Good Click, Bad Click

Online advertising could get very pricy. In one of my previous posts I had shared that one of the YouTube videos I posted for my business generated 13K hits. This is great, many would say. But that is not necessarily true. Without through analysis it is hard for me to truly understand how meaningful those hits are.  

 Let’s say all of the hits were bogus. Someone chose to post the video as part of advertising for their site. Selling a completely different idea than what the video was intended for.

Suppose rather then posting the video for free, I signed up for the pay for clicks advertising. Taking a reasonable minimum, I offered 15¢ for each click. The price range for items I offer for sale ranges from $6.99 up to $150.00.

 My advertising fee for my goods based on the above scenario would be as follows:

 13,000 hits X 15¢ = $1950.00

 On average per month the sales total has been $3,000. If you minus other expenses, I end up with a monthly profit of about $2,500. Additionally, the few hits that had been generated off this campaign may have been purchases of lower priced items or transaction was not completed. So my advertising campaign cost was 78% of my profit and it resulted in not too many worth while sales.

 Let’s take a different scenario. I stay with free video posting. Now any clicks or sales generated from my free advertising are great, because they no longer cut into my profit. I have posted about 25 videos, all offering same type of product. While one of the videos has 13K clicks the others only get 135, 200 or at most 1000 visits.

 There is an unknown here that makes one video more popular than the other. I had tried changing the keywords, tags and category association. I still did not get the same level of publicity. There is something driving this advertising of some of the videos posted, making them stand out from the rest.

I would like to be able to run statistics to further understand the differences. It would be great to have reports on how many times the link to the video was shared, what other sites have been embedding it, the paths taken and if there is a higher flow during some periods of time. This detailed analysis would help better figure out what is driving the traffic and also if this is the kind of traffic that I would want. It is possible for some of my other videos to receive less clicks but to generate more meaningful sales. Again, studying the data would help me put together better campaigns.

Incidentally, there are sites that charge a monthly fee to view the statistics and analytics of keywords, visit paths and referral sites of your linked accounts. The monthly fee ranges, and can be high. However, even the highest fee that I have seen so far is less than $1950 dollars. Many range between $9.99 – $100 dollars.  The cost is more than worth the benefit it will bring in.

Social Network Sites Bridge The Gap between Generations

I remember as a teenager walking next to my dad. I was wearing my sweatshirt inside out and my socks were of different color. It was also a hobby of mine and many others in my generation to buy larger clothing, so my hand could be completely lost within my sleeve. 

“Ready to go?” My Dad had asked me

“Yep” I replied

“I asked are you ready to go?!!?” He raised his voice

“Yep” I repeated, more loudly this time.

He got annoyed with me and asked if I could stop mocking him and say either “Yes” or “No”. He then went on to criticize that my shirt was inside out and way too large, that I had worn un-matching socks and that I am very disrespectful when speaking with him. Over the years we had many more of these types of misunderstandings. They led to quite a struggle on both sides, and lasted probably until I was an adult with my own children.

 The other day my daughter and I exchanged the following text messaging:

“Mom, lol, crazy day at school”

“Oh yeh what happened”

“Will tell you once I’m in, total omg”

“Can’t wait”

“I opened another level on angry birds”

“That’s gr8, I am still on level 4. Maybe you can help when you get in :)”

“Okie, see ya”

“see ya!”

 My daughter and I are at about the same age right now that my Dad and I were when our conversation took place. She goes to school with two different colors socks, and it doesn’t bother me one bit. When she speaks or texts she uses similar abbreviations that I use when talking to my friends. We are both interested in video games and are part of the same social networks. Both of us get excited over a new episode of Waverly Place or iCarly. The other day I told her about a new video the “Big Bang” that Miley Cyrus is in. She looked it up on YouTube and we both agreed that it’s pretty cool. On Facebook I post on her account and she does the same on mine. We challenge each other to games and have plenty to talk about at a dinner table. It seems like that awkwardness that my Dad and I had while around each other simply doesn’t exist. Our worlds are much more linked together.  

Another interesting aspect is my parents joining social networks as well. Mom likes to play the games and Dad enjoys reconnecting with some old friends. When we meet our chats are now centered mostly about the different activities on the sites we visit

 Today, my daughter was very excited about her Grandma joining Facebook. She quickly added her as a friend and was eager to show her all her classmates, pictures she posted and games she likes to play.  I enjoyed watching the two of them laughing, heads linked together, one gray and one blond. At that moment it was as if there really was no difference in their age.

Through the use of avatars and calling everyone a friend, social networks had managed to bridge the generation gaps. At the end we are all just friends.

Small Business Big Mistakes

For most small businesses with a very limited advertising budget the Internet is a godsend but for some it is nothing but a money pit. Setting up an advertising campaign has never been easier. However, not everyone knows how to effectively use the tools available.

 When I started out in my small retail business, I made a small investment in pay per click advertising through Google AdWords. Even with the minimum amount per click I could not believe how quickly my funds were being depleted. I was getting clicks alright but no sales. I was going to try to launch other ads with sites such as Facebook and YouTube. However, my initial experience turned me off so much that I would never fully set them up.

Advertising is very important, especially in retail. I knew I had to find another way. So I searched for cheaper methods. Luckily I found that there were other outlets available to me. I used the following techniques, and they are 100% free other than the time I invested in them:

•  I opened a Facebook Account under the business name and set up an information page. I posted regularly regarding the my business, new products, sales and special events.
• I set up a YouTube channel and posted videos showcasing the items I sell. Some of the videos have generated over 13K views
• I also started a blog, further detailing store happenings.
• I added the store to Twitter and watched my followers grow.
• I also added a link to the store asking customers to subscribe to my newsletter or sales events

 All of the above created keywords that were picked up by search engines such as Google and Yahoo further adding to the popularity of my store. In reviewing my site’s traffic analytics I was easily able to track which sites refereed the most customers to my stite. These free methods have generated much consumer recognition and sales for me. I have been at my business for over three years now and it is prospering.

 What I had also learned is that there is a huge client potential for my business that I am leaving on a table. Although, these free methods have been working well for me I would like to further expand and grow my store. As of right now I am trying many different things as long as they are free, I am basically making a lot of guesses and hoping they will work. Some do and some don’t. I probably end up wasting a lot of time in the process.  My marketing strategies could be greatly enhanced if I had better analysis of the social and business networks my business interacts with.

 There are a few tools in the market that promise to offer this more in-depth analysis of the on-line environment. However they are either costly; only available to marketing firms which charge a lot for their services or do not allow for the customizations I would need.

There is a new tool called Social Report that is just hitting the market. It has been compared to Google Analytics except that it works with social networks. Preliminary research shows that it might be just what I am looking for, here are some screen shots:

 My per click advertising experience would have been a lot more positive, if more information was available to me at the time of my ad campaign set up. Many sites offer the ability to quickly set up paid advertising. Almost none of them provide you with a research or training needed for an effective campaign. If you are just starting out don’t be fooled into thinking that all your paid advertising will generate the desired results.

  I would rather spend my limited advertising budget on research necessary to identify my target audience than a shot in a dark pay per click promotion.

Mixing Business and Pleasure

During a day off (planned vacation day) I signed on to my Facebook account. I was amazed at how many of my co-workers and friends were on line. Now I am pretty sure that the rest of them did not have a day off.

Unless one works for a company where being on the internet or on social network during a work day is required, most companies are opposed to their employees’ on line time. Nevertheless, many of us find a moment and sometimes longer to check our messages, stock performance, browse through an album and to reply to other’s posts. We do this fully understanding that it is grounds for expulsion. Even in today’s rough and unstable economy we are not afraid to take a risk of being caught red handed going against company policy.

I believe one of the reasons for this is because such a majority of us do it. It is not uncommon for our bosses to surf the net or for a security guard that is set up to monitor employee on line conduct. If at first we are timid, we quickly overcome this as we see others do it. Other employees that have been with a company for many years, and are still there regardless of how much time they had logged in to their Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Finance or YouTube account.

In the past I had received messages from my co-workers during work hours asking to check out a video. It is especially common during a Football Season or World Cup. Everyone understands that money is invested based on the game scores. Why would your boss mind, he too is in a pool.

We are plugged with a wrong sense of security. Going from job to job we rely on many of the workforce cultures to be the same. We bring over our hobbits formed with our previous employer to the new one, not realizing that the tolerance for slacking off is growing thin. In todays market your skill sets are easily replicable. Many of us had lost jobs due to outsourcing, a right out of college recruit or a more seasoned professional willing to work for a lot less money than they are worth. It is more important than ever to become aware that companies can no longer afford to pay top dollar salaries to maintain a workforce who’s every moment while on payroll is not job focused. In fact many employees are asked to stay and work extra hours at no additional cost.

More and more tools are being built to track your online activities. You might not be changing your hobbits, but your employer is. In the future there will be a lot more cracks down on anyone that surfs the net during company time. It is no longer based on the type of sites you visit. An employer has every right to fire you if they believe and have proof that you are not spending your work time in accordance with your job description.

In today’s age we are all more or less on-line junkies. It is difficult for us to just stop when the internet is at a tip of our fingers. The best I would recommend is to invest into cell phones and purchase an internet plan. I still don’t think it’s a good idea to surf during work hours, even if at this time your cell phone activity is not being tracked by your employer. It will give you an out to get to your important e-mails or football scores. Just think of it as going out for a smoke break. Again, be aware that you might work for a “No Smoking” company, and they will not look kindly on you leaving the office for frequent 5 minute breaks.

Below slide show illustrates some statistics on how many of us are on the internet while at work. I found it very interesting.

Why you shouldn’t cancel your Social Network Membership

In chatting with some of my friends it has come to my attention that a few of them find that the safest protection is to be completely off the social network sites.

I agree that is safer, but not at all necessary. Plus if your reason to cancel is to avoid exposure, I don’t think it will help. You might be tagged in a picture or video that your friend posted, or you might be referenced on a message board. Googling your name often is a good idea. The search results provide a quick insight to public information about you. If you find something inappropriate, you can locate the culprit and ask them to delete anything you are not comfortable with.

            Knowing about the potential dangers and finding ways to moderate on-line behavior is the key. There are many benefits to your social network membership that you shouldn’t have to miss out on. Here are a few of them:

• Sites like Linked In offer great opportunities for people to keep in touch and build their professional network. Professional social network sites bring together not just past connections but it is a quick way for recruiters or direct employers to research your credentials and offer you a job opportunity. Another benefit to staying connected with your peers is having an insight to the competition. Knowing how you compare to others in your field is a great way to determine how competitive your skill set is and if an update is needed.
• Sites like eHarmony and Match.com provide a great service in helping people to find a connection both romantically and as friends. Many more people are finding matches that are based on compatibility and honest sharing.
•  Sites like YouTube allow us to express and share our creativity through short film. Videos where we are either the producer or a star. Each individual is able to create a channel that further shows their interest through a collection of videos of famous bands, old movies, TV shows, cartoons and many more.
•  Sites like Facebook and MySpace provide an environment that allows us to stay connected with our childhood friends, family members that have moved away and other friends made along the way. Other than the daily posts, these sites also offer opportunities to reach a large audience with important messages about environment or politics.
• Our children are introduced to social networks through the imaginary worlds of Webkinz, BuildABear, Club Penguin or PetShops. At an early age they learn about being responsible for their pets, making friends and playing mind challanging games. As parents we hope that this exposure will build their problem solving skills and will help them evolve into kind and caring youngsters. 

 

There are many other social network sites out there than referenced above. Each one has a unique model and offers great opportunities to their members. It is possible to enjoy all these benefits and still keep your personal information secured.

My Kids Are Part of My Network

My daughter and I had made a deal that if she were to finish two novels of my choosing, she will be rewarded with her very own Facebook account. She is only 10 years old, but for the past year she has been begging to join her friends on Facebook.

Now that she is finally on, her network consists of over 50 connections. Kids from her grade, Girl Scout troop or other children she had met during our summer vacations. All of these kids’ ages range anywhere from 9 years old to 14 years old.

I have been on Facebook for over a year now. During this time I have received friend requests from classmates, coworkers, friends that I see every week, family members mine and my husband’s, recruiters, even an ex-tenant and recently my daughter and her friends. Additionally, I had selected to follow community and business pages that are of interest to me. I signed up for a few games and get daily horoscope updates. Up until now I had been accepting every friend or site request and growing my network, without worrying much about what posts, videos or photos I am linked with. After all we are all adults here (WRONG!)

With my daughter joining I now feel like I have a brand new responsibility to ensure that she is not exposed to anything inappropriate based on my activities or those I am connected to.  I am concerned that she or her friends may pick ideas or topics out of my posts or those from my friends that they are just not yet ready for.

People join social networks for many different reasons. My daughter joined because she was looking for easy chats with her friends, girly quizzes and fun games. Others are on it because it’s a great source to advertise their businesses or ideas. Some because it offers a way to meet other people both for personal and professional reasons. Social networks also offer an easy gateway to reach out to broad audience.

What ever the reason one joins a social network, unfortunately the information that we are exposed to is not limited and may not fully be controlled. With our children being part of the network, the desire to monitor their social exposure becomes even more important.

It’s not just the strangers that I need to watch out for, but it is also my actions that could create an unpleasant environment for my kids. I would love to just cancel my daughter’s account and keep her strictly on Barbie.com. Unfortunately, too many of her peers are now on Facebook, MySpace or YouTube. No longer satisfied with the pre-defined messages of BuildABear or WebKinz our children are ready to evolve into the next generation of chat and social connection. My daughter was very excited about being able to post on my wall. I see a lot of great value for our new connection, but it also worries me.

I appreciate any thoughts or suggestions, from other concerned folks out there. Do you find that your behavior on social networks should somehow be modified now that your kids are part of your network?