HELEN M. OVERLAND SustainabilityCamp 2008 Marketing Green Online: Actionable Strategies for Marketing the Environment

Marketing Green Online: Actionable Strategies for Marketing the Environment Today: Who Am I? Who Are You? Reach Out & Engage Someone SEO: Get Found in Search Engines PPC: Get Free Ads, Pay for Traffic Putting it All Together MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Today:

Who Am I?

Who Are You?

Reach Out & Engage Someone

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines

PPC: Get Free Ads, Pay for Traffic

Putting it All Together

Who Am I? Director, Search Engine Marketing with non~linear creations – www.nonlinear.ca Projects with large well-known brands Proven Success: Generated sales in excess of $500k with an $18k budget Over a decade of experience Speaker at marketing conferences such as Search Engine Strategies and Search Marketing Expo Co-Founder, GreenGTA.ca MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Director, Search Engine Marketing with non~linear creations – www.nonlinear.ca

Projects with large well-known brands

Proven Success: Generated sales in excess of $500k with an $18k budget

Over a decade of experience

Speaker at marketing conferences such as Search Engine Strategies and Search Marketing Expo

Co-Founder, GreenGTA.ca

Who Are YOU? Your Online Marketing Plan? Step 1. Build a website Step 2. Get people to visit Step 3. Get donations/sales/volunteers MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Your Online Marketing Plan?

Step 1. Build a website

Step 2. Get people to visit

Step 3. Get donations/sales/volunteers

Who Are YOU? Get Your Ducks in a Row Clarify your brand : What do you stand for? Who is your audience? How will you engage them? When? WRITE IT DOWN! MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Get Your Ducks in a Row

Clarify your brand : What do you stand for?

Who is your audience?

How will you engage them? When?

WRITE IT DOWN!

Reach Out & Engage Someone Successful marketing campaigns are Holistic Use a group of tactics with a higher goal Involve stakeholders Choose tactics wisely MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008 In June 2008 alone, there were over half a billion visits to social networking websites Source: comScore , Social Networking Explodes Worldwide as Sites Increase their Focus on Cultural Relevance http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2396

Successful marketing campaigns are Holistic

Use a group of tactics with a higher goal

Involve stakeholders

Choose tactics wisely

Reach Out & Engage Someone MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008 Wikipedia Twitter facebook RSS Google Yahoo Reddit Email YouTube GoGreenTube care2 Million Acts of Green getinvolved.ca digg Blogs Flickr LinkedIn GreenNexxus Greenopolis Friendfeed LiveJournal MySpace Press Releases delicious StumbleUpon Furl MyBlogLog Windows Live Furl OneWorldTV Plaxo Yammer Ning Bebo Friendster Multiply PerfSpot Skyrock Nowpublic Rabble Charity Village® Widgets So many communities… so little time!

Reach Out & Engage Someone MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008 RSS Google Yahoo Email GoGreenTube Blogs GreenNexxus Press Releases Narrow It Down

Reach Out & Engage Someone Where to Reach Out? Where your audience is! Volunteers : Reach students (MySpace, LiveJournal, Facebook) Donations : Reach employed adults who are interested in your goals (Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Delicious, Flickr) Media coverage : Reach reporters & bloggers (Press releases, RSS Feeds, digg) MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Where to Reach Out? Where your audience is!

Volunteers : Reach students (MySpace, LiveJournal, Facebook)

Donations : Reach employed adults who are interested in your goals (Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Delicious, Flickr)

Media coverage : Reach reporters & bloggers (Press releases, RSS Feeds, digg)

Reach Out & Engage Someone Environment & Social Change Themed Online Networks MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Environment & Social Change Themed Online Networks

Reach Out & Engage Someone Tips & Guidelines BE HONEST – Be Yourself Be Helpful & Approachable Be Consistent Also: Read the Cluetrain Manifesto and/or Wikinomics: http://www.cluetrain.com/ http://www.wikinomics.com/book/ MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Tips & Guidelines

BE HONEST – Be Yourself

Be Helpful & Approachable

Be Consistent

Also: Read the Cluetrain Manifesto and/or Wikinomics:

http://www.cluetrain.com/

http://www.wikinomics.com/book/

Reach Out & Engage Someone RSS Feeds Reach people who are interested in your news Syndicate your headlines into other websites Make it easy for people to remember you Make it easy for reporters to get your news Your RSS Feed News releases Events Successes Calls for assistance MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

RSS Feeds

Reach people who are interested in your news

Syndicate your headlines into other websites

Make it easy for people to remember you

Make it easy for reporters to get your news

Your RSS Feed

News releases

Events

Successes

Calls for assistance

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines What is SEO? Search Engine Optimization: The art and science of appearing in search engine results when someone looks for something Why Use SEO? Visitors from search engines are interested in your content Technically, it’s Free advertising People are looking for your information, products, and outreach. Increase awareness of your activities and reach a wider audience MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization:

The art and science of appearing in search engine results when someone looks for something

Why Use SEO?

Visitors from search engines are interested in your content

Technically, it’s Free advertising

People are looking for your information, products, and outreach.

Increase awareness of your activities and reach a wider audience

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines Basic SEO You Can Do “At Home” Write content often Write a catchy title Use Keywords in your URL Install and USE an Analytics program MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Basic SEO You Can Do “At Home”

Write content often

Write a catchy title

Use Keywords in your URL

Install and USE an Analytics program

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines Write a catchy title MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008 Accurate Contains keywords Intriguing enough to cause people to want to read the story

Write a catchy title

Accurate

Contains keywords

Intriguing enough to cause people to want to read the story

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines Write a catchy title MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008 Clearly shows that it answers the question (the query) Accurate Contains keywords Intriguing enough to cause people to want to read the story

Write a catchy title

Clearly shows that it answers the question (the query)

Accurate

Contains keywords

Intriguing enough to cause people to want to read the story

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines Use Keywords in your URL Unhelpful URL: http://www.example.com/site/default.asp?id=4356923&lang=En&num=432 Should be: http://www.example.com/toronto-solar-panels/ MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Use Keywords in your URL

Unhelpful URL:

http://www.example.com/site/default.asp?id=4356923&lang=En&num=432

Should be:

http://www.example.com/toronto-solar-panels/

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines Install and USE an Analytics Program MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008 Google Analytics is Free! At minimum check monthly: Traffic up or down Popular pages Keywords that are bringing traffic

Install and USE an Analytics Program

Google Analytics is Free! At minimum check monthly:

Traffic up or down

Popular pages

Keywords that are bringing traffic

PPC: Get Free Ads, Pay for Traffic What is PPC? Pay Per Click: Ads are free – you pay only when someone clicks on the ad Why Use PPC? Visitors from search engines are interested in your content and are action oriented Efficient use of budget Determine your own budget Determine location and time of day Opportunity to Test MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

What is PPC?

Pay Per Click:

Ads are free – you pay only when someone clicks on the ad

Why Use PPC?

Visitors from search engines are interested in your content and are action oriented

Efficient use of budget

Determine your own budget

Determine location and time of day

Opportunity to Test

PPC: Get Free Ads, Pay for Traffic How Does PPC Work? 3 Primary types: MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008 Search Content Map

How Does PPC Work?

3 Primary types:

PPC: Get Free Ads, Pay for Traffic PPC Tips ALWAYS set a spending limit to control your budget Always run and use analytics Use exact or phrase match to better control when your ad appears Write ads where the keywords appear in the title Offer something - don't just advertise Make sure the landing page is relevant for the keywords MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

PPC Tips

ALWAYS set a spending limit to control your budget

Always run and use analytics

Use exact or phrase match to better control when your ad appears

Write ads where the keywords appear in the title

Offer something - don't just advertise

Make sure the landing page is relevant for the keywords

SEO: Get Found in Search Engines Write ads where the keywords appear in the title MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Write ads where the keywords appear in the title

Putting It All Together Summary / Next Steps Clarify your brand Know who you are trying to reach Develop a plan – use your time efficiently Engage people where you are likely to meet your audience Use the search engines MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Summary / Next Steps

Clarify your brand

Know who you are trying to reach

Develop a plan – use your time efficiently

Engage people where you are likely to meet your audience

Use the search engines

Thank You! Helen M. Overland [email_address] MsSEM.com | GreenGTA.ca Marketing Feed: twitter.com/semlady Environment Feed: twitter.com/greengta Download this presentation after Monday, Nov 17 th at: www.mssem.com/marketing-green/ MsSEM.com GreenGTA.ca Helen M. Overland | SustainabilityCamp 2008

Helen M. Overland [email_address]

MsSEM.com | GreenGTA.ca

Marketing Feed: twitter.com/semlady

Environment Feed: twitter.com/greengta

Download this presentation after Monday, Nov 17 th at:

www.mssem.com/marketing-green/