5 Things and a Prediction

I was recently invited to contribute to the series "5 Things and a Prediction" for a group called Digital Marketing Unwrapped. I thought I would share my response with everyone here. Let me know what you think.

A little bit about me...

I am the founder and owner of Miller & Miller Consulting and the CMO of a new startup called Gopherral.com. Miller & Miler is a boutique marketing firm that blends traditional marketing strategies with modern technological methodologies. We work with clients located around the world, and are able to assist companies, whether small startups or established conglomerates.   My wife, Lili (@simplylili1717), is the creative brilliance behind Miller & Miller. She is also currently working on a Doctoral Degree in Social Psychology. We are working on a book about Social Entrepreneurship (which should come out in mid 2013). I am also a weekly contributor to Applooza.com and assist with SEO and blogger outreach for ConsultWebs.com.  Feel free to follow me on twitter @amillerblog.

1. I got involved in Social Media because...

Social engagement is a method that I have incorporated into every aspect of my business and personal life. Demonstrating to people that you care requires being engaged in the conversation and interacting in a dynamic, action forward manner. Online social groups have been around for much longer than well-known names such as Facebook or Myspace; but these major social platforms have changed the mindset of big-business in numerous ways. I would say my first exposure to these modern social platforms would be in late 2004, when I had my first Facebook account at Baylor University. The introduction to this innovative type of online social interaction intrigued me and has been my business focus since.

2. I wish somebody had told me _______________ when I started out as an entrepreneur.

My viewpoint is that failure and disappointment are inevitable, but it is what you learn in each endeavor that will help you succeed and build your character. A person learns much more during failure then they do during a victory. Don’t get me wrong, I love to succeed, but the only way that character can be improved is by pursuing the challenge, regardless of the outcome. If we fail, then perhaps we have learned what not to do and hopefully some of what to do. This gives us an opportunity to do it again until we get it right.

3. What does including a blog do for the company website?

Having an active blog that contributes relevant content to your readership allows your company to:

•   Generate rich and engaging content for your clients

•     Establish your business as an authority on your subject

•   Share information  through social media platforms creating a stronger social presence

•   Engage readers who are potential subscribers to your blog; instantly creating a target e-mail marketing list

•    Create  backlinks through guest blogging or other websites inbound links which can increase   your SERP standing

• Formulate content that can be indexed in search engines if properly optimized

Please note my first sentence. The information you write on your blog must be relevant to your audience and your blog must be active. This means you don’t write about cupcakes if your site is about diesel repair (unless somehow you can work them in together… if you do please let me know. I would love to read that article!). Also, make sure to respond when a reader posts a comment .

4. If I encounter writer's block, I...

I will usually go for a run, or whip up something to eat and sit on my deck overlooking the lake. Usually I will be hit with some sort of inspiration when I focus on something else.

5. Along with a blog, when it comes to website content, my meter gets moved by... 

 There are a few factors that I look at when I review a website.

• What is the target market?  The design of the website should help reach this group. A colorful, fun website with birds flying around could work well for a company geared towards bird products. This probably wouldn’t be my first choice for a law firm website.
•  Is the site search engine optimized? I look for proper use of keywords, how many links are coming in versus going out, and the inbound links quality (are they from good page rank sites or are they spammy).
•   Is there a subscription button for a newsletter, whitepaper, etc… to allow the company to capture user information?
•   Is the site using appropriate/relevant social media platforms? 

My prediction for the world of marketing from now thru 24 months is...

Actively incorporating social media feeds and interactivity in services is the next big shift in marketing and service functionality. Having a social media icon on a website or as part of a service will no longer be enough. You will begin to see more logins to a site using one of your social platform accounts, (which is now being done by many companies) giving that company access to all your social activity and networks. This information will be used on the site to personalize your experience. This is done by integrating your friend’s information into aspects of the website that allow you to see what your friends have used the service for, ask for feedback from your friends, or simply read feeds related to the service on the site. Early adopters of this concept are Bing and Hotmail, to name a couple. Also, to demonstrate the synchronization of social media, the new Windows OS 8 has an entire social aspect that has been developed to allow you to view all of your social media accounts in a single place. It won’t be surprising if these concepts are common practice in the next year.