Healthy Blog Reviews

A few days ago, Glam Media, the number one vertical media company for women, announced that they were going to buy ad technology start-up AdPortal. The idea was that their tech would help bolster Glam Media’s GlamAdapt program which allows publishers to run their own self-service ad portals. The emphasis is on detailed demographics that will allow the advertisers to place ads based on very specific audience and geographic stats over a wide-range of sites all under the Glam Media roof. AdPortal is a spin off of Sportgenic, a sports ad network. Now, with today’s announcement, it all becomes quite clear. Glam Media is now going after the male market with the launch of their new vertical “BrashSports.” The press release states: “Brash.com, owned by Glam Media, has acquired Sportgenic (www.Sportgenic.com) — one of the leading men’s sports vertical media startups based in San Francisco, and has added leading men’s publishers (including SportsFanLive and Bloguin), professional social media authors, and digital video producers.” “This acquisition expands Brash.com vertical leadership in Men 18-49 to over 30 million unique visitors in the U.S., making Brash #3 after Yahoo! Sports and ESPN with a massive, passionate, and socially engaged male audience online. Brash has added over 25 new men’s properties — making Brash Media a leader in offering 360 degree “whole life” solutions for brands looking to surround and engage men online.” In addition to sports, they’re also moving deeper into entertainment and lifestyle for men. They’re using the tagline “Big. Bold. Brave. Blunt.” along with a photo of Steve McQueen which suggests they’re going for an upscale audience that is classy with a bit of the rebel thrown in. But if you take a look at Brash.com you won’t see big, bold, brave or blunt. Right now it’s a bland blog with a flat, purple navigation bar that does nothing to draw in the reader. Brash has been online since 2008 but only represented 10% of Glam Media’s business. Now it looks like they’re putting the site into high gear in hopes of making it a much larger component. The question is, can a company that’s known for their women’s content, become the preferred homepage for men? Join the Marketing Pilgrim Facebook Community

Tags: acquisition, after-the-male, brave-or-blunt, flickr, m&a, marketing, media, press-release, Reader, sportgenic, sports, tech, under-the-glam, women, Yahoo
Posted July 26, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

This weekend, the eyes and ears of the world are focused on San Diego as a crowd of over 120,000 descend on the city for Comic-Con! What started out in the 70’s as a small gathering of scifi and comic fans has grown into the media event of the year. And despite the name, it’s not all about comics. Actually, it’s tough to even find a booth devoted to comics in the deluge of TV, movie, video game and toy brands that flood the convention floor. That’s because the convention has become the place to get the buzz going about nearly any media project and that’s marketing money well spent. So in honor of this yearly media-madhouse, I give you 5 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn from Comic-Con 5. Think Small Comic Con got its legs by appealing to a very specific niche audience and even though the con has grown to include other properties, the sci-fi / comic crowd still rules. By continuing to cater to the niche, instead of turning the con into a more mainstream convention, Comic-Con has developed the kind of brand loyalty most businesses only dream of. Look at the potential audience for your product or service? Is there an underrepresented group that you can cater to? That small focus could lead to big returns. 4. Learn the Art of the Tease As soon as you get within blocks of the San Diego Convention Center you’re bombarded with cryptic messages by way of handouts, posters and even banners pulled by airplanes. The messages are all part of a giant puzzle designed to get you interested in a brand you may not even know about yet. Like the teaser videos shown at the con, these bits and pieces pull in the audience and give them something to talk about. Done right, a teaser can generate ten times the buzz of a straight-forward advertising campaign and it’s not hard to do. Anyone can build a scavenger hunt into their website or leave weekly Facebook clues that add up to the location of a giveaway page. Which leads me to. . . 3. Make it an Event The World Cup. The Olympics. Comic-Con. You may thing that’s a ridiculous comparison but take a look around. Every major media outlet is covering Comic-Con from Entertainment Weekly to the Wall Street Journal to  CNN . Comic-Con and related topics will trend all weekend on Twitter and Google. And right now, Google news is showing over 1,000 articles on the subject posted in the last 24 hours. Now, you’re not going to launch an event of this size overnight, but you can create an event sale or a Twitter party or a Facebook virtual meet-up. Make it a special date and people will come. 2. People Love Free Stuff One of the things people love most about Comic-Con is the swag bag. A trip around the convention floor is like Halloween for fan boys and girls as studios hand out millions of dollars worth of free buttons, T-shirts, DVDs, comic books and clever tie-in items. Warner Brothers does a yearly bag giveaway that creates riot conditions on the convention floor whenever they hand them out. The bags are so popular and so anticipated, that it has become a kind of badge of honor to collect all of them in a weekend. Never underestimate the power of a giveaway. 1. Have Fun No one takes themselves too seriously at Comic-Con. Costumed fans mingle with big name celebs and everyone is having a good time. But when they pack up the tents on Sunday night, you can rest assured that people will go home wanting to see that new movie or try that new video game. I’m not saying you have to put a funny video on your website, but it wouldn’t hurt to add some humor to your weekly email, or develop a game application that goes along with your product. If people enjoy the experience, they’ll come back for more. Comic-Con is proof that any small idea can turn into a lucrative business if you have the drive to see it through. May the Marketing Force be with you.

Tags: cnn, facebook, flickr, halloween, location, marketing, media, product, street, vampire-diaries, video-game
Posted July 24, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

If you’ve been involved with SEO or online marketing for any length of time, chances are you’ve escaped the confines of your office and ventured out into the real world to meet like minded marketers. Perhaps you’re a conference regular attending events like Pubcon , SES , or SMX . If you’re like me and tens of thousands of other online marketers, you’ve also checked out your local meetup scene. Meetups are gatherings of people who all share a common profession or interest. There are meetups covering almost every aspect of online marketing including SEO, SEM, Affiliate Marketing, Publishing, and Programming. Most online marketing meetups are organized by local marketing organizations or specific individuals or companies looking to increase exposure for their own services. While motives may vary, most meetup organizers provide a valuable service for their local marketing community by offering insightful presentations, information sharing, and networking. Some of the great things I’ve experienced attending meetups include client acquisition, client education, finding new hires, conversing with other marketing professionals, and learning really interesting information from some great speakers (shout out @ btabke ). If you need to step up your game or just want the opportunity to share ideas and participate in your local marketing community, you need to check out your local meetups. To help you down this path, I’ve compiled a list of 2-3 meetups for the 31 NFL cities. If you feel there’s a great meetup I missed, please mention it in the comments along with the name of your city. ATLANTA, GA Atlanta SEO Atlanta Bloggers Atlanta Web Design Group BALTIMORE, MD The Maryland Internet Marketing Group The Baltimore Washington Tech Meetup Baltimore SEO BOSTON, MA TheArlington/Boston/Cambridge SearchEngine OptomizationMeetupGroup The Boston WordPress Meetup Group SEMPO Boston BUFFALO, NY Buffalo WordPress Users CHARLOTTE, NC The-Official-Charlotte-SEO-Search-Engine-Marketing-Meetup Search Engine Marketing Association of Charlotte Ecommerce Charlotte Meetup Group CHICAGO, IL The Chicago Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group Chicago SEO Group Chicago Online Marketing Group CINCINNATI, OH Heartland Internet Entrepreneurs Meetup Continuous Web- Cincinnati Interactive marketing meetup group CLEVELAND, OH Local Entrepreneur and Social Media Network Your Digital Footprints DALLAS, TX Dallas Interactive Marketing and internet SEO and SEM meetup DFW Social Media Marketing DENVER, CO The Denver Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group Denver SEMPO Meetup Group Social Marketing for Business – Join the Conversation DETROIT, MI The Detroit Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization And Web 2.0 Marketing The Detroit Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group GREENBAY, WI Wisconsin Online/Offline Networking Group HOUSTON, TX Web Marketing Strategies, SEO, and ROIs Houston Stompers INDIANAPOLIS, IN Indianapolis Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing JACKSONVILLE, FL The Jacksonville Search Engine Optimization Meetup Group Internet and Direct Response Marketing Group Kansas City, MO Internet Marketing Social Media Group DotNext Kansas City Kansas City Search Engine Marketing Association MIAMI, FL How to increase ROI On Websites – S FL internet marketing South Florida internet Marketing South Florida Interactive Marketing Association MINNEAPOLIS, MN Minneapolis internet and search marketing authority Internet Marketers Using StomperNet Strategies Social marketing and networking meetup NASHVILLE, TN Nashville 2.0 The Nashville Online Business Strategy Meetup NEW ORLEANS, LA Net2No NetSquared New Orleans gnocode eCommerce Merchants South Louisiana Chapter NEW YORK, NY Internet+Traditional Advertising/Marketing Professionals NY Internet marketers of New York (SEO, PPC, social, affiliate) New York Internet Marketing Meetup Group OAKLAND, CA Webifying Women of the East Bay East Bay Internet Marketing for Businesses – SEO, SEM, PPC Bay Area Net Marketing alliance PHILADELPHIA, PA SEO Grail Philadelphia Pennsylvania Stompers Phoenix, AZ Phoenix internet marketing and search engine optimization Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization AZ chapter Phoenix SEO Meetup PITTSBURGH, PA Pittsburgh Internet Marketing and SEO Meetup SEMPO Pittsburgh SAN DIEGO, CA San Diego Search Engine Optimization Meetup The San Diego Internet Marketing Meetup The San Diego Social Media Marketing Meetup SAN FRANCISCO, CA The SES San Francisco Meetup Group SEMPO San Francisco Meetup SEATTLE, WA Seattle Web Technology Meetup Group Meetup202 Seattle ST. LOUIS, MO St. Louis Small Business Internet Marketing Tiny Business, Mighty Profits TAMPA, FL The tampa seo and internet marketing group TAMPAS PREMIER INTERNET MARKETING GROUP Tampa Stompers Washington DC Washington DC on line marketing (SEO/SEM/Social Media) Group Marketing Meetup Group in Wash. D.C. Monetization & Income Strategies For Online Entrepreneurs (special thanks to Mary Werner for helping to research this list) Pilgrim’s Partners: SponsoredReviews.com – Bloggers earn cash, Advertisers build buzz!

Tags: digital, internet, Internet Marketing, marketing, media, Networking, office, optimization, publishing, Search, Social, technology, Web Marketing
Posted July 23, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

Coca-Cola may be a business giant, but this Goliath is no match for a mom and her mouse! It all began innocently enough with a clever social media marketing plan to promote Dr. Pepper on Facebook. The program was designed to override the Facebook status box of an opted in user with fun but embarrassing quotes chosen at random. “What’s wrong with peeing in the shower?” probably cracked up the football buddies when they saw it on Frankie’s Facebook page, but the mom of a 14-year-old girl wasn’t at all amused with what she found on her daughter’s account. The reference that started the ruckus was an homage to a particularly disgusting porno movie. A reference that has no business being tied to Facebook or Dr. Pepper, let alone the account of a child. MrsRickman (the woman’s online user name) complained to Coca Cola and was offered theater tickets and a hotel stay as an apology. The woman was offended by the offer and took her complaint to a UK mom’s website. 1300 replies later and a wave of discussion in the media and now it looks like the marketing agency is going to take the fall. But who is really to blame? Here’s Coca-Cola’s stance as reported by New Media Age : “We were unaware of the meaning of this line when the promotion was approved and have launched an investigation into why it was included. We take full responsibility and will be reviewing our promotional procedures.” Full responsibility, meaning . . . “We have stopped all our ongoing work with Lean Mean Fighting Machine and are reviewing our relationship with the agency. We will take all steps necessary to ensure this does not happen again.” Coca-Cola’s claim that they didn’t know the remark was pornographic simply doesn’t hold up. Even if the person who reviewed the promotion wasn’t familiar with the exact reference, the line was clearly dirty and they should have asked for clarification. But even looking beyond that particular reference, who thought it was a good idea to subject Facebook users of any age to random vulgarity? Is this really how they want to define the brand? Peeing in the shower, porn and Dr. Pepper? I’m sure they thought it was funny and hip when it was first conceived and even a little controversial and dangerous but this isn’t beer, we’re talking about, it’s a soda from a company whose slogan used to be “Sign of Good Taste.” The lesson here is that companies need to be actively involved in protecting their reputation and their brand. This applies to the corporate giants and the small company just starting out. When it comes to social media marketing, remember that “sharing” is what it’s all about which means that the R-rated photo you offer to an adult on Twitter could end up on the Facebook of a minor with just a few clicks. Now, I’ll leave you with a quote from the terms of service on the Dr. Pepper Facebook Fan Page: “We encourage you to post comments, photos, videos, and links here. But please behave. We may monitor and remove inappropriate, offensive or any other postings.” Unless, of course, they post the offensive material themselves. What do you think? Did the mother in question make too much out of an innocent ad campaign? Or is Coca-Cola out of line?

Tags: daughter, facebook, flickr, line, marketing, media, pepper-facebook, person, promotion, relationship, reputation, Social, Social Media, woman
Posted July 22, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media

It’s Aloha Friday, no work ’til Monday! Whoops, wrong blog . Aw heck, seeing as we started off with a Hawaii theme, we may as well throw up a pretty picture and all dream of being in paradise. While you sip your coffee (or in my case, Kauai Coffee Co’s “Big Braddah” blend) enjoy these news Picks. OPEN LETTER TO MARK ZUCKERBERG: STEP DOWN Bit.ly Links Now At 4.7 Billion Clicks A Month As Yahoo, MySpace And Others Go Pro Yelp and OpenTable Join Forces Seven in 10 Adult Internet Users Have Watched or Downloaded Video Online Google Pays $75 In Gift Checks To Test New Blogger Features On Windows PCs Social networking heats up on browsing phones 9 Essential Social Media Tips for Beginners Screenshot Hints At YouTube “Live Stream” Option

Tags: adult, adult-internet, aloha-friday, cloud-computing, cloud-hosting, flickr, google-pays, Hawaii, kauai-coffee, media, online, pretty-picture, windows, Yahoo
Posted June 4, 2010 by cgseo under Social Media