Sure Signs of a Quality Internet Marketing Agency

Before engaging an internet marketing agency and signing on the dotted for them to provide you with their services, look over these tips to avoid being a victim of a disreputable company that takes your money and provides very little in the way of service.

In an article on InternetStrategyX.com, they offered some useful tips in what you should look for in an internet marketing agency to avoid being ripped-off.  Be your company’s best advocate and take the time to search and find a reputable firm who will guide you and your firm to success.

Covering All the Bases

Typically, an Internet marketing agency will be responsible for all of your advertising campaigns. They will handle creating a savvy online brand identity in addition to writing and posting blogs. Your agency will be responsible for checking out your competitors and determining ways to increase your profile.

·         Profiles: A reputable internet marketing agency will manage your accounts and be responsible for regular posts to generate activity within search engines on Yahoo, MSN, and Google sites.

·         Video: They will be responsible for converting your video material into podcasts to be distributed within your sites. In addition, they should distribute your videos online to all of the top video directories.

·         Blogs and Posts: Your agency will provide fresh written content with blogs and post them regularly on your website. Furthermore, they should post to all the free article directories online. With each additional post of quality material, you will drive Google and Yahoo search engines back to your site.   

·         SEO Optimization: They will put into practice an advanced SEO strategy to capitalize and increase link backs to your website. With each keyword, they can increase traffic and drive commerce to your website.  

We Have the Contract in Hand

During the interview process, discuss what strategies they will employ, in addition to a written guarantee of their services. Business associates and colleagues can be a rich source for discovering a great internet marketing agency. Talk to them about who they use for their social media campaigns. You can even see other companies who are achieving social media success and book an appointment with their agency.

Whatever route you choose, just make certain they have a comprehensive plan and put it in writing, so you are protected. Your goal is to find a reputable social media agency that will increase your profile and garner results.     

The Road Ahead: Search and Social Marketing Trends for 2012

As the New Year begins, we can look back over 2011 and see where search and social media marketing trends are heading. According to an online article, Top 5 Trends for Search & Social Media Marketing in 2012, the growth of online marketing and its impact on the expansion of mobile and local searches is quite evident as is the increase in social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Marketing executives continue to analyze and react to new avenues of advertisement for their companies. They have viewed and evaluated the data from consumers, product forecasters, and affiliates to predict where search and social media marketing trends are headed for 2012.

Marketing Gurus: Employees and Consumers Expand a Company’s Marketing Strategy

The increase of social media has empowered the consumer with a unique role within a company’s marketing strategy. Their participation has influenced marketing by the sharing of both negative and positive opinions and spreading the word on services and goods. 

The term, “social buzz,” has become synonymous with marketing and companies are increasingly turning to consumers to generate interest in their products. As we move into 2012, there will be an increase in marketing executives focus on how to team their employees and customer to develop their brand, promote their product, and extol the virtue of their services. 

The Marriage of Mobile and Social Networking: A New Generation of Consumer

Businesses have seen a spike in consumer purchases and interactions in the travel sector, shopping arena, and dining information via mobile devices. A recent study determined that a third of the American adult population used smartphones and that figure is expected to increase within the year. Click rates on travel related sites have shown an increase through mobile interface as opposed to personal computers. The same trend is seen for online purchases.

Google predicted last-minute online shopping searches from tablets and smartphones would account for 44 percent of site traffic. Over the holiday season, the bulk of last-minute gift buying originated from consumer mobile devices. This scenario poises the question of how can marketing executives tailor a shopper’s experience and develop marketing tactics to increase their share. The answer lays in developing a unique user interface based on past search and sales results.     

The New Driving Force: Search Algorithms

The influence of social media networking cannot be ignored. We have seen unprecedented growth within the social media arena and show the integration of Facebook to Bing search and saw the emergence of Google+. Companies will continue to manipulate and attempt to influence search rankings via social media and consumer interaction. As we move deeper into 2012, it is predicated that companies realizing their social media marketing campaigns are no longer a voluntary activity but a vital component to a well-placed and savvy marketing campaign.

    

Rewriting the Rule Book: Marketing Automation and Social CRM

When we think of a traditional marketing automation, email and email nurturing come to mind as effective communication tools. During 2011, we experience the emergence and expansion of social CRM and this expansion allowed companies to interact with their target audience. Throughout 2012, it has been predicted that social CRM will move along and become a mainstream solution to companies searching for ways to channel and merge their marketing efforts. As this Social CRM grows, it should have a positive effect on sales and marketing ROI growth.

We look forward to helping you leverage these trends in the coming year and beyond!