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Is there such a thing as failing profitably? In the world of lead generation, this may sound like a very dangerous idea. After all, the only real measure for a company’s continued survival is its success in generating sales leads. So what about failure, and its connection to making a profit?  You see, there is what we call a total failure, and there is also what we consider as a profitable failure. The former is one that really ruins a company, while the latter becomes a stepping stone for the eventual success of a firm. If that is the case, then we should aim to fail profitably, if success will not be had on the first try.

But here is the question: how will you do that, create a culture that promotes this idea?

First of all, we should take an active role in embracing failure. If you think about it, the reason why so many firms are mediocre, if not worthless, in the products or services that they offer is because they decided to play it safe. And if there is anything you can learn from playing it safe, it is that you will never truly grow. It stifles creativity, makes conservatism reign supreme, and it rarely helps you in your appointment setting campaign. If you want to succeed, then be open about the possibility of failure.

Second, try to fail small, fast, and smart. When you embrace failure as part and parcel of your lead generation efforts, you will want to turn it into a manageable setup, a learning opportunity. The trick here is in division. Let us take a major telemarketing campaign, as an example. For a big project like this, you would want to divide it into several smaller steps or stages. In this way, you can mitigate the effects of failure, as well as learn what went wrong before you proceed to the next stage.

Third, identify the opportunities from failure. As the old saying goes, “every cloud has a silver lining”. Make it a point to understand what went wrong. Take it as a learning opportunity for you and your marketing team. Yes, it may look bad, but if these can serve as a springboard for your campaign to shine, then why not take the chance?

Lastly, think of this as an attitude issue. If you think that failure will ruin you, then it will. But if you believe that this will help you become a better business manager or entrepreneur, that this will just be another stage for you to finally get to the top, then it will be the case. What you need to do now is to take that leap of faith, take the risk, and learn a good lesson from it all. That is how you properly make failure be profitable.

Who knows, this might just be the thing you need to generate the B2B leads that your company’s success require. Falling down is not the end, you know. It is in standing up that matters.­
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DealerNet Services

You’ve seen those advertisements showing consumers using tablet computers and smartphones to watch videos and television programming, right? Such ads are no longer a vision of the future but an accurate depiction of the present. New survey-based research, the Accenture Video-Over-Internet Consumer Survey 2013, finds that online video viewing has matured to become a mainstream activity for consumers of all ages and in all geographies. Overall, 90 percent of consumers surveyed across Europe, North America and South America currently view video over the Internet.

This is the third year that this survey has been conducted, and the 2013 results indicate that consumers are getting more comfortable using more than one device to access video content. Indeed, their growing tendency to multitask (for example, watching television while interacting with other content or applications on a tablet, smartphone or laptop) has implications for all content providers. The quality of the overall viewing experience is becoming increasingly important, and some frustration exists among consumers as they seek a simpler viewing experience.

An especially notable finding this year is that although there is more fragmentation of the video marketplace—which is creating more competition from emerging players—traditional broadcasters have responded with innovative video offerings. The fact that consumers see traditional TV broadcasters as the most trusted source of video-over-Internet service on the TV screen may mean that, as the old saying has it, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Five insights from the Accenture Video-over-Internet Survey 2013 are particularly noteworthy:

1. Improve the user experience: The right content for the right device
Consumers are watching video content over the Internet more frequently and over more kinds of devices. The PC/laptop is the most popular, with 89 percent of consumers watching video content on these devices. The tablet is on the rise, however, as a means to view all types of video content. In 2013, one-third of consumers reported watching online videos on a tablet, compared with just one-fifth (21 percent) in 2012.

Providers need to be sensitive to the fact that consumers are increasingly looking to view particular types of video content on the devices most appropriate to how that content can be optimally experienced (referred to as the “form factor” of the device). Full-length movies/TV series and live programming are most watched on TVs, while user-generated content and short clips are mostly watched on mobile devices. However, more people are watching full-length movies and TV series on PCs/laptops—47 percent this year, compared with 41 percent in 2012. And tablets showed growth in viewing habits for all types of online video content.

As consumers get more comfortable using more than one device, it is important for broadcasters and content providers to support consumers across all devices. It is no longer enough for broadcasters to offer content that is compelling; that content must also be appropriate to the form factor of specific devices. Only 45 percent of consumers indicate that they are satisfied with the consistency of the user experience they get when they move from one device to another.

2. Meet the needs of the multitasker
Multitasking—simultaneously using other devices while watching content on a TV set—has increased substantially since 2012. For example, consumers’ regular use of tablets while watching TV grew from 11 percent in 2012 to 44 percent in 2013. Equally important, significant percentages of consumers are using their tablets in a way correlated with what is being watched on TV—for example, checking facts or exploring ideas raised by a video being watched on a television screen.

The increase in multitasking should serve as a kind of warning for content providers and broadcasters, who need to adapt and reinvent the formats they broadcast to hold the attention of consumers today. On the other hand, multitasking behaviors point to new opportunities for broadcasters to increase engagement—and, therefore, preference—by linking apps and related content from one device to another. Multitasking also provides opportunities to develop new social and community functionalities and experiment with new monetization models, such as advertising, direct marketing and secondary rights.

3. Make premium content and subscription services more appealing
This year’s survey finds that despite the difficult economic climate, consumers are still willing to pay for online video services—though, as yet, not much. Most consumers report they will pay the equivalent of less than $10 on a monthly basis, an amount less than in 2012.

While 37 percent of consumers currently pay for access to video content through a regular subscription or TV license fee, just 10 percent of respondents reported paying per view for video on-demand, down slightly from 12 percent in 2012. These results show an important media consumption trend, where a transaction-based model may no longer be the preferred way to pay for entertainment.

An important imperative is to make premium content more compelling. As online consumption is maturing, and as consumers become more sophisticated, they want to pay less for content overall—but they may pay more for getting specifically what they want, when they want it. If they do not have their needs met, they may choose to watch video content for free over the Internet.

4. Overcome consumers’ frustrations
When it comes to watching Internet video content on their TVs, consumers are searching for simplicity but are not yet finding it. Although from a technical perspective, connected TV remains the ideal method for accessing online video on TV, consumer interest slipped from 36 percent in 2012 to 31 percent in 2013, in part because of concerns over how to install the connected TV technology.

Consistent with the 2012 survey findings, consumers are concerned about a number of other issues. They are asking for a better online video experience in terms of both quality of picture and download times, something that broadcasters and online video providers must take into account to attract and retain customers. Consumers also raise concerns about advertising during a program, something that companies must account for as they evolve their business models.

5. Build trust—something that broadcasters are learning quickly
Consumers this year across all countries surveyed reported that traditional TV broadcasters are the most trusted source for video-over-Internet service on the TV screen, displacing telecom/Internet service provider/broadband companies that had, in aggregate, ranked highest in 2012. In addition, although international online video services such as Netflix and YouTube still dominate the market, use of local or national online video services is gradually increasing.

The growing use of local online video services, coupled with the growth in broadcaster trust, signal that broadcasters’ competitive strategies and investments appear to be working. In the short term, at least, broadcasters have “stemmed the bleeding” against international competition and new market entrants. However, a clear consumer value proposition and relentless pursuit of innovation remain imperative to success.

_____________________________________

The Accenture Video-over-Internet Survey 2013 raises a number of important questions for providers. One has to do with multitasking and the role of the second screen. What strategies will online-video-service providers deploy to increase consumer engagement and monetize the additional devices being used while watching video? Another question is whether a democratic, over-the-top platform on a proprietary device will dominate the industry or a proprietary platform on a democratic range of devices.

The consumer, ultimately, will decide which video-over-Internet strategies will triumph. To that end, having a deep understanding of consumer behaviors and preferences is essential to success.
By Francesco Venturini 

DealerNet Services

You’ve seen those advertisements showing consumers using tablet computers and smartphones to watch videos and television programming, right? Such ads are no longer a vision of the future but an accurate depiction of the present. New survey-based research, the Accenture Video-Over-Internet Consumer Survey 2013, finds that online video viewing has matured to become a mainstream activity for consumers of all ages and in all geographies. Overall, 90 percent of consumers surveyed across Europe, North America and South America currently view video over the Internet.

This is the third year that this survey has been conducted, and the 2013 results indicate that consumers are getting more comfortable using more than one device to access video content. Indeed, their growing tendency to multitask (for example, watching television while interacting with other content or applications on a tablet, smartphone or laptop) has implications for all content providers. The quality of the overall viewing experience is becoming increasingly important, and some frustration exists among consumers as they seek a simpler viewing experience.

An especially notable finding this year is that although there is more fragmentation of the video marketplace—which is creating more competition from emerging players—traditional broadcasters have responded with innovative video offerings. The fact that consumers see traditional TV broadcasters as the most trusted source of video-over-Internet service on the TV screen may mean that, as the old saying has it, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Five insights from the Accenture Video-over-Internet Survey 2013 are particularly noteworthy:

1. Improve the user experience: The right content for the right device
Consumers are watching video content over the Internet more frequently and over more kinds of devices. The PC/laptop is the most popular, with 89 percent of consumers watching video content on these devices. The tablet is on the rise, however, as a means to view all types of video content. In 2013, one-third of consumers reported watching online videos on a tablet, compared with just one-fifth (21 percent) in 2012.

Providers need to be sensitive to the fact that consumers are increasingly looking to view particular types of video content on the devices most appropriate to how that content can be optimally experienced (referred to as the “form factor” of the device). Full-length movies/TV series and live programming are most watched on TVs, while user-generated content and short clips are mostly watched on mobile devices. However, more people are watching full-length movies and TV series on PCs/laptops—47 percent this year, compared with 41 percent in 2012. And tablets showed growth in viewing habits for all types of online video content.

As consumers get more comfortable using more than one device, it is important for broadcasters and content providers to support consumers across all devices. It is no longer enough for broadcasters to offer content that is compelling; that content must also be appropriate to the form factor of specific devices. Only 45 percent of consumers indicate that they are satisfied with the consistency of the user experience they get when they move from one device to another.

2. Meet the needs of the multitasker
Multitasking—simultaneously using other devices while watching content on a TV set—has increased substantially since 2012. For example, consumers’ regular use of tablets while watching TV grew from 11 percent in 2012 to 44 percent in 2013. Equally important, significant percentages of consumers are using their tablets in a way correlated with what is being watched on TV—for example, checking facts or exploring ideas raised by a video being watched on a television screen.

The increase in multitasking should serve as a kind of warning for content providers and broadcasters, who need to adapt and reinvent the formats they broadcast to hold the attention of consumers today. On the other hand, multitasking behaviors point to new opportunities for broadcasters to increase engagement—and, therefore, preference—by linking apps and related content from one device to another. Multitasking also provides opportunities to develop new social and community functionalities and experiment with new monetization models, such as advertising, direct marketing and secondary rights.

3. Make premium content and subscription services more appealing
This year’s survey finds that despite the difficult economic climate, consumers are still willing to pay for online video services—though, as yet, not much. Most consumers report they will pay the equivalent of less than $10 on a monthly basis, an amount less than in 2012.

While 37 percent of consumers currently pay for access to video content through a regular subscription or TV license fee, just 10 percent of respondents reported paying per view for video on-demand, down slightly from 12 percent in 2012. These results show an important media consumption trend, where a transaction-based model may no longer be the preferred way to pay for entertainment.

An important imperative is to make premium content more compelling. As online consumption is maturing, and as consumers become more sophisticated, they want to pay less for content overall—but they may pay more for getting specifically what they want, when they want it. If they do not have their needs met, they may choose to watch video content for free over the Internet.

4. Overcome consumers’ frustrations
When it comes to watching Internet video content on their TVs, consumers are searching for simplicity but are not yet finding it. Although from a technical perspective, connected TV remains the ideal method for accessing online video on TV, consumer interest slipped from 36 percent in 2012 to 31 percent in 2013, in part because of concerns over how to install the connected TV technology.

Consistent with the 2012 survey findings, consumers are concerned about a number of other issues. They are asking for a better online video experience in terms of both quality of picture and download times, something that broadcasters and online video providers must take into account to attract and retain customers. Consumers also raise concerns about advertising during a program, something that companies must account for as they evolve their business models.

5. Build trust—something that broadcasters are learning quickly
Consumers this year across all countries surveyed reported that traditional TV broadcasters are the most trusted source for video-over-Internet service on the TV screen, displacing telecom/Internet service provider/broadband companies that had, in aggregate, ranked highest in 2012. In addition, although international online video services such as Netflix and YouTube still dominate the market, use of local or national online video services is gradually increasing.

The growing use of local online video services, coupled with the growth in broadcaster trust, signal that broadcasters’ competitive strategies and investments appear to be working. In the short term, at least, broadcasters have “stemmed the bleeding” against international competition and new market entrants. However, a clear consumer value proposition and relentless pursuit of innovation remain imperative to success.

_____________________________________

The Accenture Video-over-Internet Survey 2013 raises a number of important questions for providers. One has to do with multitasking and the role of the second screen. What strategies will online-video-service providers deploy to increase consumer engagement and monetize the additional devices being used while watching video? Another question is whether a democratic, over-the-top platform on a proprietary device will dominate the industry or a proprietary platform on a democratic range of devices.

The consumer, ultimately, will decide which video-over-Internet strategies will triumph. To that end, having a deep understanding of consumer behaviors and preferences is essential to success.
By Francesco Venturini 

DealerNet Services

Every year, somebody proclaims that SEO is dead simply because Google has made some changes to its algorithm. But don’t worry, this post won’t be declaring that SEO is dead, dying, or even coughing up blood.

However, the days of SEO as a distinct, independent discipline are certainly numbered. SEO is fast evolving into a more creative, diverse, and challenging profession.

Over the last few years the changes to search algorithms and user behavior on the Internet have made “old” SEO almost redundant. It's even gotten to the stage where any so-called “SEO” who's still using the same techniques from 5 years ago will actually be doing more harm than good. These days, search engines and consumers want quality, engagement, and social proof.

The SEO landscape has changed, and the current shift can be defined by a single concept:integration.

Search Marketing Integration (SMI)

This is a term that we will start to hear a lot more in the world of search. As the search engines widen their gaze and perfect the techniques they use to measure content quality, brand sentiment and relevance, the optimization of a site for search will increasingly overlap with other marketing disciplines.

Over the next couple of years SMI will become a pre-requisite for a first-page listing on Google. SMI will revolutionize the entire organization's approach to sales, marketing, PR, branding and everything in between.

For an SMI practitioner, success will be tied to the ability to integrate SEO tactics across an organization's marketing department. Politics, leverage, and action will be equally as important as title tags, link building, and keyword themes.

Let's take a granular look at how SMI will impact the various areas of the marketing landscape:

New Ways to Search

Social search is in its infancy. Twitter’s integration into Google's results ended last year, and Google+ has since provided the antidote to that broken relationship. Just a couple of weeks ago Facebook also launched its own enhanced search engine. Things are evolving at an exciting rate.

I have no doubt that social-oriented search will continue to make headway. As a result, social signals will continue to exert influence on SERPs, and SEO techniques will have to be applied to social properties.

I also believe that social properties like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Quora will eat away at Google's market share ... or get bought up by Google itself. Imagine a search engine that incorporates the data from a platform like LinkedIn with the accuracy and scope of Google! Google… I hope you’re listening.

Branding

One key element in Google's Penguin update was the inclusion of an organization's brand reach as a factor in SERPs. This means that the greater your brand popularity, the higher the probability of achieving a first-page position. Therefore, an SEO must keep branding initiatives carefully aligned with an overall strategy.

Additionally, link building, which has historically been focused on individual product keyword phrases, must now include a healthy percentage of branded anchor text phrases to support branded traffic and incoming links. Savvy link builders will have strategies for building out natural link profiles with a sprinkle of brand, product, and SEO keyword links.

PR

SMI, or “new SEO,” will lean very heavily on traditional PR channels. Over the last few years most print publications have been busy trying to find ways to win back their share of the digital market.

Due to the reputation and authority that they brought with them from the print world, many of these publications have quickly gained great authority online. Due to this authority, the relationship that brands and organizations have with these magazines and newspapers will have a significant effect on search visibility.

Press releases, interviews, and relationships with magazines are a big part of SMI. As more companies wake up to the integrated nature of the new SEO and recognize the link-building potential of traditional PR opportunities, their value will only increase.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

The relationship between organic search rankings and paid ads is one that’s been debated for years. Though no concrete evidence shows us exactly how paid ads impact a site’s organic listings, we have seen website’s organic traffic increase when paid ads are running.

One possible explanation for these findings is the reported relationship between display, video ads, and branded search queries. A 2010 report by ComScore suggests that display and video ads can increase brand-related search queries by up to 3 times!

While this may seem like evidence enough that your organic and paid campaigns should be closely integrated, there’s more. A recent Google study suggested there’s a strong relationship between ad click-through rates (CTR) and the presence of an organic listing on the first page of results. Put another way: If you have a high organic listing for a particular search term, your paid ad for that same term is going to get a much higher CTR than if you didn’t.

Lastly, the intelligence gained from running SEM campaigns should be directly applied to organic. This includes which keywords generate sales, which landing page techniques create conversions, and identifying which trends are important by testing new phrases and products.

Video Marketing

Video is fast becoming one of the most influential factors in all aspects of digital marketing. Its influence now reaches deep into SEO territory.

One of the most influential search movements of the last few years has been the integration of different types of content directly into the SERPs. If Google sees it as relevant to a particular query, you’ll now see images and videos outranking the organic page listings and visually dominating the page.

This can be particularly useful if you’re targeting a long-tail query. If the query relates closely to a visual concept that could be better explained in a video than a blog post, you will almost certainly gain a better search position by producing a video.

A Forrester study from January 2010 showed that a webpage with a video on it was 53 times more likely to gain a page-one position in the SERPs. Additionally, 1 in 3 tech B2B decision-makers are turning to online video for information (Google). Viewers of videos are also 64 percent more likely to purchase after watching a product video. These figures show that search visibility and performance are directly improved by the integration of video and, as a result, video should be integrated into all digital campaigns.

Thought Leadership (Continued Click Here)

 

How Listening can Lead to Innovation- One Big Broadcast’s (New Release) “OBB Autos Showroom NXT”.

Tags:
(Posted on Aug 27, 2013 at 02:29PM )
Steven Arsenault CEO and key innovator at One Big Broadcast explains how he conceptualized the idea for OBB Autos Showroom.
We were having lunch with Key West Ford's operations manager and web manager and were discussing how great the SEO engine worked but the links went back to the blog pages. The question was “is there a way to link the client back to the web site or inventory.”
Then we started talking about a competitor. who was on top of them in search for a few items and when we looked we saw that it was their ‘showroom’ pages. These are web pages with lots of writing, images, video about different models.
I thought why not meld the content creation and SEO attraction capabilities of our blogs with pages created dynamically by our platform. That way we could tap into already existing technology that we have at our disposal to harness SEO capabilities of our existing platform.
So for KWF, we installed 5 different blog engines each one able to pump out 111 data point search attracting elements for each post. I decided to add one more. Allow each detailed showroom page have a set up area that allows it to choose a blog to draw data from and specify the search term we want to appear on that particular show room page.
For example if we are blogging about a Ford Edge the news feeds would be able to connect with each showroom web page we create for each model. That's automated marketing while attracting SEO with changing content.

This way we could surpass our competitor in the SEO rankings because their showroom pages are now static web pages vs pages that change all the time from the blog updates. You can imagine the time savings when they get all their models - trucks, SUVs, cars, etc loaded and they all draw their changing news content from our Signature One-Click Console that makes it all easy to schedule and control.
Next we add live inventory to the pages via our Inventory Plugin so clients can read about the vehicle with a link directly to the vehicle moving them closer to making contact with a rep and doing a deal.
In the background our 'engine' is doing a lot to attract SEO visibility and more. Each time someone uses our vehicle inventory we speak to Google and actively send information back and forth. This is attractive to search engines. We also in real time update the site maps. Each web page has access to its own tools to enhance and fine tune its SEO visibility from Title Tag, Meta tags, Description as well as full Alt tag and other lesser know adjustments.  Combine that with the constant flow of fresh content that makes  OBB Autos Showroom NXT a very powerful car dealer search attracting application.

By Bill Cosgrove
DealerNet Services

Much of what SEO professionals do on a daily basis is research. When starting a new project, the focus usually begins with researching the right keywords for the campaign. It’s easy to spend hours compiling a relevant and strategic keyword list.

But as any skilled SEO can tell you, the research doesn’t end there. The best tools to gather useful keyword data aren’t third-party tools; they’re the advanced search operators that the search engines provide for power users to narrow their search results and find exactly what they’re looking for. SEO professionals can use these same query operators to dig into the competition or their clients’ sites, finding gold nuggets of information that newbies can’t.

While Google has at least a dozen advanced search operators, the following five are my personal favorites.

site: <url>

Example: site:example.com or site:example.com “search term”

The site: operator is the most basic, but also the most useful. When used with the URL of a website, it will return all of the pages indexed by Google with that URL. The most practical use for this query operator is to see how many pages on s site have been indexed compared to how many have actually been published. If the numbers are significantly different, this could indicate a problem with the way Google is crawling the site. The results will also show you how Google presents the title and the description for each page found.

Another great use for this operator is to search for specific keywords within a particular site.  This will result in all of the pages containing those keywords that Google has indexed from that site. Furthermore, these pages will be sorted according to how perceives the relevance of each page for that query. This is useful for figuring out what pages are your strongest contenders for each of your keywords.

In addition to Google, this operator works with both Yahoo! and Bing.

Search with quotes

Example: “dog food”, “dog” food or “dog” “food”

The original purpose of the quotation mark as a query operator was to let people tell Google to search exactly for the words in between the quotation marks. Using our examples above, the first one would show results for dog food, where the two words must appear in exactly that order in the search results. If “dog” is the important word and you don’t mind variants of the word “food,” like meal or treat, then the second example would be a good choice. If you want to see results that include both “dog” and “food” but you don’t care whether they appear adjacent to each other, then putting each word in quotes like the third sample above would be a good query.

Using quotes around your search query can help you determine if your pages are being indexed for the search terms you’re optimizing for, and it helps you identify competing sites. For instance, a search for “dog food” without quotes in Google returns about 691,000,000 results. But not all of these pages are being optimized or indexed for that exact keyword match because pages with both dog and food will be returned. So when we add quotation marks to our search query, we narrow our results down to 12,000,000 because these pages contain the exact term we’re searching for.

link:<url>

Example: link:example.com or link:example.com/page1

There was a time when using this query operator would yield the results of all pages with links to the given URL. Unfortunately, Google has stopped this practice and now only provides asampling of the sites that contain links to the supplied URL. If you’re trying to get a complete list of links to your website, use Google Webmaster Tools.

While this query operator helps you get a snapshot of your site’s incoming links, the real value is when you research the links of your competition. Since you don’t have access to their Webmaster Tools account, using the link: operator will help you get an idea of at least some of their incoming links so you can better plan your link building strategy.

Note: there are tools such as Open Site Explorer, Ahrefs, and Majestic SEO that will give you a much more complete view of any URL’s link profile, but they do cost money. For preliminary and free competitive research, the link: operator is a valuable resource. This operator will also work in both Bing and Yahoo!, but Yahoo! does require http:// to be used at the beginning of the URL.

intitle: “search term”

Example: intitle:”dog food”

One of the most important elements of on-page SEO is to ensure that the title tag of each page is optimized for your specific keywords. Since most folks know this, there’s a good bet that any pages which include your keyword in the title tag are potential competitors who have also targeted that keyword for their own SEO campaign.

This operator will give you a look at everyone you’re competing against for those keywords. When the search results are displayed, you can take a look at the number of results to see if the keyword you’re targeting has heavy competition or relatively mild competition. If you see sites like Amazon and other major brands occupying the top 10 search results, the competition is likely going to be too difficult to break through unless your budget is as high as what the major brands are allocating to their campaigns.

This operator is great for comparing similar keywords so you can intelligently and strategically select keywords for your campaign. The intitle: operator also works for Bing and Yahoo!.

info: <url>

Example: info:example.com or info:example.com/page1

The info: operator is used by Google only, so don’t try this one on Bing or Yahoo!. This operator provides you with some important and useful information that can assist with competitive research. A search query using this operator will return the page’s title, its description, and the ability to see:

  • The most recent cache of the URL
  • Pages that have similar content to the URL
  • Pages that link to the URL
  • Pages that link from the site
  • Pages that contain the URL in them

Final Word

Whether you’re just beginning a campaign for a new client or performing competitive research on an existing campaign, these search operators can help you gain a competitive edge. SEO professionals wield their knowledge of search engines as their “sword” in the daily battle of improving rankings and website traffic for clients. As an SEO professional, understanding how to use these operators quickly and effectively will help turn the tide of battle in your favor.

For more advanced SEO tutorials, please see “How to Match Domain Names in Excel to Help with Creating a Disavow List” “10 Excel Functions Every SEO Professional Should Know,” and “The Ultimate Tactical 10-Step Guide for In-house SEO Professionals.”
 by 

DealerNet Services

DETROIT, AUG. 20, 2013 — /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers are driving the changes in the car buying experience and automakers are adjusting their marketing strategies to influence the decision making process.  According to PwC's Autofacts Analyst Note for August, automakers are investing in new social media and digital campaigns to launch vehicles and engage the next generation of consumers. 

While automotive manufacturers may still need some convincing about the benefits of using readily available information from social media, engagement in these channels is driving change in the automotive industry. 

"As the use of social media continues to expand, automakers need to better understand how to connect with end consumers from purchase consideration to the length of vehicle ownership," said Erich Bergen, PwC's automotive customer impact consulting practice. "To succeed, automakers need to consider a holistic approach to selling to the next generation buyers. From training retail outlets to engaging through a loyalty program, each buyer has their own digital footprint and this creates an opportunity for automakers to engage."

Three underlying consumer trends that are creating opportunities for innovation and driving change in automotive retail include:


  • Millennials, defined as 18 to 30 year olds, make up 40 percent of the total available car buying population, contributing $200 billion to the US economy annually.
  • The acceleration of social media usage, with 70 percent of consumers using social media to learn about other customer experiences when making car buying decisions.
  • Proliferation of connected mobile devices, such as smart phones, provides integration and connectivity for OEMs to develop cross-platform apps to enhance the driving experience. Each factor is connected to the car buying experience, ultimately molding the strategies of OEMs' marketing programs.

Automotive companies can leverage available data through social media channels in varying stages of the "social engagement journey," by one-way communication, and also by utilizing the feedback from consumers to customize their marketing strategies. According to a recent PwC survey, consumers are more likely to recommend a product after following the brand on Twitter. Specifically, 69 percent of consumers share their negative experience with others through social media, and 40 percent of consumers value the option to shop across multiple channels, such as web, mobile and in-store.

Automotive selling has transitioned from one-way sales to a two-way digital platform. Buyer expectations continue to drive toward flexibility and accessible purchasing options. OEMs should embrace the benefits of a strong social media presence and utilize the on-going dialogue of their brand and products to better understand consumer sentiment to adjust their marketing strategies and help drive revenue growth.

For more details about PwC's social media experience and the digital consumer, download the August issue of PwC's Analyst Note at: www.autofacts.com or download the Autofacts App for your iPhone or iPad via iTunes.

About PwC's Automotive Practice PwC's global automotive practice leverages its extensive experience in the industry to help companies solve complex business challenges with efficiency and quality.  One of PwC's global automotive practice's key competitive advantages is Autofacts®, a team of automotive industry specialists dedicated to on-going analysis of sector trends.  Autofacts provides our team of more than 4,800 automotive professionals and our clients with data and analysis to assess implications make recommendations, and support decisions to compete in the global marketplace.

About Autofacts® Autofacts is a key strategic asset of PwC's global automotive practice. Autofacts provides on-going auto industry analysis our clients use to shape business strategy, assess implications and support a variety of operational decisions. The Autofacts team also draws from the strengths of PwC's marketing, sales and financial services groups to support other key areas of automotive companies' functions. Since 1985, our market-tested approach, diverse service offerings and dedication to client service have made Autofacts a trusted advisor throughout the industry. For more information, visit www.autofacts.com.

About the PwC Network PwC US helps organizations and individuals create the value they're looking for. We're a member of the PwC network of firms in 158 countries with more than 180,000 people. We're committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Tell us what matters to you and find out more by visiting us at www.pwc.com/us.

Learn more about PwC by following us online: @PwC_LLP, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google +

© 2013 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the US member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors.

By PwC

DealerNet Services
Personal Branding is something that a person does to better market themselves and their careers. This includes defining who you are by finding your skills and passions, establishing how (as a person) you are perceived by others (via personal relationships, professional relationships, and your online reputation) and finally by defining what you want to achieve. This Infographic created by sestyle goes through the whole process step by step to get you on your way to establishing a personal brand for yourself.
By Enfuzed (Infographic created by sestyle

DealerNet Services


Did you know that blog posts of 1500 words or more receive, on average, 68.1 percent more tweets and 22.6 percent more Likes than shorter posts?

Conversely, 85 percent of people would rather provide an email address to download an ebook instead of “paying” with a tweet.

If you’re going to invest time and money in digital marketing, it’s vital that you educate yourself on what does and does not work so you can make strategic decisions on how to best allocate these precious resources. This infographic from Optimind Technology Solutions presents 30 digital marketing statistics you shouldn’t miss.

 By Shea Bennett

DealerNet Services


One Big Broadcast Staying on the cutting edge to keep you on the cutting edge:
 

Is your website and small business ready for the future of the Search Engines, in particular Google? 


You maybe heard the terms semantic web or search which also are giving birth to a new type of website and content optimization called Semantic SEO. The way the web is evolving is very clear that we already living in that framework, and very soon the way we go about optimizing our Internet properties will change, and after the Google I/O, where the company introduced us to Google Now is very clear that we need to be ready to take our online marketing efforts to a new level, a level that involves:

  • Engagement.
  • Quality.
  • Diversity.
  • Virality.
  • Time-sensitiveness.
  • Clearness.

Yes, your content needs to be engaging, it have to deliver high value, needs to have several formats, needs to be spreadable through social, it needs to be time sensitive, and it needs to be understood by Google and other search platforms.

Below I put together a video, infographics, and resources to help you understand and be ready for this new evolutionary.


1. Hangout On Air Replay: Semantic Search And The Future


In this great video presentation you get a 50+ minutes full of excellent content by my good friend and SEO strategist +David Amerland ... the event was hosted by my wonderful partner +Yifat Cohen also check here site GPlusGoToGal.com where she share the live feed.

Also don't forget to pre-order his book "Google Semantic Search" which will help you stay ahead of your competition.

CONTINUED CLICK HERE