"Websites are not going away -- they might be more important than ever -- but they serve a different and evolved purpose today, especially in this new 'social' context." Read the whole article ...
"Why Wikipedia May Be Important to Local Search" by Chris Crum
"Chris Silver Smith, writing for Search Engine Land, says that when Google rolled out its Place Pages for Google Maps, it made some adjustments to ranking factors for local search content. The changes, he says, have resulted in Wikipedia becoming a "major influence" on local search rankings."
I imagine you had better be damned sure you're relevant before you do something like this. You also run the risk of anyone going in and messing with your content.
The majority (92%) of advertisers are using Internet advertising in their media campaigns followed by print advertising at 88 percent, according to a new LinkedIn Research Network/Harris Poll.
At the same time, less than half are using radio advertising (46%), television advertising (46%) and mobile advertising (39%). The Harris poll found there is a regional difference as advertisers in the South are more likely to use radio advertising (57%) and television advertising (56%) while those in the West are least likely to use both (39% each). "
"Nearly half of all marketing spending is going to online strategies - 47%. This information is according to a survey conducted by Hearst Electronics Group and Goldstein Group Communications (GGC).
'This type of data reveals best practices among business marketers at a time of tremendous flux," said GGC President Joel Goldstein. "The sense of urgency to move to online marketing has been felt by leading marketing organizations for some time now, but the extent to which budgets have been re- defined is dramatic. While traditional media still play a role in building a balanced program, clearly online spending for webcasts, search engine marketing and generating online content are now seen as the primary drivers of branding and lead generation for most companies.'"
I've always felt that's the cost-effective way to go; point all other media to your website. Plus now there are so many fresh new capabilities, like use of online video, etc.
"From the agency perspective, optimism for the online space is down seven points from six months ago but is still quite high, with 67% saying they plan to increase their online spending. "
I was following a big white truck yesterday when I noticed their tag line - "We want your stinking business." ??!!
I read further - they are a septic service from Naples. Brilliant! HILARIOUS! I couldn't get my phone camera into position in time to snag it. What a great way to grab attention - and new business.
Online web is another. How is it doing right now? Check out this article from Small Business Newz ... the link is below so you an read the entire article.
Here's an excerpt:
"Contrary to what some might think, online advertising is still doing pretty well. Spending is up 15.2% in the United States according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. In the United Kingdom, it's up 21%.
Even though there has been a lot of news recently about layoffs in Internet companies, ad sales are still growing as iEntry CEO Rich Ord points out. The bottom line is that online advertising is not likely to go show any
major drop off in the foreseeable future. If anything, I think it will
continue to grow, particularly as online video continues to grow in
popularity and Google seems determined to expand it's advertising
efforts all the time.
Online advertising is a global medium
and lets businesses reach global audiences, and targeted ones at that.
How many other forms of advertising are as effective in either of these
categories? When it comes to a weak economy, it is just important to
note that people's "needs" may change."