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capitalcreative
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Name: Melissa
Gender: Female
Interests: web 2.0, copywriting, new media, social web, marketing, advertising, website promotion, fun
Expertise: web 2.0, copywriting, new media, social web, marketing, advertising, website promotion, fun
Occupation: Creative Director & Senior Cop
Industry: marketing
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
5/3/2007
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| Online branding secrets: Build a truly recognizable presence on the web by catering to learning stylMillions of prospects mean nothing if your website
doesn't deliver what hold the attention span of modern consumers. you'll have
more back-clicks than you know what to do with. They won't stay around long.
you're losing a lot in your total sales. This doesn't just apply to what a
retailers misses out with own an online store, participate in an affiliate
programs, or seek to provide goods or services on the web. It's amazing how many
businesses stumble into ecommerce and expect to turn quick traffic and profit.
As a retailer, it takes very little to set up a fully-functional ecommerce
website, upload your products, and provide a checkout function. And every month,
thousands of face-to-face businesses are doing it.
How can an ecommerce-centered business truly stand out? By appealing to one
audience, in multiple mediums.
What sets businesses apart is their web branding. Branding is a combinations of
ideas, beliefs, and loyalty that people share about a product or company. You
can always elevate your brand by reaching your audience more effectively. Let's
take a look at what a modern website can do to stand apart from the competition.
Online branding can be simple if you look at it through a scientific
perspective. The fact is that consumers learn (even about brands) through
different styles. By appealing to your user's different learning styles, you can
create a website that stimulates the senses, creates an emotional response, and
startles them in the clarity of its message.
Building an online brand: Online branding through
learning styles.
A website is not just about the text. It's an experience - albeit, sometimes a
relatively short one. You simply cannot have a website that relies solely on
catalog descriptions and small images. Here's how to get any kind of learning
style to pay attention.
1. Visual learners - the TV Infomercial Watchers. (And other
demographics.) Visual learners have trouble when a website is cluttered or
has too many graphics jumping around, however, they have to "see to believe". A
simple approach to this is limit the number of products on your pages - but if
you want to embed a video highlight for a specific product you're trying to sell
- that product will stand out. YouTube offers free hosting of your videos, or
you could opt for a photo slide show like RockYou.com if you don't have any
footage. If you are selling services, a slide show tutorial, with graphs and
explanations, makes all the difference in the world to visual learners. It's how
they connect with your product. Good copy, along with text, will also increase
response a response to your online brand. (Product descriptions should include
words like "see", "picture", and "imagine" It's how these learners interpret,
and connect with the visuals.) *An example: "Imagine yourself on an exotic
desert island, with only the finest bottle of
Bordeaux wine available on the planet. Would
life really be that bad?" Engage the senses of your visual learners, and they'll
develop an emotional connection with your products - and help you build your
online brand.
2. Auditory learners -
the Talk Radio Fans. (And other demographics).
Auditory
learners need to hear to believe and understand. However, cluttered noises
annoy and distract them - so adding sound effects all over your website will
send them running. Audiotory learners enjoy asking people about their own
preferences, and prefer to observe other interact and ask questions, as well.
To increase the response to your online brand, you'll want to speak to them.
Instead of forcing sound on your visitors, create audio options on specific
part of your website. (Testimonials, product descriptions, or weekly news.)
You can use Podcasts and other sound files to build your brand, byut it's also
important to have a decent customer service department they can talk to, or a
salesperson that doesn't mind answering a few questions every now and then.
Because auditory learners are communcators in general, setting up a bulletin
board (although visual) is still effective if you want a larger forum to share
your answers with. as far as copywriting - these learners relate to words such
as "hear", "think" and "tune". *An example: "When you're thinking comfort,
think wool." or "When you hear the sound of bathwater running, think Silk
Clear Body Wash. Our luxurious peach rinse engages all the sense." Tell your
visitors the words and sounds associated with your online brand, and they'll
want to hear more.
3. Kinesthetic learners - the Do It
Yourselfers. Kinesthetic learners associate learning with their own
experiences. They like to customize and play around to learn more about their
world and environment. Kinesthetic learners need interactivity - so once
you've added interactivity, reaching them is easy. You just have to ask them
to play along. Boost interactive elements of your website - by holding
question and answer sessions, hosting an online forum, or adding creative
elements - such as tools to help them build their shopping list and
suggestions for matching items. They tend to talk while engaging in an
activity - so if they call you on the phone, be sure to direct them visually
if they are on the computer. They prefer to jump in and try new things - so
why not offer online simulations? When creating product descriptions, these
learners prefer words such as "feel"
"touch" and "hold". *An example: "When you feel the softness of
our new sweater line, you'll want to hold it against your cheek forever.
Remember when everything felt this soft and new?" Appeal to the tactile
experience of your products, and the interactivity they've experienced, and
they'll want to strengthen their relationship with your online brand, even if
it's really subsconsciously.
All websites should appeal to the three learning types - because each of your
customers expect it. Rich media usage has exploded because consumers want more
- more sight, more sound, and more feelings. When the average internet user
visits a website, they want a rich user experience. By combining your online
branding efforts to increase a response among all of your visitors, your
website will enjoy a large increase of return traffic. People will notice you
and pass on your link through word-of-mouth marketing. If you engage more
senses, you will teach more prospects about your products and brand. Correct
online branding builds an experience that they will remember and associate
with your products - every time they come back.
Melissa Brewer is Creative Director at Capital Creative, Inc, an online
marketing firm that specializes in
building
online brands through the use of rich media, seo copywriting, and
marketing savvy. You can add her to your social or business network using
yourfreelanceneeds @ gmail.com
| | |
| Professional SEO Copywriting Services - What they are, and what they aren't
Professional SEO Copywriting Services - What they are, and what they
aren't
by Melissa Brewer
When you type the words "seo copywriting" into Google, thousands of articles
and provider websites come up. But how many of them are truly
useful? Is seo-friendly copywriting the standard ? Are all copywriters now
seo-savvy? In truth, if you are looking for a professional seo copywriter,
you're going to need to shop around. There are thousands of seo
optimization firms that masquerade as copywriters - which can put them in the
lead as far as search engine saturation and rankings. SEO optimization
indisputably brings in the traffic to your website. Without it, you'd be lost in
the never ending ocean of websites. It's tempting to hire an seo firm to simply
set up your keyworded content, submit your website, and let it go. This is a sad
mistake for online businesses to make - once the traffic is delivered, they lose
sales. A healthy dose of marketing awareness is the true goldmine when it comes
to seo-savvy copywriting services.
Look at the work of some of the top seo optimization firms. Do it now. Google
'seo optimization'.
SEO firms tend to be rather wordy - they're pressing the limits of search engine
ratios. They know that as an seo firm, their goal is to get a website into the
top of the search engine results. Once they've done that, they've completed
their job. They aren't there to write sales copy or think of a catchy,
brand-building slogan. They are there to help you feed machines - not brains.
Unfortunately, an seo firm just doesn't have the marketing savvy to create
website content that draws in the essential components of marketing: emotional
draw, a compelling message, and an irresistible offer.
Would you ask an seo optimization firm to write your print brochure? Help you
plan a script for your tv commercial? Would you ask them to compile a media kit
for potential investors? Of course not - that's not what they specialize in. SEO
optimization companies specialize in communicating with search engines - not
people.
If you are looking for the "sell factor" - that's where good copywriting comes
in. A techie that knows how to blanket a website in keywords doesn't specialize
in creativity and ingenuity. That's bad for you because those are the things
that make your products stand out, increase your response rate, and drive sales.
SEO optimization firms rely on keyword saturation - an often complicated
algorithm that checks to see how many of your keywords are being read by Google.
Keyword saturation is a great tool to tinker with search engine results - but
it's not necessarily the tool you want to exploit when you're trying to persuade
consumers to truly connect with what you're offering. (And connect with them in
such a way that they come back for more.)
So, what do true seo copywriting services do for my website?
SEO copywriters focus first on the message, then the translation to Google. They
are expert translators that make a smooth transition from search engine language
to customer-centric language. They write your copy with seo keywords in mind (a
2-7% keyword ratio, which is the standard) but they still add style and voice to
what you're selling.
A good seo copywriter steers clear of cookie-cutter product descriptions but
still manages to slip your keywords in there for Google and Yahoo to read. They
know how to build your brand and your company image using professionally
written, believable copy. They are the essential component of a true search
engine marketing campaign - they give your company a voice that stands a cut
above the rest.
Your website has a voice, and seo copywriting services should build a clear
message
The voice of your company is the language on your website - all of the words,
product descriptions, link hover text, and meta data that the search engines
pick up and deliver - and humans end up reading. A seo copywriter will strike a
balance between using keywords and promotional words effectively. They don't
sacrifice quality for the sake of a higher saturation rate. They want copy that
is exciting to read - and pulls sales. They want to keywords to simply be
integrated into high-pulling content.
A good seo copywriter will know that headings and titles are just as important
to the search engines as the people that visit. They know the importance of bold
and bullets to make reading easier on the eyes for your computer-weary
customers. They also know that Google finds it easier to read as well.
An seo copywriter is a hybrid of both creative ingenuity and tech-savvy -
satisfying both search engines and the curiosity of your prospects. They
want results that convert into high search engine results, as well as higher
sales volume.
Evaluating seo copywriting services - is your copywriter an seo firm in
disguise?
So, how do you know if you are truly working with an seo-savvy copywriting
service? The easiest way to find out is to read their website. Many seo firms
rely heavily on search engine statistics - even in their website copy - but
don't let this alone scare you off. Statistics are how many seo firms see their
end of the bargain - the results. Look at their portfolio. (If they don't have a
portfolio or links to online work, run!) Read their website text to see if
sounds like a person took time writing it - is there promotional language? A
call to action? A clear list of benefits? Is the content persuasive? Are their
articles useful and worth reading - or do they seem to grind out
information in monotone?
What to look for when choosing a professional seo copywriter:
Here are a few things to look for when you choose an seo writer, and why.
-
Does your seo copywriter have a portfolio or links to keyworded articles?
Does it contain more than just seo-related work? (Most seo copywriters
either started off in print media, or dabble with it from time to time.
Experience in other advertising mediums shows that they understand how to
market to people, not just machines. )
-
Are their articles unique and compelling? Read a few of their
seo-keyworded articles by printing them out on paper - does the copy
flow smoothly? Is it exciting or informative? Do you notice the repetition
of keywords enough that it kills the word flow? Oh, and while you're at it,
Google their articles and see how they rank in the search engines, as well.
-
Does your seo copywriter have a name? That's right - a name. (Will
Smith. Cathy Bates. Melissa Brewer.) A lot of seo copywriting service
providers farm out their work to India and other tech-saturated countries.
This is great for pricing - but the quality can vary and is dependent on the
English skills of each individual writer. The articles on their website
should have a byline and information about their authors - experience, a
portfolio, an "About Us" section - everything your own customers would want
to know about you.
-
Does your seo copywriter care about your marketing plan as a
whole? Do they offer complementary services - both print and web, to
allow your marketing collateral to intersect with your search engine
efforts? Do they make referrals to trusted providers in the marketing
industry?
A truly competent, creative seo copywriter is a diamond in the rough.
When you find a person with a hybrid of marketing and tech skills, you have
found a true partner in your online marketing efforts. Don't sacrifice your
business website to search engine feeders. A good seo writer can help your
website - and your brand - rise to the top of the search engines as well as the
forefront of your customer's thoughts when they are in a shopping mood. SEO
copywriters can also help you create
online
newsletters, e-books,
articles, blogs,
and any other copy where words are being used
to sell products or services. The right combination of keywords and online
promotion will increase sales, attract customers and grow your business
exponentially - both on and offline.
About the author: Melissa Brewer is Creative Director of Capital
Creative, Inc, a new media marketing company based in Washington DC. Capital
Creative offers seo
interactive
marketing campaigns for small business budgets - that
garner big results. We also provide social media marketing and consulting
services - to help you maximize your ROI and build your brand. | | |
| Interactive Campaign Marketing: Run a contest using social media, freeInteractive Campaign Marketing: Run a contest using social media, free
by Melissa Brewer
Interactive marketing is the key to return visitors to your website, no matter
what you are selling or marketing. Businesses on a budget really don't always
have the kind of resources they need to start out. That's why there are so
many pricey marketing firms out there. Unfortunately, businesses without
interactivity on the web are sure to flounder, especially with the trend towards
social media sites such as Myspace and Youtube. Your customers and website
visitors need to interact with your business - and trust it, to be successful.
What's one solution to building interactivity on a budget? Hosting a contest
that gets your visitors involved with your comnpany and products. Video contests
are ideal for this - they are free and easy to manage using YouTube.
Worried that an interactive contest campaign is too costly or time-consuming?
Don't worry - we've got you covered - step by step. Altogether, it should take
about a week to set up a campaign using free tools and a little promotion
know-how. Your campaign will need a promotion until the contest ends - but the
basics should be easy to cover and check on. And even once the contest has
ended, you should see a good return in traffic based on the new prospects you've
met during the promotion.
1. First things first - get your business on Myspace and YouTube. Plan
to spend at least half an hour setting up your profile on each site. Sign up
at http://www.youtube.com and http://www.myspace.com. Don't just sign up and
leave - make sure you link to your website, upload photos of your products and
services, and describe your business and products throughly. (Using your seo
keywords.) If you're not sure how to fill out your profile, do a search for
other businesses on these sites... (Tip: there are tons of boutiques and
bookstores on Myspace, and they're easy to find using the Myspace search
engine...) Myspace can assign you a unique URL (Look on the left side of
your page under your profile pic.) Make sure you use your business name or
keywords when you choose your URL. (Our company's Myspace URL is :
http://www.myspace.com/capitalcreative ) Youtube assigns you a "channel" -
there's a lot you can do with this as far as building a social network - but
that will follow in another article. (Our company's channel is at :
http://www.youtube.com/capitalcreative to see an example of how a channel at
Youtube will look.)
2. Plan a contest - not a drawing, but a competition. That's right - this
isn't going to cost you money, but it may cost you a free gift certificate,
book, or other piece of your business inventory. It doesn't have to be expensive
- but if you have enough inventory, giving away something free that's of high
value will generate more buzz for your company. Plan on at least having a grand
prize, if not first, second, and third prizes. For an effective campaign, you'll
want to limit your contest to 30 to 45 days. (And when you see enough success,
you can do another one, later!) Choose an item you're really wanting to push -
in many cases, your customers may buy it if they don't win... Because during and
after this campaign, you're going to keep in touch with them.
3. Decide what the contest is going to be about - and what you want your
customers to think about your company. You can make it simple -
"Why do you deserve a free Ipod"? or use it to help build your brand - "Why I am
a home-made-vegan soap addict and I deserve a year's supply of soap." Many
bigger companies even ask users to submit their own commercials for a specific
product. The key to this contest is to build excitement for your products and
company - so ask a question to your prospects that helps them think about
your brand and how it relates to them.
4. Create a Youtube Group for your contest.
(http://www.youtube.com/groups_create) This is where you'll be directing your
entries. You get a free bulletin board in the group, so link to your contest
guidelines and your business on Myspace. (On Myspace, you'll get a lot of
friends this way. Let everyone know contest updates will be announced on Myspace
and via your mailing list.)
5. Create a Contest Page on your website. List the rules and the
theme of your contest. Although the video contest will be on Youtube, you'll
want to collect their email addresses and the URL of their video either by form
or email, depending on your preferences. Link to your Myspace profile and
Youtube Group prominently. Let them know that you will update them via email or
Myspace. Make sure you host a "Send this page to a friend" form. Not sure what
the contest rules should entail? Do a Google search for "contest guidelines" and
write up your own.
6. Announce your contest. Every place you announce your contest, you'll
want to promote the URL of your Youtube Group, Contest URL, and Myspace
profile. (if you already have a Myspace profile, then announce the contest
to everyone once a week, using a bulletin...) Who else can you announce it to?
Your mailing list. Online media and local newspapers using a press release.
Print up fliers and pass them out around town. Oh, yeah - and those free
contest websites - there are thousands of them with avid contest entrants.
(http://www.contesthound.com/addcontest.php3,
http://www.contestalley.com/submitcontest.shtml, to name a few) Try to get your
contest listed in at least five directories a week, or even a day, and your link
popularity will soar.
7. Promote until the day the contest closes. Continue listing your
contest in forums and directories, with a link to your contest page - if you
list your contest in just 5 places a day, you can achieve prominence quickly.
8. Choose your winners and give them some publicity. Let all of your
entrants know where to see the winning videos - and make them an offer they
can't refuse. Let your website visitors know where to see the results of the
contest. Offer all the "losers' some sort of coupon or freebie - or another
chance to enter a second contest. Post the winning video on your website and any
other place you promote your business. Ask winners for their photographs and
post them in your Myspace profile as " recent contest winners". Ask them to tell
their friends about their videos. Send out press release announcing the winners
- and the theme for your next contest.
Have fun with contests - when you run a contest, you build your company's image
and brand awareness. A contest is a great way to generate enthusiasm with your
website visitors, add people to your mailing list, and achieve brand
recognition. Contests also tend to be very viral in nature - people share them
with their friends and there are tons of contest fanatics on the web that
republish information for their own website visitors. just remember to make it
fun, link to where they can enter, and ask every one to tell a
friend!
| | |
| Your Yahoo Marketing Plan: the complete business guide to getting the most out of Yahoo
Your Yahoo Marketing Plan - the complete
business guide to getting the most out of Yahoo
Yahoo is the largest website in the world, and
there is a reason for it. It's pretty much the first live web community
combined with search engine technology. Millions of people use it for many
purposes on a daily basis. When marketing to search engines, especially a
monster like Yahoo, it's pretty much impossible to know where to start your
promotions. You can always add your website to Yahoo results for a flat fee or
bid on keywords using Overture. The truth is, there are many amazing free
services that Yahoo offers which can add credibility, and linkability, to your
business.
First things first: Make sure you have a Yahoo
profile filled out with keywords and a professional description. Your
Yahoo profile can talk about your business and link to your websites. Make sure
you fill it out completely and use it to link to where you have a presence
online - your website, blog, or social networking profiles. Explain what your
business does, upload a few pictures, and keep it professional. Simple enough,
right?
You
can get your profile at yahoo here.
Here's a rundown of all the ways you can use to gain more visibility from this
marketing giant.
Free Yahoo Marketing Tools:
These are all of the free tools Yahoo offers to help you grow your business.
-
Explore, submit and manage your website
listings, free with
Yahoo
Site Explorer. Yes, that's right -
it's free . Yahoo requires some authentication with this, but you can add
your website and upload a small text file to your server to verify
ownership. You can also track multiple websites (without confirmation) so
you can keep an eye on the competition - including how many pages are
indexed and who's linking to them. Yahoo also lets you submit your RSS,
blog, and other feeds in this section - all free. Check the
Yahoo
Site Explorer Blog to find out how you can submit your entire site map
to Yahoo, free.
-
Add
your multimedia to Yahoo. It's
free and easy - any RSS technology your business uses will be included in
the Yahoo search engines.
-
Become
a Widget Builder. Distribute an
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news widget if you have a blog or website
that publishes articles or news. You'll be featured in the Widget Gallery
and anyone who is interested in your topic can download your feed widget any
time they want. That means you'll be on their desktop whenever you post. (If
you don't know how to make one, here's
an excellent
article for technical guidance on RSS widget creation. Yahoo also has
some information in
their
help section about Widget creation as well as forums for developers to
help each other out.
-
Join
Yahoo
Answers and answer questions in the
industry you're involved in. There are questions in pretty much any
category - law, fashion, art, entertainment, movies... You get the idea.
Every time you answer a question, your profile gets linked to. You can also
establish yourself as an expert if you have some time on your hands to
answer a ton of questions. Otherwise, it may be best to set your sights on
answering one question a day. Don't want to
use a photo in Yahoo Answers? You can create your own
free
avatar on Yahoo easily and add it to your profiles and your Yahoo
Answers account.
-
Create a
Yahoo
Group or at least join a few on the topic
of your business. There are thousands of fan and expertise groups
that interact regularly by sending out a newsletter or answering questions
from group members. Make sure you fill out all of the information on your
group and add your links to the group directory, if allowed.(You'll also
want to remember to use your signature and tag lines when you post.)
-
Create a basic free web page in
Geocities.
Link to all of your important places on the web. You'll be included in
Geocities search results. Add your Geocities page link to your Yahoo profile
while you're at it.
-
Use
Yahoo Web Calendar to publicly post your
calendar and events online. You can also set it up to repeat events
on a specific day of the month. It's great for sales or meetings that take
place once or twice a month.
-
Yahoo
Classifieds are free for selling a
specific item or service. They are a little spammy, though - make
sure you don't contribute to the spam by being specific and honest in your
ad.
-
Yahoo
Message Boards are available on any
topic. Post all you want on your topic (but don't violate the terms
of service) - they are pretty much unmoderated.
-
My
Web 2.0 is Yahoo's new social bookmarking
service - use it. Add your business links, articles, and affiliate
websites with appropriate keyword tags to increase link popularity. (And
keep your bookmarks in place.)
-
Add
photos at Yahoo Photos. This allows your business to share your photos
with the world. It's perfect for event promotion and particularly good
images of your products. (Or, your business in action...Such as giving a
massage or building a house.)
-
Add
a Podcast to Yahoo. Yahoo allows
your business to create and distribute a podcast, and has a search feature
based on keyword. Podcasting is pretty popular. Not sure what your podcast
should be about? If you are a business catering to consumers, make it fun.
(For example, if you sell high-end clothing, you can do a daily podcast on
celebrities and the clothes they wear...) If you cater to businesses, do a
podcast that sells your expertise (and interview others to get their
expertise, too..) If you already have a
podcast, submission is free and will be picked up when you send them
the link on the podcast page. They also give away a nifty button for you to
use to promote your feed.
-
Make some money by becoming a
Yahoo
Publisher. Similar to Google,
Yahoo displays content-relevant ads on your website, and you get a check
every month. They have strict guidelines so you should have unique, relevant
content on your website.
-
Add your events to
Yahoo's
Upcoming, a location-specific site that people actually subscribe to
when they want to keep up with local events. It's free and you can even
track how many people plan on attending, so make sure to announce it to your
newsletter subscribers and website visitors so they can RSVP. If you plan on
going to a specific networking event that isn't listed, you can let the
world know that you'll be there or join/create a group that meets in real
life at events. (Such as the
"Web
Conference Junkies") Yahoo recently acquired Upcoming, so you will
need to register with Upcoming as well.
Cheap Marketing Tools at Yahoo
-
Get listed in
Yahoo
Local. They've syndicated the
results so you can be found in more places. Prices start at
25.00/month - and right now, at least, the first month is free. Each listing
includes a free five-page web site, which you can customize with your own
text, logo, and links using a simple online wizard. Set up your web site
after you enter your listing details.
-
Submit
your products to Yahoo. You pay
based on performance and set a budget like you would with Google Adwords.
Whenever somebody ends up in Yahoo shopping, they'll be able to find
specific products.
-
Basic
search submit to Yahoo is affordable and
prices start at $49/year and gets new websites listed faster.
You can submit up to 5 URL's. Use it to list your business, blog, and
other sites where you do business. You'll still need SEO optimization and
incoming links to garner attention and decent placement.
-
Yahoo
Campaigner is available to businesses
that need an email list. Pricing starts at $10 a month, with the
first month free. You can also use their list-building services by buying
from
InfoUsa.
Other Business Tools at Yahoo
-
Yahoo
Messenger is pretty much universal, and now it is web-based. Sign up for
the new Yahoo web messenger and give it to your prospects and customers so
they can get in touch with you more quickly
-
Add
Y!Q to your website. It embeds
related search results intuitively based on keywords and context. It's still
in beta mode, but the search results are pretty straight-forward. It's more
search-friendly than the Google boxes.
-
Create
a Yahoo Briefcase and allow users to
store files and documents online. If you sign up for premium service,
it's about $3 a month and you can share your files publicly. Businesses can
use it to store contracts and marketing material.
-
Protect your computer, personal life, and
passwords with
Yahoo
Security. They offer a free online viruses scan by partnering with
Symantec.
And finally, keep up with what Yahoo is doing by
visiting and bookmarking
Yahoo
Next, the blog that announces features that are new, upcoming, or soon to be
nixed. And bookmark this page in case we update it. 
This is the first in a series of marketing articles by Melissa Brewer, Creative
Director at
Capital
Creative Marketing and Copywriting. Capital Creative specializes in Web 2.0
and Social Media Marketing and caters to business clients (economically!) on a
global scale. Please feel free to add us to
your
network at Linked In or any other networking or business website using
yourfreelanceneeds @ gmail.com.
| | |
| Webmercial Marketing : Quick, Easy and the Cheap
So, what is a slideshow widget?
First of all, a web widget is simply any kind of web application that
you can add to your own webpage, community profile, or any other
website that allows html codes. If you've ever been to a social website
like Myspace, you've probably seen a lot of cool gadgets and tools on
people's profiles. Surveys, pictures, and videos that users like are
usually embedded in the page. These widgets are free and easily used as
a viral tool for the companies that create them - users pass on the
videos or photo collections they like to other people they're connected
to via a simple link or a few lines of html that they cut paste.
A slideshow widget is a collection of photographs that move
frame-by-frame to the next image. Users can add captions, music, and in
some cases, video and user-created sound clips. Why are slideshow widgets good for marketers? Viral webmercials!
First of all, any widget that gives viewers or users the capability to
pass their creation on is a good thing for marketers, period. Users
pass on what they like -- and they're used to it. Myspace addicts pass
on all kinds of internet goodies on a daily basis. (Most likely, they
do this when they are supposed to be working. Myspacers are notorious
for using their space during work hours and typically consider social
media incredibly addictive . . . ) Every video on YouTube or Google has
the option of emailing it to a friend. Internet users are becoming
accustomed to viewing media -- not just text -- online. And when they
like it, they share it. Why make a slideshow webmercial?
A slideshow widget can be used to create an online commercial for use
on your business website, social networking profile, or anywhere else
that html can be embedded. If you haven't noticed, a lot of the big
media companies are adding "webmercials" to their websites. This kind
of marketing typically costs a lot of money -- the kind that consists
of hiring an ad agency with the technical expertise and the
marketing-savvy to get it produced, direcibuted, and perfected. The
traditional webmercial is a streaming media marketing video, similar to
short clips that can be viewed on YouTube or at the beginning of the
footage shown on news websites (like CNN). Slideshow webmercials are
not as high-tech, but can still be an effective and professional medium
for marketing to customers using rich media formats. (If you're having
trouble with the concept of webmercials or slideshows, scroll down to
my author box where I link to a few of our webmercials created
on-the-fly . . . )
If you're looking to add some multimedia to your website, and you don't
have the technical skills or resources to hire a flash designer or
design a minisite, a slideshow can be crafted easily to showcase your
products or services. Creating a slideshow webmercial for your business
There are a few different sites on the web that offer strong
capabilities when it comes to slideshows. Do a search for "photo
widgets" on Google. My favorites are RockYou (http://www.rockyou.com)
and Slideroll (http://www.slideroll.com). RockYou is the easiest option
if you are not the most tech-savvy but have some good graphics and a
general idea of what you want to say or showcase. Slideroll has
software that allows you to download some software and add your own
media as well as a premium upgrade, if you want more of a slick,
professional feel and you have access to licensed music or your own
video feeds. Tips for a successful slideshow webmercial:
1. Decide what you are promoting. If you simply want to show off a few
products from your online catalog, choose the best images you have. If
you're promoting an event, you'll want to choose the best photos from
the bunch. If you want to tell a story, you can use clip art or stock
photos for a slick, professional edge. It takes a marketing eye to know
what works, so you may want to consult with business associated or
friends if you don't have your own marketing department.
2. Remember it's all about branding. The text and music you add should
reflect your business or the commercial's theme. For example, if you
own an online boutique that sells hot club clothing, you'll want to
play hip club music rather soft classical music. If you are a virtual
assistant, you'll probably want to keep the music slow and
professional. A webmercial communicates to two primary senses -- sight
and sound. Make sure you don't annoy your prospects with music that
isn't synced to the visuals.
3. Get to the point -- quickly. You'll want to grab your viewer's
attention with a strong opening image. Keep your message simple and
stress your benefits. A webmercial allows you to the opportunity to
"show" and "tell". But nobody wants a webmercial that shows your entire
business plan.
4. Don't forget a call to action. At the end of your webmercial, close
the sale. Ask for action. Post your website address or email address.
Tell them about your Yahoo group. You don't have a lot of room, so send
them to either your primary home on the web or whatever part of your
web promotion you are trying to expand. Getting eyeballs to your slideshow webmercials
You can embed your webmercial in any format that accepts basic html
and/or JavaScript. You can post your webmercial on your own social
networking profiles or your close (and I mean close) friends and
business associates. Other users that create slideshows also have
access to yours if you make sure that your "profile" options are not
set to private. A few tricks to getting people to view your webmercial: 1. Use a webmercial as an intro to your site (i.e. landing page . . . )
2. Cut and paste the code into Myspace, Bizpreneur, and any other social networking website profiles you may own.
2. Bookmark your slideshow using social book marking websites (such as Digg or Del.icio.us)
3. Link to your webmercial in your next newsletter. (Or, make a weekly
webmercial for your newsletter!) 4. Link to your webmercial in your
blog. (Or embed it.)
5. Send out a press release announcing your
new webmercial (or its purpose -- such as the event you are promoting
or your new product line)
6. Link to your webmercial in your tag
lines, articles, directory listings and anywhere else you can post a
standard html link.
7. Share it with me! (Shameless plug, but I
would love to see what you've created. Send me a message or join my
network at LinkedIn (capitalcreativeinc) or Myspace (capitalcreative).
(I am at other networks with the email address "yourfreelanceneeds at
gmail.com")
Other uses for slideshows
If you're trying to sell a concept or an idea, or simply want to add
some multimedia for your website, there are other uses for slideshows
as well. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Short business presentations you can email to prospects, bosses, or clients.
2. Ecards featuring your products, websites, or URL. (If you are
posting these on somebody's social profile, besides your own, you
probably want to nix the music.)
3. Quick tutorials and how-to's.
4. Any other occasion that you want to communicate visually and quickly.
Webmercials are nothing new, but they're moving toward simplicity and
accessibility for all small businesses that want to market "web 2.0
style". They're also a lot of fun to create and share. Take your time
choosing the right visuals and copy for your webmercial, and you'll be
able to share your message with a larger audience. And, with any luck,
that audience will pass it on for new prospects to share. | | |
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