Intelligent brand marketing should get a boost through the introduction of real-time search results in the major search engines. Old marketing tactics such as press releases will gain a new lease on life especially if combined with a carefully planned social media campaign. And don’t think that press releases are only for big businesses either - any size business can gain a boost using a carefully crafted press release rich in relevant keywords.

If you follow these basic press release guides you should see an increase in search rankings.

• Incorporate SEO fundamentals in the press release. This includes optimized titles, keywords and internal links to your own web pages
• Publishing your press release on your own site with a prominent link to it on your home page
• Having your press release distributed through a quality distribution agency or having it appear with a reputable news outlet
• Tweeting links to your press release. Don’t limit this to the link on your own site. Tweet the links to other areas where the press release has been published. Search engines will follow that link.
• Talk about your press release on any social pages you engage on

Press releases now have long shelf lives. They appear in search results months after their first publication and not only deliver new visitors to your site, they also provide SEO benefits.

Intelligent brand marketing is all about marketing your brand using multiple resources and platforms. The press release is one more tool that is worth considering especially now that real time search is making such inroads.

There’s no question that implementing a video on your e-commerce site can be good for business. Whether you use it to close in on a sale, to inform, to showcase products or to entertain, video can add real value to your site. Some companies shy away from video because of the costs associated with it. Getting a larger server to host videos, buying a camera, digitizing, shooting, editing and marketing your video can be an expensive proposition for a small business. But there’s another way. According to a recent post by The Video Commerce Consortium, there’s a quick and affordable solution that anyone can implement for their website. According to The VCC, by using an auto-generated video service, you can make video by uploading still photos and music with the click of a button.

As online video becomes more accessible, you will find more and more services that cater to the small to mid-sized business with affordable video solutions. Check out some of these sites courtesy of VCC for  affordable and effective ways to add some video snazz to your site.

http://www.sundaysky.com/
http://www.talkmarket.com/
http://animoto.com/

During the yesteryears of the dot com craze, companies scrambled to get branded websites up more from herd mentality than from fully understanding why they needed one. For most companies at the time, websites were mostly used as a platform to broadcast their marketing communications to potential customers and brand evangelists. Today, there has been a tectonic shift away from broadcasting out to the consumer to inviting them in and allowing for them to play an significant role in branding and marketing efforts. We’re seeing a shift from the one-way communication model where brands blare out messaging to consumers (think old disruption-based media like television, outdoor, print etc.) to the two-way conversation model (think opt-in social networking, user generated content, blogging, etc.) where advertising and communication are taking place in real time.

One such company that has embraced this model and has transformed the way they communicate is Chik-Fil-A. For those of you who don’t know, Chic-Fil-A is famous for their “Eat more Chikin” campaign delivered by cows who started a quest to convince humans to choose chicken over beef. The humorous campaign started in 1995 and slowly has successfully integrated the two-way stance on communications. While the company has not abandoned traditional media, they have beefed up (sorry about the pun) their online media with a bevy of new outlets that enable their customers to take part in their marketing and communications. And they’re at it again. Along with a healthy Facebook and Twitter presence, Chic-Fil-A recently launched a microsite (EatMoreChikin.com) which, according to clickz,

“…is the latest attempt by the restaurant chain to turn its cows — well-known from TV commercials — into viral marketing thoroughbreds. Its launch follows the company’s successful build-up of one of the biggest Facebook presences in the restaurant niche.

Are you already a fan of the cows? Then you’re in for a treat this holiday season because according to a recent PRNewswire release, Chic-Fil-A is offering the coveted 2010 edition of their annual cow-themed calendar featuring spoofs on famous works of literature to discourage burger-eating throughout the country. Titles include: Ali Barbacue, Porter Pan, Jack the Flipper and The Three Brisketeers among others. You can pick yours up for six bucks at participating restaurants or you can order online. It’s a nice offering that makes for a great stocking stuffer. Hey, chalk one up for old media.

According to a recent press release, Wisk laundry detergent has just come out with a new app called Wisk-it that allows you to clean up those embarrassing photos on Facebook with the click of a button. Wisk is a real detergent company that’s been around since 1956 and are famous for the “ring around the collar” TV campaign that was a big hit in the 1970’s. I recently did a video post about how an automobile company manufactured a detergent to help sell a sporty new line of car. But here, we have a detergent company manufacturing an app that helps you clean facebook of those pics you wish would just go away. I think it’s a brilliant way to reinforce brand values of a company that’s all about cleaning. Here’s how it works.

• Once installed, the user is offered a removal request to send to the photo’s owner, such as: “Are you serious? Please wash this one away!” “Where did you find that photo???” and “This photo has got to go!”

• Want to get more personal? Users are also provided with the option to personalize the removal request allowing them the forum to plead their case on why this photo should never have seen the light of day.

• Once the owner receives the removal message, he or she is prompted to install the WISK-IT application and “wash away” the compromising photo. Users are also offered the opportunity to search their friends’ photo albums that may include problematic snapshots.

• All Facebook users can invite their friends to “clean up” their own Facebook image with WISK-IT.

Want to try it out? Install it here at wisk-it.com or if you’re not in the mood to clean, sit back and relax by clicking on the video below.

The Brandsplat Video Report discusses what’s going on in the world of online branding and digital engagement. In this episode, Brandsplat takes a look at an innovative campaign that uses a skunk as a spokesperson who wants to help you clean up your act. Check it out by clicking on the video below.

The intelligent brand marketers are at it again at T.G.I. Fridays . Today they announcing “America’s Largest Halloween Party”.  What does that mean? It means if you trot on in to one of nearly 600 T.G.I. Fridays on October 29th from 9 p.m. to closing, you can get penny appetizers when you get your drink on at the bar. But that’s not all! If you’re a member of their “rewards program” (Give Me More SStripes ) you can get the same deal valid anytime of the day during the  “America’s Largest Halloween Party” promotion. I get why they are doing the promotion on a Thursday instead of Friday as people will most likely already have plans for going out on Halloween.

But it would have been nice and perhaps a better tie-in if they extended the promotion to Friday too. I mean, come on people! It’s called T.G.I. FRIDAYS, not T.G.I. Thursdays. Very perplexing and somewhat spooky if you ask me. To get the latest updates, you can follow T.G.I. Friday’s news on Facebook, Twitter @TGIFridaysNews, and YouTube.

I don’t know about you, but most days I pretty much sit on my cheeks all day long in front of the warm glow of my computer. But I may be doing less of that now considering the latest offering from the outdoor outfitter Timberland which just recently launched stayonyourfeet.com for their line of Timberland PRO workboots. This is no ordinary, dull, destination site. No, it’s more than that. This site offers visitors a leg up in these harsh economic times by offering a free job listing service. According to the site,

Through a partnership with CareerBuilder.com, workers can view job listings relevant to specific industries such as construction and manufacturing, and can also opt-in to receive text messages with job openings delivered in real-time.

The service ties right into the brand and offers visitors more than a hard sell. Another bonus for visitors is a promotion where you have the opportunity to enter a contest to win a free pair of Timberland PRO Endurance workboots by crafting a story of 150 words or less about your toughest day on the job. They’re giving away a free pair each week, and at the end of the contest a grand prize winner will receive receive a $1,000 American Express gift card and a pair of Timberland PRO® Endurance workboots for themselves and four lucky friends. You can bet I’ll spend a few extra hours in my chair vying for the top prize. Digital engagement of the campaign includes Twitter (@TimberlandPro), Facebook and YouTube, as well as local market radio and a TV push. So what are you waiting for? Get cumfy in your cushy office chair and get to work. For more information on the promotion visit: www.stayonyourfeet.com/giveaway

Your entire organization is going ga-ga over your hot new instructional video on how to manufacture a better widget without going overseas. Now it’s time to post it on the Internet so you can get it in front of a larger audience and put your brand name out there. Where you post your video is almost as important as what your video says. Do you post on YouTube or do you post on your company website? That’s the big question. Before deciding which route to take, weigh some of the pros and cons to help you decide what’s best for your company:

PROs FOR POSTING YOUR COMPANY VIDEO ON YouTube:

• YouTube instantly allows you to tap into a huge audience. YouTube gets literally billions and billions of video requests per month. How many visitors do you get to your site per month? Probably not nearly that.

• If you’re video is good enough, YouTube may feature your video on its homepage. This could mean exposure to more eyeballs than you ever dreamed possible, which puts a lot of pressure on how good your video really is.

• Youtube has some pretty cool analytics tools allowing you to collect data on who’s watching, how long they are watching, where they live etc. For more info on this subject, click here.

• No need to pay for extra bandwidth. YouTube keeps all videos on their servers which means that videos that suck up bandwidth won’t cost you a dime extra for server space.

CONS FOR POSTING YOUR COMPANY VIDEO ON YouTube:

• You can’t build link juice to your site by posting on YouTube. YouTube gets all the credit. This may change in the future, but for now, they ain’t sharing.

• If people are searching for your products or services online, by and large YouTube entries will rank lower than text-based sites. If your strategy includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO),  you may want to consider housing a transcript of your video in text format on your company site.

• Why relegate your video to just one network? There are lots of other distribution channels out there (although none as popular as YouTube). For more info on other channels, click here

• For more cons, visit “You Shouldn’t Use YouTube for Building YouLinks” on linkspiel.com

No matter which route you choose, know that digital video gives your company additional exposure and can ultimately produce a wider online footprint. Keep in mind that the content of your video is of importance. If you’re doing a viral video, you had better make sure it is entertaining enough that someone will want to pass it around. Make sure that your content fits your strategy for making a video. Digital video can be a big plus if you’re the only business in your industry who offers it. If this is the case, not only will your videos help you rank higher in the SERPs, but you’ll look like a more dominant player in your industry. So what are you waiting for Scorsese? Grab a camera and a megaphone and get ready to roll.

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I’ve seen a lot of shuffling of the decks at agencies over the last decade as many of them have attempted to transform the way they do business in the age of social media, search engine marketing, viral videos and all the rest that the digital age has bestowed upon us. If you’re a traditional ad agency, you either “get it” or you slowly fade into the background. One agency that proves time and time again that it “gets it” is Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Named Interactive Agency of the Year at the One Show in 2009, GSP has gotten quite a bit of attention both online and off with their latest opus. I came across the story in a post titled,  “Goodby Implores Ad executives to Embrace Change“. The post describes how  co-founder Jeff Goodby used the painting of his house as a platform to illustrate how his agency approaches communication in the age of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

I once had the good  fortune of being invited up to the shop in San Francisco just after graduating from a Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. What inspired me on that visit years ago was how the two founders, Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein, approached the day-to-day operations of the agency;  both were extremely passionate about the craft and creativity involved in their business and both approached advertising as if it were the greatest form of art in the world.  I remember having a half-hour conversation with Mr. Silverstein on the virtues of well-crafted typography in the hallway as he was passing by!

I digress. So it was no surprise to me when I came across the link in the above mentioned story for PoemHouse.org which demonstrated how Jeff Goodby used huge letters in exquisite type on the side of a Victorian house to get his message across.  When you visit the site you are welcomed with the following message,

“Could a house be a book? Would words be different if they were five feet high and printed on an emotional symbol of domesticity?

Is this idea a violation? And if so, is it a violation of the house or the words?

The home on Oak Avenue in St. Helena, California, is one of the most charming late Victorian houses in the Napa Valley. Built by a German family in 1892, it was at its birth a tribute to the optimism and elegance of what might be the most fertile time in English and American literary history - the era of Tennyson, Woolf, Eliot, Stevenson, London, and Bierce (the last three lived for a while in the Napa).

Here, in the summer of 2009, Oakland visual and media artist Jeff Goodby has covered the Oak Avenue house with a series of enigmatic words, set in a typeface designed in the 1760s by John Baskerville. The effect is a combination of Harry Potter and Andy Warhol and has challenged the meaning of home and book alike.’

The site was developed only after Mr. Goodby posted photos of his house idea on Facebook where it created a considerable amount of buzz.  Then all hell broke loose. Word spread like wildfire across the digital landscape. Word spread across the real world landscape too, and eventually got people off their butts and into the sunlight to rubberneck the house for themselves. Talk about driving traffic!  It’s a fine lesson on harnessing the power of the Interwebs with a simple, beautifully-crafted message. They make it look easy.

TGI Friday’s restaurants launched what could possibly be the first ever character-driven campaign crafted exclusively for Facebook. They also may be the first ever brand to hit their goals way ahead of schedule, prompting them to scramble and add an additional mound of give-aways to their already successful promotion. The combo of a promotion and social media is fast-becoming a way to instantly build a fan base at lightening speed. In a July 2009 post, I wrote about the hugely successful promotional give-away by Moonfruit, a website building company that gave away free Macbook Pro laptops. Now restaurants are getting into the act by giving away free food. Early in September, TGI Friday’s aired a YouTube video by a fictitious character named Woody. In the video, Woody claims to have made a bet with TGI Friday’s. Woody claimed that if he could deliver half a million fans on his Facebook page by Sept. 30th, “you get free burgers”. The campaign initially intended to give away half a million coupons good for a free Jack Daniel’s burger or Jack Daniel’s chicken sandwich redeemable at TGI Friday’s. However, when the campaign surpassed it’s goals in just 11 days, and with television commercials just starting to air, Woody fans cried like little babies. Not wanting to disappoint, an additional 500,000 burgers were added to the deal.

But if you haven’t already registered with an email address at Woody’s official Facebook page, you better git while the gitten’s good because the meat is going fast. Whether you like character-driven advertising or not, you have to give Publicis New York, the ad agency that helped create the campaign, some serious props for getting people to sign up in droves and so quickly. According to an article on clickz.com,

“the brand now has a presence with 900,000 consumers on the social media site. And there are still two weeks of ads and 300,000 free burgers to go.”

While some character-driven campaigns can be cheesy, the Woody character is a somewhat lovable goof ball, so you end up liking the kid. If you go on his Facebook page, the use of puns is so blatant, it makes you laugh. At least i did.  While I was fully aware that I was being advertised to, I let my guard down and ended up considering a trip down to my local TGI Friday’s. I think it’s good stuff. Especially if you like meat.