A couple of points web-driven businesses should recognize with SEO-driven branding:

• Offline Branding, as a marketing strategy, is a concept many companies shy away from because it lacks immediate results, is very difficult to measure, and often falls far down the priority list as a “want” and not a “need”
• Online Branding, as it relates to search engine rankings, is a much more justifiable approach when one considers costs, time investment, resources, measurement, and channels to proliferate a brand.
• Practical and proven methods to conduct “Online Branding” include but are not limited to:

+ Blogging
+ Community & Industry Participation
+ Press Release Marketing & Optimization
+ Social Media Content Creation
+ Link Building through Strategic Outreach

“All of these help you gain reach and frequency.  Most importantly, you’ll reach those who are interested in (and searching for) your products and services.”

• Create great content (on-site & off-site) that educates your audience and strategically links back to your most relevant website pages and you’ll see positive progress.  As this content is syndicated and viewed by engaged audiences, you will naturally build “votes” through mentions and natural backlinks.

As we commonly say, Social Media Marketing is converging with Search Engine Optimization.  This is proof positive in the Branding component that continues to influence some of the organic search results.  We are clearly seeing this in the movement of our client’s rankings, campaigns and success.  Those small, mid-size and large brands who embrace the shifting landscape (as is always the case in organic search) and stay ahead of curve, will continue to thrive in ultra-competitive environments.

Starting on Saturday, June 13th, at 12:01am, you’ll be able to choose a username for your Facebook account to easily direct friends, family, and coworkers to your profile.

To select your username, visit the link below after 12:01am on June 13th:
http://www.facebook.com/username/

To learn more about usernames, visit the Help Center:
http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=896

This opportunity is great for individuals, companies and groups that have established Facebook accounts.  Specifically, odds are that a “vanity”, more personalized Facebook URL will lead to increased Google rankings for “branded” search terms.  As reputation management continues to grow in popularity and as a pro-active strategy for companies seeking to control the first 10 organic results in Google — this seems to be a “layup”.

Fortunately, Facebook has rigid guidelines preventing “name squatting”, which has given Twitter a blackeye in recent months but securing these new, vanity usernames is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Good luck securing your name!

Key findings from the report include:

In the coming six months, respondents expect that ad networks will see the biggest declines in allocation of marketing spend; viral marketing and SEO will likely see the biggest increases.

$1MM+ respondents are significantly more likely than total respondents to point to viral marketing (54% vs. 42%), SEO (50% vs. 40%) and pay-per-impression ads on digital publications (36% vs. 26%) as areas where investment is expected to increase over the next six months.

As a leader in innovative SEO, viral marketing and social media marketing services, TDM is well prepared to work with clients seeking to leverage and exploit the benefits of these highly-efficient online marketing channels.  Feel free to contact us for a free new media marketing consultation and to learn how your company can take its online marketing to new levels of success!

Social media is now attracting over 42 million women, 75% of which participate in social networks such as Facebook or MySpace. When it comes to advice and recommendations, 55% of these women are turning to blogs to seek out information. The survey showed that 45% of respondents purchased an item after reading about it in a blog post. Whether it be women on the lookout for the best deal on shoes or moms posting tips on raising children, women have become the most actively engaged participants in the realm of social media networks. The trust in like-minded consumers and peer groups supports the trend reported by MarketingVox in 2007 that “91% of moms prefer brands that other moms have recommended.”

Blogs are becoming the new medium of communication for women when it comes to finding the best places for deals, getting coupons, giving recommendations for products, or even receiving guidance for the daily struggles in a woman’s life. Through blogs, search engines, and other social media marketing vehicles, businesses can focus on reaching out to and engaging these key, household decision makers.

There continues to be a groundswell of attention towards Social Media in mainstream media and other circles, but let’s examine Social Media’s relevance to SEO. The majority of industry experts, including those in-house here at TDM, would argue that a well crafted, well executed social media marketing strategy WILL have positive benefit on a brand’s natural search rankings. An in-depth discussion is currently taking place at the popular UK-based site eConsultancy on just how much social media influences rank order (positively, neutrally, and negatively).

Below are a couple of key reasons why we at Triangle Direct Media believe social media can and will continue to impact the organic rankings of a website:

• Search engines, like Google, examine the quality & diversity of backlinks along with the “buzz” of a brand through Trust & Authority variables. Social Media is becoming mainstream so a brand’s participation in these channels helps it become an even stronger “subject matter expert” and informational resource.
• Social Media reaches a very large and diverse audience of content creators, discussion participants and sideline observers. Social Media “content creators” serve as a very likely source for natural link building should a brand’s content or network participation move these content creators to post on their own sites or blogs about the brand.
• While most major social networks allow for back links, such links almost always include the nofollow attribute which do not count in most search engine algorithms. In contrast, a number of social media outlets do provide brands the ability to secure and create “follow” links as part of the content creation life cycle. These pages get indexed and cached, serving as a credible link building channel. It’s important that brands actively participate to boost in-network visibility or the strength of a given set of social profiles or social content pages.
• Blogs have proven to be a very strong platform for ranking well in major search engines through the practice of developing solid, unique content on a consistent basis while participating in a ecosystem of industry-related and/or peer blog publishers. Not only do blog posts rank well, they also serve as a strong source for link building particularly when posts go viral and secure active comment discussions.
• Universal search has opened new ranking opportunities for online brands that effectively create content through video, images, news, blogs and other Social Media oriented vehicles. Many community sites provide great opportunities for instructional or informational content creation that incorporates text, video, images and discussions — these typically rank pretty well and can be a good source for ‘followed’ back links.

For anyone that has been an active member of SEO community for the past 5-10 years, determining the most productive and cost-effective ways to help clients rank on the first page is how we’re measured. Leveraging social media is a positive and the next evolutionary step in organic search. The above reasons are what standout as an argument to brand advertisers to engage social media from a natural search ranking perspective. There are obviously many other benefits social media marketing can deliver brands such as consumer-engagement, product testing, brand discussions, contests, etc.

Do you have any other primary reasons why companies interested in organic rankings in Google, Yahoo & MSN/Live should leverage Social Media Marketing?

Attention business owners, CMO’s, VP’s & Directors of Web Marketing —- what are you doing to allocate marketing budgets and put your business at the forefront of these growth markets?  Don’t miss the new media marketing bus!

Where the budgets are going

Props to Andy.

While many marketing budgets are being cinched, more than 50% of interactive marketers say they will increase their spending on social marketing. Why? These inexpensive tools can quickly get marketing messages out through interactive discussion and rapid word of mouth and, properly managed, can deliver measurable results.

If your business has considered social media (w/out action taken) or if you are an in-house marketer trying to champion the cause for your company to invest into new media marketing strategies such as social media, organic search, blogging, etc — then use independent, 3rd party studies like these to your advantage!  Today’s “traditional business owners” can still use some educating.

For more statistics, verifiable results and information on how your company can take its efforts to the next level, please contact TDM to speak with an Account Exec.