Calls to Action (CTAs) are essential for successful marketing projects. They are a way of directing an audience to do something, such as fill out a form, complete a survey, download software, register, donate, or buy a certain product. Providing this kind of direction often results in not only more, but more precise, actions taken by the target audience. You’ve probably seen countless calls to action, which are used on landing pages, contests, surveys, and other forms of advertising. For most of these ad spaces, the designer uses multiple calls to actions; each CTA takes a slightly different angle towards the same goal, so careful design is even more important. While each CTA will vary based on its target, language, color, and position are all helpful design elements to consider in crafting your call to action.

LANGUAGE

CTAs with a simple message and strong action verbs (like buy, donate, subscribe, register) are most often carried out. Pairing verbs with words that create a sense of urgency, like now, soon, or hurry, can increase the impact of your CTA. Compare the following CTAs: "Please take our survey. You'll be entered in our drawing!" vs. "Answer now--contest ending soon!" The language in the second call to action will convert a higher percentage of viewers into participants--bringing you more survey answers.

At the same time, you don't want to use your CTA for a hard sell. So, instead of using Buy It!, call for your audience to Try It! If you're using multiple calls to action, you can have a soft sell verb at the top of the page, with the strength of the verb and urgency of the modifiers increasing with each subsequent CTA.

COLOR

By applying color theory fundamentals, you can strengthen your CTAs:

BLUE: Encourages viewer to reconsider taking your CTA; good for the second or third CTA.

YELLOW: Attention-grabbing. Best for the primary CTA.

GREEN: Easiest color for the eyes, ideal for a soft sell. Evokes money and go —try using for your buy button.

RED: Associated with urgency and danger, useful for enhancing your time-sensitive words.

ORANGE: Excellent color for a CTA because of its combination of red and yellow.

POSITION

A call to action has to be positioned in the right place. When done correctly, a CTA draws the viewers attention—and thus elicits action—faster. The ideal location for a call to action is near the top of the page, where a reader’s eyes naturally gravitate. It should be big enough to be noticeable by the viewer, but not so big as to overwhelm the whole page. While you can use several versions of the same call to action on one page, you don't want to ask your viewer to complete two distinct actions on one page. For example, you could use "Answer now--contest ending soon" at the top of the page and "Hurry, answer to win!" at the middle or bottom.

A little something extra... Don't detract from your CTA by cluttering the surrounding space. Feel free to use white space around your calls to action. It makes the action stand out and catches far more attention.

What's one successful Call To Action you've seen or taken?

Instagram was founded 2 years ago and with a small team of 13 employees. The San Francisco based company has seen phenomenal success, with approximately 30 million registered users today--users who are drawn to the now instantly-recognizable square photos with artistic filters added. 

This is the first time Facebook has acquired a company with so many users, and it was clear from Zuckerberg’s statement that he wanted to be mindful of those users. He assured Instagram fans, “…we’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently. Millions of people around the world love the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and our goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people.”

But despite efforts to contain a backlash, we’ve seen a negative online sentiment. Some people are viewing this as a “sell out,” or as one twitter user put it, #instazuck. We’ve seen a few analyses from influential social media gurus who are interpreting the move to buy Instagram as a defensive play in the very competitive field of photo sharing. At the end of 2011, Facebook’s SEC filing estimates that 250 million photos were uploaded a day. With the emergence of Pinterest as well, there is no denying the power of photos.

In addition, all this comes just one week after Instagram released their Android app. Was Zuckerberg’s timing coincidence? We think…probably not.

Looking to the future, what does this mean for Facebook & Instagram users? Here are our takeaways:

• Instagram will remain here to stay!

• The acquisition further positions Facebook as the dominant online photo archive for your life.

• Facebook will either draw users to Instagram, or incorporate their fun, hip photo filters into Facebook's current photo-handling software.

Are you excited or wary about this acquisition?

Unfamiliar with Instagram? Check out the photos below from the Yo!Dog Office!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/09/instagram-facebook-acquisition_n_1412623.html#s853148&title=Sarah_Millar

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/04/09/what-facebook-instagram-purchase-means-for-users/

http://mashable.com/2012/04/09/facebook-instagram-buy/ http://gigaom.com/2012/04/09/here-is-why-did-facebook-bought-instagram/

Why SEO is Essential for Internet Marketing

With today's ceaseless growth of the Internet, SEO marketing (Search Engine Optimization) is now more crucial than ever for small businesses. These days, a beautifully-designed website is not enough to earn the attention of Internet viewers. If your website isn’t “findable” by others, your website traffic and online presence is likely to suffer. No one truly knows how many websites are on the Internet, but we do know that Google was indexing about 1 trillion unique URLs in 2008. (That was 4 years ago!)

The point is: Internet competition is high and without any SEO efforts, Internet browsers are less likely to find your website. 

9 Effective SEO Marketing Tips

Like any well-versed SEO writer, I started this blog with some good ol’ keyword research. (Yes, I’m referring to those party pooper phrases that interfere with colorful, creative writing.) However, for websites seeking the best search engine optimization, keyword research is a good habit to have.

The following SEO tips are not intended to defer you from imagination when it comes to website content. (We don’t want to sound like  robots, do we?) My goal here is to relay SEO tips that will attract the attention of Internet viewers and search engines. Blended together, you’ll earn more website traffic and consequential buyers for your business.

 

1. Keyword Research: Make sure your website is optimized using keywords related to your business. Every phrase that's typed into a search engine is recorded, and keyword research tools (like Google AdWords) allow us to uncover information about your potential customers & market. Using this keyword research, establish a vocabulary throughout your website content that incorporates these search phrases. For example, if your business is the Beachside Hotel in Del Mar, CA, you may target "beachfront hotel in San Diego", "San Diego oceanfront hotel", "Del Mar hotel", and "Del Mar hotel on the beach" throughout your website content. Also, don't forget about the "behind the scenes" SEO optimization of your website. Incorporate these relevant keywords in any image tags, meta descriptions, & page titles; it will make a difference. 

 

2. Keyword Competition: Don’t always go after keywords with the highest volume of searches. Generally, the higher the search volume, the more competition. Aim for keywords in the middle – with search volumes that are not too high and not too low. For example, for the Beachside Hotel in Del Mar, I did not go after the keyword "San Diego hotel" because it has 550,000 searches a month!!! The competition is high, so I focused on more specific terms that are very relevant to my business. 

 

3. H1 & H2 Headings: Incorporate your most important keywords in your h1 and h2 headings (titles on your webpage). In terms of search engine rankings, h1 and h2 tags are the most valuable for SEO. Keep in mind that it’s also important that your header tags are grammatically correct & make sense to viewers. Stuffing your h1 and h2 with keywords is ugly and can be penalized by Google. Get creative with these titles; catch viewers' attention while also incorporating your keyword research. 

 

4. Write Engaging Content for People: Your on-page content is imperative to your website’s success. Make sure that you have relevant text on all your webpages, and they also incorporate your keywords naturally. Be personal, engaging, and never write for the solo purpose of SEO ranking. 

5. Insert Internal Links Throughout Your Website: Link your relevant webpages together and make sure they're linked correctly. These are easy pathways that encourage people to visit other pages of your website. For example, in my #9 tip  (Algorithm Changes), I linked Shane's blog about this similiar topic. "Pay Attention To The Latest Algorithm Changes, such as Google's here." It's also an easy way to augment the strength of your website to search engines. 

 

6. Create SEO-Friendly URLs: URLs that include targeted keywords in the domain name are ranked higher by search engines. For example, if your business is a hotel, try to incorporate the location of your hotel (city), and the word "hotel" into your domain name. Then, when people search for a hotel in your location, you're more likely to be picked up by search engines. Get strategic with your URL.

 

7. Keep Website Content Up-To-Date: No one likes outdated content on a website. Search engines value websites that are consistently updated with information and so do your viewers. Be consistent with your website updates. (P.S. Blogs are a great for this!)

 

8. SEO Tips Apply To Your Facebook Page Too: SEO is relevant to your business page on Facebook. Incorporate keywords throughout the "About", "Company Overview", and "Description" sections. Also, make sure your website and any other social media channels (i.e. Twitter, YouTube, etc.) are listed it the "Website" section. This is an easy way to promote your online presence and refer more traffic to your website.  

 

9. Lastly, Pay Attention To The Latest Algorithm Changes, such as Google's here. There are always new ranking elements that come into play for search engines. Last year, Google Panda was launched, part of which focused on eliminating “thin content” through focusing on the overall credibility of a site. "Google suggested that site owners need to put themselves in the shoes of users and ask the question, 'Would I trust this site with a health issue or my credit card?'" (see Matt's article for more information). Also recently announced, Google revealed its new plan to penalize SEO over-optimization for spam-like websites that are only efficient at SEO. It seems that Google’s reoccurring goal is to give websites that have great content a better chance for organic search traffic and conversions. For websites with solid, engaging content, this is promising. 

 

---

 

Sources:

1. Kocher, Jill. “Google Plans SEO Over-Optimization Penalty.” Practical Ecommerce. 22 March 2012. Web. 3 April 2012.

2. Moog,Matt. "One Year Later: How Google Panda Changed Our Business." TechCrunch. 3 March 2012. 4 April 2012. 

3. McGee, Matt. “21 Essential SEO Tips & Techniques.” Search Engine Land. 20 June 2011. 3 April 2012.

4. O’Dell, Jolie. “How Big Is the Web & How Fast Is It Growing?” Mashable. 19 June 2011. 3 April 2012.

5. Stamoulis, Nick. “Top Ten Google SEO Ranking Factors.” Search Engine Optimization Journal. 14 January 2010. 3 April 2012.

Each Twitter profile lists basic information about a user: their name, their twitter handle, and their bio. But to the right of all this are some very important numbers: FOLLOWING (tweeters you follow) and FOLLOWERS (tweeters following you). The ratio between these numbers sends some important message into the Twitterverse, and is something that must be considered before embarking on a twitter growth campaign.

How do I calculate a Twitter ratio?

Simple! Take the number of FOLLOWERS and divide that by FOLLOWING. @johnelston, for example, has a ratio of 1.08, which means he has almost the same numbers of followers as following. In a simple way, the higher your ratio, the more influential you are, because that indicates you have more inbound Tweeters than outbound Tweeters. These users are often considered to be influencers.

Why should I care?

While most people will not sit with their calculator and determine your Twitter ratio before they decide to follow you (or not), these numbers do have meaning, especially when they're skewed way above or below 1. When a Tweeter has few followers but is following thousands, for example, that's an indication of someone who is probably a spammer. Below are three types of signals that your ratio sends.

1. Content signal: When you have something worthwhile to say, people will follow you. So if your inbound (follower) number matches or exceeds your outbound (following) number, then it can be implied that your content has value. Conversely, if you have only few followers, then you're either new/silent or your Tweet content holds little value for others on Twitter.

2. Engagement signal: A neutral ratio (around 1) is a strong sign that you both listen and talk on Twitter, that you send out content but also want to see what your connections are saying. Tweeters with very high ratios (think 100:1) usually broadcast information without engaging other users, like many celebrities. 

3. Social signal: The ratio can also be a social status symbol. If you have a ratio above 1, that means you have more inbound attention than outbound focus, which makes you an desireable person to follow for a couple reasons. First, being followed back by someone with a high ratio means that tweeter is saying something of value to a social influencer. Second, if that social influencer were to retweet a message to their followers, that increased reach would hold its own social value. Being followed by high-ratio Tweeters is a status symbol; being retweeted or mentioned by an influencer can bring much-desired attention. 

What other measurements hold significance?

If you're trying to get a grasp on your influence or status within the Twitterverse, you have to look at more than just your ratio, which is a single-faceted way of valuing your social presence. Consider your Klout score, your Twittalyzer Influence Index, or your Peer Index score. Chris Voss has an awesome infographic that explains eight different social measurement sites. 

Finally, consider your goal in using Twitter. If you're a casual user, then your ratio--or any other measurement--doesn't matter as much as having a fun, social experience with your "Tweeps." But if you're an entrepreneur, or a service provider in the social media or technology sphere, then these are important social signals, ones that can help set you apart from your competition.

Sources:

1. Leonhardt, David. "A Better Way to Measure Twitter Influence." The New York Times. 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

2. Lichtenwalner, Ben. "Twitter Follower Ratio Say About You?" Modern Servant Leader. 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

3. Siegler, MG. "Twitter's Golden Ratio." TechCrunch. 26 Aug. 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

4. Voss, Chris. "Infographic of Who’s Who Of Social Influence Measurement Klout Rules." The Chris Voss Show. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

The video's description (above) clearly states its goal--to "raise support for [Kony's] arrest and set a precedent for international justice" (emphasis mine). And they seem to be doing just that. In addition, at the end of the video, they give a series of calls to action (CTAs)--the steps they want viewers to take. These CTAs have been very successful in getting viewers to: sign their pledge; buy the Stop Kony bracelet and action kit; donate monthly through TRI; and share the YouTube video. While we could not find numbers to quantify any of the CTAs aside from YouTube video views, based on tweets regarding the other three, and the video thank you from Invisible Children, they have been inundated with their requested support.

This is an awareness raised at unprecedented levels. Using Facebook (1M+ referrals), Twitter (289K+ referrals), and YouTube (483K+ referrals from search), the "Stop Kony" campaign has become a trending topic around the world.

In the US, celebrities (like Nicole Richie, Stephen Fry and Rihanna)¹ have picked up the cause, helping with its exponential growth. And their tweets are garnering huge responses. The below tweet from Diddy (Sean Combs) was retweeted over 64K times.⁴

Today, March 8th, #stopkony is the #1 trending topic in the United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Singapore, Peru, Nigeria, New Zealand, Malaysia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Canada, and Australia.³ "Invisible Children" is also a worldwide trending topic today.⁵

Beyond the immediate potential of catching Joseph Kony, what else is exciting about the "Stop Kony" movement? Seeing the power of social media to bring about social change. Watching this unfold is like having a glimpse into the future of how world-changing messages will be spread.

Looking at the YouTube statistics for this video, two things are immediately apparent: mobile is the future of media, and the next generation is not only hyperconnected, but open to social activism.

More video views have come from mobile devices than Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube search.² That's powerful stuff. And the viewer demographics for "Stop Kony"? Teens (13-17) and young adult (18-24) men.² They are the leaders of the future, and this is how they are receiving messages and spreading them--through social and mobile outlets.

Three days. 32 million views. Only time will tell if this campaign will help the international community catch Joseph Kony, but for know, we know one thing--social media can and will be used for more than casual sharing.

Follow the #stopkony and #kony2012 progress:

http://addictomatic.com/topic/Stop+Kony

http://addictomatic.com/topic/Kony+2012

http://storify.com/smh/stop-kony2012-good-or-bad

http://storify.com/MetroUK/kony2012-discussion-on-twitter

Resources:

1. http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/892373-kony-2012-campaign-shedding-light-on-uganda-conflict-a-huge-online-success?ITO=socialm
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
3. http://whatthetrend.com/
4. http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23stopkony
5. http://twitter.com

Surprise! Timeline for brand pages was released early this morning for page administrators. If you open a Facebook page for which you're an admin, you'll find both timeline "preview" and "publish" options available at the top of the page. But before you hit that "publish" button, there are a few things you must know.

Do I have to start using timeline now?

While page administrators have the option of applying the new timeline to their pages now, it will not be mandatory until March 30st, which means you have a month to learn about the new settings and options and decide how to best optimize your brand's timeline. You can preview all changes without making the timeline permanent. But come April, your page WILL be using the timeline whether you're ready or not!

What does timeline mean for brands?

Timeline turns your brand page into a more complex, complete representation of your company and corporate history.¹ It functions as an ongoing chronological visual scrapbook of milestones, updates, photos, videos, and applications. Your Facebook presence no longer begins when you start your page, as you can reach back into timeline history and add events at certain dates. For example, Coca Cola can upload their first logo, from the company's 1892 launch, to their timeline.

What can we do to prepare for the timeline conversion?²

1. Make sure your administrators are aware of and informed about these upcoming changes.

2. Choose a cover photo. One of the major features of the timeline is a large headline space called the cover photo. Your cover photo can be changed out as often as you'd like, so don't be afraid to think outside the box when choosing or updating it. Here are some of the most creative ones we found.

1. The Rules: There are definitely some rules to using the cover photo space that Facebook is stipulating, but how those rules will be enforced is still up in the air. Facebook has asked that the cover photo NOT list prices, include calls to action to "like" the page, or promote special discounts. In essence, they don't want pages to run large banner advertisements that are overly sell sell sell, but it's still an effective space to feature new products or tell your fans something about your brand.
2. Choosing a photo: Just because your photo meets the minimum size requirements (399 pixels wide) doesn't mean that your cover image will display well. The example directly below shows a pixelated cover photo because the image doesn't have a high enough resolution to be spread across the screen for the cover photo. The two smaller examples below show very creative uses of the cover photo.

 

3. Update your "About" section, as this area now appears at the top of your page, beneath your profile image. Don't forget to keyword optimize this section while you're at it!

4. Update your Profile image! Profile images are now limited to a square shape that can be a maximum of 180 pixels wide.

5. Decide what important milestones from your corporate history you want to archive and feature on your timeline, as Starbucks has done below.

What about my custom tabs?

Custom tabs and apps are still available, but the icons for the tab will not be size-optimized, meaning the image might be off-center, blurry, or even absent. With the new page timeline, custom tabs become part of the header section of the page, so if you have important tabs, you will have to find creative ways of highlighting their new location. In the screenshot below, the tabs are highlighted in green. 

Overwhelmed? Pull your tail out from in between your legs, because Yo!Dog is rolling out a Facebook Face Lift package that will get your brand ready before March 30th. Avoid the awkwardly sized photos, the distorted cover photo, and let us nip & tuck your page to make the most of the timeline changes!

For more information, contact sae@yodogmarketing.com or follow us at @yodogmarketing on Twitter.

1. http://www.kunocreative.com/blog/bid/72438/Facebook-Timeline-for-Pages-Implications-Preparations-for-Brands 
2. http://www.simplyzesty.com/facebook/facebook-timeline-for-brands-due-end-of-february-heres-how-to-prepare/

2012 is the year of mobile, or so we keep hearing. But right now, that ROI isn't there--mobile ad revenue has been, overall, somewhat disappointing. That being said, the big three operating systems--Apple iOS, RIM Blackberry, and Google Android--are still jockeying for position in the mobile monetization race. 2012 will be a turning point, if only because 2011 brought some BIG changes in mobile.

Android now controls the majority (50.9%) of smartphone market share³ but that does not necessarily mean it brings in the most profit from mobile ad revenue. And with Blackberry market share dropping to just 8.8% in Q4 of 2011⁴, there are a lot of ad dollars up in the air. Not to mention the potentially stellar rise of Microsoft's new batch of smartphones. 

With Android phones taking the lead in terms of units shipped, it should be a no-brainer that the Google OS is seeing a majority of mobile ad revenue. And they are, for now. But the Apple iOS is in a good position to take over some of this market share.

Setting aside the revenue from mobile ads, let's examine app revenue structures. For every app sold in the iTunes and Android stores, Apple and Google (respectively) make money. For every app that has ads embedded in it, the OS has the potential to make money (from views or clicks). 

iOS has a larger percentage of paid apps downloaded¹, compared to Android. But this advantage is overshadowed by the money Android makes on their free apps--from in-app advertising. Because the Android market has more availability of free apps, and because Apple prohibits ad placement in their paid applications, Google's mobile ad revenue outpaces Apples. But were any of these variables to change, Apple could seize the market. If you're looking to expand your online advertising to encompass mobile, these are all points you must consider before creating your strategy.

For both Android and iOS, Google is the most-used website, with 92% of mobile web activity². So buying PPC (pay-per-click) ads on Google mobile will get your ad in front of a huge number of users. At the same time, you need to consider the amount of time spent on the web vs. on apps. For Android users, 2/3 of their time is spent in-app, with 53% of that app time spent on the top 50 apps², which, of course, are always in flux. So if you want to maximize your mobile ad budget, you'll have to buy time on those most popular apps, and stay on top of your ad distribution so you remain with those highest-ranking ones. A lot to consider, huh--and this is just including the PPC opportunities! Don't forget that you could always develop your own app as a mode of advertising--though this is no guarantee of success, as only a fraction of mobile apps ever break into the top 50. Bottom line--whatever your investment into mobile, you must be willing to carefully monitor your strategy, and the overall mobile market.

For users, for developers, 2012 will be a very interesting year of change in the mobile industry. With the looming release of Windows 8 and the Windows phones, Microsoft should see a significant push with their mobile division that could very well have Microsoft replacing Blackberry as one of the big three OS. The Microsoft and Nokia partnership could be the key to success that they were missing in their initial launch of the Windows phone. We may even see a desperate last minute push from the dying BlackBerry with their OS 10 release (scheduled for Q4 2012). And lets not forget about Symbian or WebOS. Right now, mobile revenue is an Android vs. Apple game, one that Android is winning, but who knows what 2012 will bring!

1. Dalrymple, Jim. "IOS Ahead in Mobile Ad Revenue, but There's More." The Loop. 15 June 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

2. Moore, CT. "Mobile Ad Opportunities in 2012." Mobile Advertising Opportunities in 2012. Acquisio, 5 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2012..

3. Riknas, Mikael, and IDG News. "Android Loses Market Share,as Apple Has Exceptional Quarter, Gartner Says." PC World. 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

4. Rubin, Josh. "RIM’s BlackBerry Loses More Global Market Share, IPhone, Android Soar." Thestar.com. Toronto Star, 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

Your twitter name, like your company name and website domain name, reflects your business and needs to identify you easily amongst other Twitter users. Consider the tips below before creating or modifying your twitter username.

Already have your page up and running? Twitter allows users to change their Twitter name! BUT beware that changing your Twitter handle will change your profile URL, so all those links to your Twitter account will need to be updated.

Review the points below and make sure your Twitter name complies.

1. Be consistent! Try to keep your usernames similar, if not identical, across all of your social media platforms. This helps your fans/follwers find you on other networks and strenghtens your brand identity. If you can, use the same name for your website, Facebook page and Twitter handle. This is something to research before buying your domain name!

2. Be descriptive! Your handle should immediately give your followers a summary of your business. If you are a blogger, cake baker, resort etc. consider including that in your Twitter name. @AmaraResort and @TravelSavvyMom are two descriptive examples.

3. Use your real name! On Twitter, you have both a handle/username (@...) and a place on your profile to list your real name. Using your real name helps you followers associate your branded handle with your real name/your business name, which is integral to taking your online followership into the non-digital world. 

4. Destinations--Include your location! If you're using social media to promote youself as a travel destination, it helps if you use your location to identify and brand your Twitter account. Easily tell Twitter users where they can find you by including your location in your twitter handle. Ie: @OrlandoSheraton & @SantaFeCY

5. Avoid numbers and underscores! These are obvious signs that your first choice Twitter handle was taken and that not a lot of creative thought went into choosing your replacement twitter name. Think of something unique and use abbreviations when possible instead of settling for using an underscore or number.

References:

http://justfivethings.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/choosing-a-twitter-handle/

http://www.rachel-levy.com/how-to-select-a-twitter-handle/

http://business2blogger.com/your-twitter-persona-quick-tip-monday/

Today in the U.S., the number of mobile wireless accounts exceed the total population (according to Search Engine Watch).  Search via mobile device has become a standard in modern American culture and buyer behavior studies show that people searching via a mobile device (tablet or smart phone) are interested in evaluating and making a purchase decision quickly and, often, at that moment. Hotels that dont cater to that population, or aren't moving in that direction, miss out on a large, engaged consumer segment--and the revenue they bring.

One-third of affluent travelers already own a tablet or e-Reader (via Four Seasons' Luxury Trend Report)  As more travelers embrace these devices, hotels have an excellent opportunity to enhance their experience prior to visiting, while visiting and after leaving the property.  Combined with the explosion of mobile travel apps and booking sites (like Hotel Tonight) and rating sites like TripAdvisor, mobile will be integral to the future of travel.

How is your company moving towards a mobile-friendly future?