SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Module 3

Module 3
Social media
A term which is used to describe the type of media that is based on
conversation and interaction between people online. It can take many
different forms, including Internet forums, web logs, social blogs, micro-
blogging, wikis, podcasts, pictures, videos, rating and social bookmarking.
Technologies include: blogs, picture sharing, vlogs, wall postings, e-mail,
instant messaging, music sharing, crowd sourcing and Voice over IP. etc.
• Social media can also be defined as an internet enabled tool that allows
an individual or company to share, create or exchange information, career
interests, pictures/videos with virtual communities and/or networks.
• The content is not generated as a corporate monologue rather it is a
conversation with all participants having the ability to upload content and
discuss, edit or rate each other's content.
Why does your business want to be on social media?

• Increase brand awareness

• Drive traffic to your website
• Generate new leads
• Grow revenue (by increasing signups or sales)
• Boost brand engagement
• Build a community around your business
• Provide social customer service
• Increase mentions in the press
• Listen to conversations about your brand
Impact of Social Media
Social media is potentially the most significant change in marketing
since the practice was recognised as a discipline in its own right. Prior
to the emergence of social media, the marketers had control over every
marketing message that reached the public. But, these days the
marketers have no longer control over the brand-it gets strongly
affected by the opinion expressed by consumers and others on social
media
Target audience

• Understanding your target audience will help you

more easily answer the following questions on
what, where, and when you are going to share.

For instance, if a travel and lifestyle brand (like

Mahindra Holidays) knows that its target audience
loves to read about new places and travel tips, it
could share such content on its social media
profiles.
Marketing Persona
• Who are they? (E.g. job title, age, gender, salary, location, etc.)
• What are they interested in that you can provide? (E.g. entertainment, educational content, case
studies, information on new products, etc.)
• Where do they usually hang out online? (E.g. Facebook, Instagram, etc. or niche platforms)
• When do they look for the type of content you can provide? (E.g. weekends, during their daily
commute, etc.)
• Why do they consume the content? (E.g. to get better at their job, to become healthy, to stay up
to date with something, etc.)
• How do they consume the content? (E.g. read social media posts, watch videos, etc.)
 Advantages of Social Media
1.Enhance the consumer’s experience in numerous ways- it not only allows them
to voice their opinion but allows consumers to feel that their views and feedbacks
are taken seriously by the company.
2.Brand awareness- the consumers browse through the company’s sites, they learn
a great deal about the company and its product and services, which holds
legitimate value if they read post by other consumers.
3.Serves as its own marketing tool-HUL, itself, promotes the company’s product
and or services inclusive of positive reviews by other consumers and users creating
a positive word-of-mouth.
4.Dissemination of information- social media marketing can also be used by
marketers to encourage the dissemination of a positive image about their brand,
product or organisational message.
5.Relationship marketing- it can help marketers in building long term and healthy
relationship with their customers, by looking into their grievances immediately.
Disadvantages of Social Media
1.Customers gain control to a certain extent- the companies have lost control to
the customers and that they don’t have any say over what is being discussed by
their consumers through various social media platforms. whatever is said can be
good for the company or can affect the company adversely.
2.Wrong perceptions can push other customers away- A negative comment can
change other customer’s perception of the company’s product and/or service.
3.Manipulation of facts- offensive language, spam comments and insults are
some of the common scenarios which could damage the company’s goodwill.
4.Immediate spread of information- the negative message spreads like fire to
lakhs of people in one go resulting in a huge loss. It becomes really difficult for
the company to recover from that loss.
Essential Elements of a Social Media Marketing Strategy

1.Identify Business Goals

2.Set Marketing Objectives
B

• Marketing objectives define how you get from Point A (an unfulfilled
goal) to Point B (a successfully fulfilled goal).
• You can determine your objectives with the S-M-A-R-T approach: 
• Make your objectives specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and
time-bound
 3.Identify Ideal Customers

• If a business is suffering from low engagement

on their social profiles, it’s usually because they
don’t have an accurate ideal customer profile.
• Buyer personas help you define and target the
right people, in the right places, at the right
times with the right messages.
• When you know your target audience’s age,
occupation, income, interests, pains, problems,
obstacles, habits, likes, dislikes, motivations
and objections, then it’s easier and cheaper to
target them on social or any other media.
 4.Research Competition

Compile a list of at least 3-5 main

competitors. Search which social networks they’re
using and analyze their content strategy. Look at
their number of fans or followers, posting
frequency and time of day.
• Also pay attention to the type of content they’re
posting and its context (humorous, promotional,
etc.) and how they’re responding to their fans.
• The most important activity to look at is
engagement. Even though page admins are the
only ones who can calculate engagement rate on
a particular update, you can get a good idea of
what they’re seeing.
5.Choose Channels and Tactics
Many businesses create accounts on every
popular social network without researching which
platform will bring the most return. You can avoid
wasting your time in the wrong place by using
the information from your buyer personas to 
determine which platform is best for you.
• If prospects or customers tell you they spend
40% of their online time on Facebook and 20%
on Twitter, you know which primary and
secondary social networks you should focus on.
• When your customers are using a specific
network, that’s where you need to be—not
everywhere else.
• Tactics for each social channel rely on your goals
and objectives, as well as the best practices of
each platform.
6: Create a Content Strategy
Content and social media have a symbiotic
relationship: Without great content social media is
meaningless and without social media nobody will
know about your content. Use them together to
reach and convert your prospects.
• There are three main components to any 
successful social media content strategy:
1. type of content,
2. time of posting
3. frequency of posting.
• The 
type of content you should post on each social net
work
 relies on form and context. Form is how you
present that information—text only, images, links,
video, etc.
 7.Allocate Budget and Resources
• To budget for social media marketing, Frame the tactics to
achieve your business goals and objectives.
• Make a comprehensive list of the tools  (e.g., social media
monitoring, email marketing and CRM), services you’ll
outsource (e.g., graphic design or video production) and
any advertising you’ll purchase. Next to each, include the
annual projected cost so you can have a high-level view of
what you’re investing in and how it affects your marketing
budget.
• Establish a strategy first, and then determine the budget
that fits that strategy.
• prioritize your tactics according to their ROI timeframe. 
The tactics with the fastest ROI (e.g., advertising and social
referral) take priority because they generate instant profit
you can later invest into long-term tactics (fan acquisition,
quality content creation or long-term engagement)
8. Assign Roles
• Knowing who’s responsible for
what increases productivity and
avoids confusion and
overlapping efforts. Things may
be a bit messy in the beginning,
but with time team members
will know their roles and what
daily tasks they’re responsible
for
What is Social media Strategy

Lead generation and

conversion

Brand building

Customer Engagement
Steps in social media planning
Listen

Set Goals

Strategies
Social Media
Strategy Cycle
Implement

Measure

Improve
Social Media profiles
• Social profiles are a description of individuals’ social
characteristics that identify them on social media sites such as
LinkedIn and Facebook.
• Profiles describe any number of characteristics about
individuals, such as interests, expertise, professional
affiliations, status, recent activity and geographic location.
• Profiles are the digital DNA of a person, and where tagging of
people-related content will occur. A social profile also displays
information that helps to understand the type and strength of
an individual’s relationships with others; for example, their
level of participation and contribution in different initiatives,
projects, communities, or conversations; their reputation
among other participants
Social media
platform
How the Tweet should be
• Tweets between 100 and 120 characters so others can modify or add short
notes before retweeting.
• Take the time to write a proper sentence (yes, including grammar and
punctuation) that fits within the character limit.
• Encourage conversation and build your audience by posing questions to elicit
curiosity, quoting others (with proper citation), and thanking those who
mention you or pass your message along
• Use the hashtag often, and wisely. Twitter is the birthplace of the hashtag in
modern social media usage. (Don’t overdo it with the number of hashtags,
though, or your Tweet won’t get as much traction.)
• Shorten links to get the most out of your Twitter real estate. Ow.ly shortened
doesn’t just look pretty, either—it’s a powerful tracking tool to see who’s
clicking on your messages, and from what region.
• Bright, strong images that accompany Tweets increase engagement and
retweets.
• Maintain your own personality. You don’t want to sound like a robot. Don't be
monotonous
How to post on LinkedIn post
• LinkedIn is a business- and career-centric platform, so welcome the opportunity to
offer your expertise on a subject that relates to your audience. Pretend it’s a company
dinner party—maintain your real, but professional, voice and don’t be boring.
• Keep it short. Two or three sentences is all you need for an intro before an external
link. Give your audience just enough to know why you shared it and what it means to
them.
• Stay interested to be more interesting. Reply to those who comment on your posts
and like any of their content that has value for you. Commenting on your own post
can open up conversation as well, which leads to more engagement and increased
visibility.
• Tagging people or companies that you are connected to adds authority to your posts.
Make sure the posts are related and will be welcomed by those you are tagging.
• Don’t forget the power of images on LinkedIn. When you share a link, the main
image is what your audience will see in their feed. A succinct, relevant message with a
vibrant image will get more attention than text
How to post on Facebook post Facebook
Facebook has changed over the years from primarily text-based communication to a mixture
of all kinds of media. Successful posts use short, interesting “teasers” (usually 2 or 3
sentences) for context along with colorful images, short videos, and links to other good
content that followers will enjoy.
• Stay positive. Facebook users tend to share and interact with inspiring, funny, and life-
affirming pieces. Get creative by building your own memes with text overlayed onto unique
images.
• Pose questions, tell stories, and use language that encourages commenting and interaction
with your page.
• Good pixel Images sized to 403 x 403 pixels or higher will look the best in the newsfeed
column.
• Interact with your followers and fans, as well as other people who comment on posts in
your feed. Organic conversation is a great way to increase engagement and build a loyal fan
base.
• Add comments to your older posts to bring it up in the newsfeed again. Great posts can
have more than one chance at viral appeal.
• Post often, but not too often. Use Analytics to research the perfect number of messages to
post per day, and use Auto Schedule to publish them during optimal times
How to post on Instagram

• Pictures are the heart and soul of Instagram, but the trick is to tell
a story rather than simply focus on a product.
• Use block colors (“blocks” of bold, bright shades from a palette of
two or more colors) to make your images stand out from the rest.
• Develop your brand’s own recognizable visual style. You can
start by consistently using one or two filters that fits with your
company image.
• Hashtags are integral to promoting your product, service, or
brand on Instagram. Use industry- or location-specific hashtags—
do some research on which ones are popular.
• Start your own hashtag campaign by getting your friends and
followers involved.
# Hashtag?
A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the pound symbol. On social media, it
serves as an indication (for users and algorithms) that a piece of content relates to a
specific topic or belongs to a category. Hashtags help make content discoverable in
on-platform searches and, effectively, reach more people.

Hashtag basics
1. They always start with # but they won’t work if you use spaces, punctuation or
symbols.
2. Make sure your accounts are public. Otherwise, the hashtagged content you
write won’t be seen by any non-followers.
3. Don’t string too many words together. The best hashtags tend to be relatively
short and easy to remember.
4. Use relevant and specific hashtags. If it is too obscure, it will be hard to find and
it won’t likely be used by other social media users.
5. Limit the number of hashtags you use. More isn’t always better. It actually looks
spammy.
Different types of hashtags
Branded & product hashtags
Branded hashtags are oftentimes the brand’s name, a brand slogan or related to a 
brand community. The former is the one that probably already exists for your brand. The latter two
will need to be created and used by you. Product hashtags tend to combine your brand name and
the product name. This way, you can track posts not just by your overall brand but to specific
products. Creating a hashtag for your brand is simple and can easily carry over into your other
social media platforms.
Campaign hashtags
Campaign hashtags are specific to marketing campaigns that you’re running. Usually, these involve
the brand running a regular campaign and adding a hashtag to it in a caption or in the corner of the
post. On television ads, you’ll find them resting in the corner for the subtle effect but they could be
very prominent if the campaign is centered around the hashtag itself. Eg The realbeauty campaign
Dove
Community & industry hashtags
Nearly every community and industry has at least one hashtag that’s used within them. To find
yours, head to some popular community and industry influencer posts and check out their
hashtags. Many of these hashtags are simple. The hashtags that are easy to think up are usually the
most used.Amul
Different types of hashtags
Location hashtags
Location hashtags are pretty self-explanatory. Most brands are based somewhere and if
you have a physical location, this is even more useful for you. Relevant location hashtags
include your city and its associated topical hashtags, your neighborhood, the mall name
you’re in and any other defining features.
Themed hashtags
Have you ever seen a post about a national food day and wondered who the heck comes
up with them? Although national hashtag days are often fairly arbitrary, they’re still fun
for audiences to participate in and get attention for specific topics. So when a day comes
by that matches with your business, why not join in?
Daily hashtags
Daily hashtags aren’t limited to Instagram and they’re easy to find. These hashtags start
with the day of the week and then follow up with the topic. There are generalized ones
such as #MondayMotivation and #ThrowbackThursday. Nearly any brand can take part in
these, and there are plenty of niche topics covered.
Trending hashtags
This type of hashtag is one of the more difficult ones to post since it involves keeping tabs
on the latest and knowing how to apply them to your brand.
Important hashtag metrics to track
1.Popularity
How popular is the hashtag that you’re using? Hashtags that are used often tend to also be searched
for often, so it’s a good idea to include hashtags in your post that have proven to be popular. You
just want to make sure you’re not spamming your followers with irrelevant but trending hashtags
just for popularity’s sake.
2.Reach
How many people actually tend to see the hashtags you’re using? If your reach isn’t very high,
you’re probably not using the best hashtags. Try out some new tactics to see if you can increase the
eyes on your posts, such as using a tool like Sprout to find related hashtags that are getting a lot of
attention.
3.Interactions
Not only do you want to make sure people are using and seeing these hashtags, you want to make
sure people are also interacting with them. Posting hashtagged content that gets users Retweeting
and sharing will expand the reach of your campaign.
4.Users
Who, specifically, is using the hashtags? You want to make sure that you’re seeing users that are
within your target audience using and searching for the same hashtags that you are so your message
resonates.
Posts
Post/ (tweet) - Content shared on
social media through a user's profile. It
can be as simple as a blurb of text, but
can also include images, videos, and
links to other content. Other users of
the social network can like, comment,
and share the post.
Tweet A post that's publicly shared on
Twitter to a network of followers.
Tweets are limited to 280 characters.
Different types of posts
1. Written posts, blogs, articles, guides, and more. ...
2. Electronic books (eBooks) ...
3. Links to external content. ...
4. Images. ...
5. Videos. ...
6. Video Stories. ...
7. Live Videos. ...
8. Infographics
9. Testimonials
10. Announcement
11. Contests
Comments
Messages that people leave in response to a post made on social media. Twitter
refers to comments as "replies.“
• Comment is a form of engagement in which a user replies to your social media
post. Comments can offer praise, ask a question, express disagreement, and
otherwise contribute to the online conversation about your social content.
Comments can include text, hashtags, @ mentions, and emojis. A large number of
comments shows that your post is engaging and may boost its position in the
newsfeed based on a social network’s algorithm.
• Positive , negative and neutral Comments

Donts of comment
1. don’t ignore (most social media platforms allow users to like comments, and
even if you don’t reply to comments, show that you’ve read it)
2. don’t postpone (reply quickly)
3. don’t delete (it has a negative effect on your brand as it looks like you’re
avoiding the issue)
Share
Social sharing describes when
social media users broadcast web
content on a social network to
their connections, groups, or
specific individuals. One of the
primary aims of corporate social
media marketing strategies is to
generate brand awareness by
leveraging their existing audience
to share content.
Why sharing is Important in business
Sharing of messaging is an organic form of promotion generated by
the public. Consumers share products, blog posts, and inspirational
images because they want to.
When social connections —including friends, family, and coworkers
— see shared content, it resonates more than a message displayed
directly by a business.
 Each time someone shares an article, link, or promotion it has the
potential to domino into a wide network of potential customers.
Once a post is shared, it is then seen by an entirely new audience
that can further spread it throughout their own network. Posts
created with the intent of gaining mass exposure through repetitive
sharing is referred to as viral marketing viral marketing.
Increasing social shares
• Find the social network used most frequently by the target
audience. If the customer base is largely businesses and
enterprises, then focus on LinkedIn. Facebook is more for
social and casual relationships which lends itself better to
online shopping customers. Twitter tends to straddle the line
between casual and official.
• Create meaningful content. The worst thing to do is to turn
into a spammer on social networks. Sending out links and
posting to walls should be done with careful intent. Craft the
content so it has some value to the consumer beyond a
marketing blurb or discount.
• Be consistent. Try to add content on a regular basis to each
of the business' social media accounts. Consumers will start
to see social media messages as noise if they happen at
random and only accompany marketing information. Provide
content on a regular, but not too frequent, basis to remind
consumers to check out the site.
Likes
• likes are a form of social media engagement; they allow users to
interact with updates and show they approve of what has been shared.
• Likes can be found on almost all major social media platforms. They can
be used on all available types of updates, including in-feed display
advertisements.
• Likes are often considered to be a “vanity metric” as they are the
lowest form of interaction on a platform and does not show any
significant type of intent.
• However, they can still be used as a metric to inform decision making
on aspects such as:

• Content creation
• Content curation
• Social media engagement
Tags

• Tags allow social media users to engage an

individual, business or any entity with a social
profile when they mention them in a post or
comment. In Facebook and Instagram, tagging
notifies the recipient and hyperlinks to the tagged
profile.
• The Twitter equivalents of tagging other users is by
inserting a relevant hashtag or tweeting at them,
depending on the objective. Using tags is 
important for effective engagement with Facebook
users.
Importance of Tags
When to tag
• One common use of tagging is to engage influencers in a space. This can include
celebrity endorsers, brand advocates and industry veterans. Tag an influencer in
a post or comment to get them involved - this acts as a form of brand
validation. Tagging individual customers is one way to engage and demonstrate
the personal nature of your brand. It can also be a useful tactic for remediation,
publicly demonstrating your commitment to customer service.
Keeping track of tags
• The other side of tagging is when your business or brand is mentioned by
someone on social media. Carefully monitoring social media to engage users
who tag you is an important part of a business' social media strategy. Tags may
contain customer praise or positive mentions, but are also a way for dissatisfied
customers to air their grievances in a public forum. Responding to negative
feedback can remediate the situation and show other users that you listen to
customers. If it gets profane or counterproductive, though, it's best to
disengage and delete from your wall (if on Facebook).
Difference between Tags & Hashtag

• Tags allow social media users to engage an individual,

business or any entity with a social profile when they
mention them in a post or comment. In Facebook and
Instagram, tagging notifies the recipient and hyperlinks
to the tagged profile.
• Hashtag: A word or phrase preceded by a hash mark
(#), used within a social media post to identify a
keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for
it. Whenever a user adds a hashtag to their post, it’s
able to be indexed by the social network and becomes
searchable/discoverable by other users.
Landing Page

• In digital marketing, a landing page is a

standalone web page, created specifically for
a marketing or advertising campaign. It’s
where a visitor “lands” after they click on a
link in an email, or ads from Google, Bing,
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or
similar places on the web.
• Unlike web pages, which typically have many
goals and encourage exploration, landing
pages are designed with a single focus or
goal, known as a call to action (or CTA, for
short).
The landing page layout
Differences of landing page and Homepage

• The landing page is super focused. 

•  Fewer links on your landing page increases conversions

• The homepage has dozens of potential distractions.
homepage, There are least 10 links.The landing page for
this customer serves a completely different purpose.
Paired with super slick ads that promote a single offer,
everything about it works hard to turn these visitors
into customers. It’s doing a better job to convert the
traffic the brand’s already getting.
• A homepage has a different audience and purpose. 
Types of Landing Pages
• Lead Generation Landing Pages:
Lead gen” and “lead capture” pages, this type of landing page focuses
on collecting lead data. In other words, it collects information about
your customers.
These page valuable asset to your business because they provide
insight on who your potential customers are as well how you can
reach them. If lead nurturing is a priority for you—or you need to
understand your audience better—consider adding one to your site.
• Click through Landing Pages:
Unlike lead gen pages, which use forms, the focal points of click-
through landing pages are CTA buttons. Clicking the button redirects
your users to a page where they can complete your desired action.
For example, a button that says "schedule a demo" might take the
user to a scheduling page, “order X now" would redirect to a
checkout page, and so on.
Benefit of landing page
• Boost your credibility. Users typically appreciate clear, simple
messaging that explains the value of what you’re offering. A
well-planned landing page 
shows your customers that you have their best interests in mind
. They’re also places where you can insert testimonials about
your product or service, which are an element of social proof.
Social proof has been shown to increase conversions.
• Reinforce your brand. This is the result of maintaining
consistency in your website’s appearance, tone, style, and copy.
Having a clear and strong brand has several benefits. When your
users don’t convert immediately, a strong brand identity can
help them remember you in the future, respond to your 
remarketing efforts, or recommend you to their friends.
Conversion analysis, Google vs. Bing vs. Yahoo
Google • Google is the titan of the search industry. The company constantly
updates and innovates its search algorithm to maintain its position as
the front-runner of the world of search.
• That also makes it the most important search engine for search
engine optimization (SEO) purposes.
• Regardless, this is how Google’s search algorithm works:
•  Google’s algorithm includes roughly 200 factors it considers on each
search
• Google’s crawlers index frequently-updated sites more often.
• Google regularly updates their algorithm with significant changes,
and they don’t always announce those changes.
• Google can index text content in Flash files.
• Google considers click-through rate (CTR) and external link as major
factors.
• Google generally values user experience above all other factors. So if
your page is user-friendly, it’ll also do well in Google search results.
Google search features that affect how websites are
displayed in results.
• Similar Google searches can show in a carousel at the top of the
page.
• Google’s knowledge graph could answer your search without
requiring you to click.
• Images may show at the top or side of the page.
• Map results may show at the side of a page.
• Paid ads show at the top and side of a page.
• Local business listings show at the top and side of a page.
• Google’s practical jokes and Easter eggs (like “askew” or “do a
barrel role”) can alter the appearance of results.
• Generally, Google is much more text-based.
Bingo Vs Yahoo
Bingo Vs Yahoo

• The reason we’re discussing Bing and Yahoo in the same

section is because they’re actually the same search engine.
• Bing also uses about 200 ranking factors to determine search
results.
• Bing favors pages that are connected to social media accounts.
• Bing can read Flash files.
• Bing considers a site’s CTR and external links as primary
factors.
• Bing prefers sites that provide a good user experience.
• Bing uses authorship metrics through a partnership with Klout.
Bingo Vs Yahoo features in search results

• Bing tries to show all variations of a search term if

it’s vague.
• Bing’s snapshot pane could answer your search
before you click anything.
• Images, videos, and related search results could all
show at the top and side of search results.
• Paid ads show at the top and side of search results.
• Bing doesn’t use practical jokes or Easter eggs in its
search results.
• Generally, Bing is much more visual-based
Optimizing your site for Google, Bing, and Yahoo
• Make your site mobile-friendly. Google already uses it as a ranking
factor, and Bing is close behind.
• Create a positive user experience. Easy navigation, modern web
design, and informative content all play a part in a good user
experience.
• Use keywords in your title tags, image alt attributes, and meta
descriptions.
• Use authorship whenever possible since Bing looks at it (Google
does not).
• Use Flash sparingly. If you use it, include plain text around it so
Google understands what the page is about.
• Build external links. Links are most likely the biggest factor for both
Google and Bing’s algorithms.
3 different types of search marketing
• There are in fact three different
types of search marketing, and
while they all have a search
component, each comes with a
different set of goals, strategies,
tasks and expectations.
• Three types of search – organic
search, paid search and local
search.
Organic search

• When people refer to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), this

is what they are talking about.
• Organic search, also known as natural search or free search,
is the best known form of search but the one in which you
have the least control.
• Organic search results are those listings that appear in the
wide left column of a search page – the results that most
people recognize as being the most trusted results.
• The reason is simple.  The listings that appear within this
section are there on merit.  Google (or your favorite search
engine) has made the determination that those listings do
the best job of answering the question being asked in the
search inquiry.
How do you get to the top of your
category?
• Make a list of questions that your prospects and customers are asking.  Then write
complete and thoughtful answers to each question and give it its own web page.
• When you have a single web page dedicated to a single question and answer, you
improve your chances of getting ranked high with the search engines.
• The core of all this is the content – and by that, I don’t mean slick, professionally
created, highly entertaining and engaging content that could go viral.  That would
be great, but no, the goal for content is much simpler than that.
• when creating content is to provide answers to the questions your target audience
is asking. Remember, when your prospects are doing a search, they are actually
asking a question.
• Questions like Where do I find a good mailing list?  What is a good response rate? 
Which direct mail format works better – a letter or a postcard?)
• Question and answer, you improve your chances of getting ranked high with the
search engines.
Paid Search
• Paid search refers to the Google Adwords program.  Bing and Yahoo
have similar programs, but much less traffic than Google.
• Paid search gives you much more control over your search placement
and will allow you to see results more quickly.
• With Adwords, your ad appears on the column down the right side of
a search engine page.  Very often, ads also appear at the very top of
the page of the left hand column.  These are also known as Sponsored
Ads.
• Your position in this section is based largely on your willingness to pay.
• What’s most appealing with Adwords is that you only pay when
someone actually clicks on your ad – pay per click (PPC).
• And you only pay what you’re willing to pay.  But in order to get to the
top or at least the first page, you need to outbid all of the other
companies that want to advertise there.  (Placement is not entirely
based on price.  Google rewards you for ad quality and an informative
landing page as well, but it’s mostly price.)
External or internal links: What's the difference?

External or internal links: What's the difference?

• External links point from one domain to an entirely separate domain. They
may be links from your website to another website to provide additional
information for readers, or they may be links from your website to an
affiliate program. Links from other sites into yours can also be called
external links, although the preferred term is “inbound” links, to distinguish
them from links you’ve added to your own site that connect to other sites.
• Internal links only point within your own specific website or domain. The
menu bar at the top of your site includes internal links. Links from pages on
your site to your contact page are another simple example of internal links.
• In summary:
• External = links that point to a separate domain
• Internal = links that point to content within the same domain
What are the Benefits of Internal Links?

• Internal links help a viewer stay engaged with your website longer.
Altogether, they provide a positive user experience. This may encourage
them to become a customer or follower.
• These links are more accessible to viewers, and they increase the authority
of your pages and overall site. Internal links are often used as a call-to-
action.
• For example, they might prompt a viewer to read or learn more about a
topic by clicking on the internal link, or else ask a viewer to contact you or
schedule a visit.
• Internal links will help a bot find other web pages on your site, too. A page
that is easy to navigate — for users and search engine bots — will properly
index.
• This means that the page will be added to a search engine’s collection of
web pages so that your site can be found.
What are the Benefits of External Links?
• The quality and quantity of the external links that you use matters.
Adding trustworthy and informative website links of high quality to your
pages will help improve the credibility of your website, whereas adding
poor-quality, spam links will hurt your site.
• Linking to outside websites will not hurt your page rank as long as the
relevant content you’re linking to comes from authoritative sites.
• An external link is more valuable if it links to popular and relevant pages
that are highly ranked and related to the content on your web page.
• Valuable external links will also help to improve the authority of your
website, by providing a viewer with references.
• External links, sometimes referred to as outbound links, link from other
websites that link to your site further improve your site’s credibility
because they prove that your content is valuable.
• This type of external link is a great source of free traffic for your website,
and, as mentioned above, is a crucial element of Google’s search engine
algorithm.
Internal Vs External
Viral marketing
Viral marketing is nothing more than a
strategy that you can use to get
people to promote your app (or any
other product) via their existing social
networks.
How a Viral Marketing Campaign Works
• Building and setting a viral marketing campaign into
motion is basically creating content so engaging
and so relevant that people can’t help but share it
with their friends: “Hey, you HAVE to see this!”
• You plan and produce the content. You make it as
shareable as possible. Then you release it in the
hopes that it spread via word of mouth.
• This is what makes it unpredictable. Not everything
a marketer creates will resonate with their
audience. And even if it does, not every resonant
piece will persuade users to spread it to their
circles.
Viral Marketing Advantages
• Low cost: It doesn’t need to cost much to produce
something that people will want to share. Sometimes
it’s the simplest ideas that resonate the most. And
when done right, it can give you excellent ROI.
• Reach: Going viral spreads your message and your
brand much further than you might expect.
• Credibility: Suddenly, your brand is on everyone’s
feed. Or becomes the topic everyone brings up at a
party. If done well, this is your ticket to instant (and
hopefully lasting) brand awareness.
Disadvantages of Viral Marketing

• But as with everything, there are cons to go with the pros. While a good
viral marketing campaign can bring massive awareness about your brand
in a cost-effective manner, it also has the capability to dilute your brand.
Or at its very worst, build negative buzz regarding your brand and
products. This is when “too much of a good thing” may just hurt your
work in building your organization’s credibility.
• Virality rests upon the idea that people share your campaign with their
friends. But many will not do so if they’re afraid you’re going to end
up scraping personal information from them or if you’re simply going to
add their friends to a spammy mailing list. Remember, individuals  have
their own “personal brand” to protect.
• Additionally, going viral may lead to a massive influx of new users who
suddenly disappear after checking out your app. These campaigns won’t
automatically bring you loyal customers who will last years.
Viral Marketing Principles to Follow

•  Excellent planning
• Audience involvement
• Spectacle + press-worthiness
• Humor + like-ability
• A worthwhile cause
• Celebrity star power (optional)
• Low barrier to entry
• A really good incentive
• Exclusivity
• Urgency
Two types of viral marketing campaigns
Organic (or in-the-wild) campaigns.
• Organic (or in-the-wild) viral campaigns grow with little or no input from the
marketer. Sometimes, a message is passed around in a viral nature without any
intention from the marketer. Usually this happens with negative messages about a
brand, but it can also be a happy coincidence for a brand if the message is positive.
• Organic word of mouth is credited with the sudden increase in the popularity of
Hush Puppies shoes in the mid-1990s. Word of mouth increased sales from an all
time low of 30,000 in 1994, to 430,000 in 1995, and to four times that the
following year.

Amplified (or controlled) campaigns.

• Amplified (or controlled) campaigns have been strategically planned, have defined
goals for the brand being marketed, and usually have a distinct method of passing
on the message (that can be tracked and quantified by the marketer). The Hotmail
example above is a controlled campaign:
• The goal was to grow membership.
• The e-mails being sent were automatically passing on the message.
POPULAR METHODS OF VIRAL
MARKETING
• Customer participation and polling services
•  Internet search engines and blogs
• Mobile smartphone integration
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Social Media Optimization (SMO)
• Television and radio
• Ads on TV and radio
• Channels and FM stations.
 Preparing to Go Viral
Step 1: Define the Aims of the Campaign and How You Will Measure
Success
Step 2: Plan a Message or Content That Users Want to Share
Step 3: Make Your Content Easy to Share
Step 4: Make It as Simple as Possible for Users to Get Involved
Step 5: Be Authentic and Transparent
Step 6: Provide an Incentive for Sharing and Interacting
Step 7: Make the Message Available
Step 8: Use a Strong Call to Action
Step 9: Track, Analyze, and Optimize
III Ends