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A New Meaning to Image Optimization

Most webmaster and bloggers still have not caught up setting up author attriubutes in order to enhance their organic listings in Google, but for some industries (seo as an easy example) and for some result pages we are starting to fill up with author attributes and suddenly they don’t stand out anymore.

I guess there shortly will be a new definition for “image optimization” in order to raise your CTR. Maybe your image with a flying monkey or ……. We will soon find out how creative people can get and see new job descriptions -> i am a photographer and seo image optimization headshot-ist

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Welcome to Google Trusted Stores

At our company we always try to encourage our clients to include “trust logos” on their sites to help with visitor confidence and higher conversion rates.

As of today, June 7th, 2012 Google just released the Google Trusted Store program for all merchants in the United States.

We wanted to include initial information about the program:

You will have to make sure that:
– You are an online business in the United States
– You are incorporated
– You have all customer service pages onsite (privacy, contact, shipping, terms, clear phone number and email)
– You feel free to submit your shipping and cancellation information to Google
– You have a Google merchant account (Google Base/Shopping Account & Feeds)

Also Google Specifies that you will NOT be able to apply if:
– They are part of marketplace sites and other sites where different stores share a common domain for their store and checkout pages.
– They are unable to add JavaScript to their confirmation pages.
– They are unable to provide daily feeds of shipped and canceled orders.
– They have greater than 50% of total orders shipped without tracking.
– They offer custom and made-to-order products in which average time to ship is greater than 14 days.
– They offer subscription services or future deliveries in which payment is taken in advance.
– They offer direct to store shipments in which customers are not direct recipients of shipment.

Visit Site Google Trusted Store for more information

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Conclusions on Marketing a Movie Online (from research only)

We recently received a new request to research and come up with a proposal for marketing a new film online without the help of large film studios. As a first response, we were thrilled as we love to help with projects that empower the individual and show that with a great product, technology and the internet we don’t need to follow the dusty old business model. After the initial thrill, we started research for this project. Part of the research included reverse engineer and taking examples from successful projects that have marketed online. We have come up with some conclusions and main ideas that need to be taken under consideration when starting a project like this.

Movie Related

Who is our Target Audience?
Including age group, countries, gender, income level, purchasing power, etc

Languages?
Do you want to create subtitles and market in foreign speaking countries

Is there a cause or a message?
Do you want a message to carry-on (documentary for example) or is the movie for entertainment purposes only?

How do you want to sell your movie?
DVD, Online (Itunes, Amazon, Own Website)

How much does the movie sell for?
And how much are your audience willing to pay. Is there a set standard online price and do you want to break this standard? ($2.99 rentals)

Pirated Versions
How do i deal with digital sharing and can i make this to my benefit. Can i add elements to my film to help? Will need to discuss distribution options with this in mind.

Create a Website

Each and every movie has a website. Creation of a high quality website with STRONG social aspects is an important key to success.

Important factors include:

– Encouraging Social Sharing
– Teaser Trailers
– Newletter Sign-ups and regular follow-up with news and fun content
– Simple concepts and videos

The website will have to use quality hosting in expectation to high surges of traffic.

Create Social Profiles

Depending on your resources, you may not want to setup too many sites to handle. It is all about quality.

Recommended Sites:
– Twitter
– Facebook
– Youtube
– Vimeo
– Reddit?

Finding Influencers

Even before we start marketing, we will need to gather a long list of potential influences.

A quick List of Possibilities:
– Actors from the film (utilizing twitter, facebook, pr)
– List of Movie Industry Contacts
– Celebrities – [w/ millions of twitter followers :)]
– Press and Journalists
– List of Top Movie Related Sites and Movie Bloggers
– Social Media Influencers
– Reddit Posts and Content Creation
– Nerd Geek Movie Freaks out there

Get the movie out to a small set of people with online importance and have them write about it.

Teasers and Trailers

Get people interested in the trailers much before launch. Get comments on your youtube and vimeo videos. Get them interested and bring them to your website, twitter and facebook for news sign-ups and close relationships with your fans. Create great trailers for buzz on sites like imdb commenting, indiewire, reddit, blu-ray.com forum, variety, etc.

Social Media 24/7

Make close contacts with everyone you can!

Interesting Facts and Considerations

1. Kony 2012 –

Setting aside what may or may not have happened, Kony v1.0 was a huge success from a social standpoint and we can learn from its

– 90 Million Youtube Views
– 18 Million Vimeo Views
– Targeted Celebrity Support – Justin Bieber, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ryan Gosling and Oprah
– Multi-Country Span

2. Louis CK – Live at the Beacon Theatre

– Charged $5
– Self Distributed Video
– Has a huge twitter following (currently at 1.26 million followers)
– Keeps a mailing list
– Is very funny!

3. Something to think about? should we disrupt the business model?

Radiohead’s “Pay what you want” Rainbows model from 2007

4. Avenues to Sell on

Do you want to enable purchasing on multiple avenues?

Project will need to determine and weigh the benefits vs drawbacks of each avenue

– Sell your own – easy to “Torrent-It”, extra bandwidth
– Amazon vod – charges 50% of sale – https://www.createspace.com/Products/VideoDownload/Index.jsp
– Itunes – TBD charge – http://www.apple.com/itunes/content-providers/movie-faq.html

5. Get Joe Rogan to see it and honestly review it. If it’s good it will spread!

6. Paid Ads and Extra Engagement

What about adwords, youtube ads, facebook ads, etc?

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Great Alternatives to SMX Advanced Seattle: June 5-6, 2012

As a small business and growing SEO and internet marketing company we understand the importance of going to industry conferences, learning new tactics and being involved in the mass-group energy of SEO’ers. Conferences are great for networking, their amazing workshops and speeches by leading experts (Would love to meet Rand Fishkin one of these days…) but on the other hand for a growing company it is not that easy for us to spend any extra $2,000 on a few days of a conference.

Expenses for one are:
– $1,095 for a workshop pass – All access passes have been sold out.
Based on above, guessing All Access Pass at around $1,395

– Flight from San Diego (just checked orbitz rates) – $370

– Hotel for 2 nights – Roughly $100/night for more affordable hotel

Total Spending – $1,395 + $370 + $200 = $1,965

See Our $2,000 Alternatives

ALTERNATIVE 1 – Using $2,000 in Adwords Campaign

As a short simple calculation based on old data

– Adwords “SEO San Diego” variation terms @ $6/click.
– Roughly we will be able to get 333 clicks for $2,000.
– Conversion Rate for new customers at 1% for roughly 3 new clients.
– Average Client fee per month – $650 with contract for 12 months

Estimated revenue – 3 x $650 x 12 = $23,400 in a year

ALTERNATIVE 2 – Using $2,000 to Buy a 3D Printer and Play with Arduino

Since the first time that i saw a 3D printer, which by the way was a MakerBot, i absolutely loved it. The idea of DIY and the growing power of the individual in thanks to the internet and technology have been mind blowing to me. Arduino is another example of DIY power.

ALTERNATIVE 3 – Using $2,000 for a Paid All-Inclusive Vacation in Mexico

Will return with hundreds of photos to post on facebook…

ALTERNATIVE 4 – Buy my Dog new Toys

ALTERNATIVE 5 – Save $2,000 for SMX West Las Vegas