This past weekend, The Blog Workshop Conference 2013 (#TBWC13) took place – it was literally like any other conference you would attend in person as there were speakers, giveaways, interactive sessions with the attendees tweeting along the way.  Both Ryan and myself were given the opportunity to speak at two different sessions.  Ryan’s was on Saturday night for the session “Preparing yourself for advertising and pitching to brands/advertisers/sponsors” and I was on a different panel Sunday night talking about “Other ways to monetize your blogging efforts.”

PS – anyone that was able to catch my presentation also got to meet my kitty Jinx who had to do some of her own “speaking” during that session

Both Ryan and I received some great feedback from the conference attendees during our sessions – we love any opportunity we have to interact with Influencers!  Check out some of the Tweets we saw during our presentations below:

Marketers want funny, relatable, diverse content @crystalduncan of @izea speaking at #TBWC13

— The Blog Workshop (@TheBlogWorkshop) May 20, 2013

Great session, @crystalduncan from @izea! Just signed up… and nice to see a fellow FL girl. — Krystal (@KrystalS) May 20, 2013

Don’t forget Disclosure is not optional IT’S REQUIRED!!!! Great advice from @ryanschram from @izea#TBWC13

— Jaime Dubey (@sweetlipslover) May 18, 2013

Ryan was WONDERFUL!!!! LOTS OF GREAT INFO!!!!! Thank you Ryan from @izea #TBWC13 — Autumn~Bloggin Momma (@AutoFaerie) May 18, 2013

If you are an Influencer and you’re looking to gain some awesome knowledge from the comfort of your own home, I suggest checking out The Blogger Workshop.  They are a great resource for newbie Influencers and experienced Influencers alike – and trust me, Da Vinci is a rockstar and you’ll love getting to know her!

Thanks #TBWC13 – we can’t wait for next year’s conference!

SEO in Online Marketing

What we’re looking at here is the subject of online marketing, which has become more and more SEO-centric than ever before.There’s little disputing the fact that, these days, SEO is one of the most important tools of business marketing and online promotion. Understandable, given the fact that a top rank in Google can help any business hit it big practically overnight, while those at the bottom can expect the exact opposite.

Put together all of the above and you’d expect that some of the most remedial SEO lessons would have been learned, understood and acted upon by now, but that is not the case. Far from it. You need only look at the subject of link building to find out just how many businesses and providers on the market today are still flogging horses that died about six-feet from the starting gates. It’s time to accept that quantity alone simply won’t cut it anymore – quality is where it’s at.

Backlinks

Just a few short years ago, it became pretty clear that backlinks to any given website were looked upon favorably by Google and the other big players in the search engine world. This meant the more links you had pointing to your site, the better your site must be and, therefore, was worthy of higher rankings. Sadly, it didn’t take long before businesses and SEO providers started launching bogus sites and pages aplenty for no reason other than to upload thousands of fake backlinks and curry as much favor as possible. It worked, albeit for a short while, until those behind the scenes caught on to what was happening.

Fast forward to today, where each and every single link is being scrutinized to the highest extent by the powers that be. Not only will backlinks that lack credibility or are outright fakes earn zero credit for the site, they can also result in penalization and a swift plummet to the lower echelons of search ending rankings.

SEO Golden Rule

However, there are still hundreds of SEO services offering fully automated link building services that deliver nothing but quality, and businesses are putting their full trust in them. Any of the businesses blacklisted by Google are pretty much out of the running for good, proving that a cheap SEO campaign is not worth the risk. That’s one lesson that shouldn’t have to be learned the hard way, so take note and remember the new SEO golden rule: quality over quantity.

About the Author: Graham Brown is a former IT engineer who now offers SEO tutoring online with a specialism in link building tactics. He shares his home with his wife of three years and two monstrous dogs.

Last Wednesday night, Larry and I, took the team from GolinHarris to a rooftop Cubs game. The rooftop was outside of the stadium, just beyond the right field foul pole – what a great space! You could watch the game, have a beverage and hot dog and enjoy the sunset over the third base line – talk about a fantastic way to end the day. We had a blast getting to know our clients better and I was even able to teach Larry a few things about sports

Thursday night we took several Influencers out to the Planetarium – yup, the Planetarium! It was awesome!  The Adler Planetarium in Chicago has an event they call “Adler after Dark” on the third Thursday of every month where they stay open late and let those attending see awesome exhibits, movies and displays. We hung out in the bar area for a while so we could meet up with all our awesome IZEA peeps and then we wondered around to take in all the cool science stuff. My favorite thing was the movie we saw there – Cosmic Wonder. It was an interactive film that was projected on the ceiling and is animated to move all around so you almost feel like you’re on a roller coaster – I highly recommend seeing this if you can!

We met up with some of our awesome friends while we were there as well – want to see their thoughts on the event, check out some reviews from other friends that attended with us!  Thanks for hanging out with us Brigid Barjaktarevi from Now Showing! and Leah Turpin from Tin Roof, Rusted – we loved getting to see you!

Also, I almost forgot to mention how beautiful the Chicago skyline is at sunset – I took a few pictures but it doesn’t do it justice! Some of our other attendees snapped some good photos too, check them out!  Thanks Kris from LittleTechGirl and Leah for the awesome shots!

Keep your eyes on our blog for the next place we’ll be doing fun events – we can’t wait to meet all of you!

Attract Customers without Always Selling

It doesn’t matter what you sell, your blog can situate you as the expert in your industry. Write articles that answer customers’ questions or address issues they’re facing, even if those topics aren’t directly related to your product. For instance, your widgets might be popular with small business owners who have challenges with marketing on a small budget. So, write an informative article about ways they can come up with a killer marketing campaign. Make sure to include a paragraph that gives a general overview of widgets and why they’re great for marketing, and you’ll have successfully attracted small business owners without overtly selling or detailing your widget’s product specifications.

Now you’re getting some traffic to your blog and people are starting to notice you (and your widgets). The next step is to take a look at what else your customers need to know, keep writing more articles and, before you know it, you’re the industry expert – the go-to source for all things small business and widgets.

Write with Style, Panache and Personality

A corporate blog needn’t be…corporate. Jazz it up a little. Forgo the stuffy, boring, corporate-speak for a little sparkle and pop. Your customers don’t want to read about the last widget makers convention held in Akron, Ohio. Face it, you don’t even want to read about it and you were there.

Instead, write about the 10 craziest things to do with widgets or create an interesting infographic showing how Keanu Reeves revolutionized consumer widget use thanks to his epic movie The Matrix. Then, people will actually want to read what you’re writing and will flock to your blog in droves. It’s okay to have fun with your blog. In fact, it’s recommended. Life is too short to write articles about Akron, Ohio.

Write with SEO in Mind

If you don’t already know, SEO is often the key that drives traffic to your website. While it can certainly be mysterious for some new bloggers and small business owners, it’s not actually magic. Nope – SEO is all up to you. Incorporate SEO into every one of your articles by using Google’s Keyword Tool to find out what your customers are searching for and which terms they’re using to search.

After doing some research, ensure that your content has keywords in the title and throughout the copy in a natural way (no keyword stuffing or density required). These extra steps will help your content rank improve over time and ultimately bring in more long tail traffic that converts into customers!

With just these few tips you’ll soon be the widget industry expert, have entertaining articles and produce relevant content for search engines, all while compelling visitors to return again and again.

About the Author: Dustin Heap is a digital marketer at Signs.com, a custom sign shop that designs and produces signs, whether it’s a wall or window decal, yard sign or exterior banner for your small business.

Every couple of weeks we will share with you some of the SocialSpark campaigns running throughout our network that are hosting awesome giveaways. We’ll let you know what the giveaway items are and where you can go to enter. Super easy, right!?

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DIO PLACES

PRIZE: $100 Amazon Gift card

# OF AVAILABLE PRIZES: One (1) per Blog to giveaway so feel free to leave an entry on ALL the participating blogs!

ENTER AT:

1. Vintage Revivals
2. Shockingly Delicious
3. Home Stories A to Z
4. La Jolla Mom
5. Just A Girl Blog
6. I Heart Naptime
7. Today’s Creative Blog
8. The 36th Avenue
9. Joyful Abode
10. Somewhat Simple
11. B-Inspired Mama
12. Behind The Studio
13. Motherhood On The Rocks
14. Wardrobe Oxygen
15. Grosgrain Fabulous
16. Modpodge Rocks
17. Crafts By Amanda
18. Dollar Store Crafts
19. The Country Chic Cottage
20. Honey Bear Lane
21. Craft-O-Maniac
22. The Gunny Sack
23. Organize Your Stuff Now
24. Suzy’s Sitcom
25. A Turtle’s Life For Me
26. Inspiring Pretty
27. Amy New Nostalgia
28. The Happier Homemaker
29. Happy Hour Projects
30. The Excited Bride
31. Eclectic Recipes
32. They Smell
33. Blommi
35. Misc Finds 4 You
36. Mommy Gaga
37. Keeping It Simple Crafts
38. Make It Cozee
39. Jacolyn Murphy
40. Bella Alimento
41. Doughmesstic
42. Mom Dot Com

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Hosting a giveaway on your blog? Feel free to link it in a comment below!

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All the adorable cats, dogs, kittens, puppies, flowers, balloons, baby chimps, etc.– they can all FINALLY be put to use (because really, does anyone ever post any of that cuteness on regular days?)<—that is sarcasm, for those of you who might not be familiar with my posts here.  This weekend the internet and especially social media will be aflutter with sons, daughters, and grandchildren alike, all expounding their motherly love.  Here is just a taste of the kinds of things we all need to prepare ourselves to see…

When you think about it, when is it NOT a good time to commemorate motherhood and those who are mothers with images like these?

But, cuteness is not for everyone.  Some of you youngsters want to have a laugh with your mom on Mother’s Day. And, hey…you should!  Moms, by nature, have a sense of humor (moms would all be in the nut house if they DIDN’T have a funny bone).  So, if you want to go for a more humorous approach…

Or, maybe you want to go the modest route when celebrating mom…

The sky is the limit when celebrating your mom on the internet!  But let’s all band together and celebrate in real life too.  I am thinking breakfast in bed, followed by foot rubs, and chased with a toddler militia armed with cleaning supplies who plan to launch an attack on the house and all dust bunnies therein. (these are in no way suggestions to my husband who may or may not read this blog….except, you know, they are). Mostly, this is what I want NOT to happen on my own Mother’s Day…

How are you celebrating your mom this year? Or, if you are a Mom yourself, how do you want to be celebrated?  Thanks for sharing, and Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Mom Influencers and readers alike!!!

Despite what marketing gurus tell you, no method guarantees social marketing success. Even the most relevant online businesses are still experimenting with new strategies and evolving technology. That doesn't mean your business should be mindlessly throwing social media mud at the wall to see what sticks. These established businesses are thriving thanks in part to social marketing strategies.

Big Business

Entertainment provider Comcast recently completed its acquisition of NBC Universal for a tranquil $1.4 billion, according to Cnet.com. The Comcast brand has a pretty active presence on Twitter (almost 20,000 followers), on which it might encourage an offer for Comcast at Cable.tv, but its real focus is promoting its new property, NBC. The peacock has more than a quarter million followers on Twitter and more than 400,000 "Likes" on Facebook. The brand's Twitter account features several posts a day, generally promoting upcoming shows. Each show also has its own social media presence as well.

Rather than trying to identify potential consumers and fans of different shows under one umbrella. Comcast broke its property into various social media outlets. It doesn't cost a thing to break your social media presence into different handles. If your fans or consumers are diverse, don't be afraid to make sub-accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.

Medium Business

Entrepreneur Magazine declared Texas-based technology firm AMX one of the best medium businesses to work for in 2011, citing ping-pong tables and sand volleyball courts among the perks. AMX's work culture is ongoing and forward-thinking, as is its social media presence. AMX operates an extremely busy social media presence, often replying to a follower retweet with a straightforward "Thanks for the RT." With over 500 employees, AMX doesn't seem to be desperate for customers, but it tweets as often as many vulnerable adolescents. That's not necessarily a terrible thing either. Most followers gaze over these superfluous tweets without much thought, but AMX gains a significant connection with each personal recipient. AMX behaves similarly on Facebook, where it responds to consumer comments freely and frequently.

It doesn't cost anything to send a personalized tweet to a customer, but it can generate thousands of dollars worth of income.

Small Business

Located in Tempe, Arizona, gourmet popcorn supplier Poppa Maize has a tall task ahead of it: transform the perception of popcorn from movie-theater treat to daily snack. New technology is playing a vital role in the rebirth of this past time. Poppa Maize follows more than 1,609 people on Twitter. That's almost double the number of users who follow Poppa Maize. The point: people aren't flocking to this small business's Twitter feed, but Poppa Maize is reaching out to these potential customers. If nothing else, small businesses can use social media to build brand awareness.

About the Author: Sharon Willis is an entrepreneur who looks for new ways to pitch business ideas and get new fans. She does all of her ranting and raving about entrepreneurial guidance from her home in Adelaide.

On the precipice of this auspicious and solemn holiday I first wanted to dive into the holiday’s history.  What exactly is it we are celebrating on Cinco De Mayo?  I thought that this called for an office poll.  Here are the results when you send out a company wide email that says “What is celebrated on Cinco De Mayo? quick…GO!” in no particular order:

• Margaritas
• Tacos
• “Some kind of independence”
• “Alcohol. Isn’t that why we celebrate every holiday?”

  
  (Thanks for the gif Stephanie! It really illustrated your point.)

• Tequila
• Mexicans
• And then, this…

Clearly, IZEAn people enjoy some provisions and libations in their celebration of Cinco De Mayo.  Celebration and merry-making for its own sake certainly has a place.  And in my experience, Cinco’s place resides in the realm of frivolity at its best. But let’s take to the interwebs and check out the history of the day before we tip our glasses this year!

Here is what History.com had to say about this day in history:

“Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.”

And here is the Urban Dictionary version of events:

1. “This started out as a tragedy in the late eighteenth century. It is a well known fact that mexicans love mayonnaise. A large steam tanker of this condiment was crossing the gulf of mexico from Florida when a large storm occurred, sinking the tanker. The horrified mexicans witnessed this and named the day of the sinking, May 5, a national holiday of drowning their worries with corona.

‘O No-o! Did-o your hear-o about the cinco de mayo??!!’ “.

2. “the alcoholic’s version of the holiday known as Cinco de Mayo, a holiday held on May 5 that commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Pedro: I had an 18 pack of Coronas on Cinco de Mayo, homes.

Juan: You mean Drinco de Mayo, esse.”**

Oh, Urban Dictionary…what would we do without your wealth of knowledge?

So, this year, before you go out and line the pockets of tacqueria and tequila bar owners nationwide…tell us how YOU celebrate! ¡Salud!

Every couple of weeks we will share with you some of the SocialSpark campaigns running throughout our network that are hosting awesome giveaways. We’ll let you know what the giveaway items are and where you can go to enter. Super easy, right!? .

.
DIO PLACES

PRIZE: $100 Amazon Gift card

# OF AVAILABLE PRIZES: One (1) per Blog to giveaway so feel free to leave an entry on ALL the participating blogs!

ENTER AT:

1. Vintage Revivals
2. Shockingly Delicious
3. Home Stories A to Z
4. La Jolla Mom
5. Just A Girl Blog
6. I Heart Naptime
7. Today’s Creative Blog
8. The 36th Avenue
9. Joyful Abode
10. Somewhat Simple
11. B-Inspired Mama
12. Behind The Studio
13. Motherhood On The Rocks
14. Wardrobe Oxygen
15. Grosgrain Fabulous
16. Modpodge Rocks
17. Crafts By Amanda
18. Dollar Store Crafts
19. The Country Chic Cottage
20. Honey Bear Lane
21. Craft-O-Maniac
22. The Gunny Sack
23. Organize Your Stuff Now
24. Suzy’s Sitcom
25. A Turtle’s Life For Me
26. Inspiring Pretty
27. Amy New Nostalgia
28. The Happier Homemaker
29. Happy Hour Projects
30. The Excited Bride
31. Eclectic Recipes
32. They Smell
33. Blommi
35. Misc Finds 4 You
36. Mommy Gaga
37. Keeping It Simple Crafts
38. Make It Cozee
39. Jacolyn Murphy
40. Bella Alimento
41. Doughmesstic
42. Mom Dot Com

.
.  

Hosting a giveaway on your blog? Feel free to link it in a comment below!

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You Know Your Brand Is Over When…

The economy destroys your viability. Not all businesses or individuals can survive recessions, depressions or seismic shifts in the value of the American dollar. A business brand may start operating in the red or, as an individual, you may be downsized, fired or left with a shrinking client list.

Your fans desert you. Every business has that loyal customer base that is always there through thick and thin – except when that base jumps ship and decides to patronize new businesses that are cooler than yours. Tastes change. Fads die. Ask Polaroid and Blockbuster.

Your image is boring and outdated. Ideally, a brand image can last for decades, even generations, with nary a touch-up. However, as technology, styles and techniques change and improve, classic images and ways of marketing your business may seem passé and old-fashioned. Your business can still compete, but not without a drastic makeover.

The Plan

Hire a branding specialist and reintroduce yourself. Re-design your logo, slogan and other brand elements to make them fresher and more attractive. Create new products and services that can update your repertoire. Put together a new team to revitalize how your company delivers your services and marketing to ensure they appeal to a contemporary audience and take advantage of the latest technology and practices.

Discover your specialty. What are you especially good at and what new business can make good use of your past experience and whatever loyal customers and clients remain? To determine that, reflect on your training, certifications, classes taken, natural talents, acquired skills and passions. Consider the times you’ve excelled in the past and the times people have complimented you on your efforts. These may give clues about what your next venture and brand should be. Be sure to identify things you didn’t like about the failing brand and business, and avoid echoing these traits during your reinvention.

Create a step-by-step guide of common essential tasks to undertake. Brands can’t be haphazardly put together. Study the market and who is dominating it so you’ll know your competition. Get whatever training or licensure necessary. Find and hobnob with at least one reliable mentor in your new field who can guide you and help you avoid pitfalls. Decide on location, leasing options, suppliers and other partners for your network.

Then, craft brand elements that capture the dynamism and philosophy of your new business, capturing how your unique perspective empowers your business. Debut your brand through special events, large scale ad campaigns and sponsorships. Taking these steps in the proper order can mean the difference between a successful reinvention and another failure.

Take an oath to innovate. Brands fail when they don’t adapt to the fluctuations of the marketplace. There are always hints about the future of any niche, and often those hints lie in the shifting of customer desires, interests and demands. Cultivate a brand known for its sensitivity to those evolutionary shifts. Don’t wait for others in your niche to set the trajectory; roll out new and creative offerings. Be the brand that challenges the status quo by specializing in product innovation within your niche.

About the Author: Denise Wilson specializes in writing about brand innovation and brand reinventing at Cloverleaf Innovation, LLC.