Because of the endless sources, it can be hard to decide which are relevant and worthwhile, and which are just regurgitating others’ ideas. Here’s a list of some of our favorite, reliable sources for industry news.

TargetClick Marketing: That’s us! If you’re reading this post, you probably already know what our blog is about: online marketing. We use our daily experiences as a young online marketing agency to guide past, current and potential clients, plus anyone who has an interest in improving their online presence. Go ahead and add us to your RSS feed if you haven’t already, and leave a comment if you have suggestions for new blog topics.

Social Media Examiner: This online magazine provides detailed advice for how to make the most of each social media platform. They provide a variety of videos, how-to’s and research to help readers understand the power of social media. This is a great way to see what others recommend for social media strategy and implementation.

SEOmoz Blog: A daily blog that talks about everything SEO.  SEOmoz is a subscription-based service that provides tools for search engine optimizers, but their blog is free. They have a team of extremely qualified SEOs who practice what they preach every day. While you’re on the site, check out their free Resources section as well.

Search Engine Land: This one is just what it claims to be: the land of search engines. It’s another free blog that shares information on everything from basic, introductory skills, to posts about the implications of major search industry changes. If you’re looking for a lot of information in one place, Search Engine Land is a good place to start.

Distilled: This consulting firm spreads knowledge by working with individual clients and hosting events and webinars. They also offer a free blog that shares what they’ve learned from those experiences. With offices in London, Seattle and New York, Distilled has a global reach and phenomenal team. They’re a great resource for deciphering what search marketing trends mean for you.

What’s your favorite industry blog or resource? Even if it’s not us, leave a message in the comments to share with the rest of the readers.

Google+ may not have the same magnitude of users as Facebook just yet, but pay close attention in the coming weeks and months. As you can see from the graph provided below  (created by Todd Wasserman of Mashable), Google+ is the fastest ever growing social network when comparing it to other social media phenomenon’s.

This graph shows that it took MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook several years to accomplish what Google+ did, in terms of site visitors, in about two months.  That’s right, Google’s social media network is the fastest growing network ever, reaching more than 62 million users in just less than one year.  The craziest part about it is that the emergence doesn’t end there; they are projected to have 400+ million by the end of 2012. If the world’s number one search engine creates a social media network showing that much potential, than it is definitely worth paying attention to.

Joining this new and expanding site is also beneficial for companies to get out of the noisy Twitter roll or Facebook newsfeeds. With more than 62-million users, and not many companies pulling a quick trigger on Google+, it provides a rich opportunity to make some headway in a cluttered industry

There are many fundamental features that differentiate Google+ from its competitors, and I could really go on all day comparing and contrasting these differences. However, Google has created something never seen before but I believe that it can be narrowed down to three all-encompassing reasons why any company should have a Google+ account:

+1:  A breadth of consumer appeal

Increasing the various sources of where internet users can find your information is crucial for many reasons, but most importantly it provides the ability to reach consumers that may not be on Facebook, Twitter or any other major social networking sites.

+2:  Attractive sales potential

I must first preface this by pointing out that Google+ is by no means a ‘juggernaut’ in terms of it being a sales generation network. It is important for us to must respect the fact that in the grand scheme of things this is still a socially driven site with search following closely as a significant subcomponent. With that said, when someone +1’s you, either they proceed to purchase your product or simply continue browsing the internet. Even if the interaction does not result in a sale, it is still a positive endorsement from the user. Despite that interaction not resulting in a sale, the user is still building awareness about your company by sharing your content with their own networks through Google Search, Plus Your World.

+3:  Increased search rankings

The revolutionary aspect that Google has brought to the forefront is the introduction of a social model that will drive search engine results. Meaning that if your competitor is on Google+ and you are not, the +1’s they gain will naturally give them leverage in making their way up the search engine rankings. This is a phenomenal feat that no other social network has been able to seamlessly (literally) translate into search results. Many refer to this as “social search,” Google likes to call it Search, plus Your World. This is a ‘game changer’ as they say.

What this means is when someone searches for something on Google [if logged into Google+], they see the activity and postings of their different Google+ circles from various sites such as YouTube, Amazon and Tumblr, for example. Essentially people can now see personal activity, profiles, and related material in Google’s search engine all drawn in from Google+.

Just as anything else, there are a tremendous amount of skeptics of Google+ claiming that it is far too similar to Facebook. Nonetheless, Google+ is different enough that it has the potential to make up some ground in the social media market.

Being the first on Google+ is crucial in gaining the market of followers available, before your  competitors crowd the network. It’s pretty easy to see the advantages it provides as an SEO tool. So what are you waiting for, create your Google+ account today and watch the +1’s stack up.

If you’re using Facebook for business, you’ve probably noticed the mandatory switch to Timeline in more ways than one. Not only do you need to find your all-time best picture for your personal cover photo, you’ve got to figure out how to put your business’s best foot forward. Without being too sales-y, too promotional or even too informational, that is. This Facebook update is a little different from some of the others we’ve experienced. It’s not just a layout change; it includes some new regulations as well.  Some speculate that this is connected to the social network’s IPO rumors; these could be regulations to prevent future investors from abusing the initial purpose.

Anyway, on to what really matters to you: what you need to know about the new Facebook.

• Facebook forced all accounts to the Timeline layout on March 30, 2012.
• Changes include cover photo, custom tabs, private messages, milestones and posts
• TargetClick Marketing can help! If you don’t know how (or don’t want to learn how) to make all these changes, we can get you back on track. Email Therese to learn more about what we can do.

The most obvious change, the one people are most concerned about, is the cover photo. This is intended to provide fan pages a way to get new and existing fans excited about the organization, not a way to sell. This means no calls to action, no pricing and no contact information. It also means you can’t tell people to “Like” your page or “Share” something. This isn’t just a replacement for custom tabs and you can’t use it like this:

Instead, it should be a way to brand your organization and inspire your fans in 851 X 315 pixels. That’s it.

MyEntre.Net does a great job of inspiring, without being too sales-y.

 Next, it’s important to consider some of the other significant changes:

• Custom tabs: You can still use this concept, but it’s called an App and you can’t make it your default. Four appear automatically below your cover photo, but you can expand up to eight. If you put nothing here, it will default to other Facebook features like Photos, Likes, Maps, etc.
• Private Messages: Your fans can now contact you via Messages. It’s sort of like a contact form, but for your Facebook page. Or like a Direct Message from Twitter. Whatever analogy you use, the new Facebook allows fans to initiate a conversation with your organization.
• Milestones: You can add Milestones to your timeline like “Opened for Business,” “Added a new location,” or “Our 20^th Anniversary.” Let fans know your most significant dates and add a picture to help it stand out. Images should be 843 X 403 pixels.
• Posts: Posts can be “pinned” or “highlighted” as a way to draw more attention to your important information. Highlighted posts span both columns on the timeline and pinned posts are “pinned” to the top of your feed for up to seven days.

There are many changes you can make to your timeline, but these are some of the most significant. If you’re having any troubles, leave a message in the comments, and we’ll see if we can help you out.

What do you think of Facebook’s changes? Too frequent? Too confusing? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Evernote: There’s a paid version of this, but the free version works perfectly for me! It’s a planner/padfolio/to-do list all rolled into one, and it syncs across multiple platforms. I’ve got in on my computer at work, at home and on my iPhone. I keep notebooks for “Work” and “Personal” and I’ve recently started taking advantage of the Clipping feature. Have you ever stumbled across a blog or article or website that makes you think, “Someday I will really need this”? That’s what the Clipping tool is for. You can snag the article or page store it in Evernote, tag it with words and search for it later when you need it. I even tweeted about it!

Yesterday my @evernote app didn’t sync my to-do lists and I felt totally unproductive! Great (free) tool for staying sane! (@tckuster)

— TargetClickMarketing (@TargetClickMktg) March 21, 2012

Dropbox: A brilliant cloud-based solution. Because of the collaborate nature of our work, we at TargetClick need to be able share documents across the team. Emailing back and forth is cumbersome and you always run the risk of not working from the latest version. Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage and gives you the opportunity to earn more free storage by referring friends. It’s installed on my home computer, work computer and even on my phone.

Bit.ly: Bit.ly is so simple and so brilliant. It’s a URL shortener that provides great analytics. For free! Shorten any link, post it to Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else and then track the clicks and other useful data. Create an account to keep all your links in one place and learn a lot about the way your fans and followers interact with your content.  Bit.ly can integrate with Facebook and Twitter and it’s got a great Chrome extension that makes link shortening even easier.

Basecamp: Basecamp is our project management tool of choice. Okay, so it’s not free, but they do have a free trial and start at just $20 per month. At TargetClick, we use it as a way to keep all the information for a client and project in one place. You can share messages, track your time and create to do lists. Even when we don’t bill a project hourly, it’s great to know how long it took so we can be more efficient next time. I especially like the message feature. You may think, “Why not just use email?” And to that I ask, “Have you ever tried to dig through an email thread with 5 people over the course of several months?” Not easy. Basecamp makes it easy to communicate with everyone on your team in one place.

Google Multiple Inboxes: Do you ever get the feeling that your inbox is so full of tasks and questions, you’ll never get anything else done? Google’s Multiple Inboxes helps combat that.  It’s a lab offered for Google Apps or Gmail email addresses. It does just what it says: turns your inbox into multiple inboxes. I can organize my inbox into categories like To Do, Urgent, Reply, etc. It’s so beneficial for keeping important things at the forefront of my mind, but making sure my inbox isn’t a productivity-killing mess. There’s a lot of advice out there about how to organize your inbox, or how it shouldn’t turn into your to-do list, but combining this with my other favorite tools (Basecamp and Evernote) works for well.

Ecommerce (def.): business transactions conducted on the internet

Have you ever purchased something online?  For most people, the answer is, “Yes!”  According to the eMarketer.com blog, “72.6% of US internet users will buy online.”  That’s a BIG number, and it is safe to say that number is only going to increase as more and more business is conducted on the internet.

These impressive numbers and the predicted growth mean the internet is a marketplace you company must utilize.  Check out a webinar I did with MyEntre.net, called “Ecommerce 101 video” for many tips and tricks, plus great information on how to turn your business into an ecommerce website.

I apologize, it takes a while to load.  Please be patient.

Follow me on twitter @gregjass for more ecommerce tips.

If you answer, “Yes” to these three questions, write a blog post

1. Do you have more than 140 characters to say about the topic? Of course, Facebook will allow you to go over Twitter’s 140-character limit, but this is a good guideline. If
you have more than 200 words or two key ideas to share, you should probably turn your idea into a full blog post.

2. Is your purpose to teach something to others? Whether you want to share how to make the prefect soufflé or how to find the best coupons online, there’s probably enough information to create a post. If it’s challenging enough to require “teaching,” it’s a big enough idea to garner a blog post.

3.  Will it take more than 3.2 seconds to understand? Okay, so maybe that’s not an official number, but the idea still stands. Most people will view your business’s Facebook or Twitter posts as they’re scrolling through a feed. You don’t have a lot of time to get your point across. If the idea is too hard to understand while browsing, you should put it in a blog post.

3 Times When Facebook and Twitter are the way to go

1. When you have a quick or light-hearted comment about something going on in your business. Use Facebook or Twitter to say, “Happy Birthday to Mary in Accounting!” or “Look for our new commercial on the Golf Channel!”

2. When you’re looking for immediate feedback, engagement or reaction. You could post something like “Have you been to the store lately? What do you think of our new line of specialty dog treats?” and take advantage of your fans’ immediate response. This is also a good opportunity to share online coupons or deals: “Save money with our Spring Special – 20% off our next purchase with coupon code 123ABC.”

3. When you want the picture to do the talking. We always recommend pictures or graphics in blogs, but those are generally supplemental materials. In a Tweet or post, they can be the main idea. If you work at a veterinarian’s office and the doctor operated on a wild bird, you could post a picture with a comment like, “Here’s Dr. Smith with the Barn Owl she saved and released back into the wild.”

There’s not always a black and white answer to when you should post on which platform, but these are some basic guidelines. Don’t forget about opportunities to cross-post ideas! You could write a blog post, but then Tweet something like, “Check out our new blog post on how to improve social media marketing,” with a link to your post.

Do you have any online marketing questions? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to write a post to address your challenges!

This is both disappointing and exciting. It’s disappointing because the client deserves to know more than this useless top-level data (web browsers, really?) and their top five keywords included nothing but their brand name. It’s great that their brand name is popular but wouldn’t it be more interesting to see what product or service specific keywords they were getting visits for?

More importantly, it’s exciting because it’s a great opportunity to educate this client on what the Google Analytics data means, and how he can use it to improve his website’s performance. Without the right kind of data from your website, how can to determine whether your work it is actually helping or hurting your business?

It’s so much more valuable to know how much time people are spending on your site, or what pages they are visiting or leaving the site from.  This type of data is what helps make decisions about your site that help increase sales.  We believe and say all of the time that your website should not just be an online brochure but an active part of your sales team.  You likely spent a lot of money on it and it is important that it is providing value to your business.

So, what types of information should you be getting and paying attention to from your website analytics program?  There are many different things to look at depending on what type of site you have but here are a few suggestions for Google Analytics users:

Visitors Overview

This is a great place to start as it shows you how much traffic your site is getting for a given date range.  You can compare how much traffic you’re getting monthly or weekly, along with the number of pages a visitor sees per visit

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Goals and Conversion Rate

To effectively use Google Analytics you need to set up Goals in your account.  This could include a visitor reaching a certain page, downloading something, filling out a contact form or making a purchase.  When a goal is achieved, it is considered a Conversion.   Google analytics will display a conversion rate which is simply the number Conversions (goal completions) divided by number of visitors to your site.

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Bounce Rate

The definition of bounce rate is the number of people who leave your website without visiting any additional pages on the site.  This basically means that someone visited your site and left right away.  There are many different reasons for someone bouncing from your site and it is important to know which pages they are bouncing from so that you can improve that page and turn that visitor into new lead or customer.

Traffic Sources

Knowing how visitors reach your website is very important, especially if you are doing any type of ongoing SEO, social media or content production.   Observing your websites Traffic Sources will help you measure the success of those efforts.  In this example, the most popular sources are Google, direct traffic (typing in the URL) and Yahoo.

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Top Content

The Top Content report shows you which pages people are viewing the most.  This is a great way to understand how people are navigating through your website.  This can also help you with making sure you have a strong call to action to help convert that visitor in to a new lead or customer.

Organic Search Traffic

Not only should you see where people are coming to your site from, it’s important to know what they are searching for when they find you.  In this example, the keyword “buy something cool” attracted 7,189 visitors to this particular website.  The keywords you see were made up to keep our client data confidential.

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This is just scratching the surface on the data available in Google analytics but if you look at information from these six reports, you are off to a good start.  More detailed and custom reports are things you should advance once you start implementing paid search, SEO or other forms of advertising that drives traffic to your website.

Feel free to chime in on the comments with your thoughts or experiences with these reports.  Let us know if you think we are missing anything or if there are other reports you find valuable.

There has been a lot of initial speculation as to whether or not Siri could potentially destroy Local SEO.  The answer is NO!  It will not destroy Local SEO!  In fact, I believe it is going to help those businesses that already have a strong Local SEO presence or those who are taking the proper steps to improve their Local SEO.

Why you ask?

It doesn’t matter if the searches are done manually or using Siri, the local business data has to come from somewhere.  Apple itself has been very quiet on how they get the data and where it comes from but it’s most likely coming from many of the same places search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing get their information from – other search engines and online directories.

If you read our previous posts on Local SEO you’ll see that there are several keys to making sure you have a strong SEO presence.  We know Siri gets its data from sources such as Localeze.com and pulls in Yelp and Yahoo results.  This means you need to make sure that your business information is not only on those sites, but optimized, accurate and consistent.  Here are 3 things that we suggest you do to help encourage Siri to recommend your business:

Claim your local listings.  This goes way beyond just your Google Places page.  Since we don’t know exactly where Siri is getting her information, it is important to expand your focus to search engines like Yahoo and Bing, as well as local directory sites like Superpages.com and review sites like Yelp.com

Be Consistent with Business Information.  Consistency matters a lot when search engines and directories decide which business to display first.  They pull information in from all over the web and if your business name or address is inconsistent, it could raise a red flag on how legitimate your business is.

Get Reviews.  Reviews in Local SEO are similar to links in regular SEO.  They are like votes, and the more votes you get the better.  Positive reviews are obviously better then negative but if you have negative reviews, make sure to respond to them and engage your customers.  This also helps push those negative reviews down the list and focus on positive ones.

Like most things in technology and Online Marketing, constant change is inevitable.  How you react to these changes and make sure to take advantage of them, is what will help set your local business apart.  A strong online presence is vital for local businesses and capitalizing on Siri’s new search methods makes you more visible to potential customers.

It’s pretty easy to be skeptical of new social networks, but how can you argue with Pinterest’s results? Not only is it addictive, it is highly trafficked as well. So let’s dig into this whole Pinterest movement:

The Little Social NetworkThat Could

Pinterest has been the hot new trend in social media lately, and just like any other building trend it is showing no signs of slowing down. So either jump on-board or step aside, because the new trend in social media is here to stay. Over the past months Pinterest has gained significant headway in terms of the referral traffic market, reaching 3.6% of the market share in the month of January, showing no signs of this emergence coming to a head.  This is truly amazing considering Pinterest was only fielding 0.17% of the referral market just eight short months ago.

Why is this whole referral traffic bit important you ask? Referral traffic is huge for anyone looking to gain attention online, it’s how visitors get to your website from links on other websites, rather than typing in your exact URL. Basically, somebody is talking about you, and in our world of search engine optimization we love when people talk about you because that’s how you get noticed!

So what’s not to love about Pinterest?

This new social tool seems to have caught the attention of several web-curious women, utilizing its capabilities to find delicious new recipes, organize a cute outfit, or to even plan an entire wedding. Although very few, there are a rising amount of gentlemen who have caught on to the Pinterest movement, and they prefer to use it for things such as browsing for new workouts or the newest technological gadget to hit the market. The possibilities on Pinterest are very diverse, and many of its users devote significant amounts of time browsing, Pinning and Repinning.

But really, why is Pinterest so damn addicting? It’s pretty simple actually:

It’s Fun – First of all, it’s the cheapest magazine I never had to buy. In essence, Pinterest allows us to clip and archive anything that is individually appealing and it provides us access to it all in one central location. Browsing for long periods of time without seeing the same things is pretty typical on Pinterest, providing hours upon hours of internet exploration for its users.

How Pinteresting! – Without any intentions of purchasing anything, Pinterest provides a medium to appreciate things we are interested in such as art, clothing or even some American Muscle, if you catch my drift. For those of us who are also so inclined, it provides an opportunity to get noticed by millions of people who weren’t even searching for you specifically– that sounds like the opportunity of opportunities. Show me another tool that can provide a consistent and efficient method for sharing something with large amounts of users.

Easy Breezy – After establishing interests, you can just sit back explore, and Pin or Repin all your little heart desires. Pinterest has done an excellent job of making their site user friendly, requiring very few clicks for optimum browsing. You setup boards based upon what you want to see, no questions asked.

It’s like silly putty for adults – Excuse me for being cheesy, but the great part of what Pinterest offers to its users is flexibility – meaning that Pinterest adapts to whatever it is that you’re interested in. It’s all about you, the user! This is an incredible competitive advantage over Facebook or Twitter who generally promote content with underlying monetary motives.

Despite its endless possibilities, this hot new social gathering doesn’t seem to have struck a fancy with many of the naysayers in the room, so what’s the deal? I think there are two very logical reasons:

Time – When you consider all the networks many of us are involved with, i.e.: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr (and the list goes on!), it’s not surprising that many just don’t have the time or desire to add yet again another network to their repertoire.

Misconceptions of its use – When Pinterest first began its rise in popularity, many of the users were focused on using it more for its aesthetically pleasing approach for sharing art, photography and other creative sorts. But as Pinterest has continued its relentless expansion, other possibilities have come into the fold that people just aren’t aware of yet.

Final Words of Encouragement

Internet Explorers – If you’re interested in exploring the web, Pinterest is your one-stop-shop for, well, whatever you’re interested in! Whether it’s clothing and apparel, party ideas, or even ideas for your dream home, it is simply addicting.

Show me the money – For businesses, this new tool is very well could be the newest and most effective way to direct organic traffic to your website. As I mentioned, Pinterest is getting hot, real hot, showing no signs of slowing down in terms of popularity. Now would be a great time to enter the Pin-game. (Stay tuned for our next blog about how businesses should be using Pinterest to effectively promote their brand and generate traffic to their e-commerce pages)

And with my final breath: Whether you’re looking to get noticed or just interested in exploring, Pinterest is the hottest new kid on the block, so join the trend and get Pinterested before you’re sitting at a lunch table by yourself.

 Formerly Known as Tiger Bread

Sainsbury is a London-based retailer that sells diverse products including everything from groceries to appliances to financial services. They received a letter from 3 ½ year-old Lily Robinson last summer asking why “Tiger Bread” is called “Tiger Bread” when it clearly looks like a giraffe.  She received a response from 27 1/3 year-old Customer Manager Chris King explaining that the first baker to make the famous “Tiger Bread” christened it as such and the name stuck.  King agreed that the bread looked more giraffe-ish, thanked Lilly for her letter and send a gift card so she could by some Tiger/Giraffe Bread.

Since the story made its way online, the picture showing both letters has more than 155,000 “Likes” on Facebook and has circulated through image sharing sites like Imgur and Reddit.  Google searches for “Tiger Bread” have skyrocketed and Sainsbury recently announced that would, in fact, rename the product “Giraffe Bread” and have given Lily all the credit.  Although much of this took place offline, we’re still counting it as a reason I love the Internet because of the way it’s circulating the Internet now, okay?

The story is cute and makes everyone go “awww.” But then you stop and think about what has just happened. This is a brilliant display of the two-way communication we should see every day online.  Granted, we see much more response to user feedback via social networking sites than traditional media, but not as much as we could. This demonstrates the incredible moves companies can make when they listen to their consumers.  In this instance, Sainsbury quietly responded to Lily’s letter and gave her a few pounds to spend. Months later, Sainsbury has receive outrageous amounts of free, positive press and earned a reputation for killer customer service. Kids say the darndest things.

Pinteresting Stuff

Still assuming you don’t live under a rock, I’ll spare you the same old explanation of Pinterest’s image sharing platform that is turning out to be the little social network that could.  I do want to talk about its incredible potential in online marketing, however. Blog posts and articles are popping up everything that explain how each pin has the potential for three links and how exposure grows exponentially each time someone else pins something to a board.

This is cool stuff, because it’s a great way to build links socially and naturally. Brands can pin their own ideas for using their products and see how consumers add to those ideas. More importantly, users can add their thoughts without becoming too involved and without too much effort. When Pinterest users explore pins they can quickly and easily take that idea, add their own comment and create additional exposure for the brand. It’s viral by its very nature. It’s also ideal for referral traffic; people see a Pin they like, click through to the source and VOILA, you have more visitors.  Visitors who made their way to your site naturally by browsing though their interests.  Good stuff, people.   The reason I love it this week is because we’re exploring how to maximize Pinterest for our clients and I’m excited to start seeing some results. And because I love a good infographic, I’ll leave you with this one.