Encourage innovation with a BarCamp

Posted by: Michael Reynolds in General on Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Innovation is something that a lot of organizations try to create. The inspiration for innovation can often comes in the form of workshops, conferences, books, and other exercises and can be a great way to "shake things up" a little.

At SpinWeb, we shook things up a little by doing a BarCamp. Last week we set up shop at the Speak Easy and did a series of informal presentations that helped the team collaborate and learn new things.

It was the first of hopefully many BarCamps at SpinWeb and it was a good time for all and was a nice laid-back way to get to know each other better and bring some innovative ideas to our team.

So what's a BarCamp? It's basically an unstructured conference. In a typical conference, there is a set agenda, a list of speakers (keynote, breakout, etc.) and a very structured schedule that is planned far in advance. A BarCamp, however, is designed to be much more free-form. The date and time is set but there is no formal agenda and no pre-set speakers. Attendees arrive with topics they would like to present on and the schedule is set up on the fly by writing presentation titles on a whiteboard. The crowd then votes on topics and the schedule is set by the moderator based on most popular topics.

At a BarCamp, attendee participation is encouraged and the result is typically short, informal presentations followed by facilitated group discussion.

While we were only conducting an internal event just for our team, we followed the BarCamp mindset and ended up with some interesting topics:

• "How to Customize Facebook Calls to Action" - Stephanie Fisher
• "Responsive Website Design" - Sam McKinney
• "Get to Know Your Personality" - Josh Brammer
• "The Wonderful World of Essential Oils" - Allison Gibbs
• "10 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About Your New Co-worker" - Serena Acker
• "Stress Management with Getting Things Done" - Josh Brammer
• "Google AuthorRank and Why It's a Big Deal for Your SEO Efforts" - Michael Reynolds
• "5 Tips for Planning Better" - Josh Brammer

As you can see, our topics ranged from marketing to technology to wellness to productivity and more. Our team members were encouraged to present on literally anything they wanted to.

I can't speak for everyone but I came way with some great ideas and inspiration in quite a few different areas. Josh gave me a much-needed kick in the butt that made me realize that I had been letting my productivity system flounder for a while and therefore was not getting much done. I promptly fixed it and my stress level is already much lower. Sam helped us all see the value in responsive design and we have a plan for making it more of a standard on future projects. Allison gave me some very cool tips on using essential oils for common health issues. Preparing my own presentation helped me get an even deeper understanding of Google AuthorRank which will help us get ahead as this new SEO factor rolls out.

So can your organization benefit from a BarCamp? Perhaps! Here are the guidelines:

1. Set up a one-day event for the BarCamp (we like Fridays)
2. Choose an off-site location (preferably someplace fun and not-stuffy) so you're not tempted to slip back into "work mode"
3. Don't force anyone to present but encourage everyone to come to the meeting with at least one presentation prepared
4. Keep it free-form — presenters can use slide decks, handouts, live demos, or no props at all
5. Encourage team members to present on literally anything at all
6. Presentation length should be about 20 minutes
7. The moderator writes topics on a whiteboard and the team decides what order to go in
8. Keep timing and agenda loose and flexible
9. Be supportive and attentive to whoever is presenting
10. Have fun!

You can see some photos from SpinWeb's BarCamp on Google+ so feel free to check it out. Let us know if you have done something like this in your organization or if you plan to. It's a nice way to shake things up a bit and help everyone not only learn more about each other, but pick some up new tips and skills.

Why it's hard to "start small" with SEO

Posted by: Michael Reynolds in General on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) seems to be one of the most talked-about and yet misunderstood tactics in marketing today. While everyone seems to want to get that holy grail of page one rankings for their most sought-after search terms, it's a bit more involved than a lot of people think.

By the way, if you would like a short but action-packed refresher on the ins and outs of SEO, grab our free ebook on SEO In Plain English and then scoot back to this post for the rest.

We get a lot of requests to help with SEO and marketing in general and of course that's what we do so this makes us happy. However, often times we talk to an organization that wants to "start small" or do just "a little bit of SEO" without really committing to a full campaign.

While this sounds good in theory (especially to the CFO), it's not going to get you very far. Doing "a little bit of SEO" is somewhat like feeding your entire extended family for Thanksgiving by doing "a little bit of cooking." Sure, they might not be quite as hungry after you serve them nothing but soup and water but it's not going to be a great experience overall because the commitment to a great meal was not there.

When it comes to SEO, starting small usually looks like this for a lot of the organizations we talk to:

1. Updating title tags with keywords (not a bad idea)
2. Posting a few videos on YouTube (because YouTube is a magic SEO tool, right?)
3. Add some meta tags (even though meta tags don't matter at all)
4. Write a self-promotional blog post or two every few months
5. Wonder why you're not generating tons of leads (sad face)
6. Declare the SEO project a failure and go back to cold calling and traditional advertising

We've seen this cycle of pain way too many times, so hopefully it's easy to see why we don't recommend it. The activities above might move the needle a tiny bit but chances are it will not be enough to justify your efforts.

Here are some issues that have changed the game recently:

• Google has gotten much smarter
• There is a ton of content out there and more being published all the time
• Social media plays a big part in SEO
• Consumers are much more research-savvy
• Peer recommendations are stronger and more trusted than your advertising

Because of these factors, it takes a significant amount of effort to cut through the noise. There are two fundamental concepts that must be understood to execute a successful SEO campaign:

1. Effective SEO requires lots and lots and lots of consistent quality content
2. Your search engine ranking is only one component in the overall challenge of lead generation

What does this mean for you?

• It means blogging at least once per week (preferably more)
• It means writing content for your constituents, not for your organization
• It means doing consistent keyword research
• It means creating mechanisms for capturing leads
• It means building an intelligent marketing database that talks to your CRM
• It means staying consistently active on social media without over-promoting
• It means being interesting as an organization
• It means making it easy for people to talk about you online
• It means creating and publishing resources that help your constituents solve problems
• It means integrating email into your campaigns and nurturing your leads
• It means acting like a teacher

It means committing to the full-course meal.

Once you make this commitment, the needle will start to move. According to HubSpot, businesses that blog at least 20 times per month get 5 times more traffic than those who blog 4 times per month or less. Businesses with websites of 401-1000 pages get 6 times more leads than those with 51-100 pages.

So don't make the mistake of just "starting small" with SEO. Commit to really doing what it takes to make a true impact on your organization's bottom line. That's something that both you and your CFO can get on board with.

Want to become a rock star marketer?

Posted by: Michael Reynolds in General on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Ok, so I rarely use this blog to self-promote, but be warned that this is an exception. If you are only interested in the super-useful educational content that we publish 99.9% of the time, then skip this one and wait until Thursday's post.

However, I am starting a program that I think will interest many of you so if you are interested in working directly with me to take your marketing to the next level for your business at a fairly low price point, read on.

As you may know, SpinWeb provides comprehensive inbound marketing services for many organizations. This means we do SEO, blogging, social media management, email campaigns, reports/analytics, landing pages, A/B testing, video, downloadable offers, and more -- all connected to create a holistic ongoing lead-generation strategy for our clients. It's very effective but it's also very expensive. It works great for organizations that are able to budget $50,000/year or more for our services.

However, I also recognize that there are many organizations that could benefit from inbound marketing but cannot yet commit to the budget necessary to outsource the work to us. So as a result, I am starting one or more coaching groups designed to help marketing directors and business owners "level up" and really start to create a serious lead-generation strategy with inbound marketing.

Here are the details:

• The program is 12 months starting January 2013
• Ideal candidate: business owner, marketing director, or marketing assistant
• Fees: $500/month
• Schedule: we will meet every other week for 90 minutes (approximately)
• Group size: no more than 4 participants in a group
• Location: at the SpinWeb office (I may also start a virtual group via Google+ Hangout if I get enough interest)
• Requirements: must have a decent website and time to devote to working at this
• Additional fees: must purchase a HubSpot license (please talk to me before purchasing)

I will not put competitors together in a group. I will create groups based on complementary businesses. If I get enough non-profits (or associations) that apply, I will create a group specific to non-profits.

Here is what I expect from participants and what you can expect from me:

• You will commit to making time to do the work required to see results (a few hours a week)
• I will assign homework that must be completed to remain on track
• If you have to miss a class or two, I will help you make up the material as long as it's not a regular occurrence
• If I have to miss a class or two, I will provide a substitute from SpinWeb who will keep you on track
• I will make myself available as your consultant one-on-one for calls or followup meetings for anything you need related to inbound marketing

This is a great opportunity for business owners or marketing professionals who would like to grow their businesses and also develop valuable, current, and in-demand marketing skills. It will be a lively mix between me teaching concepts and group members learning from each other.

Curriculum:

• Month 1: fundamentals of inbound marketing and using HubSpot
• Month 2: SEO and keyword research
• Month 3: fundamentals of effective business blogging
• Month 4: creating offers and landing pages
• Month 5: calls to action and A/B testing
• Month 6: social media communication
• Month 7: lead nurturing and workflows
• Month 8: lead scoring, segmentation and smart lists
• Month 9: closed loop marketing, CRM, and sales analytics
• Month 10-12: advanced topics

If you are a business owner, this will take your business to the next level. If you are a marketing pro, you will become even more valuable to your organization (oh, and your sales team will love you).

If this sounds like it might be for you, please apply here. I will create as many groups as I can based on interest level and organization type. Apply early because there will be a maximum number of applicants I can handle -- probably no more than 12 people total (3 groups) at the absolute most.

I can't tell you how excited I am to be doing this. I'll see some of you in January when we kick things off!

What spiders can teach us about inbound marketing

Posted by: Michael Reynolds in General on Thursday, November 1, 2012

It's Halloween at SpinWeb! We had a great time at the office decorating and getting into the spirit with spiders, skeletons, jack-o-lantern bowling, and of course lots of webs. Feel free to check out some photos of our Halloween shenanigans.

As part of the fun, we asked for creative "pun" captions for our spider web photo that used our company name or culture and we got some great ones! Among the comments was a humorous suggestion from Chris Theisen at FlexPAC (a SpinWeb client) and we couldn't resist. So here it is... "what spiders can teach us about inbound marketing."

Spiders build scalable systems

Spiders build webs to allow them to capture their "prospects" via an automated system, rather than hunting them down all day. The spider's web allows it to capture as many "leads" as possible without needing armies of helpers or relying on chasing after them. Like a spider, inbound marketing is a system that allows your business to scale its marketing efforts by setting up a system and then letting that system generate leads without having to chase them down. Spiders don't cold call... they create opportunities.

Spiders are process-oriented

Spiders build webs that are based on proven results. While some variations do exist, a spider will typically build webs with consistent patterns that are proven to generate results. In a similar fashion, your inbound marketing efforts will be more effective if you follow proven guidelines that have a track records for producing leads and revenue. Experimentation is good, but don't reinvent the wheel if you know what works. 

Spiders are persistent

Spider webs get knocked down all the time by weather, predators, and humans. So what do they do? They keep building more! Just like a persistent spider, you should learn from your mistakes. When a marketing campaign fails, get right back up and create a new one. Keep at it and you will see results through persistence.

Spider build multiple automated systems

A spider might build webs in many different locations in order to maximize its reach. While one web might achieve decent results, three webs might lead to three times the return. These webs operate as passive systems that work without additional intervention. You should approach your inbound marketing the same way. Instead of relying on one campaign or tactic, build multiple campaigns and let them all work for you. Then, you will be constantly increasing the number of inbound leads that you generate.

Spiders are patient

Spiders don't build a web and then expect results overnight. They let the web do its job over time. An inbound marketing campaign is no different. If you expect results in 30 days, you will be disappointed. However, over time your efforts will pay off in the form of inbound leads and sales. Keep at it and be patient.

Market like a spider

As you can see, spiders know quite a bit about inbound marketing. They rely on proven techniques, they build systems, and they patiently work those systems. Follow these same guidelines and you will enjoy results in the form of increased lead generation.

Hope you had a great Halloween!

How to host videos on your website

Posted by: Michael Reynolds in General on Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A great website is the result of careful planning, great website content, beautiful design, and strong marketing tools. This includes calls to action (which you are A/B testing, of course), professional photography, and landing pages.

Another component of a great website is video. Customer testimonials, product demos, and stories can all make great content for website videos.

We get a lot of questions about video ranging from how to shoot and edit to how to come up with ideas for topics. One common question we also get is how to host videos on your website.

Since video files tend to be very large, it can be a little tricker to store the files on your web server, which is why most organizations choose to use a third-party video hosting service and then embed the videos on their websites using embed code.

But what's the best choice for hosting your website videos? Here are our top picks for hosting videos on your website.

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com

This is the clear leader and the most popular. You can't really go wrong with YouTube (well, almost — more on that later). It's the market leader, owned by Google, and has plenty of SEO benefits. It's also very social in nature and allows lots of social interaction. It allows you to embed your videos on your website very easily and will work great on mobile devices, as well.

Pros:

• SEO benefits
• Easy to use
• Ad opportunities (promote videos, in-video ads)
• Free

Cons:

• Limited thumbnail choices
• Limited customization
• Not a lot of analytics data
• Often blocked by corporate IT departments
• YouTube logo always appears in videos

Vimeo
http://www.vimeo.com

Vimeo is a popular choice among those who want a little more control over their videos and want a high-quality end result with less bandwidth. WIth a paid account, you can also get priority processing of your videos so they publish faster. Vimeo also offers complete customization of its player so you can embed your logo and brand it. In general, vimeo is better suited for businesses that want more control over options and might also need to restrict videos to specific URLs or intranets.

Pros:

• Free version
• High-quality video playback
• Complete customization of player
• Excellent analytics

Cons:

• Less traffic than YouTube
• Questionable SEO benefit
• Upload limits
• Commercial videos require a Pro account

Wistia
http://www.wistia.com

Wistia is a little-known competitor to the bigger guys but is a hidden gem that is worth a look. Described as "video hosting for business" and priced accordingly, this service has a ton of tools that make marketing directors jump for joy. Wistia allows easy website embedding, crazy-good analytics, mobile optimization, calls to action, SEO benefits, complete customization and more. You can restrict videos to a specific URL which makes it perfect for membership sites or intranets.

Wistia also offers video heat mapping, which lets you see exactly what your viewers are doing and how much of your videos they are watching. If you're serious about managing video for your business, Wistia will make your day.

Pros:

• Outstanding analytics
• Viewer heat mapping
• Marketing tools (calls to action, etc.)
• Complete customization and branding
• Excellent video management dashboard with customized user access
• Project folders to organize videos
• Video player API
• Email marketing integration
• Email collector option

Cons:

• Higher fees than other services

Conclusion

While there are many options for hosting video on your website, these are our favorites. A good third-party video hosting service will save server space for your website and will offer many more benefits that can lead to better lead generation and results.

What are your favorite ways to host video on your website?