Jarboe on October 22, 2009, 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Search and Apply for Jobs Posted on Twitter via iPhone App
Searching and applying for jobs keeps getting more and more modern. A new iPhone/iPod Touch App allows users to search Twitter for job apps and then apply for them with one-click. The app is appropriately named "Real-Time Jobs" and was developed by WorkDigital, the makers of the web-based TwitterJobSearch.com. (Full disclosure: WorkDigital is partly owned by Incisive Media, parent company of Search Engine Watch.)
The app uses WorkDigital's new technology, which they call QuickPitch. Users can attach an online resume, video or other pitch to respond to jobs found on Twitter.
Bill Fischer, Co Founder of TwitterJobSearch explains the concept behind the app. "By bringing together our real-time search capabilities with our QuickPitch platform, we're aiming to re-invent a job search process that simply requires too much effort." Fischer will be speaking at SES Chicago this December at the Real Time Search Paradigm session. With the increased popularity and implementation of real-time search, that will be a session you won't want to miss.
Real-Time Jobs is available in the iTunes app store for free.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on October 22, 2009, 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
MySpace Has Musical Aspirations, Too
On Wednesday, word broke that Google and Facebook have plans to integrate music into their search and social network respectively. Late on Wednesday came word that MySpace is also pursuing new music offerings.
This is a natural progression for MySpace, which, before it became huge, was a hub for indie musicians. Their social network boom came and went, and left in the wake, the music community remains, now with major label artists also making use of the versatile profile pages.
Over the summer, MySpace acquired iLike.com, a social network all about music. iLike will be the basis for the increased integration of music into MySpace's search results and new music video hub. iLike will also be part of Google's music search offering.
Additionally, iTunes music will now be available through MySpace. Amazon mp3s are already available on the social network.
Bands and artists are getting a dashboard that give them analytics about how people interact with their profile pages.
It will be interesting to see if this focus on music returns MySpace to a more profitable direction. It's probably safe to say that unless MySpace comes up with something truly innovative, they've lost the general social networking race to Facebook and now Twitter. Will going niche with music save MySpace? Only time will tell.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on October 22, 2009, 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
FCC Votes to Pursue Genachowski's Proposed Net Neutrality Rules
This morning, the Federal Communications Commission voted to consider Chariman Julius Genachowski's proposed net neutrality rules. This means the two rules will be opened for public comment before finalized through an FCC vote.
Genachowski publicly announced his new rules at a speech last month at the Brookings Institution. They are:
- Preventing Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications, while allowing for reasonable network management.
- Ensuring that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement.
Google has long been a proponent of Net Neutrality. Reacting on the Official Google Public Policy blog, Google's Washington Telecom and Media Counsel, Richard Whitt, wrote:
There's been a lot of noise out there, but let's review what's at stake: The Internet was built and has thrived as an open platform, where individuals and entrepreneurs -- not network owners -- can connect and interact, choose marketplace winners and losers, and create new services and content on a level playing field. No one seems to disagree with that fundamental proposition. This new proceeding is aimed at opening a national dialogue on how best to protect that unique environment. For our part, we fully support the adoption of "rules of the road" to ensure that the broadband on-ramps to the Net remain open and robust.
But not everyone sees the need to fix what's not broken. Per a Washington Post editorial:
Mr. Genachowski claims to have seen "breaks and cracks" in the Internet that threaten to change the "fundamental architecture of openness." He and other proponents of federal involvement cite a handful of cases they say prove that, left to their own devices, ISPs such as Comcast Corp. and AT&T will choke the free flow of information and technology. One example alluded to by the chairman: Comcast's blocking an application by BitTorrent that would allow peer-to-peer video sharing. Yet that conflict was ultimately resolved by the two companies -- without FCC intervention -- after Comcast's alleged bad behavior was exposed by a blogger.
The Post also pointed out that net neutrality amounts to controlling networks that private companies have built:
Aptly dubbed an "immodest proposal" by the Free State Foundation's Randolph J. May, the FCC would prohibit ISPs from "discriminating against" different applications. Mr. Genachowski explains it this way: ISPs "cannot block or degrade lawful traffic over their networks, or pick winners by favoring some content or applications over others in the connection to subscribers' homes." In short, ISPs, which have poured billions of dollars into building infrastructure, would have little control -- if any -- over the kinds of information and technology flowing through their pipes.
The Post ended their editorial by questioning how much the ISPs will innovate if they are burdened with additional regulation.
Incidentally, Google has what should be an obvious stake in net neutrality regulation. The use of their search engine and various other products depends on internet users being able to access their services on the networks they're using.
Of course, plans for tiered Internet pricing are not very popular, rejected by consumers. And, like the Post pointed out, companies often reverse course whenever they're tempted to go in that direction because the public outcry isn't worth it.
It's a hot debate and if you play nice, you can have it in the comments below.
Posted by Nathania Johnson on October 22, 2009, 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Tweets Already Showing In Search Results
Scott Polk from Search and Social sent me a tweet that was already in the Google search results. Granted it took me about 30 minutes to check for it.
Now we just need to know how this will be done. The unique fact the term was the only search result is interesting. When I did a search on my name and apart from my Twitter profile there was no other tweets in the top five pages. Not quite Bing's Twitter integration, but am sure Google has all sorts of things it will show soon.
Posted by Frank Watson on October 22, 2009, 3:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
