The 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing Blog

Google Speeds Up The Web June 17, 2011 – 12:04 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

In this video above, a Google programmer discusses the enhancements in language to their search algorithm, which speeds up the search query to handle the rise of mobile data transfers. The UI now also includes the ability to search by image pulled from your files or pages. Ad Age also notes of another innovation named Google Instant for Pages. The search giant will pre-load the predicted page in user results based on prior queries, saving approximately 10 seconds. More so than classified advertising, this new technology will drive up the value of banner advertising, as the number of impressions will rise for a user. Unfortunately, the test can only happen on the Chrome server. Holders of that portal should pass along feedback. Here’s another video.

Such an increased speed of a visual search algorithm foreshadows some developments for the future of the query experience. A future where SEO could be rendered obsolete. It should also prove advantageous for producers of video content, as load times will decrease with processor improvement. I also think that access to a wider range of personalized video content will improve, and do not be surprised if Netflix applies these tools to its query dashboard.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Content Marketing, Digital Media, Marketing, search engine marketing, Search Engine Optimization | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency, new york interactive marketing

Internet Week, Day 2: The Afternoon June 9, 2011 – 5:23 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

After an steamy, uneventful lunch break, I’m back cooling off in the main floor.

1:58:  Finding the Keys To The Kingdom:  Getting People To Use Your Product

Again, the din of a jammed crowd is affecting the panelists’ discussion.  It makes it hard to talk about their subjects in an enlightening manner. Those subjects are from startup agencies called HowAboutWe, Hashable, Fashism, and SeatGeek. They are discussing strategies for acquiring a loyal database through venerable publishers like The Wall Street Journal, using display advertising if you are an e-commerce venture, and other standard techniques. Brand partnerships with different stores are also another method of integration.

2:25: Crowd has thinned in the Pavilion a little bit.  This particular topic isn’t too stimulating.  Next year, the audio equipment needs to be upgraded. Wait, did I say that already?

2:35: The Yahoo Studios are a good place to type keywords by the finger stroke. They also have friendly hosts that engage with you about the programming.

2:58:  The Evolution Of Communication

Krystal D’Costa talks about the anthropological trajectory of communication.  She is chronicling the movement with the oracle on a general sense.  In modern times, the application represents the oracle of our human transmission of information.

3:04: First written word was the beginning of communication, etched in the 8th Century B.C.  Today, of course, we tweet each other to death. She is now talking about gesture being a method to direct sight on a primal level.

3:08: Sharing communication and transferring information was very labor-intensive, especially when etching hieroglyphics in stone.  Her argument is that at this point, communication remains a local experience shared by word of mouth.

3:11: Our ability to connect regardless of geography and mine data is still dependent on interjecting personal voice into the equation to have a satisfactory end result.  The written word is also a connecting byline of digital mass communication.  As a result, our permanent record is larger and more public. It has given power to those who would not have a voice without digital tools.  At the same time, those who may not be emotionally equipped could be challenged on their opinions.

3:24: D’Costa mentions that awkward encounters can grow.  As a result, human touch falls out of the context.  She just now quit to take questions. She did a nice job of tackling formulaic issues of the Digital Age.

4:04:  Online Advertising Is Broken. Can We Fix It?

My last panel of the day.  The panel is from assorted small startups with the moderator being from Ad Age.  They are discussing about how brands can engage through the clutter on a qualitative level.

4:07: Ari Jacoby, CEO of Solve Media, talks about his new company, Solve Media, which specializes in TYPE-IN advertising. TYPE-IN advertising is aimed to provide brand awareness and performance-based strategy instead of the murky CAPTCHA signing image.

4:15: JetBlue has delivered memorable rich media experiences in their online advertising campaigns, according to Scott Kumit (AdKeeper).

4:18: Rob Gatteo (PointRoll) feels that the automotive industry has strong vertical potential. He is also waiting for retail and newspapers to take advantage of their wide advertising budgets.

4:28: The panelists keep talking about tears and whether online advertising can grab the primal emotions of the public. Boo hoo, fellas! Cut it out.

4:35: They finally do and begin to take questions off of the Tweet roll.  I mosey on over to take inventory of the Google Digital Archaeology again.  Hey, I’m a sucker for good presentation.

As a presenter, this conference is finito! Thanks for following!

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Digital Media, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, internet week nyc, internet week yahoo

Internet Week, Day 2 June 9, 2011 – 12:06 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

I’m back at the Metropolitan Pavilion for Yahoo’s Internet Week Conference.  Traffic isn’t nearly as intense.  The Ford Focus still illuminates the main space, crowded next to endless sponsorship signs.  Yahoo Studios flashes programming from their several content stations.   

10:43:  Keynote Presentation by Robert Bowman

MLB Advanced Media CEO Robert Bowman is talking about the mobile experience enhancing interactivity for the fans.  In his mind, baseball remains the ultimate representation of theatre in sports.  They are also talking about the interactivity that spreads beyond the diamond with fantasy leagues and microsites like MLB FanCave.  The actual fan cave exists in the old Tower Records space in New York’s Greenwich Village, and it has offered exclusive program with baseball figures. Their Twitter feed has grown with followers by the day as content continues to gain traction.

11:10:  The Art Of The Side Project

Rick Webb of The Barbarian Group moderates a panel of serial entrepreneurs who talk about the balance between a full-time career and working with a side project.  Again, the crowd din makes it difficult to hear the panelists clearly. If they do it here next year, I’d recommend better audio equipment or hold panels in a separate auditorium. According to them, motivation is something that ebbs and flow with side projects.  Content must be regulated to attract unique visitors, advertisers, and so forth.  Once the side project rises in economic value, decisions must be made. The most common factor is enjoyment.  Is there a desire to leverage this into a career? You’d be surprised that sometimes, it is not.

11:20: Noah Brier talks about selling off Brand Tags for this particular reason. Brand Tag is deemed “a collective experiment in brand perception”.  He felt that the project grew into such a livelihood where other minds can carry it to a full potential. He also mentions that he never consciously refused to apply this side project in his traditional work setting. The time was just not available to direct focus in that space.

11:31:  Who Is Alex Blagg?

On the AOL stage, Alex Blagg of Bajillionhits.biz talks about how the Internet has statistically filled the Internet with endless content.  The effect on human discourse is brought out.  According to him, “A Grilled Cheese Sandwich Store just raised 10 million dollars in venture capital.” He also states that Internet hits are worth more than Dollars, Euros, and Yen combined. The dude is hilarious. He correlates content with basic internet principles, like SEO and online advertising scale. Only content exists, and there is a way where great content stratisfies the future. His keys: Not Too Many Words, Cheap, Disposable, Addictive, Effortesly, and mostly insanity. The mocking is classic. If only you could sit in front of him. He called MySpace “an apocalyptic wasteland where content zombies roam”.  My words don’t do it justice.

That’s the first half wrap. More to come in the afternoon.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, eCommerce, green marketing, Interactive Marketing, Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency, internet week chelsea, internet week new york 2011, new york interactive marketing agency

Internet Week, Day 1, The Afternoon June 8, 2011 – 6:37 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

12:00: The Future Of Food Reviewing

The Food & Tech Connect, Grubster, and Pretty Project Collective joined as the collaborative Food 2.0, hosting a panel titled, “The Future of Food Reviewing”.  All in all, the panel didn’t reveal any new information about differentiating between sites like Yelp, Chowhound, All Recipes, and so forth.  Unique visitors to a website may be looking for location more so than cuisine specification. Consumers also have particular tastes that lean more on personal connections with attuned senses.  The panel brought up various signal factors to aggregate lead generation. All in all, it felt like people were waiting for the Thai cuisine brought by Yum Yum 3.  I also discovered Wix Lounge, a company that develops flash websites, mobile applications, and other API tools to jump start your business. Their work space is free for creative sources from 10-8 p.m. The spread was filled with standard curries and pad thai, but accented with basil noodles with vegetables.

2:00-2:50 Everyone’s A Comedian, Digital Archaeology Exhibition

I passed by the AOL Stage and briefly listened to Everyone’s a Comedian. We had Michael Ian Black (The State) and Judah Frielander (30 Rock) discuss that social media has brought humor from a distinct forum into other sectors that rely on public presentation. Politics. Sports. Finance. They cover hot button issues like former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, embattled Congressional District Rep. Anthony Weiner, and so forth.  These two are only in the Twitter controversy because of sexual scandals, but these provide fodder for comedians quicker than ever before. It is no longer restricted to a show or stage.

3:02: How Mobile Advertising Is Impacting Brands and Consumers

Panelists from NAVTEQ, Financial Times, discussing that mobile web is now penetrating into hyperlocal marketplaces.  Brands are looking to buy locations in order to intensify relevance.  Regulations will always exist to maintain marketplace integrity.  The consumer will have greater security in the future to opt-in and out with their own flexibility.

3:25: The big challenge for the credibility of mobile advertising is to change the perception that data=direct response, when usually the opposite is true.  The “Like” button is able to measure on a public forum. For example, if a teenager likes Jello regardless of platform, a brand can track that engagement through Top News feeds or on a Fan Page. Corporations have yet to leverage it to their fullest extent, but age-old standards like time spent on page, or number of pages reviewed in domain.

3:45: Content provider and publishers, as we know, must add value.  Then again, social media providers like Facebook are testing the boundaries of personal data privacy. Thus, mobile advertising should be driven by the user experience for proper engagement. In fact, a panelist is answering a question about measuring time and usage of tablet owners. Then, you would tailor a strategy based on those metrics.

4:00-4:15:  Bringing Smart & Sexy Back:  Pay-Per-Success Model In Social Media Advertising

Octavian Mihai of Rock & Social is doing a nice job of breaking down the basics of a pay-per-click model.  He makes a point that is relevant for corporations new with social media investing. The media placement budget is not set up front. It is aggregated based on data mining followed by lead conversion, generation, and so forth.  He recommends some tips to define KPI (key performance indicators).  (1) You must sell an analysis mandate.  (2) Run a campaign (3) Negotiate until a sales model is developed seeking specific quantitative goals of engagement percentage based on a flat amount of numbers.

4:35: I run into a woman who is the brains behind Fusicology, a media site for music events nationwide. We knew a lot of the same people within our small cultural nexus.  She had just flown in from LA and needed some stability. I helped her out, and we’ll probably talk more about music distribution and technology tomorrow.

That’s the click for day 1.  Hope you all enjoyed it, and I’ll see you in the morning for day 2.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Interactive Marketing, Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, internet week new york, internet week yahoo

Internet Week, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, Day 1 June 8, 2011 – 11:44 am				Abdul Fattah Ismail

I’m going to be typing with some thoughts on my time at Internet Week.  Follow me as I post live updates.

Keynote Presentation, AOL Stage, 10:00-10:50

10:10: Keynote Speakers Joan Young and Lauren Connell are on the AOL stage discussing the Internet’s relationship with art.  Joan Young is a curator with the Guggenheim Museum. Lauren Connell is an executive director of Rhizome.

10:14: The din of the public space is affecting the presentation.

10:15: Discussion of a conceptual art exhibit is interesting.  They are talking about whether the tools used to communicate e.g. to Internet blur fiction and reality so much that privacy and intellectual property is compromised.  Can physical art maintain its distinctiveness through?

10:20: The influence of video channels has really democratized performance art, exposing musicians to wider audience scales than ever before.  As a result, the content generated builds community. Panelists are also discussing the economic distribution model was not being challenged in the art world, which is largely vertical.

10:31: Young feels that artists can create their own valued ecosystems outside of the museum and exhibition structure. The question is now focused on cultural preservation. How does digital democracy affect that exclusivity?

10:45: Panelists discuss Seven on Seven Conference in May, where artists and web programmers work together to develop video content, social media applications, and other innovations. Click here for the results.

Sex, Hair, & Chicken:  What Busy Women Want Online, HQ Classroom

11:03: Panel is up, discussing the cyberspace behavior of women. Women research with strong desire to engage and make quick decisions.  The title refers to the simplicity of access, maintenance, and delivery of these three objects.

11:10: Childhood allergies, gender, and parenting issues are topics which garner strong online discussion and research. Women are seeking insider advantages when engaging with others through blogs and chat. They look for those who share similar experiences, like buying gifts online for a toddler.  Product developments like diapers are even debated vigorously.  Celebrity websites are also influencers for mothers seeking solutions to children’s dilemmas. Chelsea’s Clinton’s wedding dress from last year gained several thousands of hits on Style.com, not to mention comments.  Who knew?

11:25: Panelists are now discussing the intensity of mothers’ engagement to certain websites is based on the expense of parenting.  Liz Gumbinner of CoolMomPicks discusses how IKEA created a product development strategy to design a good based on a called price point.  For example, you have $25 and need a summer dress. The proper natural fibers would be sourced to meet that benchmark. Then of course, you post online through your channels and debate.  Excellent discussion piece.

11:51: Angela Matusik, iVillage Chief Content Executive,  vouches for the printed newsletter as an effective vertical strategy for parents and baby boomers. 40% of their readers respond with purchases.  Keep printing, folks!

That’s the morning roll. More to come at noon.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Sharing | No Comments »
Tags: internet week 2011, internet week new york, yahoo internet week

Like Diesel QR Codes In the Store June 7, 2011 – 4:50 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

Lovers of Diesel denimware should pop into a retail branch to like the denim collection. As this video from Creativity UK demonstrates, the brand is attempting to connect the personal experience when shopping for goods. This interactive marketing strategy asks the customer to scan the QR code, where they’ll be taken to a product landing page with the option to share it on their social media platforms, specifically Facebook. It is unclear if the other platforms are available for sharing options.  The viral community can either bash or love your fashion taste.

I do find the concept intriguing in that it engages the consumer on multiple levels, but denim is such a unique entity in an apparel collection, especially for women.  The fit must be perfect, or they get returned immediately.  It will be interesting to see if sales figures improve due to the penetration.

Apparel retailers are looking at different methods of getting customers to visit their stores.  This is one strategy which has promise for lead generation in online marketing since the consumer is entering their personal data into the store algorithm.  

The question, as I said, will come down to sales conversion. Does it drive up metrics online or through the brick-and-mortar model? Commodity concerns are forcing consumers to make direct choices about entering the venue for browsing. The ability to purchase through a smartphone application or website mitigates the necessity for travel. Retailers who pitch nominal or free shipping fees accentuate the temptation to stay home and click to buy.

Retailers who employ sales commissions should observe the Diesel strategy to predict its effectiveness.   Sales representatives want your seal of approval, the thumb, in person.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Digital Media, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency, mobile applications agency, mobile marketing agency, online marketing news

Google Adds +1 To Share, Search June 2, 2011 – 5:06 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

Google has also rolled out a share content button to rival the premiere social network buttons.  As with other Google software products, the content will be mined in the search result indices.  Depending on its success, you could see a benefit for small businesses that are looking to push a strategy online through local channels.  The button has been available for web developers since March.  You can grab the code here, then affix it to your website.  The search giant also linked up with several partners, including Add This, Mashable, Huffington Post, Nordstrom, and so forth.  According to this blog entry, Google could have learned from their prior failures into social media with Wave and Buzz.

The offer from the source piece points out that Google’s +1 allows users and webmasters to be the determinant of which content reaches the top of index results.  This content, as I mentioned, could range from local businesses to music content and personal profiles.  With the advent of Google’s Cloud Music Service (still in beta), marketers can use web analytics for integration of all those users to track consumer behaviors. This author also mentioned that Google’s service portfolio is utilized by many for business or personal lines of communication.  Could the third time be a charm for Google entering the social sharing domain? Here’s a video:

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Digital Media, Interactive Marketing, Marketing, search engine marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency nyc, google +1, google local search, google news, seo media agency nyc

Skype Voices The Middle East Spring Protocol June 1, 2011 – 2:48 pm				Abdul Fattah Ismail

The newswire has flashed stories of internet communication’s impact on global developments.  Social media has been utilized to create support communities in the light of natural disasters.  These support communities share meeting locations, access to goods, and topics of discussion.  The recent dissident springs in the Middle East have spotlighted the mechanizations of a popular communicative software.  As this story displays, an ecosystem could be developing which affects speech first, then discourse into the present and future. Third-party software developers have created applications in this vein.

A feature in today’s Wall Street Journal talks about how Skype has been utilized as a tool for dissenting parties.  Many citizens know of Skype as the software to execute free and low-cost international calls over a live Internet wire.  Youth groups in Egypt cite its effectiveness in leveraging their movement to topple the Mubarak regime.  Skype was designed with a high level of security encryption, making it a fortuitous dissident tool.  The web application runs multiple calls through one computer. Other nations in the region, however, are making efforts to block certain content with negative sentiment, then store said content in government records.  Smaller technology firms like Gamma and HackingTeam have developed programs to circumvent those firewalls. Law enforcement agencies are sitting back to accept all offers.

The interesting development is where the benchmark lies in future regional conflicts. We are seeing the convergence of public and private elements with interactive marketing, an embryonic, largely public forum.  These energies are testing censorship, especially in the voice communication sector.  Research In Motion has run into conflict with Middle Eastern and Indian government bodies for maintaining proprietary control worldwide of their user storage content, despite being in Canada.  They seem to have the customer’s interest in mind when it comes to protecting intellectual property.  With Microsoft’s purchase of Skype, it will be interesting to see which strategy they pursue when it comes to data storage.  As a leader in business software technology, the private sector would welcome some data storage protection. What are your thoughts?

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Click Fraud, Marketing, Mobile Applications | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, click fraud agency, digital marketing agency, Social Media Marketing

Tuesday Blueliner Newsminer May 31, 2011 – 11:37 am				Abdul Fattah Ismail

We are back with another edition of the Weekly Blueliner Newsminer.  It’s another week filled with dizzying headlines.

1.  Google Wallet Is Unveiled

The mobile payments industry is gathering steam.  This headline from Google chronicles how the merging of personal data will affect consumer habits in an unprecedented level.  It will also make security encryption even more pertinent in the future of mobile technology. Will companies assume greater liability for breaches of personal accounts if they are demanding consumers to forgo currency notes? Stay tuned.

2. Lady Gaga Crashes Amazon

I noticed the email in my box on Monday.  I admit that I was intrigued, although I’m not a fan of her music.  I think she is musically capable.  Nevertheless, 99 cents for a top-selling musician’s new album is a risky bet for even a strong e-commerce giant like Amazon. Their website was compromised as a result.  Alongside the recent issues with their new Cloud Service Program, these digital enterprises look worrisome.  Like humans, software is prone to malfunctions. We all undertstand that.  It is egregious to demand risky bets with platforms that should remain in beta. I also think a strategy with few protocols to absorb a viral onslaught is no good. Amazon claims to have made adjustments. Okay then.

3.  Sony Recovers Playstation Network Slowly

This week, Sony is finally restoring service to Asia after sufficient evidence was gained that they have taken the proper measures to ensure encryption of security data.  It is a step for a region where technology is king. Supposedly, Sony had a report of the forthcoming PlayStation to stir a positive outlook going for investors.  This project for Sony has taken on more pressure to connect with the public sector. Sony’s credibility with their customers is tenuous right now, as we saw with more e-commerce breaches.

4.  Twitter Acquires TweetDeck

This rumor has been around for a long time.  I spoke last week about the social media giant taking control of their open source partnerships. I commend them taking charge of it.  Twitter’s management style has been the opposite of its rival Facebook, in that they have moved fastidiously in software acquisitions. The user experience has also been incrementally altered to allow greater online advertising streams, especially banner ads.  TweetDeck has the cache of many credible bloggers and journalists who could amplify that revenue potential. It only makes sense to manage that database for the company’s future.

5.  RIP Gil Scott-Heron

Many of you caught news of the wordsmith’s passing, but Mashable commemorated him with a series of five music videos.  His iconic hit, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised“, is ironic along with prescient. This revolution had the scope of sociopolitical transformation after the year of 1968 on a class level.  Now online video has democratized communication so much that the business model for presentation is slowly being altered.  In fact, Gil had enjoyed a renaissance through social media after the release of I’m New Here in 2010. A younger demographic learned about the voluminous impact of his recordings while seeing him overcome a life of addiction and disease. In fact, we are in the midst of a silent revolution. It’s bigger than television right now. Gil knew that, and left us to handle its endpoint.

That’s the Blue news after the holiday weekend.  Stay cool.

Posted by Abdul Fattah Ismail
Posted in 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, blog, Business News, Interactive Marketing, Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: Blueliner Marketing, digital marketing agency, weekly blueliner newsminer

Effective Marketing Techniques to Attract New Clients May 27, 2011 – 10:52 am				Sivaiah

Attracting new clients if often about aggressiveness but is only effective when complemented by useful knowledge about the client’s business, industry, reliable forecasting, the network and business plan. Attracting new clients is heavily reliant on using techniques reflective of said acquired data.

Below are some marketing techniques most commonly used to attract new clients

1. Good Web Presence

A good site is required, and should give detailed information about the business, services and portfolio. A website should be accompanied by strategic Search Engine Optimization work, as well as integration in the social sphere, including top sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The social networks chosen to represent your brand should be reflective of the brand’s strategy, a derivative of collected data. A thorough website will provide potential clients with a simple SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis

2. Networking

When priority to the gain local clients, networking is highly underrated and considered by many to be a difference-maker. Top management and administrators can gain a significant client base by networking on a local level. Business relationships often stem from personal acquaintances.

3. Start a Visibility Campaign to attract Clients

Getting out there in person is a great start when it comes to getting new leads and clients, but you can expand your reach greatly by conducting a visibility campaign. This can include various activities in your community, or enhance your visibility online, preferably both.

You might even get yourself booked as a guest expert on a local radio program or TV show. The possibilities are endless.

4. Ask Existing Clients for Referrals

After a few months of successful relationship with clients. Contact your best clients with an honest and important email, asking them if they know of anyone else that would be interested in working with you. While a personal email is congruent with practices of several businesses, in which this is an option, there are some that this may not work for. In those cases that this is not an option, incentivizing existing clients into recommending new business is an old and proven tactic.

5. Advertise Strategically to Attract Clients

PPC (pay-per-click) advertising can be worthwhile for businesses, especially large businesses that can afford to cater to a pool of clients at once. Done properly, including proper budget allocation for select times of the year and strategic keyword bidding can dramatically increase your client base in a relatively short amount of time.

Posted by Sivaiah
Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »
Tags: attract clients, business, business strategy, marketing strategy