Great Website Marketing Tips You Shouldn't Go Without!

Internet Promotion can be a great way to earn a substantial income. But unless you know how to be successful at web marketing, you may be missing out on an even bigger income. What you are going to read in the following article will help you have a successful career in the affiliate marketing field.

In any internet promotion plan it is important not to push sales on potential customers before they are ready to buy. Selling is not unlike seduction-the goal is to make the customer want to buy of his or her own free will. A sales website should focus on providing seductive information. The option to purchase should always be present but it should always be unobtrusive.

If you are trying to build interest in your online site through your blog, make sure to read the sites of other bloggers. Other blogs will be a great source of inspiration for future posts, as you will be able to see what topics are drawing readers to other blogs and which topics are duds.

Image is everything. When selling something, your photographs need to be of professional quality. No matter how great your product is, people will not be interested if you have amateur-looking photographs. Remember that when shopping online, a person can only go by the picture as a representation of the product, so it needs to be top quality.

Although you've probably read countless tips about title tags and how they relate to Internet promotion, you should also know that these tags will need to be refreshed from time to time. The words and phrases people search change like the weather, so always remember to refresh your title tags every so often.

Successful web marketing isn't just about keeping up with the competition " it's about outshining them. In order to do this, you have to be aware of what they are doing. Check out their website designs and product prices. Read their sales copy to determine its quality and keyword content. Do their sites take a long time to load? Are they consistently offering new services? What kind of external links are they employing? The more you learn, the better prepared you are to use that information to your advantage.

Post all of your articles on your website. This will help your readers and potential clients to know who you are and where to look for you. It adds to your aura of credibility and trustworthiness. Additionally, by adding your good articles to your website, you will attract lots of good, targeted, keyword traffic your way.

Updating content frequently is one of the best things you can do to capture the attention of the search engines. When customers are handed out of date information, they typically assume that the site is not viable or doing well. They will not waste their time on sites like this. A website that is regularly updated and working well encourages visitors.

As was stated in the beginning of the article, a person can earn a large income by web marketing. In order to make the most possible money, you have to know the ins and out of website marketing. Use the advice that was provided to you in the above article, and you will be astounded by the money you can make.

Brand Wars : Pepsodent Vs Colgate

The August of 2013 saw the beginning of another war in the toothpaste market. Pepsodent, the challenger brand from HUL directly attacked the market leader Colgate with a high profile comparative advertisement. The ads directly compared  Pepsodent Germicheck with Colgate Strong Teeth with claim that Pepsodent Germicheck is 130% better in fighting germs than Colgate Strong Teeth.

Watch the ad here : Pepsodent vs Colgate

While this is not the first time that Pepsodent has frontally attacked Colgate. 

Pepsodent is a small brand compared to Colgate. According to ET, Pepsodent Germicheck has a market share of 6.4% while Colgate strong teeth has a market share of over 29.4%. For a challenger brand like Pepsodent, fighting the leader directly certainly puts the brand in limelight.

In India, brands do engage in such direct attacks. Law does  allow certain level of comparative advertising provided it does not disparage the other brands. Usually the challenged brands take the matter to either ASCI or to the court. But since these take time to settle, the comparative ads may have achieved its objectives.

Most of the time, the challenger brand uses research evidence to support their claims of superiority. In this case, Pepsodent claims that it has 130% more germ attack power than Colgate. The fine print says that Colgate is indexed to 100 %. So is Pepsodent in a sense puffed up the numbers to make it seem extraordinarily superior to Colgate.

It is interesting to note that Pepsodent Germicheck chose to attack Colgate Strong Teeth rather than Colgate Total. Colgate Strong Teeth is the largest brand in the Colgate portfolio but this brand is not claiming any germ killing attribute. Colgate Total is the brand which claims the germ killing attribute. So rather than fighting the Colgate Total, Pepsodent Germicheck decided to launch the attack on Colgate Strong Teeth.

Direct comparative ads, that too against an established market leader most often works for the challenger brand. It has the shock value and the ensuing marketing war gets the challenger brand eyeballs and media spaces especially in social media. Frontal attack using such tactics has its fair share of risks. The market leader often will react with full might which may destroy the challenger brand. In this case , it is the fight between the titans and if there is a war, both will bleed.  

Sunfeast Dark Fantasy : Escape into One

Brand : Dark Fantasy
Company : ITC

Brand Analysis : 529

Sunfeast Dark Fantasy is the story of a brand which started its journey as a sub-brand and later acquired the status of a standalone brand. ITC forayed into the  biscuit market in 2003 and Sunfeast Dark Fantasy was launched in 2005. It was only after four years, that ITC thought of taking the brand to the next level.

Dark Fantasy's success can be attributed to the careful detail with which the brand was built by ITC. ITC took a risk in positioning Dark Fantasy as a premium biscuit brand. The premium space was vacant in the Indian market and marketers was unsure how consumers would react to a premium biscuit offering. 

To do this, Sunfeast tried to build the brand among emotional platform taking on the proposition of   ' Indulgence'. So here is a biscuit which would appeal to your sensuous self and take you through an experience of indulgence. It was a risky proposition and ITC backed the theme through some heavy campaigns. 

The brand had the tagline " Pure Indulgence " when it was launched. The USP was the packaging. Dark Fantasy in a way assured in a new wave of packaging in the biscuit market. The bold use of colors and calligraphy supplemented the brand's positioning as a premium biscuit. Later the tagline was changed to " Escape into One ". Dark Fantasy had twin packaging - there is an outer cardboard box and individual choco fills had wrapper packaging. That gave the brand a premium feel.

Watch the ad here : Dark Fantasy 

Rather than restricting itself as a premium biscuit, Sunfeast Dark Fantasy tried to create a space for itself by launching a new variety called Choco fills. Choco Fills are essentially biscuits with   chocolate filled inside. Although these types of biscuits were available, through smart packaging, Dark Fantasy brought lot of interest into this category. Now choco-fills are very popular that competitors like Parle had to launch a new brand in this category.

Buoyed with the customer response to Choco Fills, Sunfeast has extended this packaging strategy to its Cookie category by launching Delishus brand of cookies.
Dark Fantasy can be termed as a packaging success story. The brand has showcased the power of packaging and its influence in the positioning and brand image. Its not the first time that ITC has leveraged the power of packaging , it had tasted success in the FMCG category with Fiama and Vivel which differentiated  through smart packaging..The success of Dark Fantasy has created a freshness wave in the biscuit category with lot of colors and forms emerging from the leading brands. For consumers, shopping for biscuits is becoming  a delightful experience.  

Hero Maestro : Such a Boy Thing !

Brand : Meastro
Company : Hero Motocorp

Brand Analysis  : # 528


Maestro, launched in early 2012, was Hero Motocorp's answer to its erstwhile partner Honda's market leader offering Activa. After the break-up of the JV, Hero Motocorp wanted to take the fight into Honda's stronghold in the Indian scooter market.

Maestro looks and feels the same as Activa and comes with the same technology . Maestro was launched not as a unisex scooter but explicitly as a masculine scooter. This was probably inspired by the success of Hero Pleasure which was launched as a girl's scooter.

Maestro has the tagline of " Such a boy thing " and the campaign highlights the features that would appeal to young men. It is interesting to see the strategy of Hero to attack Honda's Activa not directly but through two brands - Maestro and Pleasure which are segmented on the basis of gender.

Watch the tvc : Hero Maestro

Priced at par with Activa, Maestro has generated considerable interest in the consumers primarily because of the long waiting period for Activa.  The launch campaign is surprisingly not masculine and Hero doesn't want to push the product as  masculine although the tagline says so. The brand doesn't want to put-off those who want  a scooter which can be used by all members of the family.

Although I started to write about Maestro highlighting its gender based segmentation, a surprising article caught my mind : read it here

In a classic case of Osborne Effect  , the company had already announced that Maestro will be phased out soon . Its ironic that the announcement is done in the same year of Maestro's launch. Customers who bought Maestro has been left dumbfounded  by this announcement. In many forum's like Team BHP, new buyers has expressed their feelings of being cheated . Obviously when products are phased out, new buyers often feels cheated but this is a product which is in the introductory stage and suddenly the company announces that this product is going to be killed soon .

Having said that, Hero Motocorp which had established itself as a reliable and dependable market leader hopefully will not let the customers of this brand stranded without any support.

In this digital era, it is important for brands to hold on to its common sense while sharing information. Over 80%  of prospective automobile buyers search for information in internet before purchases. And the official press release of phasing out of Maestro will not miss the discerning eye and surely a customer is lost. 

And what business sense does it make to launch a product along with the announcement that it will be phased out ? Its not planned obsolescence where products are phased out in a planned manner and after it reaches some stage in the life-cycle. 

Maestro , as reviews say , is a good product that provided some credible alternative to the market leader Activa. But the company itself has digged the grave for Maestro. How sad !

Is It Really All About Content?

There has been a lot of discussion lately about the importance of content and content marketing.  Since Google made their last algorithm change, more and more articles and blog posts are lauding the importance of developing unique content for the web.  But does the story of content development end there?

Based on recent experiments by The Marketing Blog, it looks like theres more to the idea of original content than meets the eye. Two factors in particular weigh into the content discussion.  They are; influence and engagement.  Last year Google rolled out the rel="author" tag and its gained wide acceptance.  Do you think they are providing extra juice to content published by influential voices in a given industry?  You bet. 

In addition to providing higher rankings to content produced by influencers, you can rest assure they are also providing additional weight to content that is widely shared among social networks and other online communities.  After all, Google's likely more interested in what individuals (especially influential ones), communities, and social networks have to say about digital content than any other type of source.

What this means for you

Depending on your role, you may want to consider how best to leverage the new opportunities inherent in a social world.  Guest posts from authoritative sources, engaging content that is designed for optimal shareability, and engaging with social networks can all have a dramatic impact on your website and website rankings.

Keep in mind however that the end goal isn't just for purposes of search engine optimization but rather building brand and generating leads for your business.  If you rank number one for a keyword or keyword phrase that no one searches on, you haven't accomplished anything.  focus on results if you want to make the most of this new post-Penguin 2.0 digital world.

The best place to start with any type of content marketing campaign is with specific goals and objectives.  What is your end goal?  Can a content marketing plan help you get there?  Probably but you need to begin with the end in mind.  I've spoken with a lot of marketing executives but many don't have a clear understanding or picture of what success looks like.  Define it for yourself and you'll be much more successful with your content marketing initiatives.

What I like about content

The one true benefit that seems to be emerging from this new world of content generation is that of creating value for your audience.  No one likes being sold... they do however like being engaged.  The most productive way to engage your audience is by giving them what they want, creating value, and getting things done in a way that excites and delights them.

Marketing to customers is no longer about selling "buy me" emails but rather engaging content that can positively engage and motivate them - building a relationship.  And a meaningful one at that.  The best place to start is with a deep understand of your customer.  What motivates them?  What do they want?  By creating persona's of your target audience you can fully understand the best content to produce and how to deliver it.

Always begin with an understanding of your customer and have the end goal in mind.  When you do, you stand a pretty good chance of succeeding in your content marketing goals.  Put in place a measurable plan and you're home free.

Please share your content marketing successes (and failures) with us on the Marketing Blog!

Real-time Marketing: 5 ways to take advantage of what's going on right now

As you read this, something is happening. Our world is buzzing about with the latest news, events, topics and ideas. Brands just have to reach out and grab the right one to follow its way to fame.

Real-time marketing is defined as “on-the-fly” participation by brands. Everyone has heard of the brilliant Oreo tweet that stole the Super Bowl show during the black out. It was just a simple picture and tagline but because it was released at the perfect moment on the perfect medium it went viral.

Dedicate a small team

Before you begin your hunt to capture publicity and the hearts of men, you need to put together a team. It’s not economical to have all your employees sitting in a room watching TV and scouting Twitter for a big idea. Choose 1-3 people who are creative, responsible and great decision makers who could whip something up in a short amount of time.

At least one of those team members should always be on Twitter, checking news and various related sites for any good opportunities.

Have a plan but be flexible

The team above should create a plan. This may seem counterintuitive since you are supposed to be creating marketing spontaneously. Nevertheless, here is a list of things your team should consider ahead of time:

-What companies are we looking to get in the news (do you have permission from them)?
-What are a few events in the near future that could be a good opportunity?
-What are a few obvious tie-ins with these events? 
-How can our brand or product play a part in the event?
-Who is your designated designer/copywriter for any quick projects?

Brainstorming a few ideas ahead of time will help your team react quickly in real-time.

Know where to look

Surfing is no easy walk in the park. Surfers have to have a keen ability to judge the perfect wave and when to get on at the perfect time. Just like surfers, we are dependent on the waves of publicity. Waiting for the perfect one might take some time. It helps if you know where to find that perfect wave. 

1) Topsy: This real-time search engine is a perfect place to find niche news being talked about. Users can search everything, narrow down by time or language, or even choose news coming from specific areas like experts or videos.

2) Twitter trends: Twitter is a great place to keep your eye on what’s breaking now. Create lists for various genres, such as foreign news, technology, sporting events etc. Check out the trending hashtags to see if your company would fit into one.

3) People in the know: Don’t follow second hand news, go straight to the source. In your industry or news sector, find who’s releasing the information first. For events, go to the official page as well as workers at the event who might be tweeting ahead of time anything that happens.

4) Pinterest: Find out what is trending and popular through Pinterest pictures. 

5) Reddit: Find out what’s getting a lot of attention on Reddit. They have a ton of subreddits that could apply to your industry. 

6) Listen: Use tools like Synthesio to listen to what’s breaking in the social community.

7) Statistics: People love numbers and research. Check the latest statistics on sites like Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gap Minder, Office of National Statistics, and National Centre for Social Research. See how your company can highjack the statistic and apply to their industry.

Be proactive

Popular events aren’t the only time you can steal the news. Get in touch with journalists, take them out to coffee, ask them about upcoming stories. Keep in the loop both on a personal and professional level. 

When something comes up that relates nicely with your brand or product, offer the journalist a unique angle. Journalists are always looking for unique angles to make their story fresh and exciting.

Engage consumers

There’s more to real-time marketing than just getting in the news or riding the tailwinds of a highly talked about event. Real-time also should apply to consumers. Whether it is one or a hundred, brands or their supporting agency should always be on top of quickly responding to consumers’ needs or comments.

Social media has made it possible to interact and respond quickly. People have come to expect a fast reply over Facebook or a retweet from a brand on Twitter. This human reaction from brands is what wins (or loses) the hearts of consumers.

Special thanks to Alicia Lawrence for her contributions on The Marketing Blog.  Connect with Alicia on Google+. Alicia Lawrence is a content coordinator for an Internet marketing company serving clients like 12 Palms addiction rehab center. Her work has been published by the Association for Business Communication, Yahoo! Small Business, and Spin Sucks. 

Cobra Deo : The King of Deos

Brand : Cobra Deo
Company : VI-John

Brand Analysis : # 527

Its raining deo brands in the Indian market. 

Another player,same story. 

VI-John which had made a splash in the men's grooming market with its shaving cream and SRK endorsement has launched its deo branded Cobra. 

I wonder whether there is a conspiracy hatched against the market leader Axe. My conspiracy theory is that all the local FMCG marketers together decided that every deo brand that will be launched in the Indian market will have the same positioning of a " female attraction" . At the end of it, consumers will puke at the sight of Axe and Axe-girls. ( pun intended)

Other wise how can every brand is launching with the same hopeless positioning ? Are all targeted males are begging for a product that can attract females ?

Cobra has found its celebrity endorser in Emraan Hashmi. The brand is running its launch campaign with a television commercial which can easily be rated as one of the hopeless ones in recent times.

Watch the ad here : Cobra ad

The ad is too horrible to be analyzed but it has to be noted that its not these brands that should worry, rather Axe ( the reigning market leader) is the brand that should be worrying.

The plethora of brands that is harping on the ' female attraction' is going to wipe Axe out of the market in the coming years. The brand Axe is already facing heat with Fogg deo matching the market share in certain markets.

The new brands  flooding the market with heavy advertising and huge channel margins will be happy with some share of the pie. My assumption is that these brands outsource the entire production and their main task is to market. And whatever little share will more than make-up their costs. 

Axe has tried to counter by launching new copy-cat campaign featuring Ranbir Kapoor. That shows the desperation coupled with laxity of the leader in responding to the competitor threat. 

Cobra was a name better suited for a condom  or an aphrodisiac brand name.The campaign also was made in he same lines. These brands know that the market leader is vulnerable and it is the right time to strike. 

And it is the right time...