SalemGlobal Internet Continues Free Internet Marketing Seminar In New York City

Posted by shifkay on Feb 28, 2012

“After witnessing such a great turnout for our January seminar, I knew we were on to something” said internationally renowned marketing expert Raphi Salem in announcing the continuation of his free NYC based website marketing seminar.

“January’s seminar showed us that there is a demand for this sort of service and education,” Salem said. “With the IPO of Facebook during the last month, more and more people want to know about how to get online, how to market themselves and how to jump on the social media train.”

To give local businesses, organizations and professionals the power they need to jump start their online knowledge, SalemGlobal Internet is continuing to offer free marketing seminars in midtown Manhattan. The next seminar will be hosted by AXA Advisors at 1290 Avenue of the Americas on Thursday March 1, 2012. 8:30-10am. To RSVP please contact info@salemglobal.com. For a complete list of dates, locations and times, please visit http://www.TheSeminarSeries.com

These seminars will teach anyone the fundamentals of website marketing with the goal of motivating businesses to start promoting themselves online and professionals how to do it themselves. The SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing Seminar Series will focus on how to buy strategic domain names, where to host a website, how to write and upload content to a website, develop a linking strategy, conduct keyword research, implement meta data, write articles, construct and distribute interactive press releases, produce online videos (Youtube), use social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), generate leads from Google, Bing and Yahoo local listings and pay per click advertising (PPC).

“My seminars have really helped a large number of small businesses and professionals by giving them an edge over their competition and other job candidates.” Salem said. “In a matter of an hour, any professional can learn the fundamentals of getting online and marketing their organization on the world wide web.”

Salem is reaching out to local businesses and professionals in the healthcare, real estate, auto, insurance and financial sectors, but of course all are welcome. In the past even other marketing and advertising agencies and firms have taken advantage of these free seminars. Salem will also make house calls and teach his formula for success to mostly any group that invites him, shares his positive attitude and believes they can really make a difference by using technology and the internet to get ahead.

A 20-year old-school advertising veteran, Salem has appeared before hundreds of audiences both in the United States and abroad. Salem has spoken to and shared his online money-making strategies with countless students and professionals, at universities and organizations throughout the world.

Raphi Salem is the President of SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation. To find out more about his organization, please visit http://www.SalemGlobal.com

To find out more about The Seminar Series, please visit http://www.TheSeminarSeries.com

Facebook IPO, 28 Billion, NY Giants Win Super Bowl XLVI, Clint Eastwood Wins America, Madonna Loses, Youtube Helps Advertisers, Susan G. Komen vs. Planned Parenthood

Posted by DD on Feb 8, 2012

So while trying to get to work today, I forgot to take into account that there would be about 2 million people (maybe even more) celebrating the NY Giants’ Super Bowl win. If you want to read about the complaints, just head over to Facebook. Oh – you haven’t heard about Facebook? Well, sit right back and you’ll hear a tale. A tale of a young kid with an attitude who was really smart (he got into Harvard. Then again, he also dropped out. Then again, so did Bill Gates. Then again, they are both billionaires now, so what’s the point?) and also had (and still has) a HUGE ego. While there is nothing wrong with those traits, put them together with a great idea and then you’ve got something worth $100 billion or so.

But is Facebook really worth $100B? Well, let’s do the math shall we? 800 million people. Maybe there are some duplicates. Let’s be generous and say 100 million of them are duplicates. Even 200 million. Let’s say only 500 million are active and real users. Now multiply each of them by 1 (representing $1 US dollar). My friend, that is $500 million dollars. But that’s only 1 day, 1 week, even 1 year. So if each of the users are worth 1 dollar a year then you have a business that makes $500 million a year for the next 10 – 20 years. Well, that’s only $10 billion. Why do you value at $100 billion? Because I am being super conservative, you knucklehead! The real valuation is 500 million people multiplied by 10, 20, or 100 and that’s each year! So seriously, this 1 website is worth $100 billion.

Mark Zuckerberg, you deserve every penny of that $28 billion. It’s too bad some people had to be stepped on and stabbed in the back along the way, but what can you do. This is business. Oh – and congrats to the painter who took his payment in shares. At the time he might have charged about $10,000 for his services. But now he is worth $200 million according to the buzz. Read more about Facebook’s IPO here: http://www.thestreet.com/story/11406435/1/facebook-ipo-reality-check.html Here they explain more of the financials. Apparently not many companies are worth this much. But then again, not many companies are information companies. Most are products and services with a lot of overhead. Zuckerberg sells air and technology and the flick of the wrist and push of a button. You can’t beat that…unless someone turns off your electricity….hmmmm…

Ok – enough with that Facebook internet stuff. Let’s talk football. Did you see the game? The halftime show with Madonna, Niki Minaj and M.I.A. who stupidly showed the wrong finger. Really!?!) Chances are you did. With 330 million people in this country and 1/3 of them in front of a TV set or at a friend’s house or bar or event where the TV is on, possibly even more than 100 million people see the game. So the NY Giants won. Yippee! I am from New York so I am happy. I am happier for my staff who are HUGE sports and Giants fans though. They got a parade and fun out of it. But now it’s back to work. And what do we do at SalemGlobal? We promote our clients so that they can sell more product and get more leads for their services. So basically what I am telling you is that there is no difference between the Super Bowl and SalemGlobal! That’s right, kids. We do the same thing the Super Bowl does. Now who is more effective for your ad dollars? I still have to go with Internet. Internet allows you to interact with your customers and COLLECT DATA. (Um – this is the main reason why Facebook is worth $100B).

 
The other thing about the Internet is that is takes television to another level. So while 100 million people are watching the game, another 50 million see it online. And then through social media – we pass the funny and meaningful moments along to our friends. Like, what did you think about Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry/Gran Torino telling America to wake up and smell the coffee and get off your asses and fight back? The only thing missing from the “Halftime in America” commercial was the Academy Award winner getting into a Gran Torino and driving off. Once again – Why doesn’t anyone call me for my advice? Here is Mr. Good Bad and Ugly for Chrysler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_PE5V4Uzobc (As for the auto industry, was Detroit really saved? Are more American cars made outside of the US and more foreign cars built here? Does it matter as long as Americans can work and put food on the table. I guess we can discuss that one some other time.)

So you will notice that I gave you the link for Youtube. And who owns Youtube? Google. And how much did they buy it for? $500 million. And with each good commercial during the Super Bowl do they make back that $500 million? ABSOLUTELY! As for rating the commercials, check out: http://www.youtube.com/user/adblitz

Let’s see. Tax software. Cars, auto, tires. Life Insurance. Beer, Budweiser. Media. Flowers for Valentine’s Day. Coke. Pepsi. Finance. Jerry Seinfeld. Mathew Broderick in a Ferris Bueller’s day Off (that probably went over 50 million people’s heads… but at least reached the other 50 million) Underwear. Technology. Phones. Internet. GoDaddy domain names. Hulu. (They also showed some commercials themselves) Movies – GI Joe with Bruce Willis looks cool. TV shows. M&Ms. Doritos…. So maybe I missed a few but you get the point. Millions of dollars for milliseconds. As I repeat every year, make a meaningful or funny commercial and people will see it on TV AND then share it with their friends online through social media. Did I mention why Youtube, Google and Facebook are worth so much money?

Lastly I need to end on a serious note. While the Super Bowl is all fun and games, I also want to share that the Internet also brings important issues to light through the power of social networking and sharing media. A high-ranking official resigned Tuesday from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity after a dispute over whether the group should give funding to Planned Parenthood, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. As soon as people found out about Komen not funding PP, the Internet lit up with cancelled donations, letters of anger and resignations. In the end, Komen reneged and now is giving to Planned Parenthood. Seems like the voice of America was heard. Good for you Netizens! I am proud to be part of this community. Now of course the Susan G. Komen Foundation should be calling me for some reputation management .

Last minute food and groceries delivered in the Dallas, TX region. Coming soon to Chicago: http://www.Artizone.com.

Buy Motivational Posters for your company at http://www.Successories.com

So now that the Super Bowl is over and Clint Eastwood told us all to get back on our feet, what are you going to do? Where will you be NEXT Sunday? Does your company want as much exposure as the advertisers I mentioned above? Perhaps on a smaller budget than $30 million dollars? Does your non-profit need some reputation management? Call Raphi Salem at SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation today at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com. I look forward to working with you, and making your company as big as it can get to maybe someday having its own Super Bowl commercial!

Illegal To Promote Superbowl? TV Commercials Launch Online, NY Giants vs. New England Patriots, Google REALLY Wants You To Know, Romney vs. Gingrich

Posted by DD on Feb 1, 2012

Well. I guess there are TWO “big games” going on in the media these days….The first one involves a pigskin and the other involves our politicians…Ok – maybe that didn’t come out right, but I tried…

Ok. Let’s first talk about football. Apparently, even though I have been working in the advertising industry for over 2 decades, NO ONE told me until yesterday that the word “SUPER BOWL” may NOT be used. Ever. I mean, that is unless you are promoting the NFL. (Um, can I use NFL or National Football League?) It came up during a discussion with one of our partners (http://www.Successories.com) when I mentioned that there is going to be a really big sports event coming up this Sunday and that we need to take advantage of it and exploit it as much as possible. Then one of the guys chimed in and said, “Yeah. Except that that would be ILLEGAL!”

So I did a little bit of Internet research and lo and behold, turns out he was right! Who knew?!? Well, apparently he did. And now I know. And now you know.

So then I decided to use my brain and think back to all of the local bars, restaurants and stores that promote the Super Bowl: buy beer here, buy a car there, and do everything you can by purchasing products through this company and that establishment as it relates to the Super Bowl. But let’s be realistic. Though it might be illegal and though it might be infringing upon copyright, your local pub or saloon is going to transgress. You know why? Because the average Joe doesn’t know and the small-town local watering hole is really not attracting the attention of corporate America. But as you watch the dozens of commercials on TV this coming Sunday, notice that NO ONE will be mentioning the Super Bowl. The way they get around it is by calling it the “Big Game” or “National Pastime” (no – that’s baseball), “sporting event”? How about “game on Sunday involving two teams trying to rip each other’s heads off”???

Regardless, the copyright was only the first part of what I wanted to write about today. The other part is the actual advertisements….

So now we enter a new era of advertising. In a world where a person can have a baby in a car, video it on a camera, upload it to the web, and then have millions of people see it in all its glory (http://www.wfaa.com/home/related/Special-delivery-arrives-on-the-highway-137965158.html), OF COURSE the advertising industry is going to realize that ONLINE IS THE WAY TO GO!!!

So a search for “superbowl commercials” yields a PPC (Pay-per-click) ad from Bridgestone tires (www.youtube.com/Bridgestone). SMART! As well as a number of other independent websites. But I must hand it to Bridgestone for realizing that they might not get the organic position, (top spot taken by a site that has been up since 2009 and has over 966 pages! www.superbowl-commercials.org/ – good for you!), but why not pay for the top result?

In Yahoo! Toyota Camry buys the coveted position (www.youtube.com/CamryReinvented).

And what about Bing? Toyota again…

So I guess the other advertisers didn’t realize that they could do this as well. Geez Louise. WHY AREN’T THESE GUYS CALLING ME? Here is my phone # folks. PLEASE let me advise you on how to run an Internet marketing campaign. I guarantee you will be very pleased with my services .

Anyway, you can now get the comedy you have been looking for all year long. It seems like the most popular one up right now is Jerry Seinfeld for Acura. What is interesting to me is that Seinfeld is still a household name. He is so 90′s….Couldn’t they get a different celebrity to do the spot?

And apparently, one of the largest corporations in the world is finally waking up to the fact that Internet marketing is more cost efficient than other forms of marketing and advertising…Proctor and Gamble. That’s right – read all about it! http://www.businessinsider.com/pg-ceo-to-lay-off-1600-after-discovering-its-free-to-advertise-on-facebook-and-google-2012-1 Too bad 1600 employees are getting the ax. Seems like some people are going to need a re-education or training.

As I mentioned before, the other event going on online is the presidential race. Seems like Romney is beating out Gingrich. But Gingrich claims that he won’t quit till its all over. Good luck Newt! You are going to need it. And if you think Romney has a chance against Obama, I think you are right. And I think it will be close.

But, once again per my blog post last week after the State of the Union address by President Barack Obama, Google seems to be right behind this whole election. Never before has there been so much coverage. Bringing the messages to the masses and all that. I love this article by Fast Company (very much in my own style ) What businesses can learn from Obama’s social media strategy… http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/rich-brooks/social-media-strategies-small-business/what-businesses-can-learn-barack-obamas-soci

By the way, here is Steve Grove’s (head of community partnerships at g+) Google+ page to show you how tight Obama is with the online community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108770022239813194104/posts

Oh, and have I mention over and over again that Google REALLY wants you to know how they are changing and consolidating their privacy policy into 1 neat little compact polic?. Uh oh. Better get Maaco! Look here: http://www.google.com/policies/. Now read it and tell me it doesn’t say that they are officially adopting a 1984 George Orwell no one is safe conspiracy theory, thank you very much now we are all being spied upon, etc. etc. All I can say is don’t be logged in all of the time. They already know everything, why leave the front door open too?!?

Did I even mention that I am officially a New York Giants fan (this week?)

Last minute food and groceries delivered in the Dallas, TX region. Coming soon to Chicago: http://www.Artizone.com.

Buy Motivational Posters for your company at http://www.Successories.com.

So what are YOU doing this Sunday? I am actually NOT going to be in front of TV. I usually am in front of my laptop, but I think I will be outside….If you are a professional seeking advice on how to promote yourself or a company small or large, you can also take advantage of our 15 years of Internet marketing and advertising experience. Call Raphi Salem at SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation today at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com. I look forward to working with you, watching the game with you, and snacking with you!

Cyber Monday Extended, Google+ Vs. Facebook, Twitter in Kansas, Michael Jackson’s Doctor, Apple Siri, Jets, Giants Lose: What your business can do to increase sales and save face

Posted by Romain Malaganne on Nov 29, 2011

Let me start off today with a quote from Dick Jauron (defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League) – courtesy of Successories motivational posters: http://bit.ly/u28isL

“I believe (the NFL) is the best sports league in the world and it has the most passionate fans. Every place is a little distinct in their passion and when you lose, they’re going to let you know. The bottom line for us is working as hard as you can, working together, and working to create a winner again. We do that and the fans will be passionate in a positive way.”

It’s funny to be inNew Yorkwith all of our sports teams. Whether they win or lose, it’s definitely NOT how they play the game. Because the fact is that if they lose, fans care. And that is passion. So don’t worry about selling tickets to your sporting events. Plenty of people will pay for a seat in a football stadium. Just exist!

However, if you are a sensitive nation and a politically correct National Football League, then don’t celebrate a touchdown by acting like a JET and then crashing and burning. Some people might get offended or insulted and think you are talking about 9-11 when you are just referring to getting a touchdown. And if you want to make fun of Plaxico Burress shooting himself, that’s another story: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-jets-johnsonsantics

So now let’s say that you score a touchdown or are offended by a celebration. Well, the main thing we do in 2011 is tweet about it. http://fox4kc.com/2011/11/28/social-media-experts-talk-twitter/. In this particular instance though, some high school student tweeted that the Governor of Kansas sucks. Well, good for the student for expressing her freedom of speech. And even better for theKansasgovernor for having a staff that monitors social media. Apparently the staff asked for an apology but then rescinded the request and now the Governor is apologizing. I can totally see how this thing got out of hand. Literally a he said/she said situation. So the Governor’s staff thought they were doing the right thing by demanding an apology. The better thing would’ve been to embrace the Twitter remarks and make her even more of a public figure by asking her publicly how he can be a BETTER governor. Even though the situation was blown out of proportion, it proved to be a fantastic news media lesson. When kids are telling you you suck, try to change. After all, kids today, constituents tomorrow.

And along the lines of news media, guess which Internet company is going public with a valuation of $10 billion dollars? http://mashable.com/2011/11/29/facebook-april-ipo-att-t-cyber-monday-youtube/ That’s right folks. That’s BILLIONS with a “B”! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJR1H5tf5wE) I am glad Marc Zuckerberg didn’t take my advice a few years back when I told him to take the money and run! (http://www.raphisalem.com/microsoft-offers-446b-for-yahoo)

But if you ever lose a camera while on a boat and use social media to find the owner, then you will think that Google+ beats out Facebook.https://plus.google.com/104277202662943073951/posts/MH4ZjS8fi2q. I can’t argue that Google+ worked better in THIS case, but overall I am still a fan of Facebook when it comes to social media. Maybe Google+ should be renamed Google Lost and Found? http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/camera-lost-sea-returned-help-social-networking-215800650.html

I love the fact that Black Friday has turned into Cyber Monday which has turned into Cyber Week, Cyber Month and Cyber all the time! It just goes to show you that retailers with Brick and Mortar MUST have an internet strategy. You can simply make a greater profit from online sales due to the fact that with no overhead and employees dealing with a retail crowd, you can offer discounts and get people to buy without human interaction. Sure, it is a challenge for people who need to look at and feel a product before they make a purchase, but for things you already know you want, there is no substitute. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2011/11/29/Retailers-extend-Cyber-Monday-throughout-week/UPI-89471322557200/

And if you are one of those millions of Apple and iPod and iPad users and you haven’t seen this Siri video: http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6648229/siri-argument or http://www.informationweek.com/news/telecom/unified_communications/232200265

Lastly, bad news of the week, Michael Jackson’s doctor might have wanted to get a second opinion. Apparently, he did something wrong or was wrongfully accused (not starring Leslie Nielsen). Conrad Murray faces up to 4 years in jail for what he did or didn’t do. Michael Jackson may have been one of the greatest entertainers of his generation and the King of Pop, but he was surely challenged to live in this world! http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1675011/conrad-murray-sentencing-today.jhtml

So what does it all mean? It means that there is only 25 days left until Christmas. It means you need to get your website back up and running. Or make those edits. Or put those eye-catching graphics to work. Or get your meta data set up. Or call your business the king of cyber deals during the holiday season. SalemGlobal can help you with all of these aspects and more. We will help you get setup and then sell more online with internet marketing advice you can count on. Want to come to one of my networking meetings or just give me a call? Call Raphi Salem at SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation today at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com. Let’s come up with cyber deal for your audience!

Happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Yahoo, Google Algorithm & Display Changes, Parades, Pies and Football: What your business can do to show gratitude and get promotion

Posted by Romain Malaganne on Nov 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Before I begin, let me repeat this comment that has been going around facebook for the past few days: I can’t find the people specifically so I did a search and got this:

 

“If you are reading this, it means you have enough education so that you can read and you have a computer or access to a computer and the internet. Chances are you also have sufficient protection from the elements, you’ve had at least one good meal today and you have enough clothing to keep you warm.”

 

Makes me think of Abe Maslow’s hierarchy of needs… food, shelter, clothing first… then you can move higher up on the intellectual and happiness scale. It’s hard to be happy when you are hungry and cold. You need to get comfort first before you can move on to making your life better. Some people are motivated by this; some people are depressed by it. Hopefully we are all motivated to seek better lives. And hopefully we are blessed by the powers that be and the powers and the universe in which you believe.

 

So on this Thanksgiving, (and every Thanksgiving and every day for that matter), let’s count our blessings instead of complaining about what we don’t have. And by the way, if you don’t have those things, what can you do to move yourself towards having those things?

 

Please visit http://www.successories.com/iquote/keywords/15958c95c2d99b9126ca.  Get a “thankful” quote on a motivational poster for your office!

 

Personally, as a (I would like to think) well-rounded and well-grounded individual living in the USA, I like Wednesday Addams view of Thanksgiving inAmerica:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ccj2BH25c0I

 

As a vegetarian I am sort of NOT happy about these statistics: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgturkeyfacts.html

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in theU.S.on Thanksgiving. Ewww and Yuck!

 

I much prefer these vegan recipes: http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/kitchen-assistant/vegan-side-dishes-00418000073746/

Thanks to my favorite food writer for pointing these out: http://adeenasussman.com/ (Also check out her pie baking skills to raise money for cancer awareness for http://www.sharsheret.org/blog/768/third-annual-pies-prevention-thanksgiving-bake-sale)

 

Thanks also to my favorite fake turkey food company for existing: http://tofurkey.com/

And if you do eat turkey and I haven’t converted you and you live near a Safeway, you must check out this hilarious video: http://www.youtube.com/user/SafewayInc?v=rZd3Xzr5tgI&feature=pyv&ad=

 

Thanksgiving also means great deals for shopping. In the real world it’s called “Black Friday.” When allof the business world reminds consumers that Christmas is coming soon and you should buy stuff for yourself, your home, your family, your friends and your colleagues.

 

Check out the #1 for “Black Friday”

http://bfads.net – good for you. You just got a link from me I know I need to buy some stuff. Thanks!

 

Online we have “Cyber Monday,” the Monday after Black Friday when anything that wasn’t sold in the store goes online. But the truth is you can start buying things at a discount today. But Cyber-Monday sounds cool anyway.

 

Thanksgiving also means football for you real men and women out there. The #1 search for “thanksgiving football guide” is

http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-football.htm.  So enjoy!

 

If you are in NYC, check out the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Lots of fun. This year I hear high winds might keep the balloons grounded. I hope not.

 

As you can see, there is a lot to be thankful for. What can your business do to take advantage of this holiday season? Definitely have a Black Friday sale. Also have a Cyber Monday sale. Have an end of year sale. Unfortunately, Google and Yahoo have changed their search algorithms and page displays. They are trying to make more money and you really can’t blame them, can you? For a history of the Yahoo! display, check out: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/yahoo-sunsets-site-explorer-a-eulogy.

 

SalemGlobal can help you with your online marketing. But it takes time and effort. Right now you should be thinking short term regarding the holidays and New Year. But you also need to think about Black Friday and next year one year in advance. Want to meet face to face? Want to know more about internet marketing and strategy? Call Raphi Salem at SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation today at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com. Let’s come up with a Thanksgiving story for you! Just likeAlice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmyXTOHC3w8&feature=related

Q4! Holidays, Yahoo! and ABC News, NY Yankees, Brett Favre, Seth Rogen Gets Married: What your business should be doing right now and what to learn from the big players

Posted by Salem Global on Oct 4, 2011

It is no secret that more sales are made during 4th quarter than most other quarters. The way business works, in retail and in wholesale, is that most consumers will spend more during the holiday season than all year long. People are not only in the giving mood or mode, they are also in the receiving mode. Most businesses work according to a fiscal year that starts January 1 and ends December 31. That means that Christmas bonuses are on their way and it also means that more money gets spent on consumer items. But businesses (and non-profit organizations also), are also caught up in this frenzy and thats why all businesses and professionals should be ramping up their online efforts right now. Year after year I tell my readers, clients and potential clients that now is precisely the time to not just be going online, but also marketing online. For some industries it is again really too late for long term growth and they can only focus on short term. These strategies include pay per click advertising and interactive PR.

 

Since its the beginning of October, you have to logically think that people will start their holiday shopping this month. Halloween and the onset of the colder climate is a wake up call for people to at least start planning their Christmas shopping.. What do you think Timmy will want for Christmas this year honey? What would be an appropriate gift for my little princesses this year? Last year you got them a Wii, a cellphone and a new car. So do you purchase brand new this year or do you purchase the updated version? Certainly iPads and iPods and iPhones will be and should be well stocked. I predict Apple will have had a BOOM year. And with the iPad2 you will have millions of people lining up in the streets to get theirs. Certainly this falls under the category of “updated gift” vs. “new gift.”

 

From my perspective, (that of an online marketing professional), I can see that the economy has improved. I know people and companies are bringing in more money and I know they are seeking to spend it. Now is the time that businesses will also invest in their own companies. Certainly new computers, technology upgrades and services will be purchased. With all of the excess that people didn’t think about in these years budgets, I predict that some of that money will go towards employees bonuses.

 

Of course I am an optimist and think that the world is going to be a better place in 2012. Technology is one indicator, but takes a look at peoples vacation schedules as well. Travel will be up in 2012 but it will start in the 4th quarter. More people will be taking Christmas and new years holidays this year than the past few years. And then when Winter and Spring Break roll around, people will be flying to all sorts of destinations. I think Priceline.com and competing travel sites will make major bucks this and next year.

 

And then there is real estate. I agree with all of the real estate geniuses that tell you the best time to buy real estate is in a down economy. So home and apartment sales will be up soon enough. Sure we all think we are in a recession because people are out of work and money is tight. But after that cork is released we are going to see big things happen.

 

Another example of Q4 getting better for some companies is this announcement of Yahoo! and ABC News partnering to bring more content to more households than ever before. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9Q50DFO2.htm This is a complete win-win situation for Yahoo! which has been losing market share to Google since day one as well as facebook with its social networking empire growing daily. As for ABC News, they were just lucky. Yahoo! could have gone with anyone. Why they went with ABC is beyond me. I assume its because they were offering the most money…

 

I haven’t talked about sports in a while so let me just say GO Yankees! I understand they are the all-time favorite with 27 World Series to their name. But it seems like the Detroit Tigers are also playing pretty hard since they are tied at 1-1 in the ALDS. Also in sports, Brett Favre has a new job providing color commentary for Ole-Miss (Did I get that right?) Seems like he is also nervous having been used to playing instead of commentating all these years. http://www.lostlettermen.com/10-3-2011-brett-favre-broadcasting-debut-southern-miss/

 

Finally, in relatively no interest to most of you, Seth Rogen got married recently to longtime girlfriend Lauren Miller. http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Seth-Rogen-weds-girlfriend-Lauren-Miller/8376757 What I love about this guy, (besides the fact that he is indeed funny), is that he engenders exactly what everyone says about the whole Judd Apatow fat ugly stupid guy gets hot beautiful girl. It just goes to show you that communicators, artists and writers can indeed compete with Jocks, Preppies and guys with money. I guess there is some justice in the world…

 

So what can your business learn from the above? Well, you might want to GET STARTED on your fourth quarter marketing already!!!!!! What the hell are you waiting for? Why haven’t you called me yet? You know you need help and yet you still just think about it and think about it. Well as the saying goes, “you miss 100% of the shots you never take!” If you don’t invest in your website or online presence, no one is going to call you. No one will email you. No one will purchase from you online. Sure people will call. Sure you will get some word of mouth advertising from family friends and colleagues. But the whole goal of business is to increase your profit by more this quarter and this year than last. Online is the final frontier so get with it. Small companies are competing with larger ones because they recognize that the Internet levels the playing field. If you need more advice, just email and call. We will figure out a budget and a strategy that will be a win-win for both of us. Want to know more about Yahoo! ABC News, the Yankees, Brett Favre or website marketing???? Call Raphi Salem at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com today!

 

Tiger Woods Spits on Golf, Google Secrets, How JC Penney Got Their Site To The Top: What your business can learn from the Tiger and JC Penney

Posted by Salem Global on Feb 15, 2011

Before I begin this week, I want to point out one of the funniest clips I have ever seen on the Internet. My friend Simon Feil (http://www.simonfeil.com/index.htm) stars in this clip from the Onion News Network: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NDPX4RYH-g&feature=player_embedded. So the opposite of the various Sunday morning yell at each other what’s your opinion democrat vs. republican BS that is spewed. “Your logic is flawless!” “I couldn’t agree with you more!” Straight out of Leslie Neilsen writing and comedy.

And here is something NOT funny. Tiger Woods spitting on the putting green. Golf has reached an all time low. Ewwwwwwwww. Tiger Woods hocked a lougie and left it near the 12 hole. Come on man. That’s just gross. And irresponsible. I really hope that Tiger can get his act together. Why did OJ kill his wife and then continue to do bad things when cleared of the charge. Burglary in Las Vegas of Sports memorabilia? Michael Vic and dog fighting? Come on guys. You have talent. Raw talent. Talent and skills that you have honed throughout your young lifetimes. To make history, fame and fortune. What the heck is wrong with you? Can’t you just accept your success and live gracefully. Tiger. Get it together and keep your saliva in your mouth or in a tissue. Then throw it in your caddy’s bag and play to win. You are better than that http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Tiger-Woods-spits-on-green-golf-world-splits-in?urn=golf-321079

As for companies who are better than that, a number of people had asked me if I had seen the NY Times article on “The Dirty Little Secrets Of Search” (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/business/13search.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp) When you are an individual and famous like Tiger Woods, Brittany Spears or Lindsay Lohan, your face and your name are your brand. Now seriously. Who is going to want to buy a Lindsay Lohan necklace after her latest fiasco in California? One of the most famous books out there is by Mark McCormack, “What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School.” As head of one of the largest sports and celebrity representation companies, he was all about what you do today to make money and glorify your brand so that in the future you can ride those coattails. (See Jerry Maguire – SHOW ME THE MONEY!) Do good on the field and then you can do well after the game is over. Give to charity today and watch them honor you later on in life.

JC Penney is one such company. A good company that makes VERY good money. According to the NY Times article, they made $17.8 Billion dollars in 2010. Not bad! They also spent $2.46 million in paid search ads. Definitely worth it. But they also used a digital marketing and SEO firm to broker some bad black hat practices for them. As a result, they were at the top for many Google searches when they shouldn’t have been. Apparently Google didn’t catch it and only busted them after they probably raked in millions as a result of being at the top of the organic listings. So this stinks for JC Penney, but it also stinks for Google, the world of search and all of the small guys who should have been at the top for various keywords when they were not.

The good news that I glean from all of this is that I am right! I said that Google was going to downplay links coming from 3rd party outside sources and websites and that content was going to reign supreme. They had paid for thousands of non-relevant links and it paid off in the short term. But now they are being punished so that’s too bad. I am guessing a few possibilities.

1) JC Penney might not have known what their search engine firm was doing for them.

2) Some people might not have known. Others who didn’t know didn’t care or weren’t paying attention. After all, online doesn’t compare to offline for them so it probably slipped under the radar.

3) JC Penney did know but didn’t care.

4) JCPenney knew and so did Google. But because they spend so much they were willing to overlook it.

This can be a nasty business sometimes considering click fraud and the amount of money Google and other search engines charge. But supply and demand drives the market.

In conclusion, I believe in testing, reporting and monitoring. Not everything is going to work at first. But if you can find an honest way to market yourself, you are going to benefit in the long run.

Want to know more about the tiger woods or how search engines work? SalemGlobal can help you get more leads than you ever thought possible through the Internet. Call Raphi Salem today at 888-578-6732 or email info@salemglobal.com and we can talk about it.