LET’S GET TECHNICAL Lizzy Caston, LAD comm, Interactive Director How Does All This Stuff Work? How Can My Company Use It? Search Engines Interactive Media Social Networking

Lizzy Caston, LAD comm, Interactive Director

How Does All This Stuff Work?

How Can My Company Use It?

Interactive 101 Invites the reader to “do something” Helps Develop Strong Brand Communities Encourages Participation, Conversation, Feedback Helps Make Connections with Influential and Targeted Media Is “multi directional” not “top down” Search Engine Optimization Helps Your Market Find You

Invites the reader to “do something”

Helps Develop Strong Brand Communities

Encourages Participation, Conversation, Feedback

Helps Make Connections with Influential and Targeted Media

Is “multi directional” not “top down”

Search Engine Optimization Helps Your Market Find You

Case Study Theo Chocolate, Seattle, Washington WEBSITE E-NEWS LETTERS BLOG VIDEOS PODCASTING PARTNERING ONLINE PROMOTIONS SOCIAL NETWORKS

WEBSITE

E-NEWS LETTERS

BLOG

VIDEOS

PODCASTING

PARTNERING

ONLINE PROMOTIONS

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Theo’s Results Very High Search Engine Optimization Strong (and Growing) Community of Brand Loyalists Excellent Media Reach and Placement Strong Industry Leadership Lots of “Friends”, Strong Social Networks Strong Viral Marketing Theo Chocolate in Fremont has raised $3.5 million for further growth. The maker of organic, fair-trade chocolate will use the money for "sales and marketing, and to improve equipment," said Joe Whinney, founder and CEO. Theo began selling chocolate in February 2006 with an initial investment of less than $3 million from friends and family. (Seattle Times, May 2008)

Very High Search Engine Optimization

Strong (and Growing) Community of Brand Loyalists

Excellent Media Reach and Placement

Strong Industry Leadership

Lots of “Friends”, Strong Social Networks

Strong Viral Marketing

How Does This Apply to My Company? Must be part of a well thought out overall marketing and PR strategy! You do not have to do it all or all at once. Can be a grass roots effort. Do what your budget and time allows. Make a commitment. Get savvy about technology (or hire someone who is)

Must be part of a well thought out overall marketing and PR strategy!

You do not have to do it all or all at once.

Can be a grass roots effort.

Do what your budget and time allows.

Make a commitment.

Get savvy about technology (or hire someone who is)

Search Engine Optimization Explained What if You Bought A Billboard And Put it In the Forest? Nobody Would See It. Nobody Would Know It Is There

How SEO Works Makes it easier for search engines to find you Uses Keywords related to your brand There are no hard and fast rules, as much an art as a science Based on algorithms and formulas – they change Honest Ways (White Hat) and Dishonest Ways (Black Hat)

Makes it easier for search engines to find you

Uses Keywords related to your brand

There are no hard and fast rules, as much an art as a science

Based on algorithms and formulas – they change

Honest Ways (White Hat) and Dishonest Ways (Black Hat)

What Does Work? Search Engine Positioning: Strategy, Strategy, Strategy – PR, Marketing, Web Must Be Integrated! Design and Build a Good Website, Good Domain Name, Good Domain Host Education about Technology, Hire Good Service Providers Good Key Word Research and Implementation Honesty, Integrity and Trust and Quality Product Analytics

Search Engine Positioning:

Strategy, Strategy, Strategy – PR, Marketing, Web Must Be Integrated!

Design and Build a Good Website, Good Domain Name, Good Domain Host

Education about Technology, Hire Good Service Providers

Good Key Word Research and Implementation

Honesty, Integrity and Trust and Quality Product

Analytics

Let’s Look at Keywords

Should I Pay for SEO and SEP? SEO: Can take the guesswork and confusion away Can save time and money in long run Can offer a variety of options and solutions Can help fix bad sites Can help with ongoing strategy SEP: SEO Companies usually more concerned with Code, Key Words, Technical You want a PR and Marketing Firm that Understands Interactive, Web, SEO, and Integration Should be part of overall marketing and PR plan

SEO:

Can take the guesswork and confusion away

Can save time and money in long run

Can offer a variety of options and solutions

Can help fix bad sites

Can help with ongoing strategy

SEP:

SEO Companies usually more concerned with Code, Key Words, Technical

You want a PR and Marketing Firm that Understands Interactive, Web, SEO, and Integration

Should be part of overall marketing and PR plan

E-News Letters Flexible, Cost Effective Allow filtering/Targeting of Contact Lists Can be Beautifully Designed Can be embedded in websites, blogs Can (and should) include SEO tools Hint: You Still Need Well Organized Contact Lists!

Flexible, Cost Effective

Allow filtering/Targeting of Contact Lists

Can be Beautifully Designed

Can be embedded in websites, blogs

Can (and should) include SEO tools

E-News Letters

Video, Podcasts, Photos One of the fastest growing marketing and PR activities Views of online videos, podcasts, photos exploding Does not have to be high budget Many are Free Can help with SEO Can help “viral” market

One of the fastest growing marketing and PR activities

Views of online videos, podcasts, photos exploding

Does not have to be high budget

Many are Free

Can help with SEO

Can help “viral” market

Examples Magnolia Bakery Cooper Mountain Vineyards Theo’s

Magnolia Bakery

Cooper Mountain Vineyards

Theo’s

Blogging 101 Simply means Weblog: an online journal with specialty interests. Can be driven by individuals, businesses, media Allows businesses to better reach their target markets Allows consumers to participate and build brands Allows businesses to lead and participate in the conversation Helps with online presence, SEO, positioning Helps a business tell their unique story Communities Build Brands and Blogs Build Communities Is another tool in the marketing and pr toolbox

Simply means Weblog: an online journal with specialty interests. Can be driven by individuals, businesses, media

Allows businesses to better reach their target markets

Allows consumers to participate and build brands

Allows businesses to lead and participate in the conversation

Helps with online presence, SEO, positioning

Helps a business tell their unique story

Specialty Food Business Blogs Theo Chocolate Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Marx Food Blog Building a Bakery Blog Murray’s Cheese Victrola Coffee Roasters

Theo Chocolate

Stonyfield Farm Yogurt

Marx Food Blog

Building a Bakery Blog

Murray’s Cheese

Victrola Coffee Roasters

Blogging Isn’t For Everyone Requires Commitment Requires Strong Voice, Honesty, Imagination, Good writing Must be Integrated into Marketing and PR Plans and Activities Can be Small Budget (free), But You Get What You Pay For If You Have Nothing to Say, Or Don’t Like Talking with The Public, Or don’t want others talking about you … then Blogging Isn’t for You

Requires Commitment

Requires Strong Voice, Honesty, Imagination, Good writing

Must be Integrated into Marketing and PR Plans and Activities

Can be Small Budget (free), But You Get What You Pay For

If You Have Nothing to Say, Or Don’t Like Talking with The Public, Or don’t want others talking about you

… then Blogging Isn’t for You

A Baker’s Dozen Blogging Tips Make Your Blog Look Good Have Voice and Personality Write Short Engaging Posts Write Well. Spell Check and Grammar Please Be Honest, Open and Friendly. Set the Tone Don’t Shy Away From Tough Subjects or Questions Utilize Analytic and Other Tools Invite Others to Participate Reach Out to Others Online Write Frequently and Often Utilize SEO and other technologies in Your Blog Promote, Promote, Promote BONUS CUPCAKE 13: If You Need Help and Have the Budget, Hire an Interactive PR Firm

Make Your Blog Look Good

Have Voice and Personality

Write Short Engaging Posts

Write Well. Spell Check and Grammar Please

Be Honest, Open and Friendly. Set the Tone

Don’t Shy Away From Tough Subjects or Questions

Utilize Analytic and Other Tools

Invite Others to Participate

Reach Out to Others Online

Write Frequently and Often

Utilize SEO and other technologies in Your Blog

Promote, Promote, Promote

Social Networking Businesses are using Social Networking Sites Friendster MySpace Flickr Barista Exchange Food Candy Cork’d WHAT IS SOCIAL NETWORKING?

Friendster

MySpace

Flickr

Barista Exchange

Food Candy

Cork’d

Reach Out to Bloggers Find influential Bloggers and Influential Media Subscribe to GoogleAlerts Treat Bloggers like media Avoid “corporate speak”, standard press releases. Use personal & more informal communications

Find influential Bloggers and Influential Media

Subscribe to GoogleAlerts

Treat Bloggers like media

Avoid “corporate speak”, standard press releases.

Use personal & more informal communications

Resources A partial podcast and sample of this presentation and a list of resources about interactive, will be available shortly at: www.ladcommunicationsblog.com

A partial podcast and sample of this presentation and a list of resources about interactive, will be available shortly at:

www.ladcommunicationsblog.com

Thank You Lisa Donoughe and Lizzy Caston 503-827-6564 or 212-924-5384 [email_address] Happy to answer any questions.

Lisa Donoughe and Lizzy Caston

503-827-6564

or

212-924-5384

[email_address]

Happy to answer any questions.