Nile Marketing - Outsource Marketing

Outsource Marketing :

In today’s day and age, where the ever advancing world of technology has opened the door for a more specialized workforce, outsource marketing has become an essential aspect of a business plan. Whether you have an in house marketing department or not, your organization can benefit from outsource marketing services.

Benefits of Outsource Marketing :

Reduces Overhead :

The cost of outsourcing an individual is less that hiring an employee that will need a salary plus office items like a computer, desk and benefits. There will be times where it would cost more per hour for an employee to complete a task than an outsourced party.

Specialized Personnel :

Online marketing, social media and online advertising have opened the doors for a more tailored workforce. There is so much to know and learn and one person can’t master it all. By outsourcing, you can hire a highly qualified person for each piece of a project and get more bang for your buck.

Unique Perspective :

Since an outsourced staff is unaware of any internal politics, their ideas are fresh and not tainted, bias or prejudice. They are free to work in an uncluttered environment and not be slowed down by any internal processes. Outsourced individuals are also known for being creative, risk takers and out-of-the-box thinkers.

Analytic Reports :

Most outsource marketing firms will provide analytical results for services like search engine optimization (SEO), social media and pay per click (PPC) campaigns. This is their way of showing you how the services are benefiting your business. It’s also a way of knowing which services need to be tweaked to get your business a better return on investment (ROI).

Improved Efficiency :

Since the individual or agency you’ve hired is fully dedicated to one particular task and project, they can be highly efficient. They are not being pulled in different directions like an in house marketing person might be.

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Nile Marketing - What is Internet Marketing ??

What is Internet Marketing ??

Also know as online marketing, it is a mix of strategies and tactics to brand your company and make it popular within the correct target audience. For most companies, traditional marketing is no longer enough. More and more consumers are online and companies need to go where their customers are shopping.

Internet marketing has several branches that intertwine to maximize the reach of the campaign. Whether your business needs only a local audience or national, internet marketing can target your exact market to get your brand in front of the right shoppers.

Website Design :

Your site has to be built in a way that search engines can crawl it. This is one of the ways you can improve your organic rankings. If search engines can’t find your site, chances are neither can your potential customers.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) :

Another component to answer your question, what is internet marketing, is SEM. This piece is actually composed of two parts – organic rankings and pay-per-click (PPC) ads.

You have to make sure your content is search engine optimized to further improve your organic rankings. Content must be relevant to your product and services and must also be keyword rich.

A PPC campaign runs ads that are typically seen at the top and right hand side of a search engine results page. These ads are targeted by keywords to appear on internet pages once a consumer has searched for those keywords.

Social Media :

This is a way for your company to fully engage with your audience using platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Social media gets your name out there, lets you easily blast out promotions or sales to millions and allows you to speak one-on-one with consumers.

Email Campaigns :

Email campaigns are a simple way to stay in contact with your audience. You can send a welcome email, promotional email and even emails designed to bring old customers back.

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Nile Marketing - The Importance of an SEO Audit

The Importance of an SEO Audit :

When was the last time you did and SEO audit of your website? If you haven’t done an audit, then you don’t really know which aspects of your site need to be optimized. If you don’t have a solid SEO foundation on your site today, any money you invest on improvements from here on out might be in vain.

The results of an SEO audit can help you plan your next steps to improve your site’s performance. Then and only then can you properly plan an effective online marketing campaign that will improve your organic rankings, drive traffic to the correct pages and you will improve your return on investment (ROI).

The most effective time to do an SEO audit is when you are planning to build a site, after a site redesign, if you see an issue with your search engine ranking or as an annual check-up. An online marketing firm will not only assist you with the audit but also implement a cleanup plan to improve your site.

Below is a list of some of the information you will gain from an SEO audit:

● Analytics – Your site should be tied to an analytics platform like Omniture so you can gather reports on a routine basis.

● Blog – The content on a blog should be relevant and should be updated frequently.

● Content – Your content needs to be keyword rich, relevant and updated often.

● Domain Name – Your domain name should have targeted keywords that are relevant to your product and services.

● Duplicate Content – Search engines frown upon websites that have the same content on more than one page on a site.

● External Links – Your site should link to quality sites to improve your credibility.

● Internal Links – Your content needs to link to relevant content on other pages of your site.

● Meta Data – Each page on your site needs to include meta data that is focused on the keywords used on that page.

● Navigation of the Site – Your site need to be structured in a way that is easy for your customers to use and for the search engines to crawl.

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Nile Marketing - 10 Things Most SEO Consultants Hate

10 Things Most SEO Consultants Hate :

Having spent over ten years as an SEO consultant, I’ve gathered a list of “top ten challenges” (or, as I think of them, my pet peeves) about the industry and our clients.

I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences to share with our community. I’ll go first, and list out 10 things that challenge and push SEO consultants to come up with their very best efforts.

1. Fascination With Quick Fixes :

Our clients, normally savvy business owners, are strangely driven by the urge for “quick fixes” in their SEO. Even though they understand the complexity of SEO and the potential benefits from getting it right, many just want a quick win.

My clients are evaluated on their quarterly or annual results. Even though my convincing pitch with fact-based reasoning demonstrates that they will double revenue from organic search by taking a long-term approach and working on a 24- to 36-month timetable, I still see resistance. They don’t like this. They want faster results. They prefer 12 month horizons.

Often, I’ll get anxious client emails before board meetings. They’ll break down our organic traffic goal into a 12-monthly figure, get pretty graphs drawn, and then discover (to their dismay) that the traffic we’re receiving is nowhere near what we “agreed upon at our initial discussion.”

Businesses should understand that organic search is important, and it cannot be rushed. Quick fixes may deliver quick wins, but it is unreal to expect them to be sustained and long-lasting.

2. ”But My Competition Does…”

One of the toughest questions I’ve had to field begins with, “My competitors are doing _____ , so why can’t I?”

Many sites ignore Google’s guidelines and exploit loopholes in the search giant’s algorithms. They indulge in practices like shady link-building, exact match domains, ranking on duplicate content, and so on. In the near term, sometimes, these techniques help them outrank other businesses.

As an SEO consultant, I get frustrated at hearing Google’s never-ending string of (rarely implemented) rosy promises and dire threats to discourage webmasters against such practices.

In Norway, we have 5 million citizens. That isn’t many. But when I’m responsible for SEO strategy at some of the biggest, highest-traffic sites in the country, I am frequently left red-faced at Google’s lack of effective responses to such under-handed and crooked tricks to game search rankings. My personal opinion is that Google isn’t quite good at filtering out low-quality content in Norway. Even when I report poor-quality sites, nothing happens.

There are times when I even feel sorry for my clients. Their competitors have been using tricky techniques for years, and yet nobody stops them or penalizes them for such actions. They make a lot of money through their shenanigans. On the other hand, my clients are practicing ethical and white-hat SEO, adopting best practices and respecting guidelines, only to find themselves outranked by low-quality sites. It’s frustrating for SEO consultants. Have you ever felt the same, or had similar experiences?

3. The Conundrum of “Hourly Rates” :

So, I’m called to bid on an SEO consulting project. I make a presentation, hand over my proposal… and a few days or weeks later, my prospective client will call to complain that my hourly rate is too high. They love everything else about my proposal, but try to negotiate a lesser rate, saying that my competitors claim they can do it at a lower price.

Well, that’s true. They can. And it’s because they have a different approach and attitude toward SEO. Instead, wouldn’t it be nice when clients look at how much more money I’m going to add to their bottom-line? At how quickly I can help them achieve their financial goals and targets? At how effectively I can help them grow their business?

Look, a good SEO consultant is so much more than just a technical specialist. A great SEO consultant is excellent with analytics. Armed with access to valuable data, a consultant can help with your business development needs, guiding you grow your business in new ways. It is meaningless to evaluate such value by “hourly rates,” yet we see it all the time. How do you deal with it?

4. SEO Cannot Compensate For A Poor Product :

SEO can’t fix everything. I know that’s contrary to industry-driven myths, but hey! If your product, service or customer care are mediocre or just not “awesome,” you should fix that first before you call in the SEO guy (or gal) to get you more traffic.

SEO can amplify your business results. If you have a great offer which adds value to people, SEO will help you expand your reach and help many more people while making a bigger profit.

5. Learn To Say “No” More Often :

I should follow my own advice! Sometimes I get a bad feeling when a prospective client calls for a meeting. Maybe he wants to switch agencies for the 3rd time in 2 years. He isn’t happy with his present SEO vendor, or recently had a confrontation, and so, wants to change consultants.

I’ve often found that these clients are impatient, frustrated, and difficult to work with. Any trivial thing can affect their behavior and attitude toward their SEO consultant. A sleepless night, a bad quarter, a rough review by their boss, and they’ll impulsively leap to random conclusions, second-guessing your judgment, and blaming everyone but themselves.

It’s a bad situation to be in, as a consultant. Such a client’s attitude can drain your motivation and mess up your mood. You have to promptly break off these relationships. Say “No” when you see it coming. Cry “Stop” when it begins with an existing client.

Yes, you may lose an account. But it’s still the right decision. Keeping on “energy vampires” as clients can have devastating consequences on the rest of your consulting business.

6. An Obsession Over Hit-Counters :

People love “hit counters.” Ok, maybe hit counters isn’t the right way to describe this. But, many clients still place disproportionate emphasis on page views, search rankings and other such low-quality KPIs (key performance indicators).

None of these correctly reflect your business’ performance. You need to focus on the right KPIs. Ones that are actionable, and which contribute directly to bottom-line profitability. Those are the ones you seek to improve through your SEO strategy.

In many clients’ eyes, ranking is still king. But, SEO consultants understand that a site’s placement in the SERPs is only a rung in the ladder to business success. Without an acceptable conversion rate, more sales and higher profit as a consequence, even a #1 ranking on Google will be worthless.

7. SEO Is Still Icing On The Cake :

A few business owners cherish a naive belief in the ability of SEO to transform everything and magically create results. So, they put off consulting an SEO expert until everything else is ready with their website development.

Unfortunately, when this poorly planned and constructed site generates sub-optimal results, fixing it will need expensive changes. It’s far better to involve an SEO consultant right from the planning phase so that all aspects of your commercial website will work in harmony and synchronize with other elements to deliver stellar results.

8. IT Consultants Can Fix Everything :

It still amazes me that my family will call whenever they have trouble with their printer, PC, mobile phone, scanner, or have a virus problem — just because I’m an “IT Consultant.” Sometimes, they’ll even call for help with their TV, cable connection, or satellite dish!

It’s the same story at work, too. Clients don’t see a difference between a Web designer, Web developer, paid search expert, or SEO consultant. They figure that “If you’re an IT manager, you should be able to fix everything that runs on electricity.” Well, that’s not how it works!

9. ”Content Is Easy” :

Sorry, it’s not. Unless all you need is to fill in some white space with text and stuff it with keywords.

Time and again, I hear clients saying they can handle content by themselves. I no longer go into raptures of delight when clients say they have a “good copywriter or writer on their staff.” Rarely, if ever, do those writers have a good understanding of SEO.

Whenever I’ve relied on these “inside experts,” I’ve been disappointed and ended up having to teach them how to do what’s needed. That also cuts into my SEO budget, wasting time that’s better spent on other SEO tasks. Does this sound familiar?

10. Getting Paid Per Link :

When the SEO discussion turns to link building, the issue of buying links crops up. In the aftermath of Google’s Penguin update, it’s weird to even hear that businesses dare buy links from people offering “pay per link” deals.

This is risky, and I always turn down such requests from clients. But, some still go ahead with shady or black-hat link building techniques, and then blame SEO consultants when the ax falls on their business’ head.

So there. These are my pet peeves about being an SEO consultant. I’m sure there are many others you’ve faced in your career. Please go on and share them in the comments below. Let’s get some discussion going on these vexing problems and talk about how to solve them.

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Nile Marketing - Where can You get SEO Training ??

Where can You get SEO Training ??

Becoming a search engine optimization (SEO) expert means getting your SEO training from different avenues. The world of SEO is ever changing, so you will have to study or read up on the subject matter on an ongoing basis. Keeping up with the new SEO algorithms that come out will allow you to tailor your style quickly to keep your site’s rankings high. Below are some ways to get your SEO training in gear.

Marketing Degree :

Most universities and colleges offer a degree in marketing. Although most degrees in that field deal with what’s known as traditional or print marketing, more and more schools are teaching online marketing techniques. You can bet your marketing degree will require courses for SEO.

Online Articles :

Do your online research and fish out the best sites and blogs that cover SEO topics. Check back regularly and sign up for alerts so you can read every article there is on SEO. As stated earlier, SEO is always changing so you can bet you will have a new article to read a week. Here are two SEO worthy sites to get you started – Search Engine Land and Matt Cutts’ blog

Books :

There are a million books on SEO out there to keep you reading for years, so keep your iPad or Nook charged. Once you find some SEO blogs to follow, they will recommend some books to read. Here are a couple to get you on the road – The Art of SEO by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin & Jessie Stricchiola and SEO Warrior by John I. Jerkovic.

Attend Seminars :

If you have the means or if the company you work for will pay for it, attend SEO seminars. They occur throughout the year and all over the country, so you are sure to find one close to you. The interactive part of SXSW in Austin, Texas and Search Marketing Expo (SMX) West in San Jose, California.Texas and Search Marketing Expo (SMX) West in San Jose, California.

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What is SEO and Why is it Important ??

What is SEO and Why is it Important ??

What is SEO ?? The most basic answer to that question is that SEO is the abbreviation of the words search engine optimization. Another way of defining SEO is that it is the strategy used to optimize a website to make it rank high with search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing. It is also an integral part of a well-designed online marketing plan.
Now get ready for the long answer to the question, ‘what is SEO.’ A well thoughtout SEO strategy encompases everything from how the site is designed to how the content is written.

Design and HTML :

The way a site is designed and how the HTML portion is configured will help determine if the search engines can even read and rank the content on your site. It is important to have setting like H1, H2, H3, etc for headlines, sub headlines and so on. This tells the search engines the hierarchy of your content.
Search engines cannot read flash, so if you site is built entirely in flash, chances are your site’s rankings will be poor. You can however build in back end coding to add content describing the flash so that search engines can read your site.

Content, Keywords and Blogs :

When most people as the question, what is seo, they have content in mind. The main things to keep in mind when developing your content is keywords and blogs.

Before you begin writing, use a tool like Google Key Words to make a list of the top keywords you need on your site. Then make sure to sprinkle in the keywords into the content on your pages. Make sure the keywords are relevant and sound as natural as possible. Remember, you are trying to please the search engine, but you are also trying to inform your potential customers about your products and services.Blogs are a good way to keep optimized content fresh on your site. Not to mention it is a great way to position yourself as an expert in your field for your target audience. Use your keyword list again to add relevant keywords into each blog post.

Inbound and Outbound Links :

Links are also highly important to fully answer the what is seo question. Pages or content on your site should be interlinked to other sections of your site. Let say you write a blog topic that talks about one of the services you offer. Make sure to link content on that blog back to the page that talks about that service.
Next is to get credible outbound links to your site. This helps to give your site more credibility. This is kind of like networking. Let say you post on someone else’s blog. You might then contact them as ask if they would link back to your site. It’s kind of a I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.
In conclusion, what is seo and does your business need it ?? Yes your business needs it so invest in a good SEO marketing plan. Optimize your site correctly and you will see an improvement in your ROI.

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Nile Marketing - What Kinds of Jobs are Offered at Internet Marketing Firms ??

What Kinds of Jobs are Offered 

at Internet Marketing Firms ??

What kinds of careers can you find at internet marketing firms? If you are Internet savvy, creative, meticulous, analytical, organized and a quick thinker, then you would like a career with an internet marketing firm. It’s a fast paced environment that can guarantee you will never experience a dull moment. Careers with internet marketing firms vary so you can have a more behind-the-scenes job like web development or interface with clients on a daily basis in more of a sales or public relations position.

Here are a few of the careers you can have with internet marketing firms:

Sales

You are the fast talking mover and shaker that brings in the big clients.

Public Relations

You are the bubbly personality that keeps the firm out in the media in a positive light. You also do the same for all the clients.

Social Media Expert

You position the client’s website on all relevant social media platforms. You make sure clients interact with their audience in a natural comfortable manner.

Graphic Artist

You are the artistic talent that can design a well optimized site that not only looks great but is SEO friendly.

Content Writer

Your are the SEO expert that knows how to write web pages and blogs so the client’s site is ranked high with the search engines.

Analytics Expert

You live and breathe numbers and reports. You can dive into different analytical tools like Omniture to pulls reports that detail how a website is performing.

Project Manager

Organization and deadlines are your passion. You track the project from beginning to end all while staying within the budget.

Creative Director

You are the brains of the production department. You know the brand of each client and work with the entire team to ensure the project keeps a consistent look and feel.

Web Developer

You are the coding guru that builds the front and back end of a site. You know how to work with HTML and PHP to build a structure that is optimized for SEO yet very consumer friendly to navigate.

As you can see there are many jobs you can hold at internet marketing firms. Whether you are creative or tech savvy, you are sure to find a spot to show off your talents.

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Marketing a Business Online is Simple

Marketing a Business Online is Simple :

Marketing a business online is easier than you might think. The days of just using traditional marketing are over. With more and more consumers turning to the internet to gather information and make purchases, you should plan on developing an online marketing campaign. Hiring the pros at an online marketing firm, can really get your business the exposure it needs.

An online marketing agency will help you brand your company and introduce it to millions on the Web. Organizations can no longer remain faceless. Marketing a business in today, means developing a relationship with your consumers. Below is a list of action items that an agency will include in an online marketing campaign to get your company’s brand noticed.

Build a Website :

First things first, your business need an optimized website. Your site has to be built to accomplish these important functions – easy for your customers to navigate, contain information your customers are seeking, be designed so it can be crawled by search engines and has relevant, keyword rich content.

Search Engine Optimization :

Search engine optimization or SEO is vital to any online marketing plan. A site that is fully optimized for SEO will get ranked better in the search engines than one that is not. This mean that your customers can easily find you when they are searching specific search terms. As stated above, the content needs to have targeted keywords sprinkled in and the content must be consistent with the services or products you offer.

Social Media :

Marketing a business using social media is one of the most important things you can do. Using platforms like Facebook and Twitter allows you to interact with your audience at a more personal manner. It also makes it easy for your customers to brag about your company to their friends and family. It’s the newest form of marketing by word of mouth.

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Nile Marketing – The Marketing Company :

Nile Marketing – The Marketing Company :

Nile Marketing is the marketing company to turn to when you need experts to help you launch a successful online marketing campaign for your large or small business.

Whether you need to brand your new business or rebrand your existing business, the marketing gurus at Nile Marketing will work with you to hash out a complete internet marketing plan. From branding to online marketing to public relations, we are here to help your business flourish.

Branding is the foundation to a successful marketing strategy. We will design a brand for your business that will clearly and effectively communicate your company’s motto and product to your target audience.

As the marketing company, we will develop an internet marketing plan that will include search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click (PPC), linking strategies, social media and website design elements. Having an optimized site will help it to rank better in the search engines which will drive more traffic to your site.

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Nile Marketing - What is Social Media Marketing ??

What is Social Media Marketing ??

Do you know the basics of social media to answer the question what is social media marketing? Social media marketing is the plan you design and execute to gain an online audience and more effectively sell your services or product.

By effectively using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc., you can introduce your organization to the online community andcommunicate with your target audience. Just remember to post relevant content, images or videos on a regular basis, listen to your audience and respond to comments and posts in a timely manner.

Now that you can effectively answer what is social media marketing, do you know which social media sites you should use to promote your business?

Facebook :

Facebook is an easy-to-use platform that is popular with a wide age range and can give your website more exposure. It makes it simple for your company to post pictures, events, videos, comments and so much more. Facebook gives you the opportunity to get on a personal level with your co-workers, audience and customers. It’s also easy for your audience to pass your site along to their friends giving you word-of-mouth exposure.

Twitter :

Twitter can give your business the same exposure as Facebook but with less content. Use this social media site to send out quick content blasts that will drive your audience to your Facebook or company site where they can get more information. The tweet and re-tweet options make it easy for your customers to share your information with their network.

Linkedin :

Out of all the social platforms, Linkedin is more of a professional networking site. Your company can position itself as an industry expert and connect with other professional in the same market. This is a site where you wouldn’t post about a sale you’re having, but instead, informative articles about the product or services your organization offers.

There are more social media sites that you can explore but the three sites listed above are a good start to get your business plan in the social media marketing realm.

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