Online Marketing Help: 2015-05-03

The Evolution of Lifecycle Marketing [Infographic]

What is lifecycle marketing? It’s a 360-degree relationship-building process that turns leads into customers, and customers into advocates – in the end allowing your customers to do the marketing for you.

Lead generation is the first step to lifecycle marketing. Nowadays, there are many ways to generate a lead such as email marketing campaigns, social media advertising campaigns, street marketing and events, or even content marketing like promoting blog content. The most important part of the lead generation step is determining what method will work best for your business, based on your target audience.

The second step to lifecycle marketing is lead nurturing, where you manage a personalized relationship with your lead often with the help of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management software). During this process, it’s important to know your company and its products well, so that you can answer questions in an efficient and timely manner.

After you’ve generated a successful sale, it’s time to move onto customer success management (CSM). CSM is similar to the lead nurturing process, except it’s targeted at existing customers to make sure that they get full use out of your product. The whole point of CSM is to reduce churn, increase engagement, and pave the way for a product renewal.

The final step to lifecycle marketing is promoting customer advocacy with rewards programs, incentives, and other marketing efforts to encourage your customers to spread the word about your business. A successful customer advocacy strategy will result in customer advocates – customers who essentially do your marketing for you!

Recommended for YouWebcast: How to Write Copy to Boost Clicks, Signups and Sales

Bluenose, a customer success platform for businesses, has created an infographic below highlighting the complete lifecycle marketing process from lead to customer advocate, with some interesting statistics. What have you found most helpful in the lifecycle marketing process, and how big of an impact have customer advocates had on your business? Let me know in the comments below.

Author: Zach Taiji

Zach works as a freelance writer/photographer by night and a public relations professional by day. He has over 4 years of writing experience in technology, marketing/PR, social media and web design – and has helped place articles in various publications including Wired, PC Mag and 9to5mac…. View full profile ›

The Evolution of Lifecycle Marketing [Infographic]

Best Affiliate Marketing Services Recommendations Named by topseos.com for May 2015

Turning Into an Affiliate for Online Products: Step by Step Instruction To Turn Into A Member And Profit On The Web (Affiliate Marketing) (Volume 1)

An affiliate is like an independent salesperson that gets a commission on each completed sale. You can be an affiliate of many affiliate programs or just one. It’s your choice. And you can sell anything online from physical products like DVDs, vitamin supplements to digital products like ebooksand music MP3 files. Becoming an affiliate is not a difficult task on the internet. There are dozens of affiliate programs online that accepts almost everyone into their program. And registration is in most cases, free. Get all the info you need here. This is the #1 Book on affiliate marketing, affiliate marketing books, internet affiliate marketing, affiliate marketer, amazon affiliate marketing, affiliate marketing for beginners, affiliate marketing ebook.

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Turning Into an Affiliate for Online Products: Step by Step Instruction To Turn Into A Member And Profit On The Web (Affiliate Marketing) (Volume 1)

Facebook Inc Hires Twitter Inc Executive

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) continued to woo some of the most talented employees in the fast-paced world of technology today as the company announced the addition of a former Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) employee.

Rachael Horwitz

Twitter PR executive Horwitz moves on to the social network

Recode is reporting that Rachael Horwitz, who had been Communications Director with Twitter during a period of tremendous growth, including when the stock went public at $26 per share on November 7, 2013, is leaving for Facebook. At Twitter, Horwitz supervised the company’s public relations for its products and consumer products. At Facebook, she will take the post of Director of Technology Communications.

After the stock IPO, the share price jumped to $69 at the start of 2014, its all time high, before dropping later in the spring to near $30. The stock price is currently trading at $37.66.

Twitter CFO moves to take over marketing function

MarketWatch reported that Chief Financial Officer Anthony Noto, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) employee, is increasingly putting his footprint on the Twitter’s strategic plans, having just taken over the marketing department. Communications, the area Horwitz worked, is typically under the same corporate categorization as marketing. “It’s quite the unconventional strategy to give a CFO control over the marketing department, particularly a CFO who has become infamous for publicly tweeting what should have been a direct message of private company data. His Twitter account was later hacked,” the Jennifer Booton article noted.

Business as usual at Facebook as another hi-profile tech manager joins firm

Facebook has a long history of conflict with other technology companies over its hiring practices. In 2014 it was revealed in court documents that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) had made attempts to stop Facebook from poaching its employees, but Facebook Chief Operating Officer executive Sheryl Sandberg had rebuffed overtures to verbally agree to stop soliciting their tech employees. She said at the time:

In or about August 2008, I was contacted by Jonathan Rosenberg, who was then at Google. Mr. Rosenberg expressed concern about what he described as the perceived rate at which Facebook could hire employees from Google. Around the same time, I also discussed a similar topic with Omid Kordestani, who was also at Google. I declined at that time to limit Facebook’s recruitment or hiring of Google employees. Nor have I made or authorized any such agreement between Facebook and Google since that time.

The move by Facebook to hire a former Twitter communications executive comes as the social network has received strenuous criticism of its content matching algorithm, while Twitter, which is said to be working with the same concept, has not received the same degree of critique.

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Facebook Inc Hires Twitter Inc Executive

ChiroMatrix Partners With the Colorado Chiropractic Association to Deliver Chiropractic Websites ...

May 08, 2015 12:50 ET | Source: ChiroMatrix

SAN DIEGO, May 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ChiroMatrix, a San Diego-based Internet marketing agency, is proud to announce its new partnership with the Colorado Chiropractic Association (CCA). As a Gateway member of the CCA, ChiroMatrix is able to deliver world-class yet low-cost websites and other online marketing solutions that are designed specifically for chiropractors and their needs as private practice owners.

Anna Hansen, general manager for ChiroMatrix, is enthusiastic about partnering with the CCA because it gives ChiroMatrix the opportunity to help chiropractic practices flourish.

“I am pleased to partner with the CCA, thanks to its hard-earned reputation of being a highly ethical and dynamic organization that is dedicated to advancing the practice of chiropractic in Colorado. I believe that by collaborating with the CCA, ChiroMatrix will be able to provide many chiropractors with the digital marketing tools they need to enhance their online visibility and reach more patients. This objective is directly in line with the CCA’s mission of expanding chiropractic care in Colorado,” said Anna Hansen.

Jim Garnett, executive director for the CCA, is also delighted with the collaboration between the CCA and ChiroMatrix, given that ChiroMatrix is one the fastest-growing online marketing agencies in their field.

“We are confident that our CCA members will benefit greatly from our new partnership with ChiroMatrix. ChiroMatrix is a leader in their industry and offers a wide variety of chiropractic digital marketing solutions, including mobile-friendly websites, that will allow our members to attract new patients — and ultimately help more people who are in need of chiropractic care,” said Jim Garnett.

About CCA

Founded nearly 100 years ago, the CCA’s mission is “to protect, promote and expand the ethical and professional practice of chiropractic in the state of Colorado.” The CCA works to accomplish this mission by: initiating regulatory legislation; upholding the utmost professional and ethical standards in regard to chiropractic care; keeping its members abreast of vital research and leading-edge chiropractic techniques; disseminating pertinent information to the public; and providing an extensive patient referral network.

About ChiroMatrix

Founded in 2002, ChiroMatrix, an iMatrix company, provides small and medium businesses with online marketing solutions for every need and every budget. From mobile-responsive website design and social media management to paid advertising and advanced search engine optimization, ChiroMatrix offers practice-based businesses a wide range of digital marketing tools and services.

For more information about ChiroMatrix, please contact us by calling 1-855-587-6800 or by visiting www.ChiroMatrix.com.

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ChiroMatrix Partners With the Colorado Chiropractic Association to Deliver Chiropractic Websites ...

Facebook Enables Deep Linking for Mobile App Install Ads

Facebook hopes to ease some pain for developers, marketers and consumers alike with its new deep linking tool for app install ads. The result should be a more effective way for marketers to sell goods and services through their apps thanks to new control over where consumers land after the install is complete.

Let’s think about Web ads for a second. When you click on an ad in your browser for something you want, you’re generally taken directly to that product’s Web page. This is true on the desktop, on the mobile Web and often in Web-based apps. Not all marketers support purchases via Web-based apps. Many would prefer users to install the full application in order to buy stuff.

Under the current set of constraints in Facebook, however, a consumer who clicks an advertisement on his phone to install an app generally winds up on a landing page or the home page of the app.

For example, if a consumer was looking at an ad for a specific pair of shoes on Zappos.com and clicked on the ad to install the app to order the shoes, she’d be taken to the home screen of Zappos’ app rather than the shoes she was looking at. From this point, the consumer would have to search for the shoes anew. As many marketers know, this can lead to abandonment of the purchase.

Facebook’s deep linking tool will change this completely. Moving forward, when consumers click ads to install apps, they’ll be taken to whatever page the marketer wants, including the product page. Facebook says this should help “increase conversion rates to the point that app install ads and direct marketing can be one and the same.”

There are several ways developers can take advantage of this tool. The first is through Facebook’s existing cross-platform standard calls App Links. Facebook already supports App Links for mobile app re-engagement ads, but now developers can use them for mobile app install ads, too.

Developers using Facebook’s SDK can enable App Links with deep linking on their mobile app install ads with a few clicks. Facebook says a new field in the ad-creation tools allows developers to assign the exact location in their apps where consumers will land when they click on app install ads.

At the end of the day, deep linking will make it less painful for consumers to shop from their mobile devices. Less pain for consumers often equals more gain for marketers and developers.

Facebook Enables Deep Linking for Mobile App Install Ads

Structure Associate Advertising and marketing Websites the Easy Way

There are some myths in associate advertising and marketing, which entice a lot of folks to it thinking they are true. First is they assume taking care of an online company is simple as well as second, they assume that a person can succeed via internet marketing in an instant. Most likely not even 10 % of those that are into member marketing became rich overnight. There may be some who thankfully accomplished overwhelming success in just a short period of time after setting up an affiliate program, yet not a bulk of them could with confidence state they just had good luck. Any person who achieves success in this sort of contractor would certainly claim he worked hard to obtain to where he is right now. Success in member advertising requires time as well as effort, yet it’s worth it.

If you are intending to start an associate program, one of the many things you need to consider is having your very own site, not just a common internet site however a professional looking one. Just how do you construct an affiliate advertising internet site? Just what are the simple actions to construct one? First, you need to have already decided on the style or particular niche of your website. It would certainly be far better if you already have an idea what product and services to promote as this would certainly help you intend the design and also lay-out of your web pages. The following point to do is to select a domain as well as get it held. The domain name is a special name used to classify the real address of your internet site on the Internet. In deciding just what domain name to sign up, searching the type of items you are supporteding and also the motif of your site. Having the appropriate key words in your domain would certainly provide you better opportunities of attracting more visitors to your website. Additionally, pick a top degree domain name or extension, such as.com since it is increased popular. In choosing your webhosting, think about the safety and security of servers as well as up time warranties.

Now, you could start developing your websites. Don’t be disheartened when you recognize a little in this industry. There are web page generation tools and also fast launch sites readily available online; you simply have to look for them. Plenty of on-line sources could aid you build a member marketing web site, though you might require time to study and also discover the entire process. This is just one of the reasons your website or the products you are visiting advertise have to match your passion. Structure your advertising internet site for the initial time would be a lot even more enjoyable if you recognize effectively the motif of your website. If you do not have time to make your very own website, you can make use of design templates or acquisition readily offered web sites. The last, nonetheless, is a more expensive alternative.

Developing an associate web site on your own would be less expensive and more intriguing. In the process of constructing your website, you might likewise increase your understanding in Information Technology and also the use of computer systems, software applications as well as the Internet. As you inform on your own in these industries, you are increasing your benefit versus other associate marketing experts. It aids a lot, though, if you already know the fundamentals in web page advancement like programming languages and graphics softwares since you could make your site added corporate-looking, extra hassle-free to make use of or much easier to navigate. In addition, if you are experienced and also experienced around, you could already concentrate more on the material of the page rather than the layout.

The trick to draw visitors to your site is to have top quality content; therefore, the next thing you have to pay attention to in building your advertising internet site is this. There could be numerous various other aspects that contribute to the success of your affiliate advertising site, yet a good content tops the listing. This is precisely the reason individuals choose to put your website. They want to acquire information and so when they don’t discover it, they would certainly go somewhere else. Compose intriguing write-ups associated with your style as this would make them frequent your site. If you have actually already sought member programs that complement your site, add connect to business sites and any other excellent interesting websites. Hyperlinks add to exactly how well you will be listed in major search engines also. Additionally, create pages for the products you are backing, yet don’t merely advertise the items by putting hyped-up advertisements. Maintain your visitors fascinated by injecting lots of appropriate and also useful details. This would make them click the connect to business site and acquire the product. Remember that no good content meanses that no frequent visitors, no sales and ultimately, no commission.

Make your website simple yet not without a touch of course in order to make it appear even more of a contractor internet site instead of an individual site. This would be kindlying to the eyes and also even more fascinating to search. That can help you with the layout, you can inspect some effective online shops to get a suggestion on just how you could make your website look far better. See to it you do not position a lot of banner ads because these could possibly sidetrack some site customers; and hence, instead of clicking your advertisement, they could simply leave your site and seek other appealing websites. Nevertheless, banner advertisements are not the only ways of marketing your items. Now your website is full, submit its LINK to significant search engines to raise your traffic.

Grow from where you started. Learn about use of key phrases for search engine optimization and also apply them in your material. Update your site frequently or add new web pages. Ensure to inform your leads concerning the current updates in your site. You could use newsletters to achieve this. The Web offers a huge source of details around just anything, make use of it. Continue to inform yourself on ways to enhance your web site as well as soon you’ll find yourself successful in member advertising and marketing.

Structure Associate Advertising and marketing Websites the Easy Way

Lord David Puttnam: online voting would cheapen democracy

Lord Puttnam took to the stage last month at The Marketing Society Annual Lecture at BAFTA to discuss his view on leadership and call on marketers to use their position to drive social change.

One of Lord Puttnam’s primary concerns is the “serious” level at which younger people are becoming disengaged with politics.

Should you make democracy that simple? Should you make it inexpensive?

“A lot of people try to pretend there isn’t a problem or that it will go away. What I am showing is that there is a problem with young people and disengagement with politics. It really has now set in and it is really serious,” he said.

Social media generation

The answers offered to the problem of engaging millennial voters may sound familiar to marketers, particularly the focus on digitising services and communications to fit with the ‘social media generation’.

However, Lord Puttnam is sceptical about the idea of introducing online voting: “There’s no question that you’d increase participation if you could do it electronically and we have this conversation all the time at House of Lords. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could press a button to vote and not get in a taxi or walk in and do it? “

“But there is a flipside to that… should you make democracy that simple? Should you make it inexpensive?”

Did he fight a war to make it a push button democracy? I don’t think he did

He added: “It’s easier for me to say than for [most] to remember but I didn’t meet my dad until I was five because he was away fighting a war. He was fighting a war to be sitting here as we do now. Did he fight a war to make it a push button democracy? I don’t think he did.”

None of the above

His answer for how to engage with an increasingly disinterested youth is ‘trust’, something which he also urges brands to think about. He draws a parallel with the ‘none of the above’ movement – which is growing because people don’t like any of the party leaders – to the problems behemoths such as Tesco are experiencing as alternative brands steal market share.

With regards to the party leaders, he claims Cameron could have had an opportunity to gain trust but lost it with the way he responded to the Leveson inquiry. In contrast, Puttnam said that Cameron was “absolutely brilliant” with Hillsborough and Bloody Sunday because he spoke honestly.

The problem with Cameron is he thinks tactically all the time. People aren’t tactics, they have to believe that you believe in something

“The problem with Cameron is he thinks tactically all the time. People aren’t tactics, they have to believe that you believe in something,” he said.

I will never forgive Blair

Similarly, Puttnam’s trust was ‘unforgivably’ dented by Blair. Reflecting on his experiences voting for the Iraq war, he said: “People were prepared to be quite forgiving with Blair but the tragedy there is that, having reached a point that people were giving him the benefit of the doubt, he then manipulated us to a point where our natural good sense was removed from us.”

He added, “I remember thinking – I guess we have go to war because he clearly knows something we don’t – and it simply wasn’t true. It absolutely wasn’t true and I will never forgive him. I voted. I went through the lobbies at the House of Lords and voted for us to go to war. Much brighter people than me didn’t. How instant it is to give out trust?”

There are brands that, as a result of behaving well, are developing trust

His advice to brands is to develop trust by doing actions that show you mean what you say. In a social media world, the stakes are higher and Puttnam believes trust is lost easily.

“There are brands that, as a result of behaving well, are developing trust. They understand that trust, in the social media sense, is very quickly lost and they know that to sustain trust is almost a daily activity in which you have to prove that you are the trusted brand you said you were. You now have a social media pack out there that are more than happy to put you down if you are not,” he added.

Animoto Survey: Consumers Want More Video Marketing on Web, Social and Email

NEW YORK, May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Animoto, the leading online video creation application that empowers anyone to create and share extraordinary videos, today reported new survey results that detail the continuing evolution and growth of video marketing. The Animoto Online and Social Video Marketing Study surveyed 1,051 U.S. consumers and revealed that four times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it. The company also published an infographic detailing these findings, available here.

According to eMarketer, video advertising is expected to hit $7.8 billion this year. Whereas only 14 percent of consumers remember the last display ad they’ve seen, 80 percent can recall the video ads they’ve watched online in the last week. (Source: Digital Content Next) The new Animoto data released today supports the growing trend of video marketing, revealing that consumers prefer to interact with businesses through video and that video marketing plays an essential role in acquiring new customers as well as engaging with current ones.

“The growth of online video marketing in recent years has been tremendous,” said Brad Jefferson, CEO of Animoto. “Today, there are more than 7 billion videos watched every day on Facebook and YouTube. Historically, in order to create and distribute high-quality video to your customers it was cost-prohibitive for all but the largest brands. However, today’s tools and platforms ensure that small and medium businesses can reach their audiences where they hang out online. This represents one of the biggest marketing opportunities for small businesses in a long time.”

Video Marketing Resonates With Consumers

Video is one of the most universally preferred ways of consuming content with nine out of ten consumers watching at least one online video per week. The data also shows that businesses with video marketing strategies have an elevated brand perception as a result:

63 percent of consumers say companies that use video know how to reach their customers

One quarter of consumers lose interest in a company if it doesn’t use video

56 percent of consumers believe that if a company has a website, it should have video

Video Boosts Email Marketing and Social Media Engagement

Marketers who leverage video in their email marketing and social media campaigns increase the chances of connecting with consumers:

84 percent of all consumers said that they have liked a company video that has appeared in their newsfeed

43 percent of consumers are more likely to read email newsletters that include links to video

56 percent of consumers have watched a company video that came through email

Nearly half of all consumers have shared a company video on their own social media profile

Video Is Essential In The Purchasing Process

Consumers are demanding videos that tell the story behind the company and the products they’re buying. A majority of consumers also find it helpful to watch a product video more than once before making a purchase. When asked about video length, nearly two thirds believe company videos should be sixty seconds or less. Consumers also described the kinds of videos they’d like to see:

80 percent of consumers say a video showing how a product or service works is important when learning about the company

56 percent of consumers says customer testimonials are helpful when purchasing a product/service

About half of customers say that ‘about the company’ videos are the most helpful when purchasing a product/service

Animoto makes it easy for businesses to create effective, professional videos within minutes with no video editing experience. Businesses use Animoto to enhance and promote their brands, drive website traffic, increase sales, and create dynamic email, social and online marketing campaigns. For more information go to: http://animoto.com/business.

Animoto Online and Mobile Video Study

Animoto surveyed a representative sample of U.S. adult consumers to learn about consumer perception and experiences with video marketing as a promotional medium. The web-based survey was fielded February 9-11, 2015 with a sample size of 1,051 (Margin of error +/- 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level).

About Animoto:

iPhone, iPad, or Android apps.

Animoto and Cinematic Technology are registered trademarks of Animoto Inc.

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150507/214466-INFO

SOURCE Animoto

Casino Affiliate Programs: Earning Real Income Online

Summary:

Thousands of people trawl the Internet each and every day looking for ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes. The dream of earning a significant wage for not a lot of work is a dream that drives people to try some of the more outrageous ideas. The dream of being able to quit your dull everyday job and earn a living at home with the family, investing just a few hours here and there. Unfortunately few if any of these schemes really work, even if they produce results the likelihood of them cr…

This article from The Online Master is about: Casino Affiliate Programs: Earning Real Income Online

Thousands of people trawl the Internet each and every day looking for ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes. The dream of earning a significant wage for not a lot of work is a dream that drives people to try some of the more outrageous ideas. The dream of being able to quit your dull everyday job and earn a living at home with the family, investing just a few hours here and there. Unfortunately few if any of these schemes really work, even if they produce results the likelihood of them creating enough revenue to finish with full-time work forever is very small. Away from the world of e-books promising unexpected bounties and software that can do everything for you is a real world where real people make money each an every day. This is called the online affiliate program.

This is a proven tried and tested method of adding extra income to your site, simply by adding a few adverts. There are no secrets, no impossible guarantees and best of all no money to pay up front. It may sound too good to be true, but the truth is very different. Every time you have accessed the Internet the truth to making money online has probably been right under your nose. All of those pop-ups and flashing banners are owned by affiliates associated with other sites. The vast majority of major sites and even smaller personal sites have taken advantage of what is a very simple but hugely effective way to earn money.

Industries like that of online gaming and casinos can credit much of their success to advertising in this cost free fashion. By offering website owners free promotional tools and banners they can spread their web of visibility. The more people they can reach out to the more likely they are to pick up some new custom. It is through this affiliate scheme that they can produce some of their best results. Because unlike in standard advertising where one company pays another to promote them in a simple one off transaction, affiliates earn more as they attract more people. Therefore it is a huge incentive for the affiliates to build a large customer base for not only the site but for themselves. These bonuses and constant benefits for both parties keep the both industries thriving and everybody happy. With affiliates earning anywhere between 15 and 35% of a players lifetime money generated, there is little wonder how or why people keep joining and keep earning through affiliate programs. Whilst no website is guaranteed to make money, the budget and amount of work are kept in check by the affiliate. They can invest as much or as little as they want. The more an affiliate is willing to invest in terms of time and money the higher the chances of success, much like in any other industry.

Casino Affiliate Programs: Earning Real Income Online

Landing page tool Postaprop is conceptually sound, visually flat

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The pitch

Marketing online is one part tradition, one part tech.

To craft an effective net to home buyers and sellers, you need to have a compelling product supported by a strong message (traditional); and, you need to have the technical capability to deftly capture a website visitor’s information (tech).

This is why you have “contact us” forms and give away free housing market reports. It’s also why some of you block visitors from seeing listings unless they provide their contact information. (No wonder they go to Zillow.)

In short, winning a site browser’s personal information is critical. However, some ways of getting it are better than others.

Maybe Postaprop.com is one of the better ways.

Or, maybe not.

The sale

Postaprop.com provides an extremely simple way for you to create landing pages for your website. However, the folks behind the site like the term “squeeze pages.”

On the other hand, I despise the term “squeeze page,” which stems from the fact that it squeezes the site user into giving you their email address. The term gives marketing a black eye; it sounds shady.

I can’t help but relate the idea of squeeze pages to a shakedown, as if I’m in a noir film being gently pushed up against a wall by a guy in a low fedora with too many rings on his fingers.

“So a … you want this free book on how to sell ya’ home? We’re gonna need a lil’ sumpin’ first.”

You shouldn’t have to squeeze anyone to want to do business with you.

Postaprop pages can be standalone or subdomains of your site (howtosell.johnsonteamrealtors.com), and they offer free e-books or video content as the trade-off for the user’s information.

Conceptually, the pages are sound. They have all the elements you need: a few quick bullet points, clear calls to action, and a promise to deliver on its promise. In other words, they aren’t clickbait.

But man, do they look like clickbait.

Postaprop’s design acumen leaves me questioning its respect for Web design. I’m surprised there isn’t a hit counter on the bottom of the pages it builds for you. I can’t help but wonder if someone at the company has the title of “webmaster.”

Postaprop videos use a series of stock animations, floating text and stock soundtracks. There’s nothing original or creative about them.

Nevertheless, Postaprop makes the creation of these pages as simple as possible. All the content is in place and provided for you. After a person submits their information, you can decide to which page of your website they are subsequently directed.

It takes only a few clicks to roll out a Postaprop landing page. Users are not asked to download anything or attend training, just click a design and go. Postaprop has templates to pull in the email addresses of first-time buyers, people who want your new listing alerts, or maybe a guide on “How to Sell for More.”

There’s no doubt that the product delivers on its ease of use promise.

Bear with me: the concept of landing pages is proven, but Postaprop’s visual execution of it leaves a great deal to be desired.

I shouldn’t have to be told by an online marketing product that I get “2015 Content on Every Page” for my $19.97 per month. Plus, what does that even mean? Is it just an attempt to appear chronologically relevant? Will it incessantly misuse “literally?”

Moreover, in an age of real estate marketing that includes aerial drone footage and Matterport visuals, I would expect a “3-D Image” on my landing page to be more than a slightly shaded version of the non-3-D image.

People today are highly wary of flashing boxes and absurd headlines used to seize clicks on content-heavy sites.

Content that dramatically stands out from the visual cues around it is going to — rightly or not — fall victim to the snap-click judgements we make as time-pressed online consumers.

If your website was designed by a professional, developed around compelling visual trends and supported by the latest metrics in online engagement, you don’t need an abrupt shift in graphic appeal to grab an email address.

Good, original content and the promise to be an effective real estate agent should be all you need to earn a new lead.

A landing page has to reflect your current site’s visual themes and tone to be considered an authentic extension of your product promise. I have a hard time seeing where Postaprop offers such design functionality.

Postaprop allows you to upload and offer your own content on its pages. I highly encourage all agents to be creating their own content for purposes just like this.

The close

Postaprop also includes in its accounts a one-page property website tool, property flyer creation, and email marketing services. The one page property sites look good, and may alone be worth looking into Postaprop.

The ancillary services are included in your monthly fee, which is what scares me. From a development standpoint, I’d be wary of how much marketing can be offered at such a small price. Is true customization possible?

It bears repeating: landing pages with free content in exchange for personal information is a proven marketing tactic to accompany banner and paid search advertising.

Just make sure that if you’re going to use them, they don’t make users question your credibility as a real estate agent.

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Landing page tool Postaprop is conceptually sound, visually flat

The challenges of managing a successful international affiliate program

E-commerce is booming around the world. India, South Africa, and Nigeria, are a few of the countries poised for enormous growth in the next year. And with worldwide e-commerce sales expected to reach $2.05 trillion by 2016, savvy online retail brands are looking to get in on the action.

One way to expand internationally and introduce your brand to new audiences is to tap into the power of global affiliate marketing. But this can quickly become a nightmare if you try to manage it in-house without the right experience or resources. This is why it’s a good idea to partner with experts who know the ins and outs of affiliate marketing.

There are two main approaches that companies take to manage international affiliate channels: using an affiliate network-driven approach, and hiring a single agency to manage the program globally. Unfortunately, neither solution is ideal for a true global program due to market differences and partners not being willing to admit limitations outside of their primary markets.

The drawbacks to networks and single agencies

Expanding globally with the home-country affiliate network is often the easiest solution. But few networks are No. 1 or No. 2 in every country, so they’re going recommend what they have, not necessarily what’s best for the business. Additionally, these networks are typically non-integrated from an account management standpoint, and their influence and staffing vary by market. They may not even have a team on the ground in certain countries.

Similarly, an agency may promise global coverage, but you might encounter many of the same issues along with some new ones. No single agency has a market-leading affiliate practice in more than one region. Smaller agencies often claim that a single contractor working from home is an office or a presence. Conversely, large agencies may have people in every country, allowing them to promise a global team, but many of these local offices don’t have a staff with affiliate marketing expertise. In this case, account teams are built by shifting people from other channels, such as display or paid search. The result is a confusing, disappointing approach to affiliate management that’s usually reactive, not proactive.

Most brands struggle to find a method that allows them to work with the best people in each international market by combining a strong local presence with a true global strategy.

The ideal solution is a single-point agency that works with local partners. This agency can serve as your global quarterback to work with the best platforms, networks, and agencies for your business in each market.

Why the hub-and-spoke approach works

The hub-and-spoke approach to international affiliate marketing is similar to the business model of global airline networks such as the Star Alliance and Oneworld. These popular networks provide flyers with convenient worldwide reach and a seamless travel experience by connecting different airlines across countries. Although you buy a single ticket, other airlines do some of the flying where they have the best routes. Applying the same concept to affiliate marketing allows your company to partner with the best resources in each country.

Your point agency will concede that it’s not the best resource for you in each market. Its objective is to convey your expectations to partners in other countries and help oversee the global strategy and partner consortium, which will likely include networks, SaaS platforms, and local agencies. Meanwhile, these global partners can use their local resources to develop strategies, recruit affiliates, protect brand integrity, and engage in other aspects of day-to-day program management.

For example, eBay has put this strategy into practice (disclosure: eBay is an Acceleration Partners U.S. client). The e-commerce giant works with different affiliate agencies in the U.S. and Europe to ensure the most comprehensive market coverage.

Once you find an agency that’s willing to help you organize this a la carte approach to affiliate marketing, there are several ways to ensure you’re targeting the best possible partners in each country:

Seek out experts
Local affiliates and networks should have an understanding of the marketing challenges and cultural intricacies that are unique to that particular country. They should know the affiliate industry inside and out to help your brand resonate with that region’s customer base.

Keep things legal
With each international affiliate channel comes different legal challenges. Each country has its own laws related to affiliate marketing, taxation, and disclosures. Ensure each local partner understands the laws you’ll need to comply with in that particular country.

Go beyond affiliate marketing
If affiliate marketing is your only tactic in a new region, your program will be challenged from the start. Instead, your affiliate program should be a part of a larger brand strategy and complement other digital and traditional initiatives. This multi-channel approach will ensure your program is aligned with the overarching goals of your brand.

Just because an agency or network says it has coverage or claims to have mastered an affiliate market doesn’t mean you should take it at its word. Ask the right questions, and find a partner that can leverage country-specific resources that work best for your program and brand goals. When you can pick and choose best-in-class partners in each region, you’ll have a much better chance of growing your market share and finding new international customers.

Robert Glazer is founder and managing director at Acceleration Partners.

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The challenges of managing a successful international affiliate program

The Marketing Rivalry between Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB ...

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has recently been in a lot of competition with Twitter. The two companies have been competing for marketing businesses on their social networks. The latest victory for Facebook came after Meerkat, a video streaming and sharing app, decided to be link users with a Facebook account rather than Twitter.

Meerkat, however, did gain its popularity from being linked with Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), but Twitter decided to cut off the app from its portfolio in March. The move came after Twitter decided to add Periscope, a similar app. Meerkat is available on both Android and IOS devices. Additionally, Meerkat has added a new feature to the app, which allows the users to see what is trending. An additional emoji support makes it easier for users to share their views on videos.

Meanwhile, Twitter has been expressing interest in with media companies, to host online ads. The company has reportedly been in talks to sign a deal with Mic.com. The website targets news from the younger generation. Twitter had made a $90 million offer to acquire the website, which had been rejected. Twitter aims to keep trying to reach partnerships with media companies since Facebook already has a considerable presence in this arena. What Twitter does not realize is that Facebook’s strategy is to strike deals with publishers to display their contents on Facebook. Whereas, Twitter is doing the opposite, it is setting out to buy media partners for branding.

Facebook’s subsidiary, Instagram, has also become a major tool in the commercial brokerage arena. Many realtors have been using the photo sharing app for branding and promotion. Previously, this market had been owned by Twitter and LinkedIn, but now almost all of the big real estate corporations are making the shift to Instagram. The reason for this shift is quite clear. As per statistics, Instagram is the most widely used and most popular photo sharing app out there.

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) closed at $78.81 after losing 0.23% on May 4. The company has 2.25 billion shares being traded in the market, with a 52-week range of $56.26-$86.07.

The Marketing Rivalry between Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB ...

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) closed at $78.81 after losing 0.23% on May 4. The company has 2.25 billion shares being traded in the market, with a 52-week range of $56.26-$86.07.

The Marketing Rivalry between Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB ...

Betfair appoints Johnny Devitt as new Chief Marketing Officer

Johnny Devitt

Betfair has appointed Director of Online Marketing Johnny Devitt as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Industry news source EGR Magazine, confirmed the appointment of Devitt who will take over marketing and branding initiatives for Betfair.

The operator had created the senior management role following the departure of former Brand Director Mark Ody as Betfair merges online marketing and branding responsibilities under the leadership of its new CMO.

Devitt has headed up Betfair’s online marketing strategy and initiatives since May 2014, he joined the company in September 2014 from competitor Paddy Power as Head of Marketing Platforms, Data and Acquisition.

An igaming marketing industry veteran Devitt had worked six years at Paddy Power heading up social media and display marketing initiatives for the operator. Devitt had also held managerial positions within Paddy Power financial spread betting team.

EGR Magazine confirmed that Johnny Devitt had taken up the new senior management role in March 2015, Devitt will work between Betfair’s Dublin and London offices.

Betfair appoints Johnny Devitt as new Chief Marketing Officer

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Don't Sleep on Content Marketing

Many companies have hired editorial staffers in recent years to write content for their blogs and be their voices on social media. Now, some are going further by building full-blown media properties of their own.

Take startup mattress brand Casper, for example. The company is currently hiring journalists and gearing up to start its own standalone Web publication about sleep. The site doesn’t have a name or a URL yet, but it’s slated to launch later this spring.

“Sleep is a growing subject that lacks a true editorial authority,” said Lindsay Kaplan, Casper’s vice president of communications.

This type of “content marketing” is in vogue. Instead of “renting” audiences with paid advertising, companies are increasingly producing their own content in an effort to attract consumers’ attention themselves, with the ultimate goal of promoting their brands, products, interests and ideas.

The broad goal of the Casper site is to “own the conversation around sleep,” Ms. Kaplan said. That might mean analyzing the science of dreaming, the effects of drug-use on sleep, or how sleep affects workplace productivity.

: Casper

But Casper is making real efforts to position this as a real journalistic venture. It has already hired Elizabeth Spiers — former editor in chief of the New York Observer and founding editor of Gawker.com — to head up the initiative as editorial director. It’s also hired journalist Jeff Koyen as its editor-in-chief, and is currently hiring for senior editor and staff writer positions.

Meanwhile, online grooming retailer for men, Dollar Shave Club, has also been hiring journalists, and is building its own editorial team and capabilities.

The company hasn’t yet decided whether to launch a new standalone site or to focus its efforts revamping its existing blog, but says it now employs between five and seven editorial employees, some freelancers and some full-time. Job descriptions on its website indicate the new initiative will focus on men’s lifestyle topics.

“What we’re telling [editors] is they’re not coming here to write a ‘here’s how you get a better shave’ type article,” said Dollar Shave Club CEO Michael Dubin.

Casper and Dollar Shave Club aren’t the first brands to launch their own online content destinations. Previously, PepsiCo.’s Mountain Dew brand started a lifestyle-focused site at Green-Label.com in 2013, for example. Elsewhere, numerous business-to-business brands have invested in content and standalone websites in an attempt to position themselves as “thought-leaders” around certain issues.

Although the stated goal of these content initiatives might be to “own” or “contribute to” conversations around certain topics, the companies paying for them are also hoping they’ll help drive their business in one way or another. Perhaps the content they produced can be used to help the companies position themselves as trusted “authorities” around certain issues, or maybe it can directly drive users to purchase products from their sites.

Others say there’s value in the data that these content destinations might collect. For example, if a company knows what type of content users enjoy consuming, they might be able to target them with better advertising or even alter their products accordingly. For online retailers, they might also build profiles around users to compare their spending habits with their content consumption.

The details of Casper’s site are still being ironed out, but the company said its primary purpose is to build the Casper brand, or at least to align it closely with the subject of sleep. The company’s first product is a mattress, but it says it plans to expand into other products “very quickly.”

As far as Mr. Koyen is concerned, however, he’ll be producing journalism, not marketing.

“I don’t feel like I’ll be doing branded content. The goal is to launch an editorial venture and standalone media property,” he said, adding, “I’m hiring journalists; not marketers.”

As for how Casper’s site will avoid potential conflicts of interest, the company said its staffers will abide by editorial guidelines. “The site is focused on sleep and wakefulness in a greater sense, approached from any number of angles, but always in a more journalistic manner,” Casper said in a statement. “When we do publish service journalism, it won’t be tied to Casper’s current or future sleep products.”

Whether it’s marketing or not, some industry observers say it’s wise to hire journalists if companies expect their content to stand out. It’s now harder than ever to cut through the noise, they say, especially online.

Susan Bidel, a Forrester analyst covering digital publishing, said building a content destination is an “extremely ambitious undertaking” for a company whose core business isn’t in creating content.

“It’s very hard to create compelling content that’s going to draw enough users to a site to make that kind of investment worthwhile,” she said.

Casper and Dollar Shave Club say they’re still figuring out exactly what form their content initiatives will take. Both companies say they expect to have clearer strategies in place in the next couple of months.

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Don"t Sleep on Content Marketing

Marketing Automation: The ROI Reality [Infographic]

Through the years, there have always been assertions and assurances that particular marketing campaigns will deliver a return on investment (ROI). This may in some instances be the case, but especially before digital, it was always very difficult to equate.

Even in the digital age these assertions continue to proliferate, and in many cases there is no solid evidence made available for these claims, due to the lack of accurate analytical data available. That is, until now.

Real time performance data

Unlike conventional email marketing, Marketing Automation (MA) offers a real time picture of how a marketing campaign is actually performing.

This is because target audience activity data is harvested from a variety of specific touch-points across the campaign, which can range from email engagement (opens and clicks) through to website visits and activity, to video content downloads.

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Fluid interactivity

Real time data harvesting has two big benefits: firstly, it means you can monitor engagement performance levels at each stage of the campaign and secondly, if data indicates stronger levels of engagement will become available through modifying user behaviour slightly, you can do this simply, and in real time.

This means that you not only monitor engagement and therefore ROI, but if data starts indicating new and more effective routes to engagement over your original campaign plan, you can simply make minor adjustments to the communication trend and also help improve ROI performance.

Data harvest optimization

This situation, where you control both campaign communication dynamics, their effect on campaign performance and by extension, campaign ROI, means you are also now interacting directly with your target audience.

And direct interactivity with target audiences is surely a prime objective in any marketing campaign. It is at the pinnacle of all we do in the marketing arena, and is the fast track to campaign success.

Strategic planning is key

Some say marketing automation is lazy marketing. If you understand MA you will know that is untrue. To use MA dynamically in the way described here requires meticulous strategic planning to ensure the chosen communications route remains in alignment with brand values.

This level of carefully considered strategic planning is critical. Deviations from the original plan in order to optimise communication performance must be carefully monitored and having the reference points of the original plan keeps every slight variation under control.

Applying MA in this dynamic form does increase campaign complexity slightly, and requires greater attention to analytical feedback from the communications plan. But if you take this route, you will have no doubts about ROI, because it will be as visible as the campaign is successful.

This post was originally published on the Novacom blog.

Author: William Yates

William Yates is Client Services Director at Novacom, an award-winning strategic B2B digital marketing agency. He works closely with Novacom’s strategic creative and technical teams to deliver highly engaging and powerful strategic digital campaigns for Novacom’s leading global client base…. View full profile ›

Marketing Automation: The ROI Reality [Infographic]