Internet Marketing Blog

True Cybercrimes

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As social media gains popularity in our common lives, protection of our identity becomes paramount.  One who is more of a dilettante to viral socializing may just decide to deactivate themselves, which is fine.  Others who value social media as a portal to entertainment and interaction plan to investigate their privacy rights according to the website policy, seeking loopholes in data accessibility in order to close them.  

The advancement of smartphone technology will only intensify the sharing of personal information across hardware and channels, so diligence need apply.  We are already seeing this with the development of geolocation, a practice where one can update their point on Earth in real time.  Security concerns have been shared on this space and the cyberworld, so delving in farther is unnecessary.

Despite all of this emerging concern with the increase of channel platforms to transfer data between your laptop, mobile phone, video game console, and the like, the public remains concerned about traditional cybercrimes such as identity theft.  Banks remain the least trusted business, according to recent survey done by Kindsight.  I have heard stories about security fraud in the past and present, as banks would infiltrate their customers with phishing messages while touting the finest security emblems on their webpage.  Credit histories are at stake when e-commerce transactions go haywire. When it comes to banking, however, many people have lifestyles today that do not permit the time to wait in a teller line for routine transactions. Larger firms, in light of the financial settlement passed by Congress, have taken steps to mitigate this personal service by assessing fees.  It will affect several demographics, namely senior citizens who are not technologically efficient.  This situation deserves monitoring by all, as the restrictive legal elements have yet to make a measurable impact.

Millennial who are savvy with their hardware and software easily make the adjustments necessary to protect their personal identity online.  Others struggle with the societal shift to online distribution of personal data, and whether they become successful remains to be seen.

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Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Click Fraud, Content Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Social Media Marketing, World, blog, eCommerce | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, Click Fraud, click fraud security, identity theft, kindsight, preventing click fraud, Social Media Marketing

The King Is Dead, Long Live The King, by David Houle

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Futurist David Houle has been peeling layers on Oprah.com about The Shift Age. He has went into discussion about the change of communication with technology, and how values shifted into various directions.  He discussed the future of education, arguing that women will be at the forefront.  He feels that technology has advanced with such speed that our brains cannot handle the relentless flow of information.  Now, he examines this proverbial statement:  Content is King.  In his mind, that is no longer true.  Click on the image to hear his reasoning.

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Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Business News, Content Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, blog | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, David Houle, futurist, Houle, Oprah, Oprah Winfrey, Oprah.com

What Will Geolocation Do?

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The launch of Facebook Places application brings a cornucopia of themes to the table. Foursquare has seemingly taken an earnest stance with Facebook’s geolocation initiative, as seen in this video with Holger Leudorf, the Foursquare Vice President of Mobile and Partnerships.

Competition is healthy within any marketplace, as the crux of free market capitalism.  Privately, I wonder about the start-ups’ true thoughts.  Foursquare has done a solid job of leveraging partnerships with Starbucks, for example, into a multi-pronged channel that delivers advertising and brand equity amongst a loyal base. They have also been a hit with local restaurants and retailers by providing an analytic dashboard to track customer data and grant mayor medallions for repeated visits.

Nevertheless, I think that reality will surface to the top.  Facebook has become the behemoth of social networking, and they want more. Their partnership with Bing to gain market share in search indexing, along with its leveraging of user profile data to tailor campaign strategies, can offer credibility to geolocation that eludes Foursquare at this moment in time.  In fact, it could pose a threat to Craigslist by carving out target demographics.

Places will allow novice users to manage their accounts through one interface, and Facebook wants to be the final destination for your interactive experience.  In today’s deluge of information, an option of efficient streamlining is gladly taken.  The odds are that Foursquare can survive for a little while longer with hardcore loyalists,  but reports are surfacing that some Foursquare users are already migrating to Facebook Places.

Places can take Facebook deeper into a dimension of privacy debate.  Users have deactivated accounts this year after heavy criticism of protocol negligence.  It can be difficult to remember the level of information placed on your user profile, and the inclusion of geo-location magnifies the potential for risk amongst those sharing their points on Earth.  The downfall of MySpace was more than just a hackneyed design scheme.  Cases of pedophilia and other malicious acts popped up in several states, damaging the website’s integrity amongst the public. 

Everything intensifies when information is shared through mobile devices, which already have automated GPS systems through carrier networks.  Surely, one must exhibit prudence when combining too much information through various user interfaces.  I doubt that Carmen Sandiego would love geolocation.  She couldn’t steal treasures and teach geography to children if they already knew her whereabouts.  Serendipity is fun sometimes.  Geolocation kills it for me.  Sorry, Facebook.

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Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Content Marketing, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, blog | 1 Comment »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, facebook places, foursquare, geolocation marketing, gowalla, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, mobile security issues

Corporate Blogging For Search Index Gains

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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2010 has undoubtedly been the year of social media, where Twitter, Facebook, and Google look to expand their applications and compete will all involved.  All business sectors are turning to social media for instant distribution of content as opposed to traditional blog applications.  The strategy is sound depending on your initiatives and personnel, but corporate blogging still maintains credibility.  

According to eMarketer,  43% of US corporations will be blogging by 2012.  The nature of blogging is a healthy method of communication for those firms who have a solid consumer purchasing base with growth potential.  A veritable portfolio of services is also a factor for the value of a corporate blog.  Managers can easily read messages that are sent to the direct box and respond with little effort.  The transaction can also be confidential for sales negotiations, when having a phone conversation is not ideal.  WordPress, for example, has several chat plug-ins that are easily downloadable and assist with troubleshooting. The eMarketer piece also mentions that smaller companies do not have traditional bureaucratic constraints of other sectors and lead this charge.  I understand that sentiment, but does not prohibit the value of a blog for a departmental method of operation.  The corporate blog can be a hub for industry news and opinions, as well as the hub for success stories between the seller and consumer.  Tags allow for simple grouping of articles on topics to provide insight for your next annual report.  You can provide a consistently fresh outlook on several levels to current investors and prospective employees.

These mechanisms go a long way in the liveliness of your blog, since it must be treated as a breathing specimen and fed at all times.  But in the same vein, you must post information that leaves people wanting more, and that includes an amalgam of interactive media, still images, and thought.

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Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Business News, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, blog | 1 Comment »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, corporate blogging, eMarketer, internet marketing ny, new york interactive media agency, seo media agency

Weekly Blueliner Newsminer

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Hello, readers.  This week has been an interesting one in the world of interactive marketing.  Let’s start analyzing the storylines.

1. A Jet Blue Afternoon Steve Slater appears to be the missile that will send JetBlue spiraling down to the graveyard of aviation next to Pan Am and TWA.  His story has become a sensation on interactive media waves, through a new PayPal fund, a Facebook fan page, and endless Tweet streams. Jet Blue has been lauded for their social media initiatives, which has allowed it to offer exclusive deals and interact transparently with customers.  Their comments have been mitigated due to the legal investigation, aside from a self-effacing blog post.  Media pundits worry about JetBlue’s ability to respond, but I feel that the airline will pass unscathed.  I have flown with them on several occasions and had positive experiences each trip.  This incident does not reflect a trend of airline insecurity, and the FAA needs to be privy about this fact.  JetBlue’s digital communication  has set a benchmark for an industry criticized for poor management.  Federal regulators also need to be privy with another industry on the mainland.

2. Google and Verizon Challenge Net Neutrality I discussed this story briefly on Tuesday, and both sides have taken a viral lashing. Google’s misstep in this case was to deny the existence of a discussion to synthesize mobile airwaves with broadband, then admit it.  I also think to simply say that the FCC is now the arbiter sets a dangerous precedent as well.  Their previous forays into communicative regulation  were a disaster.  According to media sources, Google sees Congress making the first move on settling the issue.  Protection of internet vitality is tantamount, but should the private sector set the rules for a public domain? The strands are still bound, and need time to be pulled for this story to clarify itself to understand its impact on advertising.

3. Public Trading, By Skype As customers of Skype, Blueliner values the internet phone server for providing digital communication on several platforms since our business overlaps two distant time zones.  This week, they announced a strategy to trade publicly on the NASDAQ.  The venture carries a lot of risks with a low customer-paying base and the presence of Google carrying similar services hedged with search advertising revenue.  They need to leverage that loyal customer base into one that will pay for exclusive content, something that Hulu is attempting with the Plus membership.  One writer believes that they must maintain control over the voice internet protocol market in order to have a shot.  I think they should aim higher into the clouds.  An alliance with a veteran telecom can do that.

4. Capital T for Tweet Twitter officially launched a new Tweet button in partnership with the British start-up TweeetMeMe yesterday.  The venture gives Twitter the flexibility to develop new programs with the expected jump in advertising revenue from using TweetMe’s data source.  At the moment, TweetMeMe is not interested in a sales transaction.  The Tweet button is simply more than a response to Facebook.  It is an attempt to truly streamline content for search indexes where news feeds reach the top.  It could be even more revolutionary for newswires.

5. Oracle Stonewalls Google At the Mobile Border This storyline is fresh from the Thursday night wire, but it has legitimate legs for the open source of Android.  Oracle is seeing telecom firms assert their financial girth in the broadband industry, and is looking to do the same with their Java application in the mobile race.  The suit, filed in the U.S. District court of Northern California, accuses Google of copyright infringement over the use of Java in the Android smartphone platform. As Financial Times notes,  if Google has to compensate for Java development, the Android could be greatly compromised.  The ongoing hegemony between digital heavyweights for the mobile space could really stifle creativity, but the inverse is also possible.  Mobile technology remains young, and physics prohibit security from being absolute.  Data can be intercepted through shaky cell towers, Bluetooth devices, and faulty infrared technology.  In my mind, this suit development is also worthy of your attention.

That’s the Blue news this week.  Until next time.

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Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Business News, Content Marketing, Interactive Marketing, World, blog | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, internet marketing ny, jet blue, new york seo media agency, weekly blueliner newsminer

Introducing The Tweet Button

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Today, Twitter officially launched the “Tweet” button. Aesthetically, the image is nice.  It evokes the firm’s cloudy theme and has some shadowing to soften up the blue.  The button is a partnership with TweetMeMe,  the organizer of Twitter’s data set.  The button aims for readers to share content more efficiently.  Once content is passed on, then Twitter will suggest followers to that account.  Now, let’s account for the effects of this news.

This button could prove as a watershed moment for Twitter.  The button upgrade initially appears to be a response to the ‘Like’ button of Facebook. ‘Like’ has been leveraging data between its personal profiles and web domains, resulting in a wealth of transactions.  Nick Halstead of TweetMeMe states that this announcement is to strengthen the position of each side rather than generate revenue. The recent suggestion algorithm used by Twitter supports this statement. Tweeters aren’t in love with the interface, however, and seek adjustments.

Website designers and SEO methodologists will delight in the simpler button’s ability to manage click counts.  Once these steps are made, then developers can use the new DataSift to leverage all that information into creating new streams.  DataSift pledges to build search rankings through fast rule processing, reflecting real-time status.  Hashtags will add value for the firm as advertising for corporate accounts.  The program is in development, planning to surface in the near future.

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Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Content Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing, blog | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, internet marketing ny, new tweet button, new tweet button news, new york social media agency, social media, tweetmeme, twitter

Post Stamps Are Forever

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The United States Postal Service has been bleeding funds for a long, long time.  The markup on stamps has been outpacing inflation over the past decade.  The technological advancements of information distribution have affected the value of postal service to the average citizen.  UPS and FedEx tout faster delivery with various modes of transport, but at a prohibitive cost for corporations. In fact, these shipping firms align select services with the Postal Service to reduce delivery fees.  The latest news concerning the rise of first-class mail postage to $0.46 breeds the longstanding question:  Is direct marketing still viable for advertisers?

Today’s campaign has even transitioned away from e-mail marketing into social media targets, which is a dangerous proposition.  For organizations small and large, direct marketing should be a reduced percentage of campaign strategy but not negated.  The Postal Service has integrated a flat rate for selected package sizes deliverable within the States and has the Forever stamps that can manage distribution prices.  Direct marketing, in these economic times, is not only cost-effective, but holds the cachet of federal protection that rival shippers do not possess. Its reach across less densely populated regions cannot be denied, and is still the cheapest option of delivery in the Western World. Secondly, value also shows up during tough economic times in which a business reaches out to their consumer base with a note or gift of gratitude. Consumers remember those touches and will look to reciprocate in the future, even if the wallet is lightened. Therefore, marketers should not be alarmed by the constant rise in postage fees.  They should wonder if the USPS management will ever be pared down with sensibility. I see the 75 cent stamp on your envelope before that occasion comes to roost.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Business News, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, blog | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, Direct Marketing News, new york e-mail marketing agency, new york social media agency

Weekly Blueliner Newsminer

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Welcome to the first edition of the Weekly Blueliner Newsminer.  We aim to bring a collective viewpoint on the recent news in digital media, putting it into accessible terms.  Across different angles, we can understand the present and future of internet marketing over a period of time.

We will look at the top five news stories, then discuss their impact.

1.  Google and Verizon Discussing Net Neutrality.  The latest on this story is that both firms are denying that a deal is in the works, but when there’s smoke, there’s fire.  This would be a huge determent on the business front.  It would really monopolize website optimization in terms of e-commerce and keyword search.  Larger firms would receive the bulk of advertising since they would be able to afford the delivery fees that Google and Verizon propose to regulate traffic.  Venture capitalists would struggle to research for innovative technologies.  The internet, on principle, would be undermined as an depot of information.

2.  UAE Set To Ban Blackberry Use In October.  Speaking of information depots, this story continues to build up steam, as the U.S. government looks to defend RIM’s data monitoring practices.  Earlier this week, the United Arab Emirates announced that it would ban Blackberry use in its borders starting this October due to security concerns.  The Canadian firm has superior encryption standards and routes data services through its proxy hubs in Canada.  The Middle Eastern government wants Hillary Clinton has went on public record, describing the behavior of UAE’s government as a threat the innate right of free internet access.  Undeniably, the potential for hegemony of content exists, especially in such a volatile region.  RIM is also in dialogue with India about similar concerns, so monitoring continues.  As of this syllable, Blackberry phones are still in use for all the aggravated investors in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

3.  Twitter Launches Suggestions Feed.  The Suggestions feed was rolled out this Monday by Twitter, and it looks to segment Twitterati into similar tastes and preferences not unlike social media rival Facebook.  So far, few people are in love with it, including myself.  The service, in my mind, is unique with its minimalist website design and character limits.  The suggestions feed uses an algorithm based on people you follow, their followers, and unconnected followers who you may find interested. Kinks are still being worked out, as the feed has crashed several times.  I feel that the suggestions feed suggest a desire to engage in a personalized relationship, which is the antithesis of a follower.  Nobody wants to be seen in this context.  One writer of the blog TechCrunch thinks this is just the beginning for Twitter’s social extension.

4.  Facebook vs. Google.  The battle for web advertising supremacy is going unnoticed by the general public, but digital media executives are watching really closely.  The search-advertising giant has made several efforts to enter the social media industry with applications like Wave and Buzz, only to watch them peter out due to privacy issues.  YouTube is one obvious success, but it was purchased by Google rather than developed from within the lab.  Facebook, on the other hand, has aligned with Microsoft Bing to leverage its superior depth of interpersonal connections.  It also acquired some patents from Friendster, which has been Apple’s strategy with mobile applications.  Google’s open source platform has been better received, with Android as a shining example.

Google is fighting different battles with China (firewall proxies), Apple (content syncing, television programming), Microsoft (office software, search), and the federal government (antitrust issues).  That is the reality of life when you gain accolades.  I feel like Google should place focus on development of certain programs, especially Analytics.  We use it as part of our SEO methodology, and the emergence of web and mobile advertising only intensifies the necessity for keyword tracking.  Google Reader is another program used by academia to conduct internet research for rare library content. A recent antitrust case concerning the application was closed, foreshadowing an opportunity.

5.  RIM releases the Blackberry Torch on AT&T.  Alongside the tiff with the UAE, RIM releases the Blackberry Torch on the AT&T network. The AT&T partnership is peculiar for several reasons.  Their inept coverage and network capacity has kept me from reaching for the iPhone, and the aforementioned device is included in their phone portfolio which could siphon revenue for each party.  Overall, the mobile platform has been rated as an improvement by tech reviewers.  I have yet to see the phone personally, so I can’t make a thorough judgement.  At first glance, it looked like a parody of the fallen Palm Pre, which this author views as a foreshadowing.  The smartphone race gets even more intense.

This is a wrap for the news.  Log in next week.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Business News, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Video Sharing, blog, search engine marketing | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, digital media, internet marketing ny, new york interactive marketing agency, seo media agency, weekly blueliner newsminer

Mobile Ads Are For Lovers

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The expansion of smartphones across the country are an opportunity for advertisers to reach a consumer from a different angle. This in itself is quite lucid.  According to an Infographic article on Fast Company, over two-thirds of the United States population owns a mobile device.  The article also states that coupons are emerging as a tool to stimulate sales, especially in the form of QR codes.  Beyond Calvin Klein’s racy billboards in New York and LA, corporations such as Sprint have deployed them at movie theaters for subscribers to claim prizes.

I recently visited the Ziegfield Theater in midtown and caught their promotion for the first time.  It took a little while to generate the coupon after several scans, but I received an offer for a free small popcorn after purchasing a large one with a large drink.  In my opinion, the deal was hardly enticing since movies in New York have become such an exorbitant cost.  I think that retailers stand to benefit greatly, along with national drugstore chains, where consumers tend to make impulsive and instantaneous decisions. For example, if Walgreens offered toothpaste and personal care items through a locked QR code, you would see profit gain. These products are an inelastic demand, leading to purchases for present and future inventory.

Marketers are still testing methods to entice consumers that are especially mobile.  The iPhone, with thousands of applications, have leaped forward, while the Droid is catching up with pure sales but lags in applications.  Mobile advertisers must give away themselves a little more in order to receive a bigger payoff, such as free admission to exclusive events.  The customer may spend those fees on items with higher ticket prices.  You then get a friend in New York and Pennsylvania.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, blog | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blueliner, Blueliner Marketing, fast company design, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, smartphones

Corporate Blogging For Beginners

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Social media has been a factor in changing the way we communicate in cyberspace.  Business social networking site LinkedIn installed a status update and improved their attachment capabilities.  Corporate bloggers should seek a balance of regular engagement with customers while reflecting the brand identity at a premium level.  Sarah Hofstetter of iMedia Connection listed her 25 practices for developing a stellar corporate blog.  I’ll comment upon a few of them, while discussing through the Blueliner perspective.  

1. Choose the Right Topic. This statement is simpler to execute than first appearance.  I sift through a diverse portfolio of blogs and news sources, ranging from The Huffington Post to Hoops Hype.  The topics must be relevant to your business and clients while possessing an angle to secure readers.  How does your content stand out?

2.  Have a brand voice. Despite the various writers who submit pieces to our blog, we maintain a consistent theme while adding style.  We discuss internet marketing for professionals, while observing the market at large.  Your readership gains even more value when the right keywords are interspersed in your content through search indexing, which Google Caffeine has made critical for e-commerce success.

3.  Incorporate visuals and multimedia. Interactive banners, such as augmented reality, are gaining steam along with display advertisements.  Nevertheless, your blog editor must be wary of adding too much style over substance.  Multimedia, like embedded videos and GIF images, should accentuate your message, rather than be the immediate focus.

4.  Make friends with your tech division. For a digital marketing firm, Blueliner has several staff members with strong technical acumen.  If you are in a larger corporation, befriend them immediately.  They will help you set up an e-mail distribution system, widgets for sharing, offer HTML coding advice, and other tools to enhance your blogging experience.

5.  Using Google Analytics. Blueliner has been critically lauded for its SEO methodology, making Google Analytics the benchmark website to assess web traffic, page clicks, time visits per page and keyword value, especially with social media.  Your marketing department will find the depth of internet measurement invaluable.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in Blog Marketing, Content Marketing, Interactive Marketing, blog | No Comments »
Tags: abdul fattah ismail, Blog Marketing, Blueliner Marketing, google analytics, imedia connection, internet marketing agency ny, new york seo media agency, new york web design agency, seo methodology, Social Media Marketing