Who is Larry Page

Many people have heard of Google and use it every day, but less few know who Larry Page is. For starters, he is the co-founder of Google and he is right now the CEO of the aforementioned company. He is listed as number 19 in the Forbes billionaires list and he has an estimated wealth of around 32.3 billion USD.

Larry Page is the first person who has invented the PageRank, which many consider being the main foundation of the Google search ranking algorithm, so in a strange way we might consider him as being the father of SEO, or at least the person who created the need for SEO to appear.

He has a very large interest to see how things work and be the first to invent things even from an early age, when he actually took things apart just to see how they function. Alongside that, Larry Page was one of the first kids that managed to bring his homework in a word processor. His interest in math and science was pursued in university as well,  soon after that he got the idea to create an environment in which people would be able to get the information faster, and that is how Google was born.

To read full article click here: http://goo.gl/01jiOE

Why SEO is a must when re-branding your business?

Why SEO is a must when re-branding your business?

Re-branding your business can bring you a lot of benefits, and some of the most important come from the fact that you have the opportunity to start over and gain more credibility from your customer base. However, re-branding can be a little tricky to perform, because sometimes even the current customers can be a little intrigued by the changes that you make, and that is why you have to ensure that everything is performed in such a way that you will keep the customer base, while also bringing them a much better experience through your new products.

SEO is a very important thing that you need to perform when re-branding, because everything on the page needs to be modified in order to reflect the brand chance, from the slogan to logo and so on.

When you update or re-brand your business in any form, you will have to ensure that the website is the first that receives the makeover. For most businesses, the site is the connection with the online world and their image in the online environment, and that is why you need to modify it first, before any other modification takes place.

Of course, once you re-brand you will also have to create new businesses that update your customers about the change and which helps promote the newly updated brand in a much easier manner.Videos that explain the re-branding process, its causes and effects are very recommended, as this way you will be able to keep the connection with your customers, while also getting a major SEO benefit as well, since videos are very important if you want to perform proper search engine optimization. Additionally, these videos are informative as well, something that you will always enjoy.

To read full article click here: http://goo.gl/0Z1jvA

How to become a Youtube sensation

Unless you’ve got something special like Justin Bieber and become a Youtube sensation by “accident” it requires a lot of hard work and dedication.

1.Concept. Your concept needs to be unique and fresh. There are a zillion cat and fail videos out there and you may well be able to make some success out of it, but you won’t become a superstar. Be the first guy to make a video of chiselled vegetables or of how you skydive whilst playing guitar (we take absolutely no responsibility for any trying the last one)

2.Quality. Shaky videos from webcams, in various shades of grey don’t make for fun viewing unless you enjoy nausea. Make sure your videos are properly recorded with an HD camera, in proper lighting and preferably with good microphones. If all the above is in place, good editing is key! Great material + bad editing = bad video; you want great material and great editing.

 To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/Hvm5tg

Is Twitter a worthwhile marketing platform?

Social media is still on the rise. The phenomenon that many people said would be nothing more than a passing trend has become one of the most utilized and easily accessible platforms they world has ever seen.

As with every Internet based phenomenon, the biggest question surrounding social media is whether or not it will provide sufficient cause and opportunity for product and brand marketing. It is an incredibly valid question, considering the rate of growth that can be seen happening in social media networks around the world.

Twitter, which is considered the second largest social media networking site in the world, having surpassed 500 million users early in 2012 is thought by many to be a perfect platform for branding and various marketing programs, due to its accessibility and uniquely interactive interface.

Social media users have been targeted since the outset as a market for businesses to tap into. While Twitter is only the second largest social network in the world, its 500 million users is an unbelievably large market that can be tapped by any team. An estimated 140 million users are actively involved in Twitter, and it has been considered that this number could almost double within the next year. This high number of active members generates almost 400 million tweets per day.

Marketing on Twitter can take on various forms, as the network is so vast and adaptive that the fast-paced input-output method that attracts most users can be molded to suit any style. For example, hashtags (words or key phrases that are prefixed with a ‘#’) can be used to follow any mention of a certain word or phrase over a certain period of time in order to receive feedback from followers. Companies might implement a series of keyword blurts that allow their followers to familiarize themselves with their products through catchy hashtags and to-and-fro tweeting.

Should I use LinkedIn as part of my social marketing strategy?

The year before Mark Zuckerburg and his partners founded the social media giant that is now used by over 900 million people around the world, LinkedIn became the brainchild of some of the most established businessmen of the time. In 2003, Reid Hoffman and various other PayPal executives founded what would become the most prominent business-based social networking site, LinkedIn, which bases its operation on a simple idea: “Relationships matter”.

For professionals, networking is one of the most important tools for success. Not only does networking allow you to build up a solid list of contacts and acquaintances, but it lets you showcase your interpersonal and people skills. LinkedIn takes this one step further. Professionals and business-minded individuals can utilize the sites services to showcase their talents via page creation, uploading a CV to be used by businesses looking to utilize their skills, and by building up solid networks of contacts, can show their influence and trustworthiness to potential clients, business partners and employers.

LinkedIn is much better suited for social marketing and promotions than Facebook or Twitter, as the targets that you will be able to reach are regulated by you and your contacts. This means that there is no possibility of personal accounts being added into the mix. The LinkedIn service is aimed at a mature, business-minded audience that is serious about social networking, online marketing and the development of professional relationships.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/W9xt0Z

Is Marketing On Social Media Effective?

Social media marketing has become one of the most widely used and effective methods throughout the world. This is due in part to the accessibility of the product, broadness of reach and the sheer amount of information that can be accessed straight from your fingertips.

However, the question must be asked. Is it effective enough to successfully grow your business? The answer to this is not as simple as it may seem. Sure, social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are extremely useful when it comes to communicating with and growing a fan base. It doesn’t take much thought on the part of the potential networker to click on the ‘Accept’ or ‘Follow’ button that allows them to keep in touch with your company, but that alone doesn’t guarantee sales or responses.

In order to make social media marketing as effective as possible, it is important to get it right from the start. This means implementing an appropriately set up opt-in and follow-up system, which lets your company grow a database of customers who are actually interested in buying products or services. Not many people are in the habit of buying things directly from social media sites, because the idea is still quite young and foreign to the majority of the world.

Communicating with subscribers from social media via E-Mail or SMS is generally more effective, as the individuals who have allowed their information to be processed by opting in will generally be more willing to listen to an offer through these channels as opposed to having their Facebook or Twitter accounts bombarded with information and sales pitches.

 To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/rD4Bxe

What Is Cross-Channel Marketing?

Marketing your company and brand online has become an essential aspect of any business in this day and age. Not only are there more people online now than ever before, they are interacting more than ever before. Because of this, one of the most important and effective marketing strategies your brand can have is the ability to utilize what is known as Cross-Channel Marketing.

 

Cross-Channel Marketing is often confused with Multi-Channel marketing, and in many ways the two strategies are similar, however, the difference comes in the subtle ways they are used.

 

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/7NtcPx

Why should you build a mailing list as part of your marketing strategy?

If you are looking to market your goods and services online then it is important that you have

a mailing list in place but getting one started, and then maintaining it can be difficult so you will need a good starting point. If you can create a good, working mailing list then the impact on your business could be substantial.

 

MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO SIGN UP

 

The first rule of thumb is to make your sign-up forms really easy to find on your website and noticeable on every page that a visitor might click through. Lots of people make the mistake of thinking that they can simply add it on the final page of their site, but by the time the visitor reaches this page – if they reach it at all – chances are they won’t be bothered to. Getting traffic to your site is a challenge in the first place but having your visitors come to your site only to leave again without having signed up for more information is a huge wasted opportunity. You should aim to attract as much attention as possible with your sign-ups so that you create an expansive mailing list from the people who are looking at your site and already interested in what you have to sell.

 

BUILD UP TRUST BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR CONTACTS

 

If you are going to build up a good working relationship with your clients then you will need to instill trust. This means making your privacy policy accessible for all. If people are going to sign up to your mailing list then they want to know that you are keeping their information secure so that other people aren’t able to access it.

 

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/hJMoUI

7 Tips for effective marketing

Marketing your business is no longer restricted to traditional methods such as print or radio advertisements. However, implementing an effective marketing strategy using more than one medium will help you ensure maximum exposure, and will allow you to develop a more intricate marketing brand for your business. The following is a list (adapted from About dot com) of basic tips on marketing your business.

1.Print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. People read postcards when the message is brief. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your web site and generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost.

2.No single marketing effort works all the time for every business, so rotate several marketing tactics and vary your approach. Your customers tune out after awhile if you toot only one note. Not only that, YOU get bored. Marketing can be fun, so take advantage of the thousands of opportunities available for communicating your value to customers. But don’t be arbitrary about your selection of a variety of marketing ploys. Plan carefully. Get feedback from customers and adapt your efforts accordingly.

3.If you send out brochures, you could include a leaflet and/or business card of another business, which has agreed to do the same for you. This gives you the chance to reach a whole new pool of potential customers.

 To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/Q4kDzR

How To Ensure an Effective Advert

Advertising techniques vary according to the company implementing them, but that does not mean that there are as many effective techniques as there are businesses that employ them. The reality is that many advertising campaigns either fail completely, or do not live up to their potential because of poor use of graphics, failed research, bad copy writing or any other reason that may affect potential customers idea of a company. The following is a list of a few basic tips on how to ensure good, impactful advertising campaigns. Obviously the techniques will vary depending on your company’s style, but the basics remain the effective through all fields.

1.    Incorporate graphic elements

The graphic element of your ad is there to attract the readers’ eyes and interest them enough to read your body copy. The graphic element usually calls attention to, or complements, the headline — the two elements work together to create the overall ambience of the ad.

2.    Make your advert eye-catching and outstanding

In any space you buy advertising, remember that you will be competing against other adverts, some of which may have been worked on and researched for a lot longer than yours. Take a hard look at the other ad's words, photos, colors, styles, fonts, sizes and styles, until you have a good idea and image in your head for how your ad will be better, bolder and more enticing then the others.

 To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/zdiQQZ

Writing a marketing plan

The marketing plan is a vital part of any business, whether its small, medium, or a multi-national corporation. A marketing plan, if written, researched and planned correctly will allow you to give your marketing team a starting point from which to work their plan of action from.

 A marketing plan not only gives to a starting point, but also allows you to chart your success and progress according to how you planned it out in the initial stages.

You will also be able to keep your eye on the ball with a well structured marketing plan, as it is sometimes difficult to remember the parts of your plan that are not directly linked to day to day operations; with a proper, documented plan, you can reflect on it at any time.

There are a few things to keep in mind before you start writing a marketing plan, and even so, you should give yourself a few months at least to get it done, or you will find yourself rushing the job and will be at risk of dropping the ball at key moments.

Firstly, remember that creating this plan will mean that your marketing team will, first and foremost, have to take a look at the internal structures of your marketing campaign to identify strengths and weaknesses. They will also need to evaluate the market that your company works in to identify trends in the market that you could capitalize on.

Once you have done your research and are able to begin the process of writing the plan, begin with a clear and concise mission statement. This statement should be able to describe in two or three paragraphs what your company does, how it interacts with clients and which markets you serve or plan to serve in future.

 To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/1m2OtM

New Laws on Mobile Marketing in South Africa

Privacy laws in South Africa have been getting a lot of attention over the last four years, and as a result, many of the existing laws have been reassessed and some of them adapted to better suit the current technological state of our society. While the biggest change among them all is undoubtedly the proposed Protection of State Information Bill, which is still being hotly contested by many parties and organizations, some of the other fundamental electronically based protection Bills have been edited.

The Protection of Private Information Bill, revised in 2009, had before then allowed parties using e-mail databases for marketing campaigns to do so lawfully as long as they provided both a valid identity and the option to unsubscribe from further communication. When (and if) the bill comes into effect, e-mail marketing must be more strictly structured in order to be considered lawful. For instance, e-mails can only be sent to existing customers, and must only be used to promote products or services similar to those that have previously been purchased.

In terms of the collection of personal information, the bill does not make the sale of e-mail databases for marketing purposes illegal, but makes the collection process much more open. For instance, the potential client must be notified that their information will be used for marketing purposes, and must be asked for their express permission before the sale of their information to a third party can take place.

 To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/S6TnI8

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social Media, as it has exists currently has been around for just over ten years, with pioneers such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube being the most notable since the early part of the 21st century. However, as with all other forms of media, especially those utilizing the Internet, various ways of capitalizing on their existence have come up over the years. Marketing, an aspect of business, has traditionally been centered on the physical aspect, such as print, and as they grew in popularity, the broadcast mediums of radio and television.

 

However, the idea of social media has provided the marketing world with a unique opportunity that has allowed them to successfully capture not only the core of what they could potentially offer, but to expand in unique ways in order to beat out competition, reach new client bases and provide more brand exposure.

 

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/9ekoh4

How will Facebook’s Graph Search affect businesses and Marketers?

At a special press conference earlier this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg unveiled the company’s newest feature – the Graph Search. The feature will utilize the social media giant’s massive database of information (called the Graph) which contains details of connections, check-ins, likes, etc., all of which have been shared by Facebook users over the course of the company’s history.

For instance, one could use the Graph Search function to look for ‘restaurants that my friends like’ or ‘retailers that my friends have been to’. These searches will rely on that person’s friends’ habituation of liking pages and using the check in function when they arrive at a destination. While Zuckerburg specifically noted that Graph Search “is not a search engine”, its relationship with Bing seems to hint at it growing into a more definitive search tool in the future, which will allow Facebook to keep users on their site for longer periods of time and to eventually break what they call the ‘Google habit’.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/mcqsGC

New iPad5 to be Released March 2013?

If a new report out of Asia is to be believed, we could be staring at the new iPad 5 by the end of March this year! The report from Macotakara in december said that Apple would release a fifth generation iPad in March 2013, which would be thinner and lighter. It seems that the tech gaint is trending towards bi-annual release cycles for its tablet line, seeing as it only recently launched its iPad 4 in October.

Here is an excerpt from the report:
“However Chinese news ZOL (CBS Interactive) reported next iPad mini in AppleInsider's article, according to my inside source, iPad (5) may be released in March 2013. Source told that, design of this new iPad will be like iPad mini in detail, and be thinner and lightweight [sic].”

Lets say the rumors are true, we could be looking at a next-generation iPad as thin as 7.2mm and see the implementation of less LED lights to save your precious battery life.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/AqBvNu

Ten Myths About Social Networking for Business

The most important thing to remember about social media is that it is still in the process of evolving.  We learn new things on a daily basis!  To keep you from any social networking misconceptions, read this comprehensive guide that reveals 10 myths of social media use and how to avoid them.

Myth #1: Everyone is using social media

Although social media has become a huge advertising platform, it is important to distribute your attention wisely when it comes to advertising.  Your first step will be to make sure the keywords on your website is optimized for Google Searches.  You can do this using the Google Keyword Tool. Make sure you choose relevant keywords that describe your product or service and choose keywords that are not used too frequently.
To increase the number of links to your site, you can start by building rapport with relevant bloggers. Send them a short note with a link to your website.

Myth #2: Social news aggregators are dead

Less popular sites like Digg and Stumbleupon don't get the same level of mainstream media coverage that Facebook and Twitter do, yet some of the most shared content on these large sites is initially submitted to these and similar social aggregation platforms. When you start using these platforms, make sure you integrate yourself with the other users. Vote on articles and other contact that Digg users submit, and also your own.  Votes will lead to more votes and increases your chances of getting your article bumped up to the “popular” section of the platform!

Myth #3: You can't do it all in-house

Social media networking is not as complicated as it may sound.  Try this: go to Google and type the following: [your product or service keyword] social network. In your results, notice how many people are registered, currently online or even replying to a conversation thread.  What are the topics of the threads with the most responses? Post a question to the forum and link to your own website and websites of people who inspire your work.  You are bound to receive a positive response to your acknowledgement.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/kIm6yg

Why hiring a marketing agency is the right move

Over the past few years, a new niche has grown within the marketing world, which caters to a wider audience than any field that came before it. The use of new media and social media in particular, has increased tenfold over the last ten years, and as a result, has placed new emphasis on social media marketing strategies and concepts.

However, having an entirely new form of marketing means that companies have to either hire or train brand new staff at their own expense in order to keep up the pace, or outsource the marketing of their company to specialists.

The following is a short list of reasons why it is more beneficial for companies to leave these aspects of their campaigns to professionals.

To read the full article click here  http://goo.gl/ZH0TSs

The New iPhone

Visual design is often the polar opposite of engineering: trading hard edges for subjective decisions based on gut feelings and personal experiences. It’s messy, unpredictable, and notoriously hard to measure. The apparently erratic behavior of artists drives engineers bananas. Their decisions seem arbitrary and risk everything with no guaranteed benefit.

It is easy to fail when designing an interactive experience. Designers fail when they do not know the audience, integrate the threads of content and context, welcome the public properly, or make clear what the experience is and what the audience’s role in it will be.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/qZKMFU

New on Facebook

True to form, Facebook has yet again done some upgrades on their look. Here is what to expect:

1.    Graph Search

Graph Search is probably one of the most important features that have been released by Facebook this year. It allows for users to connect with friends on Facebook who share common interests, while also making it easier – previously it was difficult to search information put up by friends on Facebook, because if a person is not browsing their newsfeed while the content is posted, it could be missed. Not anymore! By typing in specific search terms, Facebook will return a list of friends whose posts match the criteria you entered. This open search feature does mean that users will need to be more mindful of what they post on their pages, as well as the limitations of their privacy settings.
2.    New look of newsfeed and timelines

The new News Feed on Facebook is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also gives Facebook a clean intuitive look of a high-end interactive magazine. Sports have been revamped to a new navigation bar on the left-hand side where numerous icons (such as Facebook Messenger and Friends) are located. On the right hand side, the new exciting tabs include options for Photos, Music and Gaming. In the centre, news items like photographs, check-ins and events are being presented in a larger, colourful manner than before. The News Feed also provides users with the capability to share news on music they are currently listening to and upcoming concerts of their favourite artists. The biggest benefit of Facebook’s new News Feed is that it allows users to keep better track of friends and limits the chance of missing out on interesting stories.

To read the full article click here  http://goo.gl/f7CxHM

5 Mobile Marketing Tips

 

The Inbound Marketing Summit, which took place in New York, in April, offered terrific presentations from a variety of industry thought leaders.

 

Amongst a number of interesting topics, the most impressive presentation was the one titled “best practices for building a mobile-focused inbound marketing strategy.”

This touched mainly on the importance of considering the customer’s point of view, when building your mobile marketing strategy.

 

 

Here are five tips to consider when building your mobile marketing strategy:

 

 

1. Focus first on mobile, then desktop

 

Consumers in the US currently spend twice as much time with desktop media as they do with mobile. So why then focus on mobile first? Because the amount of time that consumers spend on their mobile devices is growing at 14 times the rate of the desktop. 

 

Marketers should focus their efforts on marketing on mobile platforms ahead of traditional desktops.

 

2. Customers want to do little and get a lot

 

Make it easy for your customers to access your mobile content – the fewer links they have to follow to get to specific content, the better. Make it easy to download content onto mobile devices.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/yCHjCJ

ATKA SA | Why Facebook Home Doesn’t work

Since Facebook’s arrival as a public corporation, there have been various rumours of innovative products and hardware in the works, from the social media giant, that may help push their stock prices up.  

 

Earlier this year, we were introduced not only to an application called ‘Facebook Home’, but also a smartphone by HTC, the ‘HTC First’ that came with a built in Facebook Homeapplication.

 

The Facebook Home concept, only available on compatible Android based devices, integrates the user’s Facebook profile into the OS of the device itself, cutting out the need for a standalone Facebook application.

 

Photo and news feeds run in the background like a moving wallpaper while all messages, whether Facebook-based or not, are handled like the Facebook style inbox and notifications come through via the Facebook method for all applications.

 

To read the full article click here  http://goo.gl/jgyBBl

ATKA SA | SEO 101

SEO can seem like a major challenge to a new marketer. But do not despair – we are here to help! 

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is the process of optimizing your website so that it can get good organic rankings and appear on the first page of Google.

The big thing to remember with SEO is that it’s all about keywords. Everything can be found on the internet using a keyword, whether it be images; websites; videos; items you’re shopping for or places you want to go – literally everything!

Keyword research is the process of discovering which keywords will work best for the product or service you’re selling. It is probably the most important step in setting your SEO-stage.

The SEO process can be divided into two groups – on-site SEO and off-site SEO.

On-site SEO:

1.Content

The search engines crawl your pages to see how well your content is written, if it is accurate and relevant to your keywords. Make sure the content on your website contains your keywords, but it’s important to still write your content for humans, so don’t stuff your page with keywords.

To read the full article click here  http://goo.gl/IqnUcJ

ATKA SA | What Does Windows 8 Mean For The PC

In recent years, Microsoft has come under fire for some of its questionable choices when it comes to Operating Systems.  

After its release in 2006, Windows Vista, the Windows OS that was unlucky enough to follow the massive success of Windows XP, was plagued with bugs, and quickly became the least liked OS of its time. Three years later, Windows 7 saw significant improvement, both to User Interface and performance.

A mere two years after that, in the midst of the smartphone and tablet revolution, Windows 8 defined it’s self as a touch interface based OS.

While this move towards integration between mobile and desktop computing could provide a useful shifting point towards a fully touch computing market, the popularity of smartphones and tablet PCs has not been enough to completely crush out the need for desktop computers, and with them, the need for peripherals and peripheral friendly Operating Systems.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/1LYKy2

Will Verified Accounts Save Facebook From Clone Profiles?

A recent spate of cloned profiles on Facebook has raised security issues with many users, this coming off the back of a number of different complaints against Facebook and other companies being used by the NSA to collect information.

Both ordinary individuals and popular personalities have claimed in recent months that information on their Facebook profiles was being duplicated to another account, which was then used to produce false information in their likeness.

Facebook’s response to this has been to introduce a profile verification system that will allow certain users to provide Facebook officials with the relevant information to allow them to indicate on their pages that they are, in fact, the real deal.

This is not a new idea, as social media rivals Twitter have used it for a number of years to verify the accounts of prominent celebrities and individuals in a number of fields.

Facebook’s use of this system doesn’t seem to be much different from Twitter’s, except for the fact that, for the moment, any attempt to have a profile verified must go through the Facebook help center.

To read the full article click here http://goo.gl/bihtgX