Social Fresh brought a sunny lineup of social media players to Tampa today. The conference, geared specifically towards marketers, was the first of its kind in recent years. I enjoyed immersing myself in the company of “friends” — over 200 attendees who geek out, study and ride this speeding bullet called social media every day. Participants came from as far as Ottawa, Canada. Sadly, we didn’t have warmer weather for them. They assured me they were quite pleased with the 50 degree temps!
As with every worthwhile seminar or social media event, I like to share the quick summaries and takeaways that hit me the hardest. There was far more to take in today that I can possibly blog about, so I’m choosing one session with specific highlights.
“Word of Mouth Advertising,” presented by Spike Jones of Brains on Fire, answered the question that is on every traditional marketer’s mind: Why social media? [read full article…]
Any business that has tried to optimize its website or beef up its visibility online has heard the phrase over and over… “Content is King.”
If Content is King, a Blog is the King’s Most Loyal Servant.
A well-built blog:
- Publishes your content at a moment’s notice. In fact, a blog makes it so easy to publish content online that the only thing stopping you…is you! Gone are the days of blaming technology or your web developer for your stagnant content. A blog moves at the pace of your brilliance, your ideas and your ingenuity. Blogs literally scoff at the old days—where site updates were burdensome and not worth the pain.
- Alerts the world of your latest news. Each time you add new content, your blog syndicates your news through a powerful automated tool called RSS: Really Simple Syndication. RSS allows others to “watch” your content in a reading tool of their choice, such as Google Reader. Rather than check over and over for new content, readers can use RSS to be notified when you post something new. More about RSS in Plain English
- Shines up your keywords for Google. With every post, every subhead and every paragraph, a blog builds a little red carpet for your keywords to strut their stuff. A technical word to the wise: blogs built on the Wordpress.org platform are best for keyword optimization. When you’re ready to “go pro” with your business blog, be sure your developer knows his stuff.
- Showcases whatever format you bring. The more diverse your content, the better. Whether you’ve got videos, audio, images, photographs or podcasts, a blog makes it easy to showcase all your content in a snap. Uploading is a cinch. Descriptions are a breeze. Usability is a piece o’ cake.
This is the first post in our regular series about the benefits of blogging.
Up next: Why Blog? – Reason #2: Google Karma.
If Your Website Could Use a Checkup, Now’s Your Chance!
AMA Tampa Bay is sponsoring another killer Digital Media event—where local companies can submit their websites for review by some of the Bay Area’s top online experts. Consultation will include specific recommendations on creative, content, social media, conversion techniques and SEO.
If your site is chosen for review, you’ll get free consulting at the event to be held March 2 at 5:30pm. If you choose not to submit your site, come learn some tips and advice you can apply to your own online presence!
Among the Panelists:
Submit your site for review today!
