Thursday, 10 June 2010 11:25
Recently I was asked to create a business plan for a non-profit that defines their mission to publish and create documentaries and exhibitions that use new media to broaden awareness and exposure to the ideas expressed by the organisation. Here is what I wrote for the Inlight Foundation, an organisation dedicated to dissemination of ideas of human consciousness for world peace.
Thursday, 08 October 2009 12:39
Google seems to have made a small step this week toward what appears to be an emerging business model for local search marketing. This comes as a much anticipated development as it has been several years with very little significant changes to its local search product, Google Maps–formerly Google Local.
The jury is still out on whether or not it has the same effectiveness of the keyword rich, truly organic local search of Maps. We have heard that there is a create an ad button in the LBC admin next to the edit listing link. Problem is that it forces businesses to use prefab categories instead of allowing them to create their own Keyword based categories. We sincerely hope they rethink that "feature" and continue to suggest instead of dictate categories.
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We look forward to hearing from our San Francisco and San Diego clients to see if their stats turn out better results than our optimized, verified listings for them. Is this going to be another SEM management opportunity or is it too tedious even for those of us who specialize in local search and have the system streamlined with our teams?
Here is the video explaining the service from Google. Look out big business, mom and pop are biting at your heels with this.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009 22:34
Most of us remember one relative or another saying one of these tidbits or another in our younger years. "Patience is a virtue" was one that stuck with me. Recently ours was tested. We have a client that we knew just didn't have a handle on there own needs. We met, listened, watched videos, listened some more, then we finally spent 3 days preparing a proposal for a medium to large project but still in the 5 digit range. After much discussion, hemming and hawing, we finally reached an agreement but that soon fizzled as well.
Just as we were about to lose patience we were promised that a payment for all of the work and free advice we put forth to date would come. Then that too quickly faded. Instead of giving up on any additional investment in that prospect we continued to have loosely connected dialog with them. And rather than badger them on the money they owed for the small few billable projects they started but never paid for we focussed on being helpful and always having valuable advice.
After 80 days it finally paid off. The client came around and hired us to begin the original slated proposal and agreed that we should be in charge of their online marketing instead of the in-house execs that had little or no online experience. Not all of these situations end up like this and I'm sure dad would have said be careful about giving away your services lest they be devalued all together. But that's another blog for another day. Today I am optimistic.
Elliott Fey
Co-founder