1.  Logo – (Noun) “A symbol adopted by an organization to identify its products or services” We all know it’s never about what you have, it’s about how you use it that makes the difference! Since you've spent the time and/or money on this masterpiece called your "logo," make sure it shows up everywhere including business cards, social media sites, and any other promotional materials. Your logo is your company's identity in a picture and the more you show it off, the quicker your brand recognition will grow.

Does this really matter, you ask? Consider this… how likely are you to remember a random fast-food restaurant you visited when they use generic bags and soda cups versus the restaurant that brands every cup and bag with their logo? That garbage in your car becomes advertising and will make an impression every time you see it.

2. Interact – Who knew this was a part of branding? Speak directly with your target and, even more importantly, with your clients. Share and respond to social media comments, answer your phone using your company name and/or slogan, and use interactive communication tools such as surveys and email marketing. Remember, everything you send and share should always include your logo and slogan.

3. Solve – Your mission should be simple. Every business offers a product or service that offers results and/or a solution; and just because you know that, it does not mean your target market does. Leverage your interactive tools to share a clear, concise, and consistent solution that is unique to your brand identity. Remember, the process you use to help your clients may be complicated but your message should be simple enough to earn the trust and comfort of your clients.

Branding is more of an art than a science; it takes creativity, time, patience, and just like a painting, it will even go through an ugly stage. An initial brand launch should focus on creating awareness for your unique product or services. Luckily you have a friend in the industry- whether your current brand is sour or your business is brand new, HMG can help you too!

What other media channel can compare with this?

Consumers are rapidly adopting mobile devices and behaviors and spending an average of 2 hours per day on smartphone devices. We are rarely separated from them, and we check our phones every 6.5 minutes (or 150 times daily). 

MOBILE advertising grew by 88% in 2012

While MOBILE ad/media spending is only 1% of total media (vs. 10% share of consumer media time), MOBILE advertising grew by 88% in 2012 (from $2.4B to $4.5B). MOBILE ad spending growth to-date has been limited by marketers/agencies challenges in creating MOBILE ads designed specifically to take advantage of MOBILE devices. Chia Chen, SVP Mobile Practice Leader at Digitas indicated their client's mobile ad spending grew by 400% (4X more rapidly) because their ads for Amex, Taco Bell, M&Ms and other clients treated smart phones as "small TVs" and incorporated richer media, and more native creative palettes.

Global Tablet Advertising Study - Results Presented

Beth Doyle, Innovation Director at Vivaki, revealed the results of a 14-month global industry study of 20 million global tablet users (sponsored by 12 advertisers including P&G and Coke and 12 media companies) titled The Pool: The Tablet Lane - TABLETS RISING. This study tested 35-40 tablet advertising formats and yielded 3 STD Tablet ad formats being proven as meeting consumers' needs: (1) let me drive; (2) more for me; (3) "tablet-ize" the user experience; (4) no guessing games - keep it intuitive and simple. Clearly, with MOBILE (smartphone and tablet) ad standards emerging, marketers are well on their way to utilizing this new medium in unique ways not available through other previous media channels.

MOBILE's Big Differentiators

MOBILE is a one-to-one media channel and LOCATION is MOBILE's big differentiator. These devices give consumers the ability to find anything they need in real-time and for marketers (with opt-in permission) to find their best customers and prospects when they are in active shopping/buying mode. 40% of consumers already utilize MOBILE devices as their primary (exclusive) online research channel and 60% of mobile shopping converts to purchase (with 75% of sales take place in-store).

Todd Morris, EVP of Mobile & Marketing at Catalina indicated mobile-assisted grocery shoppers buy 8%+ more and over 1M+ consumers are already spending over $1B+ in mobile grocery shopping where items are scanned, store discounts/coupons are applied, and orders are delivered or picked up without waiting in checkout lines.

Trish Mueller, CMO at Home Depot indicated mCommerce grew 129% in 2012 and sales from MOBILE are projected to exceed $650M by 2016. Home Depot has developed a MOBILE web and apps which make it one of the top 10 retail sites creating "an endless aisle" where consumers can access 400,000 SKUs as well as product information and peer reviews at the point of purchase. One of the most innovative apps is "Find A Pro" where consumers can take a video of a problem, send it to Home Depot, and they will connect consumers with "Pros" who can bid the job.

Winston Wang, Global Director - Strategic Innovation at AB Bev, demonstrated "beer and MOBILE go hand-in-hand" indicating beer is the original social network and MOBILE is helping Sales & Marketing along the entire purchase funnel as well as in the loyalty/advocacy areas after purchase. Winston shared MOBILE apps for Stella Artois (9 step pouring ritual, LeBar finder), Beck's and Bud Light.

Announcement: A New MMA Initiative To Address The Mobile Talent Gap

MMA-NA has launched a NEW Mobile Talent Task Force (Jeff Gundersen - Co-Chair) and the first open Committee meeting was held at the MMA-NY 2013 Forum. All parties (marketers, agencies, media companies, technology providers, educators, training & development companies, and other interested parties) are invited to reach out to Jeff Gundersen for a copy of the "Strategic Framework" and related mobile talent research studies pertaining to this new Committee.

Some people don't realize that the design of a site is, in essence, a vehicle for good or bad SEO. If a web designer doesn't know what she's doing, she might luck out--but there's a better chance that there will be missed SEO opportunities. Here's how to make the most out of any web designer and any budget. At the very least, make sure these rules are followed.

1. Formatting of Creative Content

It's absolutely fantastic if a website has incredible, original and SEO-rich content. That's not a web designer's job, but kudos to the site owner for hiring a professional SEO writer who knows their stuff. What is a designer's job is to highlight and format this content so that it attracts the attention it deserves. Great content is useless if it's not noticed, not read, and not shared so make sure the designer knows formatting trends.

2. Design+Illustration

It used to be that design, specifically CSS, made a site look gorgeous but--besides possibly attracting viewers--it did little to help SEO. Now that Google scans the entire page for any text, including that woven into illustration, design is an integral part of potential SEO text fodder. That "text only" cache via Google knows what it's doing now, so designers shouldn't be afraid to show off their CSS.

3. Infographics Can Work It

Yes, it's true--infographics now "count" as SEO and can help any site move up the search engine rankings. To really get the most out of them, designers need to make them stunning, truly informative or amusing, as well as easily embeddable. It's one thing to know that infographics are a trending SEO tool, but another to know how to create and implant them. When choosing a designer, make sure she has experience with infographics and ask to see her portfolio.

4. Animated Multiheaders

Created with HTML, multiheaders that are animated are also scanned for SEO purposes. This is great news, because multiheaders are often naturally key words and phrases and they'll read as organic because they are. This allows designers to maximize homepage content space and it's great for link juice because, after all, homepages are the big players in that arena.

5. Use Your Users

Surprisingly, user badges are even a great source for SEO. When it comes down to it, SEO rankings are just a popularity contest like in high school. If designers can get a lot of users to like the page, get passionate about it and actually comment on a regular basis, the SEO will naturally follow. Consider user badges SEO gold.

6. Call to Action, Scrolling Style

Calls to action (CTA) are requisites on many sites, but the issue is that they don't come until the bottom. Designers can load the page with CTA keywords while trying to walk the fine line between keyword stuffing and being natural, or they can implement a scroll to implement CTA. This pops up the CTA in an unobtrusive way when it's triggered by a scroll. More key words, more grace, and trending, too.

Whether you go with the local Bear Creek Web services company or a big, national company, make sure the developer chosen knows her stuff. What's her track record for page rank improvement? Owners should always ask.

That’s why some innovative marketers have found a different approach—identifying and establishing a common, general website domain that focuses on what the consumer is looking for.

A recent example of this is ShinglesInfo.com. Instead of sending customers to Merck’s massive corporate site, or asking them to try and remember the name of their shingles vaccine, Zostavax, the marketers behind the drug found the perfect domain name. Broadcast and print ads can now point people to the simple and easy-to-remember domain ShinglesInfo.com, a site that shares information on the disease without explicitly stating that it is a website sponsored by Merck. Drug information is not pushed on the consumer; it’s more of a resource for people to learn more about the disease. Eventually, when a consumer decides to “take the next step,” it leads to zostavax.com for specific drug information.

As well as being easy to remember, the domain is easy to find. In fact, domain names such as ShinglesInfo.com have the added benefit of not needing a great deal of search engine optimization (SEO) to be successful. Even if a consumer hasn’t seen the commercial and was simply looking for “Shingles information,” Googling that term brings Merck’s site as the second search result. Pairing a relevant domain like this with quality site content guarantees that it will be found by its intended audience.

Another separate, but no less important advantage of using a dedicated domain like this is that it minimizes the need to rely on a “social” approach to providing information about a topic or product. Too many companies drive traffic to Facebook or other social networking sites and in doing so they make it too easy to lose control of the audience and the message. Facebook and other social media methods are, of course, very important elements of any campaign, launch or marketing strategy. That said, being able to control the information in a centralized location that can serve as a definitive resource for consumers is important, especially in the highly-regulated pharmaceutical industry, where follower opinions cannot be intermingled with official information.

The ShinglesInfo.com strategy is a good reminder of just how important a strong, recognizable domain name is—especially when a brand is hard to spell or remember. Regardless of whether your strategy calls for the site to be neutral or specific to what’s being sold, the importance of a memorable, simple domain name as the key part of your marketing campaign can’t be understated.

We all know SEO has changed dramatically over the years and will continue to change. The way we market, sell, deliver and report on SEO services has not kept pace and needs to catch up. If you ask marketers today what SEO is about they will likely still say things like, "ranking #1 in Google" and unfortunately this is what they are looking for in the SEO sales and service delivery process. (Read: SEO Buying & Selling Tricks that Create Unachievable SEO Results & Expectations)

We know SEO is an on-going, long-term process. More specifically, it is the process of continually discovering highly converting, non-branded keywords that are driving organic search traffic and conversions. It’s about understanding search intent and how keywords used to describe your products and services evolve as a prospect progresses through the buying cycle. It is then about having insight into great data and taking action by including those optimized keywords in your content marketing plan.

This SEO process cannot begin and end in a particular project phase or be completed after just one month of keyword research. It is now a four-step process that requires an SEO culture change, which includes:

• Selling the concept of discovering and optimizing for highly converting keywords
• Discovering non-branded keywords driving traffic and conversions
• Delivering additional SEO services to capitalize on highly converting keywords
• Reporting on the evolution of highly converting keywords and content

Step #1: Sell the Concept

The first place to introduce the concept of discovering and optimizing for highly converting keywords is in your marketing and sales conversations. Many SEO prospects and clients still want to buy the promise of a #1 search position for their keywords. This goal is difficult to obtain and maintain and sets unachievable expectations for you and your client.

Instead, avoid the urge to agree upon a list of keywords with your client that your team is going to "optimize for" - that list of 10, 20, or 30 keywords that your team will go away and "do SEO for." We call this list of keywords the Keyword Gap. Every client will have a list of keywords they think they want to rank for when in reality there’s a more highly converting keyword list that will perform better. That’s what the second step, Discovery, is all about.

You can do some initial keyword discovery in the sales process to demonstrate the Keyword Gap. Show the prospect some data for two keywords, for example:

Which one is the better performing keyword:

• Keyword #1 (condominiums for sale in Richmond) in Position #4 for a particular page with 20 visits and 10 conversions?
• Keyword #2 (condos in Richmond) in Position #3 for a different page with 3 visits and 1 conversion?

Based on the topic of this article, the quick answer is, Keyword #1 in Position #4 (condominiums for sale in Richmond) is a better performing keyword. An alternative answer is: more keyword discovery is required to understand if there are opportunities to optimize the web page that Keyword #2 is positioned for. Or maybe Keyword #1 is one of those highly converting keywords that should be included in all content marketing efforts.

Take away: Build time into your sales proposal and SEO program for on-going discovery to uncover those highly converting keywords prospects are using at different stages of the buying cycle. Base decisions on great SEO data from a variety of sources including SERPs, organic traffic, and conversion data. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities to optimize.

Step #2: The Discovery Process

The discovery process for new non-branded keywords should be practiced as frequently as possible. Uncover the new, non-branded keywords that are driving organic search traffic and conversions and determine whether there is an opportunity to further optimize the web presence for these keywords. The success of this process depends on setting up goals and conversions in your analytics system. One of my favorite sayings about SEO is, "don’t bother even starting the SEO process unless you have website analytics goals and conversions configured."

Goals and conversions in your analytics system do not have to be complicated. Start with simple conversions and as you learn about your web presence increase the sophistication. Think about what you want your website visitors to do. What would you consider a successful visit? Here are a few examples of metrics to measure successful visits (conversions) from organic search:

Time spent on site - If a visitor has stayed on the site for a certain number of minutes (3+) and the bounce rate is low, then perhaps it can be concluded that the visitor read the content. The content was appealing to them.

Number of pages visited - If the visitor reviews two or more pages, then perhaps it can be concluded that they were intrigued with the content enough to read further.

Main product or services page to contact sales page - If the main purpose of the site is to promote the organization’s main product, did the visitor review the product page, then the pricing page then the contact sales page?

Take away: Below is the process for uncovering highly converting keywords.

1. Set up goals and conversions in analytics.
2. As frequently as possible, look for the top non-branded keywords that are driving organic search traffic and conversions.
3. Understand the rank position for the keyword and which page or pages are ranking.
4. Understand the search volume for the keyword (both broad match and exact match).
5. Analyze the ranking pages and look for opportunities to optimize for the keyword in question.
6. Implement changes and watch for changes in position, traffic from organic search, and most importantly conversions. If there are positive changes, create some additional content that includes the keyword and again watch for changes.
7. Report newly identified, non-branded keywords and progress to the client.

Step #3: Deliver Additional SEO Services to Capitalize on Highly Converting Keywords

Once a new non-branded keyword is discovered and reported to the client, discuss the keyword opportunity and the plan for capitalizing on it.

• What was the entry page for that keyword?
• Where in the buying cycle is that keyword likely to be used?
• What kind of content can be created and distributed to further support that keyword and the prospect as they demonstrate their intent to find content?
• Is it worth further investment in SEO?

At this point, there is an opportunity to upsell the client on additional service hours to optimize and create content for the newly discovered and agreed upon keywords. It is also the point where the keyword should be included in the full content marketing strategy and further planning done on the type of content prospects require at this particular stage in the buying cycle. Perhaps it’s a focused case study, with supporting blog content, video, whitepaper or a combination. Think about the distribution points for the content and the possible backlinks and social signals that can be created for the keyword.

Take away: Set aside time each month to discuss newly discovered keywords with the client.

Step #4: Report on the Evolution of Highly Converting Keywords & Content

The approach of identifying and focusing on highly converting keywords then incorporating those keywords into the full content marketing strategy requires a different level of reporting compared to the basic monthly SEO reporting of number of backlinks, number of keywords on Page 1, etc.

Including keyword visits and conversions data alongside position data is a great first step to getting the client thinking about the difference between ranking #1 for any keyword versus ranking for the keywords prospects actually value and associate with your organization.

Once the keyword is incorporated into the full content marketing strategy the reporting requirements should shift to be focused on the performance of the particular piece of content or the content marketing campaign. This is where the disciplines of SEO, Social Media and Content Marketing begin to completely collide. (Read: 10 Reasons Why You Need an Optimized Content Strategy Now)

Take away: With the right tracking and metrics technologies the impact of content on a web presence for the purpose of organic search optimization can be reported, including:

• How the position has been affected for a particular cluster of keywords
• How many backlinks and social signals have been created
• How many keyword visits and conversions are associated with the content campaign
• And most importantly, how many sales are attributed to the content

Conclusion

Google’s algorithm updates have changed the practice of SEO. Search marketing firms have an opportunity to evolve their sales, delivery and reporting practices to differentiate themselves. Focusing on the discovery of highly converting keywords beginning with the sales and marketing conversations through delivery and reporting will produce stronger SEO results over the long term and happier SEO clients.

According to a Market Reach, Royal Mail survey, responsiveness to direct mail remains high in the UK, 83% of direct mail is opened in comparison to average email open rates of 11%, a statistic that alone demonstrates the worth of the channel within the digital setting.

Response rates are also significant, a TGI report highlighted that 44% of UK adults have done something within 12 months of receiving direct mail. This “something” ranges from the 29% that purchase, the 12% that visit stores or the 7% that enquire, further showing the value of direct mail beyond the initial interaction.

For direct mail to remain successful however, it’s essential that marketers consider how they target prospects; the carpet bombing approach of old simply doesn’t cut it with increasingly savvy consumers. Effectively targeting direct mail messaging can be achieved along the lines of interests, demographics and purchasing behaviour, this is of course heavily reliant on the quality of the data being used.

One of the reasons direct mail is still considered relevant is because it is perceived that mail creates greater emotional resonance than other channels - based on a survey of around 2,000 UK adults carried out by BMRB, over three quarters like being informed of special offers or promotions by post whilst over half welcome mail that offers useful information.

The physicality of direct mail is also purported as a huge benefit to marketers. Put simply, digital channels can’t place something in the hands of their target audience in the same way as direct mail, a considerable advantage in competitive spaces. When taken further the physical connection can be used to exploit all the senses,  a particularly valuable tactic when it is taken into account that 47% of consumers are more likely to open “scented” mail and 49% are more likely to open intriguing packages (BMRB 2005, 2011).

Direct Mail has the power to deliver great ROI, but to achieve this you need to understand where costs arise. Look for high quality, targeted data if acquiring new customers, it will cost more, but it will also help to maximise ROI. Printing your literature is also a necessary expense, but as highlighted previously, being innovative and investing in quality is advisable. When it comes to sending the mail pieces, franking machines can open up considerable discounts on postal charges and, through envelope printing, help to deliver a professional image and provide additional space for marketing messages.

Whilst there have been many proclaiming the death of direct mail as a marketing channel, this has hopefully shown that it remains as relevant as ever – as long as it is targeted, creative and carried out as economically as possible.

Statistics sourced from: http://royalmailsmp.newsweaver.com/o9eotklh35mtl735ubqq8m?email=true&a=3&p=32867575&t=22934395

There are a lot of niche specialties in the world of technology, and oftentimes tech experts are supposed to have mastered them all. For webmasters, search engine optimization is getting increasingly important. While not many webmasters double as SEO ninjas, there are a few things they should all know to improve their career and client satisfaction. From SEO services Auckland to the local Charlotte web design boutique, here are 5 things every webmaster should have in his or her arsenal.

1. Know Panda Preferences

Google Panda is the source of all things SEO, and the Panda's preferences are always changing. In order to keep up with best practices, webmasters should monitor changes to the Panda. This can be done just by checking in daily, setting up alerts or keeping up with related blogs. There aren't any huge announcements making the front page of Yahoo! when SEO practices change, so it takes a proactive approach to keep up.

2. Don't Expect First Place

Not even the best SEO expert can guarantee first place search results for every business. There's only so much that can be done and there's only room for one at the top. Unfortunately, some clients expect to get placed first if they dish out money for services. A good webmaster knows that what really matters is the top three results--or the first page of Google--and can effectively relay that to clients.

3. Always Scan for Duplicate Copy and Broken Links

One of the most common ways to move to the dregs of search engine results is with duplicate copy or bad links. Broken links might be inappropriate for the business (like the lingerie shop with external links to furniture stores) or be red flag spam links. The Panda doesn't like spam in any form, so the wrong links can kill SEO.

4. Variety is the Spice of SEO A variation of key words and phrases help keep content fresh. SEO depends on wholly original content with organically placed SEO phrases, which is easier said than done. However, by keeping a list of key word variations, it's much easier for web designers to make content sound natural.

5. Images Can be SEO Fodder, Too

While images are a little trickier, it's possible to use infographics and even videos to improve SEO. What really matters is if it goes viral and how many people are clicking on the image. If a webmaster is more graphic artist than writer, this might be a better approach.

It's unfortunate that so much gets lumped onto the shoulders of webmasters, but that's how it goes. Learning the basics of SEO can help snag the good clients, though, and improve a webmasters career. It's good to learn to love the Panda.

It’s anyone’s guess how successful new these new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) will be right out of the gate, and depending on which extensions are introduced when, business owners will have to weigh their options to determine whether purchasing a new domain is right for them. The important part here is that small businesses have that option to choose, and right now nearly two thirds of them don’t have that option because they don’t know it exists. To equate this to the real world, it’d be like failing to tell entrepreneurs, farmers, prospectors and other businessmen about the Oklahoma Land Rush in 1889, when the United States opened up two million acres for Western expansion. There could be "gold" or "fertile land" in this new uncharted territory of the Internet, but small businesses don't even know it exists or that they have the option of exploring it.

At a time where people are increasingly relying on the Internet as a place to conduct business or find goods and services, this is pretty concerning. The days of people thumbing through the yellow pages to find small, local companies to do business with are quickly coming to an end, and you don’t need any research to see that. No matter what business you’re in, a Web presence is becoming an essential part of helping people find your company, and nearly 80% of survey respondents agreed that their domain name was important to their business. With new gTLDs, there may soon be better and more affordable domain name options for small businesses to choose from, and in some cases the right domain is just as important as the right street address for your storefront. However, due to a lack of education on the topic, small businesses don’t seem to care. The survey asked respondents if they planned on purchasing a new gTLD and almost all of them – 94% – said no.

Small businesses are an extremely important part of the economy, representing 99.7% of all employer firms and accounting for half of all private sector jobs, according to the US Small Business Administration. We need to make sure that they have every option available to help market and grow their business and right now we’re falling far short of that. If you’re in the interactive marketing or domain community, you probably have much more knowledge on this topic than the average small business owner. It’s time to help get the word out!

Changes can be unsettling, whether they're potential or actual, positive or negative. You may be gearing up for a promotion/new position, staring at a wide-open field of new prospective clients, or launching new products and services. Or you may be hunkering down in the face of outsourcing, downsizing, mergers/consolidations, takeovers, and local or global competition. 

Consider the Changes Taking Place at Yahoo!

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has certainly unleashed enormous, untold passions about how, when and where people should work at Yahoo.

The recent, now infamous, change requiring Yahoo employees to work in the office instead of telecommuting from home has been likened to the shot heard round the world.

No less than a great war has ensued and Marissa Mayer has been villainized and vilified by some and verified and validated by others.

It is no secret that Yahoo has been struggling to keep pace with the likes of Apple, Facebook, and Google, all of whom have strong in-office cultures and not coincidentally, strong revenues to match.

In Our Opinion...It’s not about trusting people to work at home, it’s about Mayer’s challenge in the turnaround of Yahoo regardless of where people are working. Mayer has to build a new corporate culture of trust in the infinite possibilities of what the Yahoo organization can create together.

However, as we are hearing, this change process is creating considerable stress for Yahoo employees.

How We Respond to Change

Do you respond or react to change and do you know the difference? As soon as something nudges you out of your regular routine, or challenges your understanding of how the world works and where you fit into it, it will likely trigger a deluge of feelings including; fear, anxiety, overwhelm, excitement, distraction or denial.

How Does the Way You Respond to Change Impact Your Brand?

These feelings can manifest in your behavior.  You may, unconsciously, act out with behavior that is not a brand match for you, or your communication style alters, both at work and at home. You might feel compelled to push yourself and others to overwork, or take the opposite approach - which most do - and procrastinate, avoid the work that's on your plate and get sidetracked with misconceptions, assumptions and gossip to changes that may or may not happen.

On a personal level, your self-care may suffer and you may reach for unhealthy substances, get less sleep, skip meals or overindulge. You might cut yourself off from friends and family, and spend more time alone or with other people who have unhealthy habits or attract people who are in the same place as you.

The Impact

Dealing with change requires flexibility, resilience and an ability to think on your feet. Unfortunately, when you're caught up in your reaction to change, these mental abilities are affected as well. When you're preoccupied, worried and focused on the future instead of the present, it's much harder to concentrate and apply your brainpower to what's in front of you.

Great leaders are admired for their serenity and confidence even in the face of uncertainty and upheaval. For many of us, though, when change is afoot, serenity is far from our reach. Instead, emotions are much closer to the surface and can flare up at the most inopportune times. Whether you lash out, cry, or pound on your desk behind closed doors, it's incredibly uncomfortable to feel so out of control.

Consider, also, the impact on the people around you. Emotional outbursts, whether at work or at home, can irrevocably damage your effectiveness, your reputation and your relationships.

Successful Strategies for Dealing With Change

Here are five strategies to help you remain flexible and resilient in the face of change:

1. Take care of YOUr body. Eat well, sleep well and refrain from harmful habits like indulging in caffeine adrenaline behavior, excessive drinking, or other risky behavior. Work out whatever that is for you!

2. Take care of YOUr mind. Stay in the present moment. Challenge your negative thinking and keep things in perspective; when the doom and gloom sets in, ask, "How important is this, really?"

3. Take control of YOUr emotions. Find reasons to smile and laugh, even when you don't feel like it—especially when you don't feel like it! Funny movies, blogs or videos can help. Vent your negative feelings by exercising, banging on a drum or pounding on a pillow.

4. Treat others well. Strengthen your good relationships so you can draw on their support and work at your challenging relationships so they don't add to your stress.  In fact, this may be a good time to remove them from your life altogether.

5. Take charge. Be proactive and prepare the best you can for the changes that might come, but then accept the reality of the moment. Think back to other challenges that you've come through and remind yourself that everything will work out okay this time, too.

What personal characteristics do we look for when hiring for Private Equity?

How can you assess if you have the “chops” to work for private equity? Is your personal brand a match for private equity? What can you expect and what is expected once you are hired, in terms of the operational differences, compared to working for a large, publicly owned company?

If you are considering a career opportunity in a private equity financed business, then check out the top 5 qualities and characteristics to better understand if you really are ready, willing and able. 

1. PE firms want to work with entrepreneurs.

Private equity firms have been started by investment bankers, successful corporate executives and entrepreneurs with a proven track record of building wealth by risking capital and building businesses entrepreneurially. In selecting a CEO, COO, or other C-level executive, private equity firms want to see proven entrepreneurship in the executive’s prior career steps. Has the candidate successfully started and built a business from scratch? Has he or she turned around a troubled business? Does the candidate have the proven track record and hands-on leadership profile to build confidence among others in the organization (including strategic alliance partners)? You need not apply if you do not have “entrepreneurial DNA" and passion, plus prior success implementing a business plan involving significant change (i.e., not managing a “steady state" business).

2. PE investors want “hunters" not “farmers."

While they tend not to manage from quarter to quarter, like so many public companies, private equity investors are looking for—and expecting—mega-growth of a business over a five- to seven-year window. The expectation is that the returns on capital are multiples of the original investment once the business is sold (usually to a strategic buyer) at the end of the investment period. Hunters have the fearlessness to compete in the marketplace on a daily basis, and their hunting skills are usually directly tied to an ability to increase the top-line revenues. In addition to growth via acquisition, most private equity investors evaluate revenue increases in the base line (“same store") business. This almost always leads them to hire a new Head of New Business—and it always needs to be a “hunter." We recently completed four executive search assignments nationwide for this type of position, most within the first year after a private equity firm has made an investment.

3. PE firms hire "doers" with a strong bias for action.

In LBOs and buyouts of privately held businesses, there are typically major issues that need to be addressed immediately: the prior owner/parent company/CEO may have failed; growth in the business may be stagnant; and investments or changes in the business were deferred because it was deemed a “non-core" asset. This is one reason that private equity investors like to hire “doers" with a bias for action – because typically so much needs to be done – and very quickly. Consider the GM turnaround and the three months the Board gave the initial CEO before making a change. As Jack Welch has said numerous times, a non-decision is sometimes the worst decision a CEO can make. If you are a procrastinator, stay away from private equity.

4. PE investors are reasonable until they become unreasonable.

Private equity investors typically resist hands-on involvement in the day-to-day operations of a business. They will typically put two to three of their own people on the Board of Directors and will remain minimally involved as long as the business moves forward according to (and in alignment with) the corporate business plan. They may come to Board meetings to listen to the CEO (and others in senior management), and they’ll work on complementary activities related to expanding and growing the business, such as additional acquisitions, or capital investment to increase manufacturing capacity. However, when/if the CEO and senior leadership begin missing the milestones, and the business turns south (even slightly), they are back with a vengeance ready to make changes in the senior leadership team (i.e., trade out the CEO, hire a strong COO with a sales/business development background, etc.) Working with a private equity-backed firm is potentially good for executives who (1) under-promise and over-deliver, and (2) are good at developing and implementing realistic business plans—and keeping the company on track and ahead of the key milestones outlined in these plans.

5. PE firms want an accelerated pace of change; be prepared to “ride the rapids."

While many C-level executives express frustrations at the slow pace of change in large corporations, many are unprepared emotionally to work in the rapid waters of private equity. You can expect almost 180 degrees the opposite environment once you switch over to a private equity-owned business. When you meet with the partners of these firms, invariably the first question they will ask you is, “If given this job, what would you do first?" and “What would be your plan for growing/fixing this business?"

Know what works best for your personal brand before jumping in!

It is extremely important to be prepared, and to do your homework, especially if you are considering one of these types of opportunities. For some true entrepreneurs, those unafraid of operating without a safety net, it can be exhilarating and highly rewarding (equity stakes and payouts are usually much higher than stock options earned inside a public company). However, for those executives lacking the necessary risk-profile and DNA, this is a career step to be avoided altogether.

If you have worked for a private equity firm, or have considered pursuing one of these opportunities, please write to us and share your experiences and perspectives.

When we hear the word endurance, we usually relate it to the performance, stamina and the resilience of an athlete. As leaders and emerging leaders, we suggest you “hear” the word and take the same definition, but add the elements of bravery, prevail, and persistence.

Particularly in these challenging economic times, we need to create athlete-like minds AND bodies to sustain performance in the pace of the current marketplace, to be great role models, and to create outstanding results in every area of our lives!

Endurance is Crucial not Optional

Where does your brand need to ramp up it’s endurance? Is it the challenges of your company, role or business sector? Is it the balancing of work and home responsibilities? Or perhaps it is the uncertainty of your brand not getting the traction it needs. What do you need to do to strengthen and flex your endurance muscles? What can you eliminate or change immediately to increase endurance both personally and professionally?

What relevance does building physical endurance have to your performance in business? In our experience as senior-level talent acquisition and personal branding specialists, endurance is crucial and not optional. We all know and have seen too many examples of over-stressed and out-of-shape CEOs, some of whom have died on the job due to stress-related illnesses or heart attacks.

Clearly, such a lifestyle is personally dangerous. But it can also be professionally dangerous. In today’s 24/7/365 environment, you do not want to risk making a costly business or personal brand decision simply because you were tired, careless, and sloppy due to a lack of endurance.

Also, if you are a C-level or even an emerging leader and you do not take care of yourself, how can you expect to be a role model for others in the organization? To the contrary, you send an undesirable message to the organization.

Take control of building the endurance you need to maximize your performance. Incorporate our EC Top 5 List of “Endurance Best Practices” into your daily schedule to improve your endurance:

1. Take an Endurance assessment. Check your endurance levels and create an action plan where you need energy the most. Want more endurance?  Stop doing what drags you down. Plan for eliminating the “tolerations” in the following areas; business, personal, finance, health and well-being, and relationships. This could include questions, such as; What is keeping me up at night? When do I schedule time away from my work?  What do I need to improve to get into better physical condition? What relationships do I need to remove that drain me of my energy?  Remaining active outside the office will help you build the stamina and endurance you will need on the job.
2. Develop and maintain an optimistic attitude. It is proven medically, people with a “glass half full” mentality are happier and less stressed than their alternative counterparts.  It takes a lot less energy to be positive. Work on your unique outlook and eliminate worrying about all the people, places and things that are not aligned with being positive or outside of your personal control.
3. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate! Identify the tasks at work and at home that you really do not want to do or you are not good at (the “drudge” tasks) and delegate these immediately. You will be amazed how much lighter this will make you feel and give your endurance a boost! Notice how our energy levels seems to be low when we do not want to do something or be somewhere we don’t want to be.
4. Take Control of Your Calendar. Don’t constantly overbook yourself. For example, after a late night of meetings, travel or client entertaining, do not schedule yourself for a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting. Give yourself time to recover. Don’t let business issues spill over into your personal life and vice versa. Work on compartmentalizing the different areas of your life and use success and happiness in one area to raise your energy and spirits in the other areas.
5. Plan ahead. Be Pro-Active! Manage your health and mental well-being! Most senior executives have at least four to five weeks of vacation annually; you will be surprised how many do not take this time off, or if they do, they actually work all day on vacation. Set boundaries, leave the laptop at home, empower others to step up, and disengage on a quarterly basis.

And above all…check in with yourself on a regular basis and make course corrections as necessary, you can shift and change as you need to. Continue to build your brand to endure maximum performance!

The amber nectar has been around for thousands of years – ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians were probably the original craft brewers. In fact, in Mesopotamia, the oldest evidence of beer is a 6,000-year-old Sumerian tablet that shows people drinking through reed straws from a communal bowl. Party on!

Fast forward to the 21st Century. While enjoying a beer recently at a San Diego microbrewery, I began to ponder that with so many national and international brands available today, how do these smaller microbreweries rise above the advertising din of giants like Anheuser Busch and Coors and get noticed?

For the past several years -- via social media. From Singapore to Delaware, numerous microbreweries have utilized a wide array of social media platforms, programs, tools, etc., to help with branding and marketing.

So while sitting at home this afternoon with a cold wobbly pop (yes, another beer slang term), I decided to roam around online and check out a few microbreweries that appear to be doing a bang up job at promoting their brands:

Brewerkz Singapore

Established in 1997, the Singapore-based microbrewery and restaurant features a number of signature beers, some of which include Golden Ale, Iguana Lager, Hopback Ale, India Pale Ale and Oatmeal Stout.

As reported by Tech in Asia, Brewerkz has been proactive from the gitgo in using social media to promote its products. One interesting promotion has been with BuUuk, a restaurant scouting mobile app with 50,000+ users in Singapore. The microbrewery recently ran a successful one-for-one beer pint promo with BuUuk.

Other social media platforms are constantly cross-linked – this example of a recent tweet offering giveaway tickets takes you to the Brewerkz Facebook page, which is chock full of photos, videos, news about contests and posts from fans:

We have a pack of 8 VIP Singapore Slingers tickets to give away this weekend Sunday, 24 Feb. 1600hrs Singapore... http://fb.me/ssJffgno

Tech in Asia indicated that Brewerkz is constantly measuring social media ROI too. Facebook Insights are used to measure post quality and interactions; Google Analytics is employed to find out how much traffic comes from Facebook.

SweetWater Brewing Company

The Atlanta-based microbrewery offers a variety of year-round brews – some of the more catchy brands include Georgia Brown: Smoother than a Bill Clinton Apology; Blue: Ain’t Just for Breakfast Anymore; and India Pale Ale: the Beer You’ve Been Training For.

SweetWater maintains a lively blog – The Fish Wrap, which also features links to Flickr (where the microbrewery posts photos on events, promotions, and more), a From the Tap section that links back to Facebook and Twitter, and a Twitter roll they call TweetWater. A SweetWater In the News section on the Fish Wrap page also provides updated information on key events/programs to be held at the microbrewery. One recent event was a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Dogfish Head

Located in Rehoboth Beach, DE, Dogfish Head has been churning out quality craft brewed ales since 1995. The company, reports Philly Beer Scene, has had a lot of success in promoting its brand via Twitter – as of today there were 115,449 followers.

Co-founder Mariah Calagione, noted Philly Beer Scene, mused about receiving a tweet once that read, “I’m at #Dogfish Brewpub and I haven’t seen my waiter in a while.” Calagione tweeted back asking what the customer was wearing, then immediately phoned the restaurant and had the waiter at the customer’s table in minutes. The customer soon posted another tweet praising the superb service.

Microbreweries like the aforementioned have also gotten a boost from companies like San Diego-based TapHunter. Founded by beer aficionados Melani and Jeff Gordon, the husband and wife team launched TapHunter “to help bars, bottle shops and tasting rooms save time and increase sales by connecting to their most profitable customers with online and mobile solutions.”

TapHunter is both an app (see the graphic embedded in this post) and website that connects craft beer fans with beers, brewers and the locations that pour them. TapHunter started in San Diego and has since expanded services to more than a dozen U.S. cities and regions, some of which include Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.

Social media will continue to shape the beer universe. And that’s a good thing, I reckon. Philly Beer Scene’s Brittanie Sterner succinctly summed it up:

“If Twitter and Facebook can help weave the beer community into the world in positive ways, maybe it doesn’t matter beer drinkers might also use the platforms to broadcast puffed-up opinions. Critical consumer feedback can even serve as a gateway to brewers to tweak and tighten their methods, try new things, and ultimately take the craft industry farther. Maybe social media is just that kind of double-edged sword. At any rate, it’s making beer more popular. And isn’t that the idea – for everyone to drink good beer?”

I’ll raise a glass to that!

This year’s event was groundbreaking in a variety of ways: the highest number of attendees and revenue and attendees from the farthest corners of the planet. That being said, the quality of the presenters and material was the real gem. I’ve compiled a short list of tweet highlights that had the greatest impact to me personally.

Evangelism:

@joannalord Take on the role of evangelist in your company. It's well worth it. #searchfest Ian Lurie ‏@portentint

@ruthburr How to impress the next generation: be agile, be delightful, be unexpected. Put smiles on faces. @melcarson #searchfest

Content Marketing:

@iPullRank says infographics with left floating share buttons get 45% more shares. #searchfest

@iPullRank Here's my #searchfest deck. Also here's my favorite idea from @portentint's tool pic.twitter.com/opbLlz2mwJ

http://www.slideshare.net/ipullrank/the-season-of-our-discontent-marketing-final

Content is about experience, it's about people. It's a critical business asset. @jcolman #searchfest

"There is no such thing as content marketing, only marketable content." Ian Lurie @Portent #searchfest

@thenextcorner The link bundle, including slides, for my #searchfest presentation http://portent.co/searchfest13

More quality strategic posts instead of quantity posts - @Rhea #searchfest

@ajnissly Your content follows you around. It is who you are #Searchfest

@justinrbriggs My slide deck for #searchfest - http://slidesha.re/159iQWV  - Technical Hacks for Content Marketing

@justinrbriggs used Bootstrap to start building an infographic. If you can copy/paste, you have access to code. #searchfest

Content itself IS an experience:@jcolman of @REI #SearchFest

Design:

@number1george Great digital experience is how you get links and shares. Good design, good content, fast @RossHudgens #SearchFest

@aaranged Every additional second of load time reduces conversion by 7% @RossHudgens #SearchFest

@number1george People like the view all page more better than the pretty landers. #SearchFest

"90% of design is topography & color." Get those right & you can have beautiful content @justinrbriggs #searchfest

Technical SEO:

So much information, so many great ideas! Cant wait to start playing around with http://schema.org  a bit more! #searchfest

@jwmcphee "Rel=author tag has shown a 30-400% increase in CTR" @mdsimmonds #SearchFest

@jwmcphee "17% of all search results are showing author integrations." @mdsimmonds #SearchFest

Segment your XML Site Map to content topics and areas of your site. Get accurate data on indexation. #Searchfest @audette

Paid Search:

98% of shoppers abandon their purchase - increase conversions by 50-100% by bring them back @adamberke #searchfest #retargeting

28% of US ad impressions are on Facebook.... say whhhattt? Useful stat from @adamberke at #searchfest

FBX vs Standard Display Retargeting- CTR is 34% lower, CPM is 79% more efficient, CPC is 69% more efficient #searchfest

Measurement:

@jme_mcleod Assists in the funnel- volleyball analogy: social sets up the ball for paid/email/direct to spike the ball for the point (sale).#SearchFest

@mikecp: My slides for the Social Media Analytics session at #SearchFest http://slidesha.re/VB8exf

@dandelmain set up adjusted bounce rate via google analytics (15 seconds) to hedge against the infamous stat "bounce rate" @mikecp #searchfest https://twitter.com/trentcarlyle/status/305041216565817344/photo/1

Social Media:

"You don't just want to grow your #socialmedia presence, you want to build your business, relationships" via @rhea #searchfest #smm

@anvilmedia: Google+ is here whether we like it or not. Get on board or get left behind. via @mdsimmonds #SearchFest (TRUTH); so true!

@ruthburr Twitter cards documentation: https://dev.twitter.com/docs/cards  @jeffreypreston #searchfest

@ChristiJOlson Use Blog Search to monitor competitor giveaways and who they interact with. http://www.google.com/blogsearch  @RossHudgens #searchfest

@jwmcphee If you're optimizing for video remember that "video" is an important keyword. @mdsimmonds #SearchFest

@MsAshleyNoelle Consider the whole customer journey when measuring the ROI of social media - @MikeCP #searchfest

Facebook advertising isn't just for B2C. Use occupation targeting! It's "killer" #SearchFest

You can review more posts by searching on the #SearchFest hashtag.  Share your comments on what stood out for you and see you at SearchFest next year.

By - Jeff Gundersen, CEO Executive Connections LLC

We are approaching the time of year when annual bonuses (both short-term cash incentives and long-term options/restricted stock) are being paid out and the incomes of CEOs and senior officers in public companies are disclosed. It’s the perfect time to ask yourself, “What’s the value of my personal brand and how beneficial is my current company (and industry sector) as a vehicle to increasing my brand value over time?

Use Brand Consultancy Models As A Guide

Interbrand, the branding consultancy owned by Omnicom Group, publishes an annual study of the Best 100 Global Brands including the value of each brand. In 2012, once again Coca-Cola (#1) was the top global brand, closely edging out Apple (#2), IBM (#3), Google (#4) and Microsoft (#5). Interestingly, 4 of the top 5 most valuable corporate brands are in the technology sector and this coincides with CEOs of technology companies achieving some of the highest levels of compensation primarily based upon the value of long-term incentives (i.e., stock) tied to the rapid growth in market capitalization of many technology companies. While Facebook shareholders may not be faring so well in the early going, Mark Zuckerberg became one of the top 10 richest people in the world based upon Facebook’s valuation at the IPO in 2012. Likewise, many of the early private equity investors, and early-stage employees became multi-millionaires as a result of the IPO.

Consider Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook, who sold approx. 1 million shares of Facebook stock in Dec. 2012 netting $26.2 million. If you think this is not bad for helping Mark Zuckerberg run the company, Sandberg still owns 18.7 million shares valued at over $550 million. Assuming Sandberg remains at Facebook, and the share price recovers and rises beyond the original IPO level, Sandberg might well net over $1 billion from her total long-term stock incentives at Facebook. Not bad compensation for a COO!

Investment Banking Is Another Lucrative Personal Brand Sector

Investment Banking was another lucrative sector in 2012, with Goldman Sachs providing CEO Lloyd Blankfein a $13.3 million restricted stock bonus as part of a $21 million total 2012 pay package (for increasing GS’ net income by +76% over 2011 performance) making Blankfein one of the highest paid Wall Street executives. Further, in 2012 GS awarded a total of $100 million in restricted stock awards to the top 12 executives (including Blankfein) meaning the average long-term restricted stock payouts to other members of the GS executive team averaged between $7-8 million.

Long-Term Incentive/Equity Compensation Matters Most

From EC’s perspective, the greatest single factor impacting personal brand value is the long-term incentive compensation (i.e., restricted stock, options, and equity awards). So in evaluating you career and your current and long-term brand value, ask yourself, “What do the top people earn in my company and industry sector and what will it take for me to rise to become one of these leaders?” If your industry and company are growing, particularly related to unique technological innovations and/or financial deal-making, your personal brand value can skyrocket based upon choosing the right company and riding the wave of earnings and market capitalization growth over a relatively short time period.

On the other hand, if your industry sector is shrinking instead of growing, and if your company is not among the category leaders, you have to ask yourself, “Why does it make any sense for me to continue to invest the value of my personal brand at a place where there is little prospect of achieving a long-term return?” Frankly, most people in this circumstance would be much better off quitting and starting or joining a small business where they will have an equity/ownership stake.

Now Is The Time To Act

Now is the ideal time, early in the New Year, to make career changes. Make the choices that put you on the best path toward a large long-term incentive payout and you will be maximizing your personal brand value and thanking yourself down the road.

About the Author:

Jeff Gundersen is CEO of Executive Connections LLC, a boutique executive search consulting and personal branding firm, specializing in placement and development of senior-level digital, social and mobile marketing talent.

Introducing Local Search

Having an easily found local business is important to its growth and development.  The foundation of local online marketing is being found easily when prospective customers are searching online.  Google has found that 73% of online activity is centered on local searches and content. This means that you have to make sure that your website is optimized to come up in localized searches either on search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo, or in map applications like Google Maps or Mapquest.  This process is often referred to as “local SEO.”

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of local SEO, and it can be easily done with Google's keyword tool. The tool can show search data about local search phrases accurately and it is constantly updated. A business owner can use this tool to get a good idea about the search habits of the locals and can focus efforts on those keywords. For example, a dentist in Denver can see how many people search on the keyword “dentist” compared to “dentist denver.” While there are fewer searches for the latter, you can be sure that those are much better prospects to go after.

Keyword Optimization

Once the keywords are found, pages on the website have to be optimized for those keywords. The most common place to change is the title and the descriptive tags of the pages. These descriptive tags, called meta description tags, are what people see when they search for the website in search engines. The tags should include the target keywords and a description of the page. It may also be a good idea to have multiple service pages for the different areas around them to reach a wider audience. Another important step is to add the physical address and the phone number of the business at the footer of all the pages located in the website as it will help search engines find information associated with the business while someone is searching for key words.

Local Directories

Once the keyword research and optimization is completed, the next logical step is to submit the website to various local directories and Google. Many people still use local directories to find information, and that combined with Google+ Local (which replaced Google Places last year) service means that you have just created a website that can reach as many people as possible. Some directories are nationwide, while others are for local businesses.  Your local chamber of commerce may also maintain online listings.  There are also directories specific to particular industries. Some research is necessary to find all the potential options, but it is worth it to go after them all. Even if you do not pay for premium listings, it is important to check them to make sure they have the correct, most up-to-date information about your business.

Local Display

Once your online presence is set up to be easily found online, you can earn even more attention from online customers through local display advertising.  These are high-quality banner ads, run them on well-known relevant websites to viewers in your target geographic area. In some ways this strategy is similar to advertising in magazines or newspapers, but because of the targeting capabilities with online display it is much more cost effective as there is less waste on audiences that are not relevant to the message. Studies have shown that running display ads provides significant lift to the effects of PPC campaigns as well, since the brand awareness generated by display ads can prompt more people to search for a brand by name later.

Together, these the essential steps that local business owners can use to make online advertising work within their local area. Remember, the Internet has the ability to pull customers away.  Even offline businesses must get online to be able to pull those customers back.

By Jeff Gundersen, CEO – Executive Connections LLC

With digital marketing, social media, mobile advertising and marketing budgets growing at a compound rate of more than 20% annually, what steps are you taking as a senior marketer to build and develop your personal brand in an increasingly digital, social, and mobile marketing world?

Are you a Digitally & Socially Proficient or Deficient CMO?

We are seeing that a surprisingly high percentage of senior marketers are not compatible with the fast-arriving digital-marketing and social/mobile world, and this may explain the short average tenure of CMOs (i.e., less than 2 years) that makes this the highest-risk C-level position.

In many instances, senior marketers lack the professional experience to integrate the digital channel and new media with traditional off-line media and marketing strategies. They often don't have the digital/social marketing, direct marketing/CRM, and analytic/segmentation skills to lead integrated media and marketing programs, where digital/social/mobile marketing and media strategies are increasingly leading branding, broadcast and print media, direct, promotion, and PR.

So what does this mean for you as a senior marketer as you look ahead to the future and go from a mass marketer to a one-to-one marketer?

Here are the top five best practices you need to do now:

1.Learn everything about new media, including SEM, SEO, social media, and mobile marketing tools. These new media channels are fast becoming the new drivers of integrated-marketing and media efforts.

2.Immerse yourself in direct marketing, CRM, database, analytics and segmentation.  This will allow you to manage your personal transition from a mass marketer to a one-to-one marketer.

3. Focus yourself in the internet and understand best practices in website design, online customer engagement, e-mail marketing and e-commerce (online sales and lead generation), both within your industry sector and in other sectors. In this new marketing "Age of the Customer," online customer engagement is critical to overall brand-building success.

4. Do a deep dive into understanding mobile marketing -- smart phones, iPhone, tablets, and other mobile devices are the future communication hubs for receiving just-in-time, and geo-targeted communications and incentives -- at the point of sale.  The mobile phone is rapidly becoming a new payment and coupon system where discounts can be applied and funds automatically transferred at the point of sale.

5. Hire talent  (VP levels and below) with complementary digital and technical skill sets -- people who understand the numbers, who focus on ROI.  (i.e., explore engineers with Ph.D.s.)  In other words, surround yourself with VPs and Directors who have the relevant skills in database/analytics, online marketing/social media, mobile, e-commerce that you may be lacking. Then learn from them.

"The Age of the Customer".... It Needs To Be Personal and Relevant

We have arrived at a new marketing era ("The Age of the Customer") where the customer is in charge and today's marketer is expected to deliver relevant content and exceptional customer engagement in whichever channel the customer chooses. Marketing is not about the masses but about the individual, and today's focus is on identifying and understanding "micro-segments "of customers and using tools that enable marketing campaigns to be delivered on a one-to-one level.

We are seeing the death of traditional brand management. Consumers are taking away less from brand advertising (take note of the negative reviews of recent Super Bowl ads) and more from customer experience and what their friends, family, colleagues, and people they are connected with are saying positively or negatively about specific brands. What this means is marketing, advertising and communication processes are changing quickly and senior marketers need to change their core competencies quickly to remain relevant in the digital and social marketing world.

Marketing in "Real Time"

Unlike marketing campaigns that take six months to develop and then remain in the marketplace for a long period, new integrated marketing campaigns are being created in less than half the time, and in most instances, online elements are being changed and optimized in "real time." The ability of a senior marketer to think on his/her feet, and respond quickly and nimbly, has never been more apparent or more important.

About The Author:

Jeff Gundersen is CEO of Executive Connections, LLC, an executive-search consulting and coaching firm specializing in CMOs and senior-level digital & social marketing leaders.

What these people want is proof that content marketing works. Rather than hearing about the soft benefits (which are very important too, make no mistake), they want the cold, hard facts. Well, courtesy of Business Bolt’s recent content marketing survey, here they are...

#1: 71% say content marketing helped them improve their site’s rankings

Google loves fresh, high-quality, relevant content – and lots of it. This was made clearer than ever during the iteration of the Panda algorithm update in 2011. The more you can publish on your site, the better your rankings will become. It really is as simple as that.

#2: 77% believe content marketing helped boost their site’s traffic

Higher rankings are typically accompanied by a boost in traffic. This is simply because more people see the site and all of its lovely content. More traffic means more chance of conversions. Sounds great, right?!

#3: 70% confirmed that content marketing increased awareness of their brand

Publishing valuable, solid content helps position your brand as an industry thought leader and a name that can be trusted. Combined with the rankings and traffic boost, it’s no wonder content helps improve brand awareness so well.

#4: 59% said that content supports sales growth

A truly inevitable result of increased brand awareness, more visibility in the search engine results pages (SERPs) and higher traffic levels, a boost in sales is one key benefit of getting involved with content marketing. More sales = more money. What’s there to argue with?

#5: 45% revealed that using content marketing had cut their advertising costs

Not only are you going to make more money by utilising content marketing, but you’re going to save money too! It’s like a brand owner’s dream.

These sound simple and perhaps too good to be true, but the facts don’t lie. These marketers really believe in content and can demonstrate – in cold, black-and-white stats - how it truly has improved their business, in all sorts of ways. Isn’t that proof enough that content marketing really works?

From an SEO buyer’s perspective, it must be downright confusing and discouraging to obtain multiple quotes from SEO service providers that very clearly have differing price ranges and service methodologies, but not so clearly defined differentiating skill sets and experience.

So sellers attempt to make it easier for buyers to understand SEO proposals in order to ultimately get to a closed deal - a signature on a contract. In the meantime, are they undermining their own profession and setting themselves up for failure by setting unrealistic expectations with clients?

Or are SEO clients being unrealistic in their expectations of SEO results in the short term versus the long term, leading SEO service providers to drastic measures that may ultimately result in the client’s web presence being penalized in organic search? Or even results in the client quitting or not paying?

This blog post is for both buyers and sellers of SEO services in hopes that 2013 will be the year of equilibrium for SEO. The year that SEO is finally regarded for what it is – extremely important in the digital marketing mix; a long-term online strategy that is based on strong, optimized content published and distributed across the entire web presence proving relevance and authority.

The four SEO selling and buying tricks described below produce unachievable expectations and create disequilibrium in the SEO services market. When these tricks are practiced by either the buyer or the seller the economics of SEO fail, because the time and effort required to meet SEO expectations and results will not match.

1. Promises of a #1 Search Position

The trick of selling the promise of a #1 Search Position as well as clients buying the promise has been around for quite a while. It still surprises me, especially with all the algorithm changes that have occurred recently, when I see this assurance in online advertisements or on an SEO agency’s home page.

Buyers, if an SEO agency promises a #1 Search Position for a keyword, exercise caution. Unless you are Wikipedia, a #1 Search Position cannot be guaranteed. Buyers need to understand that organic search positions are produced based on relevancy and authority of content around a keyword. There are numerous, uncontrollable, external factors and competition around a single keyword - no one, not even Google, can guarantee organic search position.

Read: The Five Forces of Keyword Competition Framework.

Sellers of SEO services, if your team is able to consistently deliver a #1 Search Position for a keyword, can that position be maintained over the long run, is it a highly converting organic search term, or is it perhaps not even searched on?

2. Promises of Increased Sales from SEO

The promise of increased sales as a result of SEO efforts is only possible if the SEO agency has complete control over the client’s sales processes (e.g. sales funneling, pipeline structure and reporting, sales team, commissions, etc.) and the SEO agency has sales consulting expertise on staff.

Sellers of SEO services beware… how do you even know there’s a market for what your client is selling? You may be able to improve their web presence for organic search conversions, but how do you even know their products or services are in demand and the processes around selling those products or services are efficient and proven?

Buyers of SEO, if increased sales are a requirement for your business, consider hiring a sales process consultant rather than an SEO professional whose actual task it is to improve your web presence visibility in the search engines for highly converting keywords.

3. Selling and Buying SEO Services Without Any Mention of Content Marketing

The outcome of Google’s massive algorithm changes over the past two years is that it takes really great, fresh, optimized content produced on a regular schedule to convince Google that the source is relevant and authoritative and should therefore be returned as a search result. This takes a lot of commitment, work and a strong focus on content marketing.

SEO (including the building of backlinks and the creation of social signals) requires a content marketing strategy. In fact, it is impossible to execute on SEO without one. Buyers’ expectations of SEO services will be better met if they also buy into a content marketing strategy.

SEO will also have a longer-term effect on a web presence in organic search when more quality, optimized content is produced.

The lack of a content marketing strategy will leave the SEO seller with insufficient content to work with to positively impact organic search position and the buyer with unmet expectations about SEO in general.

4. Selling and Buying SEO Services Without Any Mention of Social Media

Similar to #3, SEO agencies that are not yet factoring social networks, social media and social signaling into their SEO services methodology are doing their clients a disservice.

A blatant note to both buyers and sellers of SEO services: a year ago, Eric Schmidt, Google’s Executive Chairman, said, “The social signal, the people you ‘hang with’ is actually a ranking signal.” (December 2011).

In 2011, Matt Cutts was asked by an SEO Agency what three things should be included in your SEO strategy, and one of the three items he suggested was, “think about social media marketing … a lot of people think SEO versus social media marketing, and a lot of the time it makes sense to keep a holistic view.”

SEO results will be better gained and expectations better met when an entire web presence is optimized for organic search. This means distributing optimized content across the web presence to be socialized and shared, thus increasing relevance and authority for your audience.