As promised here is Part 2 of our “Travel Blogger’s Secrets You Can Use” blog post! If you missed Part 1 be sure to click here and check out all the amazing blogging tips we covered in last week’s post. This week we’re talking about the best marketing, monetizing, and travel tips our lovely panelists, Tamara Gruber of We3Travel, Lillie Marshall of Around the World “L”, and Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend in Paris, shared at our August #NIMRI event. So let’s get started!

Top 8 Marketing/Monetizing Tips

1. Soliciting Sponsors: The emphasis should always be on the content you’re creating. “Write it, and they will come,” said Priscilla sagely, “Produce high-quality content, and they will come.”

The Official “Work with Me” section of We3Travel’s About Page

2. Doing Business With Brands: There are a few ways a blogger can work with a brand: being contacted by people to place ads, contacting people to place ads, sponsored posts, or, if you’re lucky, a sponsored trip.“If I work with a brand or do a sponsored post, it has to be something I believe in. Once your audience doesn’t believe you, you’re done,” Priscilla warned.

“Native Advertising, which is when you have content that is already successful and then work with advertisers who would complement that content, can work very well,” said Lillie.

3. Navigating Negativity: It can be very difficult to figure out what to do when you have a bad experience as a blogger, particularly if the trip is a sponsored one. It is especially tricky because, depending on the country’s laws, you could potentially be sued for a negative review. “Contact the PR people and be sure to start with the positive things and then talk about the disappointments,” advised Priscilla, “I always give them a chance to fix it. If they do, I won’t write a bad review. If they don’t, I will offer to not write about it.”

“Steer away from negative content, even though it can be very effective. Everyone gets fired up over a bad review and they like to share it, but it doesn’t reflect very well on you and can get you into trouble,” offered Lillie.

4. Create a Community: “Facebook has become a pay-to-play platform. You can pay $5 to promote a post (and I do that sometimes), but you won’t see a big difference in your analytics. What’s really powerful is to form alliances and private Facebook groups, not just with other travel bloggers. People who like wine, food, lifestyle, even interior design share readers. The cross-pollenization that happens helps everyone grow,” Priscilla said.

5. Know Your Worth: “It depends on your reach and your demographic,” reasoned Tamara, “I have a group of travel blogger friends, and we share that information.”

“This is why you need the group mentality!” proclaimed Priscilla, “Building your blogging network is key. Whatever you do, don’t write a post for someone for free – it brings the rate for everyone down to $0. You’re time is worth something.

“I would argue that there is a value in giving content to high-traffic sites, so it can be OK to do something like that for free as long as there is some ROI. It’s a value to your resume,” Lillie said.

We3Travel on Pinterest © Photos by Tamara Gruber

6. A Photo’s Worth a Thousand Shares (nope, still not right): “For me, Pinterest is very important. It drives traffic to my site, often more than google,” Tamara shared.

“Be sure to link all of your photos: photos on Google and Pinterest should link to your website and have descriptions,” Priscilla said.

“Selling your photos can also be another source of income,” Lillie pointed out.

Here’s a look at the Newport Interactive Marketers’ Hootsuite dashboard

7. Tally Your Toolbox:  “Don’t be afraid to automate! Hootsuite can schedule your posts at the best time for your demographic. You could write the best blog post ever, but if no one ever reads it, it won’t matter,” explained Lillie. To find out when the ideal time for your demographic is, be sure to check out Tweepi. 

“The Tail Wind app is great for automating Pinterest,” shared Tamara, “Paying a little for the right tools can be worth it.”

“Google trends is an invaluable SEO tool,” said Priscilla, “In WordPress there is a feature where you can try a bunch of different options and put them in Google Trends to see where you are in searches.”

Snapchat! If you want to learn more about using Snapchat as a blogger, check out AdventurousKate

8. Socialize, Socialize, Socialize (your media, that is):  “Learn and get busy on all social media sites and thank everyone who follows (NOT by direct message),” Priscilla advised.

“The biggest mistake people make is to just stop for an extended period of time on social media,” Lille said, “Be consistent and don’t be afraid to self promote!

“Snapchat is the newest thing people must be on, although it does appeal to a younger demographic,” said Tamara, “Its important to know who your audience is and where to find them.”

Top 3 Travel Tips

“Use Trivago or another trip-cost comparison site to look for the lowest fare. Then, take a screenshot and call the hotel. They will always match it, and it’s always better to book through the hotel because they tend to have a better cancellation policy and you also will be eligible for upgrades,” advised Priscilla.

“Tuesday is the best day to book airlines usually,” shared Tamara.

“People would pay a lot of money to stay in your home in beautiful Newport so rent it out on Airbnb to get money for travel and also find places to stay in yourself!” Lillie suggested.

All-Time Favorite Hotel

Balcony view from the Phoenix Resort in Belize © Photo by Lillie Marshall

Lillie’s Pick: The Phoenix in Belize “No better place for a babymoon!” 

The now closed Kona Village Resort in Hawaii © Photo by Tamara Grub

Tamara’s Pick: Kona Village Resort in Hawaii “Unfortunately, after 45 years, this resort was forced to permanently close their doors after the March 2011 tsunami.”

The gorgeous Bitter End Resort in BVI © Photo by Priscilla Pilon

Priscilla’s Pick: The Bitter End in the British Virgin Islands “I’ve never been sponsored to stay at this hotel, but I visit every year!”  

And, of course, we had to ask about their favorite place in Newport! 

Castle Hill Inn from the sea © Photo by Priscilla Pilon

Priscilla’s Pick: Castle Hill Inn “They have the best lunch and the best views!” 

The beautiful Hotel Viking (#NIMRI venue sponsor for our annual networking event!) © Photo by Lillie Marshall

Lillie’s Pick: Hotel Viking “This is the place to go to feel like royalty!” 

Here’s what #NIMRI members were saying on Instagram and Twitter: 

Great turnout at #NIMRI! A photo posted by Suzanne McDonald (@newportinteract) on Aug 12, 2015 at 4:04pm PDT

Here for #NIMRI (@ Parlor in Newport, RI) https://t.co/vWovYdNjrV — Kevin T Vine (@KevinTVine) August 12, 2015

Welcome to our panelists for @NewportInteract‘s meeting at Parlour on Broadway! #NIMRI pic.twitter.com/VRCF4huXid — Mia Lupo (@MiaLupo) August 12, 2015

Learning about travel blogging at #NIMRI at @ParlorNewport. #NewportRI A photo posted by The Newport Blast (@thenewportblast) on Aug 12, 2015 at 4:30pm PDT

#NIMRI Newport Interactive Marketers .. #education #business #rhodeisland @NewportInteract always informative — 02809 Photography (@02809Photo) August 13, 2015

Bravo, ladies! @sue_DesigEditor @sue_DesigEditor @WeekendInParis @tgruber @WeekendInParis #nimri #travelblogging #girlpower — Newport Stylephile (@NewportSTYLE) August 13, 2015

Many thanks to our venue sponsor Parlor Kitchen & Bar

Register for the next #NIMRI event now! 

The post Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use: Part 2 appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

Wow! We covered so much incredible information at our August 12 event, Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use. Our three amazing panelists, Tamara Gruber of We3Travel, Lillie Marshall of Around the World “L”, and Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend in Paris shared invaluable insights about blogging, marketing, monetizing, and, of course, traveling. We wanted to put together a couple of posts summing up all the best tips for any of you who might not have been able to make it or any #NIMRI members who want to refresh on what they learned. Part 1 will cover a little bit of background about our panelists and their top blogging tips. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

How They Got Started

Tamara Gruber of We3Travel and her daughter, Hannah, visiting a breathtaking waterfall in Iceland

Tamara Gruber: “After a family trip, I was telling a friend everything I’d learned about traveling as a family, and she said ‘you should share this,'” explained Tamara. And thus We3Travel was born. Tamara Gruber’s blog centers around family travel and her family of three have traveled all over the world, from the cathedrals of Europe to the rainforests of Costa Rica. We3Travel was recently named one of the Top 20 Family Travel Blogs in 2015 by Holiday Lettings (a company owned by TripAdvisor). “I try to research trips and make itinerary suggestions that everyone can get something out of,” said Tamara, “Showing kids the world is a gift that we give to them.”

Lillie Marshall, of Around the World “L”, enjoying a stunning view in Turkey

Lillie Marshall: “I started at age 27, sleeping in $10 broom closets because I wanted to travel the world,” said Lillie. Around the World “L”  which began in 2009, has covered everything from nomadic budget traveler trips to luxury family travel, now that its creator, Lillie Marshall, is married with a young son (and another on the way! Congrats Lillie!!). She works as an English teacher in Boston, and runs TeachingTraveling.com, a blog that interviews “Teacher-Travelers.” Lillie has one of the largest social media followings of any teacher in the world and Around the World “L” has been consistently selected for Top 100 Travel Blog rankings. She was also recently invited to attend White House Travel Bloggers Summit on Study Abroad and Global Engagement. 

Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend in Paris (left) sharing a few drinks with her friend, Leah, in the Alps

Priscilla Pilon: “When I first started writing my blog I didn’t realize other people could see it. I made it for my friends and family. The first time I got a comment from a stranger, I was like ‘who is this?!’,” laughed Priscilla Pilon of The Weekend In Paris. Priscilla has traveled the world, but is an admitted Paris addict. In addition to her own blog, she is the Travel Editor for The Daily Basics (the editor of which she actually met at a #NIMRI event!), as well as a contributor for Upscale Living Magazine, The Daily Meal, and Travel Squire.

Top 6 Blogging Tips

1. Preferred Platform: Lillie, Tamara and Priscilla all recommend WordPress as a blogging platform. “You can really create your own identity since there are so many themes to choose from and they’re so easy to customize,” said Lillie, “and there are so many useful plugins!”

 2. Traversing the Themes: Sifting through the bazillion or so WordPress themes can be a bit intimidating but it helps if you know want you want it to look like. Magazine-ish? Newspaper-ish? Word-driven? Photo-driven?

“Your theme must work with Google Analytics. Some older themes don’t,” Priscilla warned, “So, to be safe, don’t choose one that’s more than 3 years old. It also must be mobile responsive. If it isn’t it will be downgraded by Google.” In addition, 80% of internet users access the web through their smartphone. That is big chunk of your target audience who wouldn’t be able to access your website. However, if you already have an older WordPress site you don’t want to change, or you totally fall in love with an older theme the WP touch plugin can make it mobile responsive.

 3. Camera of Choice: Priscilla uses a Nikon D5300, but many bloggers, including Lillie and Tamara, are moving from a big DSLR to smaller mirrorless cameras. Lillie chose the Sony Alpha 5100, and Tamara has both a Mirrorless Olympus and a Go Pro. “I also love to use my iPhone!” exclaimed Tamara.

One of the 8,000 photos: Morrells Boutique Estate in Johannesburg © Photo by Priscilla Pilon

4. A Word For Every Thousand Pictures (wait, that’s not right) : “People are captivated first by a photo,” Priscilla explained, “I like to pick the pictures first, then write the story. I took 8,000 photos on my recent trip to Africa and narrowed that down to about 20 for my article. Obviously you can’t fit all of your pictures in one post, but it is nice to build up a big media library so you can share the other photos on social media or in a later article.”

5. Feelings on Freelancing: “I think freelancing can be a little bit dangerous because you are putting all of this effort into someone else’s site. However, it’s different for everyone, and some people get a lot out of it,” Lillie said.

“I focused first on building my own blog and my own presence before moving into freelancing,” explained Tamara.

“You can get some street cred if you’re writing for other sources, but you have to have a thick skin. I was sending out 20 pitches and getting 19 no’s and 1 positive response. It makes you doubt yourself, but once you get going and they know your reputation, you’ll get 19 yes’,” shared Priscilla, “Just make sure you promise appropriately and over-deliver. Also, be on time!”

Geo-tagging on Instagram © Photo by Lillie Marshall

6. Share with Care: It isn’t a good idea to post things live in case of stalkers, and never post pictures of children without their parent’s permission.  “I write about family travel, but for the longest time I didn’t use my daughter’s name,” shared Tamara, “Finally, it became too awkward writing ‘my daughter’ over and over, but it is something to be cautious about.”

“Make sure that what you’re posting is not traceable to you or where you live, and that it’s appropriate,” advised Lille, “Beware of geo-tagging!”

Next week our travel bloggers top marketing/monetizing and travel tips! 

Many thanks to our venue sponsor Parlor Kitchen & Bar

The post Travel Bloggers’ Secrets You Can Use: Part 1 appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

Here’s some of our favorite moments from that rainy night:

Chasity from @donjulio greeted me at tonight’s #NIMRI meet & greet @hotelviking (before the rain) pic.twitter.com/chhbYVoEW8 — Janine Weisman (@j9weisman) July 31, 2015

Great crowd at tonight’s @NewportInteract networking event at @hotelviking #NIMRI pic.twitter.com/AywQoqmi3Q — Mia Lupo (@MiaLupo) July 30, 2015

All the lovely snacks provided by @HotelViking!

Feeling myself quiet comfortable with this typical #Dutch #weather at #NIMRI @hotelviking #NewportRI pic.twitter.com/RyLNOpb8ka

— Pieter van Gool  (@vanGoolPieter) July 31, 2015

Such an amazing giveaway! Lucky #NIMRI member Pieter van Gool won 2 tickets to the Newport Jazz Festival and he had a blast!

Happy to be at the hotel Viking in Newport Rhode Island for the totally networking NIGHT for #NIMRI #hotelviking @debgoeschel @suebzimmerman @newportinteract @cwetalk A photo posted by Artist, Maker Of Joy 🎨🌀🌸🔨 (@gailahlers) on Jul 30, 2015 at 3:45pm PDT

Staying dry at @hotelviking with @michaelhayes‘ Tracy Murphy at #nimri #networking #Newportpic.twitter.com/uhOsMbt4oS — Julia Scott (@icm_pr) July 31, 2015

Jameson on the rocks at a rainy #NIMRI. #NewportRI   A photo posted by Drink Newport – Newport, RI (@drinknewport) on Jul 30, 2015 at 5:48pm PDT

The rain couldn’t dampen these #NIMRI members spirits!

Enjoyed a great networking night #Vikinghotel in Newport, RI #NIMRI — Deb Goeschel (@hiking_yogini) July 31, 2015

Thanks @sue_DesigEditor & @NewportInteract for another great #NIMRI event at @hotelviking last night! — Alexa Furtado (@noreaster_alexa) July 31, 2015

After closing down @hotelviking at #nimri‘s annual #networking blast, today is powered by cold brew #coffee pic.twitter.com/47BTaUVq9R — Julia Scott (@icm_pr) July 31, 2015

And here’s our lucky winner at the Newport Jazz Festival! 

Enjoying great Dr. John and The Nite Trippers @NewportJazzFest #NJF2015 @sue_DesigEditor pic.twitter.com/wgaWA81SLS — Pieter van Gool  (@vanGoolPieter) August 2, 2015

Many thanks to our venue sponsor Hotel Viking

The post 100% Networking at Newport’s Best Sunset Spot appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

“You can talk all day about SEM and SEO. What your client needs is great VIDEO,” said photographer and video producer Marc Creedon.

Panelists speak to the #NIMRI attendees at Caleb & Broad in Newport, offering tips on how to make DIY videos look professional.

Video is increasingly important on social media – even Facebook has begun to feature it heavily. If social media is becoming more focused on video, so should your social media marketing strategy.

But video is expensive, right? How can you do-it-yourself without compromising quality?

Newport Interactive Marketers brought a panel of professionals who can give you tips and tricks of the trade in order to begin incorporating video more prominently in your social media strategy.

Each panelist has decades of experience but has also kept up with current technology. We’ve brought them to Newport for you, because that’s how we roll here at NIM.

Meet Our Video Pro Panelists

Hal Landen is a cameraman, producer, and author who has traveled the world on assignments and written how to books to assist businesspeople incorporate video in their marketing strategy. He says to check your equipment before you start shooting so you know that when the time comes, everything will be working correctly.

Jim Egan, who was a commercial photographer for 30 years and now runs the Newport Tower Museum on weekends, has also written 12 books and now shoots web content for agencies and businesses in Rhode Island. Egan says the key to a successful image is gesture and proper lighting. Motion, emotion and visual appeal are essential to a good video.

Marc Creedon, a photographer and video producer, says the best camera is the one you have with you. Journalists often use their phones to document what is happening, so learn how to use your phone to make your video look professional.

Scott Indermaur is a former journalist who is now a commercial photographer, handling multimedia projects for clients. It’s important to interview well, he says, but make it feel like a conversation, with moments of true emotion.

Shooting Tips

• Don’t be afraid to shoot with your phone.
• Make sure adequate battery and memory is available.
• Close all other apps.
• Shoot in landscape mode.
• Instead of using zoom, use your legs and get closer.
• Pan the camera sparingly.
• Don’t be afraid to get the shot.

Editing Tips

• Don’t edit on your phone; edit on the computer.
• Take advantage of free photo editing software.
• Use short snippets to show different aspects of a scene.
• Leave cliffhangers to entice people to watch your other videos.
• Music is essential to make a video professional. Try Free Stock Music for free downloads.
• Create a look by trying Font Squirrel for free fonts and Fiverr for logos.
• Shoot a lot, edit a lot, and make mistakes.

What were participants tweeting during the panel?

All great #videos have 2 things: motion and emotion. #NIMRI

 (@helenhames)

 

#nimri don’t use a script, speak from the heart… Scott Indermaur

(@franciscosamuel)

 

Videos are like a box of chocolates, don’t film the whole box, film 30 second truffles! They’ll eventually eat the whole box #nimri

(@englundstudio)

So busy taking notes on awesome video tips, barely had time to tweet! #NIMRI #video #marketing @sue_DesigEditor

(@icm_pr)

Many thanks to our venue sponsor, Caleb & Broad. It’s a familiar location for longtime NIM folks, but it’s totally renovated inside and has excellent food at locals’ prices.

Check out NIM’s upcoming event here. Make sure you preregister because events fill up quickly!

The post Simple Tips for DIY Videos appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

Luckily, NIM brought #InstagramExpert Sue B Zimmerman to Newport June 9 to share her expertise on making your Instagram work for your business.

Zimmerman is founder of Insta-Results, the world’s first comprehensive online Instagram course, and author of the No. 1 e-book “Instagram Basics for Your Business.”

An entrepreneur and founder of 18 businesses, including her own boutique, Zimmerman is passionate about teaching other business owners, execs, and marketing professionals how to best leverage social media platforms, such as Instagram, to see tangible results.

Zimmerman’s Instagram photos portray a lot of excitement and enthusiasm as part of her branding.

Keys of “Insta-Success”

Zimmerman says there are three components of Instagram that are essential to success.

• Bio
• Compelling Content
• Active Engagement

Tips to Making Your Instagram Bio Pop

• Name – Use the same name as your Twitter account so that your accounts are recognizably linked. If the name you want is taken, don’t be afraid to use underscores or symbols.
• Avatar – Make this image pop! You can use a logo, but you want your audience to feel that they’re doing business with a smiling human, not a robot. Use bright colors here, and feel free to use props.
• Bio – You have 150 characters to tell your audience who you are. Make every character count. This is a great place to use emojis and show personality!
• Call to Action – Instagram is a great funnel for leads, meaning by the time they get to your bio, they’re likely to be very interested in your brand, so carefully consider what you want someone to do once they get to your account.
• Link – You have space for only one link, so make sure you’re sending your link where you want them to go. Try sending them to your online store, email newsletter sign-up or strategy guide.

Creating Compelling Instagram Content

• Stick to your niche market – don’t confuse people.
• Add value to every post by including useful information in the image’s description.
• Create images that stand out. Use third-party apps to make picture collages or to edit images.
• Post daily. If you have fewer than 500 followers, post two times a day.
• Humanize your brand. People want to see the person behind the business.
• Engage with other accounts. Giving a shout out to accounts you like will encourage them to check out your account.
• Hashtags are so important for potential followers to find your content. But instead of putting the hashtags in the description of the image, which makes the post look cluttered, post a comment on the photo immediately after you post with as many as 30 hashtags. Try Keyhole, to help find the most useful and targeted hashtags to find your key audience.

Six Mistakes to Avoid on Instagram

• Never post a blurry photo. If it’s your only image, use a sharpening tool in Instagram to make a photo less blurry.
• Don’t post irrelevant “stuff.” You may lose followers if too much of your content seems useless or unrelated to their interests.
• Don’t over-post. If you saturate your feed with images, people will unfollow you.
• Don’t under-post. If you aren’t active enough, people won’t follow you in the first place.
• Don’t repost the same images. Instagram posts have a life of about 24 hours, so there’s no need to post an image more than once.
• Avoid posed, catalogue-type shots. Your audience doesn’t want to feel like they’re being sold to online.

What were #NIMRI attendees saying on Twitter?

Go on Instagram and see what competitors are doing by searching hashtags #NIMRI

(@daciadaly)

#nimri 3-6 seconds to capture attention with Instagram bio, make it stand out! (@englundstudio)

Thanks @SueBZimmerman #instagallive for an aMEZing workshop. Lookout #instagram here we come!!! #NIMRI #smallbiz pic.twitter.com/BVx2nHGqD5

 (@MyMezUSA)

Check out NIM’s next event here. Make sure you preregister before it fills up!

A special thank you to the event host 41 North in Newport.

Newport Interactive Marketers is sponsored by web and social specialists Designated Editor, named Newport County Chamber of Commerce Microbusiness of the Year and International Business Award Internet/New Media Company of the Year.

The post Generate Leads on Instagram appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

Big Fish Results founder Tony Guarnaccia presented at NIM’s April 15 networking-learning event, and emphasized the importance of competitive intelligence and of asking “Why?” Drawing upon 15+ years of experience, Guarnaccia gave an animated and detailed lecture to help Rhode Island’s local businesses, bigger brands, and agencies improve their strategic planning.

5 Big Questions to Ask

When conducting a competitive analysis, Big Fish Results uses a top-down process to answer five questions:

1. How much traffic do you generate versus your competitors?
2. Where is this traffic coming from?
3. How much does your competitor spend on advertising?
4. What are the specific search terms they use to create SEO?
5. WHY? What’s triggering certain types of data and data points?

Tools to Use to Aquire Competitive Intelligence

You can use online tools to acquire data on your competitors and work toward answering these questions. But Guarnaccia reminded everyone, “The tools aren’t the secret. It’s what you do with them that makes a difference.”

Here are just a few examples:

• SEMrush – Online software that offers keyword research and other data on competitors.
• Google Trends – Offers data on keywords and shows trends in topics online.
• Google Keyword Planner – Find data and conduct tests on keywords before you use them.
• SimilarWeb – Allows you to compare your traffic data to that of your competitors.
• Simply Measured – Provides data on audiences, competitors, and conversations to help develop a targeted strategy.

Competitive Intelligence

Once you’ve acquired information on your competitors, learn how to use it. This is what Big Fish Results would do:

• Segment your data – Keep your outreach relevant to each target audience by personalizing information.
• Look at trends – Find out what your target audience cares about and what your competitors are doing well.
• Benchmark – Have measures to compare your results to your competitors’ and set goals.
• Filter – Only use the strategies that apply to your brand and your audience so you don’t confuse or turn away people who you want to reach.
• Exclude Brand Keywords – Use keywords that your potential clients will be searching for.
• CREATE ACTION! – Use calls to action that inspire your audience.

About Tony Guarnaccia

Now the “captain” of Big Fish Results, Guarnaccia formerly ran digital advertising for ADP, where he worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies, such as Ford Motor Company, Lithia, General Motors and BMW. Guarnaccia uses his experience with these big-name brands to make Rhode Island’s local businesses, bigger brands and agencies compete with huge names and become Big Fish in their market.

Here’s what some of the Newport Interactive Marketers were saying on Twitter about NIM’s event, “Secrets of Your Competition”:

Mia Lupo: For traffic trends, compare long-term performance; identify surprising peaks and dips then WHY this happens #NIMRI #trends

David Englund: Getting “schooled” from Big Fish Results is like drinking from the fire hydrant at #nimri

Ryan Belmore: So much great information was shared last night at #NIMRI! Nice to see everyone and thank you Midtown Oyster Bar and @sue_DesigEditor!

Newport Restoration: Archive.org- a good way to see how far a company’s come & what they can do to improve. #NIMRI

Join the Conversation on Twitter using #NIMRI. Or sign up for NIM event announcements using the box at the top right of this page.

Check out the next NIM event here. Make sure you preregister to get a spot before it fills up!

The post Competitive Intelligence: Ask Why? appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

Newport Interactive Marketers (NIM) was established in 2010 as an assembly of new media talent. NIM attracts speakers from across New England to share their marketing experiences.

Thursday night’s speaker, Gail Lowney Alofsin is the Director of Corporate Partnerships at Newport Harbor Corporation as well as a professor in the Communications Department at URI. Alofsin is also the author of her first book, “Your Someday is Now.”

Alofsin began her speech, drawing philosophy from her book, explaining the power of networking. While giving many helpful tips along the way, here are a few that stuck out to me:

Mindset

Every networker needs to begin with a positive mindset. It is easy to sit back and not take part in something. Particularly when an opportunity allows you to build relationships, Alofsin advises that you check your “whether report.” No, I didn’t make a spelling mistake…the “whether report” is a way to address a situation to decide whether to go or not. Take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way (or make your own opportunities).

Clearly making an impact, newportFILM even used the expression in a tweet, “@sue_DesigEditor glad my “whether report” told me it was going to be friendly & awesome at #NIMRI 😉 THNX for the wise words @gailalofsin!”

Network before you need it: Meeting new people can be fun! Remember to spend time with your colleagues and reinforce current relationships. You never know when you might need them, or whom THEY know.

You, Inc.: Alofsin also stresses the idea that EVERYTHING communicates. It is important to pay attention to how you present yourself. When networking, try to “disconnect to connect” by putting away your phone and communicating with the people around you.

Attire, body language, attitude, as well as what you say, all contribute to a person’s perception of you. Are you going to enter a room like an Eeyore or an Elvis? When communicating with people: be present, be interesting, and be your best.

After all of this inspiration, the NIM event also provides its attendees with the opportunity to utilize some of these skills. With over 50 people in attendance, all were able to mingle and create new contacts.

Filled with old-timers, newcomers, and great food…the NIM Networking event was a success!

The post Eeyore or Elvis? appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

Why Use Google Analytics?

• With information about your visitors you can better decide:
• How to improve your website
• How to spend time and money of specific topics and marketing
• Ways to reach your audience-how to reach new audiences
• Google analytics helps you understand where you should spend  your money. Should it be spent on new banner ads, new social media campaigns, new marketing etc.

New Features of Google Analytics 

Timeout settings

Timeouts have always been configurable – but it previously had to be done in code. Now it can be configured in the admin. panel.

Why do this? 

You need to make session timeouts make sense for your website. The standard timeout rate is 30 minutes but what if people watch videos on your website for more than 30 minutes? Set the session timeout to max video length.

Referral Exclusions

How to remove those pesky referrals from your own websites? Like with the timeout setting this used to be done with code on each of the websites- but can now be done in admin panel as well.

• Go to web property and click on referral exclusion list
• Just type in the exclusion and it will show there when you hit create
• From that point forward it will eliminate all the traffic from that referral site

Demographic Reports 

Demographic reports is another new feature that  includes data on:

• Age
• Gender
• Affinity groups – for example: movie lovers, travel buffs
• In market segments – people investigating specific products

Remarketing Lists

Once “ Display features” are active on accounts remarketing lists are availableThese groups of users that can be targeted in current or future campaigns.

Examples

• Market home loans directly to people looking at real estate
• Travel information to people who visit travel sites.

Custom Dimensions

A very powerful feature for helping to better undertstand users and groups of users

• You define the dimension name
• Scope defines data associations
• “Hits” good for tracking a onetime activity
  • A video play or form submission
• A session to track a visit or login
• ‘User’ scope is useful to track across sessions

User ID: AKA Session Unification

• This feature will allow tracking across multiple devices
• It only works for users who authenticate to your website or application
• Examples: Game users, club members, students, blog authors, employees

When people login you’ll send a user ID (can’t use email or soc. number or customer number – can’t be tied back to individual) once in place can track by different devices.

Enhanced eCommerce

In addition to tracking purchase transactions – enhanced eCommerce tracks:

• Product impressions
• Refunds by transaction and item
• Affiliate performance
• Internal promotion performance

Want to Learn More?

Cardinal Path is offering three days of Analytics Courses in September– Google Analytics – 101, 201,  and 301 on Sept. 10th to Sept. 12th.

Here’s what Newport Interactive Marketers were saying on Twitter:

@IYRSedu: Excited to host #NIMRI on the topic of #Google #Analytics at our #Newport campus. Welcome to #IYRS! pic.twitter.com/6ZopVif8hs

@sue_DesignEditor: Thanks to @bridgeliquors and @IYRSedu for hosting tonight’s full-house #NIMRI with @Trionia pic.twitter.com/Xef64V1SuU

@MiaLupo:Google processes the information and stores it as Dimensions and Metrics- Jay Murphy #NIMRI pic.twitter.com/AcDCfUOp1v

@NewportInteract: yikes! In the future you’re stop n shop card could send data to Google Analytics ~ @Trionia #NIMRI

The post What’s New with Google Analytics? appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

AdWords is a Keyword Action 

• AdWords is Google’s brand name for their pay per click ad platform)
• Keywords are words or phrases users search for on Google to locate what they’re interested in
• Advertisers bid on keywords used to describe their business
• When your keywords are eligible in the auction an ad you write, appears in the search results
• When a user clicks on your ad Google charges the you a cost for the click (CPC)

PPC is Highly Targeted

• Keywords: “Red Running Shoes” is 50% more profitable than “Red Running Sneakers”
• Ad Messaging: “Fast Shipping” is 25% more profitable than “Fast Delivery“
• Geo Targeting: a [X] mile radius around your business, city/towns and countries
• Devices: desktops, tablets and mobile, and even mobile providers
• Time and Day: only during your business open hours or 24/5

What You Pay for a Click

• You set your monthly budget and divide it over a 30 day period
• For example: $1,000 monthly budget equates to $33 a day
• If your average cost per click is $1.00 you’ll get 33 clicks in a day
• One day you may get $33 worth of clicks, another day you may get $36 worth of clicks
• You won’t pay more than $1,000 in a month

YOU Set Your Maximum Cost Per click (CPC)

• Often you’ll actually pay less per click than your max CPC.
• For example: Your max CPC is $1.00, the advertiser below you has max CPC
•    at $0.80. When a user clicks on your ad  you pay only $0.81 for the click

How Your Ad Ranks

• Ad Rank determines your ad’s position in relation to other advertiser’s ads
• Ad Rank = Quality Score x Maximum Cost per Click
• Quality Score = The quality of your ads, keywords and landing pages
• Ad Rank is recalculated each time your ad is eligible to appear – ad position fluctuates
• Even if Brand X has higher bids than yours, you can still win a higher position at a lower price by using highly relevant keywords, ads and landing pages!

What to Do Before You Get Started

1. Establish Clearly Defined Goals – What may seem really obvious to you may not to good portion of your visitors. What do you want your visitors to do?

2. Why Should Visitors Buy From You? – What makes your product or service unique?

3. Understanding ROI – You need to understand your ROI to determine how profitable your PPC advertising is. To calculate ROI sales you need 3 numbers: revenue from PPC advertising, cost related to goods sold, and Adwords cost. The formula is:

Revenue – Overall Costs / Overall Costs = Profit Percentage (Overall Cost = Cost related to good sold + Adwords cost). 

Ex. R = 1,300 O= 1,000

($1,300   –   $1,000)   /  $1,000          =  0.3

Revenue    Overall Costs   Overall Costs   Profit is 30%

Explaining Keywords

• Broad Match: Most traffic BUT lots of irrelevant clicks – least CPC
• Modified + Broad Match: Less traffic than broad – more relevant clicks – higher CPC
• Phrase Match: Less traffic than broad  –  more  relevant clicks  –  higher CPC than broad
• Exact Match: Least amount of traffic –  most relevant clicks  –  highest CPCs
• Negative Match: Keeps your ads from appearing for irrelevant queries. Not using negative matches is one of the biggest mistakes advertisers make. Adding negatives is a huge cost controller especially when using broad match terms.

Writing Effective Ads

• Include target keywords in your ad content
• Include a value or unique selling proposition
• Have a call to action
• Don’t forget transactional words such as prices, fee, discount, etc.
• Create a sense of urgency

Monitoring and Measuring Your Campaigns

Daily

• Are your ads running?

Weekly

•  Are impressions , clicks and conversions normal?
• Did you think of new keywords in the shower this morning?
• Do you have a new promotion | product | value proposition?

Monthly  

• Month to month, quarter to quarter, year to year
• Keep in mind seasonality
• Make note of promotions
• Note of major website changes
• Make note of major news events, weather, holidays, etc.

Here’s what Newport Interactive Marketers were saying on Twitter:

@AmandaPanera: @NewportInteract Networking with friends Katrina & Emily enjoying @MidtownOysterRI! #NIMRI pic.twitter.com/PbgImlNVhj

@Sue_DesigEditor:Ingredients to a better #adwords quality score by @SemSeopro #NIMRI pic.twitter.com/l8DHE3x4Zo

@franciscosamuel: #nimri … A view from the back … Great presentation on #google#adwordspic.twitter.com/yAXISj172h

@TaichiCharlie: #NIMRI@mikejcunn @sue_DesigEditorhttp://instagram.com/p/n9Eckfwco4/ 

Recipe for an effective #PPC ad via @semseopro #NIMRI #MidtownOyster  pic.twitter.com/y8NYEJLEzR

Meet Matt Roche

Certified AdWords Professional since 2005, Google Agency Partner Matt Roche currently manages $100,000+ in monthly client ad spend. Prior to launching his firm SEM/SEO Pro, Matt served as Director of Search Marketing at Boston-based Emagine Communications and was WIMCO’s Online Marketing Manager from 2000-2006.

The post Making Cents of PPC and AdWords appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.

Holland provided copious examples of how small – often nontechnical – tweaks can result in huge improvements. Here are the highlights of the presentation.

Why Synchronous Testing?

• Create two versions simultaneously
• Traffic engine splits it into two different versions to see which does better
• Super cheap and easy to do
• You can go to Google Experimental Engine or Visual Website Optimizer
• Great for an agency: You’ll impress your clients

Why You Shouldn’t Go With Your Gut

WhichTestWon’s founder Anne Holland says: If you’re just using your gut you are probably wrong.  “I’m still surprised by the results,” she said. “I follow my gut, knowing what I know, and it’s the opposite. If my gut is wrong, yours can be wrong.”

Knowing the product or the client too well can actually be a drawback. You’re not the visitors, so you don’t look at the product the way they do. For this reason, you’ve got to test. Amazon tests, LinkedIn test, Dell tests, and you should, too!

Where to Start Testing

Do not start testing on pages with high abandon or bounce rate because you won’t see a much change.

Pages to Test & Track

• Thank you & receipt pages
• Follow up
• Emails
• Digital Marketing Campaigns
• Landing Pages
• Search Results
• Category Pages
• Product offer description pages
• Abandons

How to Decide What to Test

• Use the same size screen that your traffic will be viewing: a 15” monitor, 1-24x 786 resolution (Hint: 980 pixels across, 520 down)
• Quickly glance at page to see what you notice that needs to be changed
• Remove clutter
• Vary headlines
• Big images, change images
• Buttons: sizes, colors, wording

Make One Change at a Time

• If you test two changes on the same page, your results won’t be useful
• Don’t change the headline and the image because you won’t know which worked better
• Example: If you change the size of the button, don’t change the wording on the button

Or Test a Radical Redesign

• Radical redesign means you make the dramatic changes.
• Then you compare your old page to the redesigned pages and see which does better
• Then tweak the winning page to see which elements made the difference

What You Want to Achieve by Testing

You don’t want just more clicks. If extra clicks don’t increase sales, no one cares.

Instead of simply more clicks you want

• More sales
• More qualified leads
• Lower cost per lead
• Higher revenues per cart

How Long Should You Test?

Typically you should run a test for 21 days

Testing Examples:

1) Dell Mega Image Test

• Mega Image Won (Mega Image is an image that fills the majority of the homepage screen)
• Increased leads generated by 36%
• Lowered the page bounce rate by 27%

2) Dell Search Box Test

• Test between a button that says search or a magnifying-glass icon
• Search button won
• Resulted in a 6.3% Lift in RPV (revenue) avg.
• A winning test is usually results in a 3% lift

3) Local or Toll Free Number Test

• Toll free number or local phone number
• Which would generate more sales?
• The local number increased sales (checkout page visits) by 18.3%

4) Email Test

• Should it say: “Click here for more info” or “Find out more”?
• “Click here” won
• 97% lift in unique clicks
• 16% increase in page views

5) Overlay Test

• Overlays are like pop-ups on your website
• They are much more responsive than saying: Please join our email list
• Often come free with email service provider or free WordPress plugin
• Test was how wide should the overlay be
• Smaller overlay won
• Results 8.8% More Opt-Ins

Don’t miss  Newport Interactive Marketers’ FREE monthly networking-learning gatherings.

The post Simple Tests to Improve Your Website appeared first on Newport Interactive Marketers.