Twitter Automation Tools

Twitterfeed

Twitterfeed is a service that allows you to set up RSS feeds from your favorite blogs, and whenever those blogs have a new post, it will be tweeted to your account. It can be used to update your Twitter and Facebook accounts.

How to Set Up Twitterfeed

To use Twitterfeed, you simply need to register for a free account and then set up your favorite blogs using the following steps.

1. Enter an easily recognizable Feed Name and the blog URL or RSS feed URL.

Twitterfeed Setup Step 1: Enter the feed name and blog or RSS URL.

2. Use the advanced settings to customize your tweets. I usually change thePost Content to Title Only and include via @username of the blog owner in the Post Suffix.

Twitterfeed Setup Step 2: Configure Advanced Settings.

3. Choose the Twitter or Facebook accounts that you would like to have updated with the blog’s latest posts.

Twitterfeed Setup Step 3: Set to update statuses on specific Twitter or Facebook accounts.

You’ll need to use the “OAuth” authentication for new Twitter accounts and “Connect” with Facebook for new Facebook accounts.

Pros of Using Twitterfeed

So what benefits can you get from using Twitterfeed? If you choose the right blogs that your audience enjoys, you’ll be able to give them the latest news from their favorite sites and they will appreciate it!

If you choose blogs that your followers like, you will receive plenty of thanks.

Generally, you’ll know if your audience likes them because you see retweets of those status updates or, if you’re really good at choosing the right blogs, you’ll get thank-you messages for posting them, like the one above.

Cons of Using Twitterfeed

So what’s the downside of using Twitterfeed? As far as I know, there isn’t a way to say when to tweet new posts. Sure, you can tell it to only check every certain number of hours, but even then it doesn’t let you say only between the hours of 9am and 5pm, for instance.

Another little quirk is that if you send an update that you want to stay at the top of your Twitter profile for a while, you might be out of luck if one of your blogs in Twitterfeed has recently updated right after your priority tweet.

The last one has to do specifically with affiliate marketers. If you’re promoting an event, such as the Social Media Success Summit, the last thing you want is to tweet a post promoting the same event (with someone else’s affiliate link). But it’s likely to happen if other blogs in your Twitterfeed are promoting the same products or events.

Twitterfeed Best Practices

So what best practices should you follow if you want to get the most out of Twitterfeed? Here are some good tips.

• Try not to include blogs that update multiple times a day. Nothing will annoy your followers more than seeing 12 updates from the same site in one day. If you feel you must include one of those sites, be sure to use the Advanced Settingsand only check the blog once every 4 hours and only tweet one update at a time.
• Only choose blogs that you can depend on to have quality posts. I find that including blogs like Social Media Examiner which only feature posts on specific topics are the safest, while personal blogs that have the occasional rant post are a little more iffy. The last thing you want is to automatically tweet posts that may offend your readers.
• Be sure to monitor your tweets regularly to make sure your favorite blogs haven’t veered off topic. Your favorite photo blog may have decided to go culinary which may not resonate with your followers.

Social Oomph

Ah, the dreaded automated direct message. I wish I could greet all of my new followers with a personal direct message or a friendly mention, but it becomes tough to do once you’re getting a high volume of follows in one day.

Plus, it’s sometimes hard to tell which accounts are manned by real people and which are bots, and why would you want to waste precious time greeting a bot?

So yes, I like to use Social Oomph to create an automated direct message for new followers.

How to Set Up Social Oomph Direct Messages

Once you have created a free account at Social Oomph, you can set it up using the following steps.

1. Use the navigation menu and go to Social Accounts > Add New Account > Add Twitter. Be sure to log into your desired Twitter account beforehand andAuthorize Access.

Social Oomph Setup Step 1: Authorize your desired Twitter account.

2. Use the navigation menu to go to Social Accounts > Edit Welcome DM and select your Twitter account. Here, you will find the form to enter your automated direct message and a checkbox to automatically send a welcome message.

Social Oomph Setup Step 2: Customize your direct message for new followers.

Underneath this setup is also an option to follow your new followers back or place them in a queue to manually approve or reject following them.

Social Oomph Setup Step 3: Automatically follow new followers back.

I always follow people back for one main reason. As you can see from my automated DM, I give them the opportunity to contact me privately, and if I’m not following them, they cannot do that. In general, I feel that if someone is connected with me, they should be able to contact me privately like they can on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Pros of Using Automated Direct Messages

If done correctly, you can make your new followers feel very welcome and open a good line of communication with them right off the bat. With my direct message, I also have the added bonus of discovering new questions from bloggers and social media users which have led to some good topic ideas for my blog.

Cons of Using Automated Direct Messages

If done incorrectly, you can put off users who are anti-automated direct messaging. I have tried out a few variations of direct messages, and unfortunately have had some that did not generate good feedback. My latest has been all positive though.

Automated Direct Messages Best Practices

The following will ensure that you keep your new followers once they receive your welcome message and not generate a lot of negative feedback.

• Don’t try to sell new followers anything in your welcome DM. Period.
• Don’t try to get your new followers to sign up for your mailing list—this includes trying to tempt them with a free gift. I rarely (unless I know the user) ever click on a rogue bit.ly link for a free anything in an automated DM.
• The most successful direct messages I’ve tried do not come with any links at all. These are seen as more trustworthy and can open the door to further communication.

Google & CRM

Through the success of Google Apps, Google has emerged as an enterprise apps contender. While their success to date has largely been with SMBs and early cloud adopters, the momentum is evident. Initially, Google targeted personal productivity and collaboration – Gmail, Calendar, Docs, etc. However, we’re wondering how long it will be before Google drives deeper into the enterprise. For example, will Google enter the customer relationship management (CRM) market?

 

The most important aspect of CRM is that middle part – relationships. Some small businesses and start-ups have realized that Google, as a communication platform, is great for managing relationships. Gmail is an excellent resource for email and contact management. You can even use custom fields within each contact to document notes on past interactions or tag the contact as a lead. From there, you can do basic segmentation for an email campaign.

Along the same lines, Google Calendar and Tasks are excellent tools for managing opportunities. And because the Google Apps work together, information logged in one App is tracked in the others. For example, when two Gmail users exchange emails, Google can connect them in Google Reader. This could be useful for companies in learning more about their customers’ interests

Build or buy?

So how would Google go about entering the CRM market? They could develop a CRM system from scratch . Google has plenty of developer talent, and massive infrastructure to support new applications. Without too much trouble, Google could extend its personal productivity apps to target basic CRM opportunities.

However, a more likely route is through acquisition. Google has proven to be highly acquisitive. In 2010 alone, Google acquired 11 social media-related companies. Why is this significant? Because”social” is a highly buzzed-about word in CRM. The addition of a social layer to their existing collaborative apps positions Google well to capitalize on that buzz.

Not So Fast…

Google’s Salesforce partnership appears solid
Many analysts predicted that Google’s partnership with Salesforce in 2007 was setting the stage for a purchase of the CRM vendor. Brent Leary predicted it back in 2006… and again in 2007. But no wallets have been pulled out. Instead, the companies have tightened their integration and continued the partnership. If Google had ambitions to enter the CRM market it seems they would have done so already. Any alternate move Google might make in the CRM space would likely damage their partnership with Salesforce, while failing to bring meaningful market share.

Read full article at Memburn

Google Groups for hotel SEO

Google Groups is a free groups and mailing list service from Google that can help you garner information for SEO such as keywords and topics for articles or topics and chapter themes for eBooks. It is simply a way of searching for and bringing like-minded people together. So if you have a website that is selling tourist services in certain destination  then joining and creating groups about IE: Fly Fishing Patagonia is a good idea on Google.

Using Google Groups, one can find groups related to the interests of your hotel or destination and participate in threaded conversations. The idea is to link these to your site as they will be studded with the kind of keywords that search engine spiders love to index. You can also find groups of people who are just simply engaged in different hobbies and create a viral informational product to be distributed for free to them.

Anyone who creates viral informational products will immediately recognize the value of this tool and its potential to create polls and surveys. The results of these information gathering sessions can then be mined for organic keywords or the topics that are revealed can be used to structure the table of contents for a viral e-book.

Google groups can also help you find customers by creating your own group that is related to something that you sell. You can also create a sense of community by asking people who visit your site to join your group

Another way to increase your customer base using Google groups would be to ask people from other groups to join your groups using online invitations. However as is true with any mail-to-mail situation be careful not to spam.

Besides posting to the group through the Google Groups web interface, users also can post to a group by sending an e-mail to the group's e-mail address. You can also create your own group and access Usenet newsgroups dating back to 1981.

Article Source

16 Google Tools to Improve Marketing Effectiveness

1. Google Places/Google Maps

If you haven’t done this yet, you need to create your Google Places listing as soon as possible. It is a free way for you to get listed on the first page of Google and level the playing field. When creating the listing, optimize for the right keywords and feature images and videos relevant to your business. Check out HubSpot’s Google Places page, for instance, and the way we have highlighted some details, photos and specific links.  

2. Google Tags

If you have already created your Google Places listing, consider experimenting with Google’s new ad platform, Google Tags. Tags are symbols that will appear next to your listing and thus allow you to stand out from other businesses showing up in Google Places. Check out this quick video for a simple explanation of Google Tags.

3. Google AdWords

The chances are you have probably already tried out Google AdWords. If you haven’t yet, here is how it works: you create ads that target specific keywords related to your business. Then, your ads appear on Google when people search for these keywords. This could become a pretty expensive marketing channel, but if used smartly, you can boost your organic search traffic. For instance, you can identify good keyword combinations to create content around.

4. Google's Search-based Keyword Tool

Google’s search-based keyword tool provides keyword suggestions based on actual Google search queries. Just submit your site and the tool will list phrases extracted from your web pages. You will be able to see how these keywords perform in terms of monthly searches, competition and price for suggested bids.

5. Google Gadgets

Depending on what your business offers, you might be able to take advantage of Google’s quirky gadgets. The list is long, but you will recognize a few useful and fun applications. For instance, you can add a countdown gadget to an upcoming event you are hosting. Or you could feature a calendar. Maybe your target audience is international and a Google Translate box would help them understand your resources.

6. Google Docs

Google Docs offers a terrific opportunity for collaborative projects. A Gmail account would give you access to this tool, which makes the process of sharing work-in-progress even easier. Consider using Google Docs (documents, spreadsheets, images, presentations) for updating your team on marketing offers, keeping a list of blog post ideas or for any other type of collaborative projects.  

7. Google Alerts

Google Alerts allows you to monitor specific keywords on the Web and receive messages when these phrases are being used. Sign up to receive emails when someone mentions your company’s name or your competition. This is a great way to keep up with latest news and respond to questions in a timely manner.

8. Google News

One of the keys to successful PR is to leverage the buzz around hot news. Use Google News to search for news relevant to your industry and write content based on these newsworthy stories. In this way, you will take advantage of high demand queries.

9. Google Reader

There is a direct correlation between reading and coming up with fresh content ideas. The takeaway: read a lot. Google Reader gives you a way to filter through a lot of important information quickly. Subscribe to your favorite websites and the blogs of industry thought leaders. This is a great way to stay up to date on controversies and news stories in your field. 

10. Google Trends

Want to develop a smart keyword optimization strategy? Then, check out Google Trends. It enables you to evaluate the popularity of certain terms and see how their demand varies overtime as well as in other countries and languages.  

11. Google Voice

In an era when people use their phones to surf the Web, it is only natural to start using the Web to browse through the contents of our phones. As your time spent working online increases, you should consider using the Web to communicate via the phone. Google Voice allows you to do exactly that by listening to your voicemail online and sending transcribed messages to your inbox.

12. Google Calendar

Getting organized is the key to being productive. Are you still using post-its to remember meetings? Or sending emails as invitations? It's high time you changed these time-consuming habits. Use Google Calendar to invite people to meetings, book rooms, receive reminder emails and plan effectively. Here is a short video going over how you can set it up. 

13. Google Groups

Google Groups provides you with an opportunity to find industry insights and build relationships with web-savvy customers. For instance, there are about 5929 groups in the Recreation category in the U.S. If you are a local spa, for instance, you could search for Recreation groups nearby and apply for membership.  

14. Google Checkout

Are you an eCommerce with a small budget? Google Checkout provides you with a cost-effective way to ensure a secure checkout for your customers. The benefits of Google Checkout include using a single login and providing an excellent payment guarantee on orders.  

15. Google Analytics

Google Analytics gives companies insights into their website traffic and provides them with overall analytics intelligence. For instance, it shows you how people find your site, navigate through it and become customers. In this way, Google Analytics enables you to identify powerful marketing opportunities and “strengthen your marketing initiatives.”  

16. Google FeedBurner

Want to grow your reach? Then, you need to be using feeds. Google FeedBurner will allow your website visitors to subscribe to your content and receive regular updates. For instance, this is how you would subscribe to blogs, podcasts and news channels.

 

Read more

6 Common Email Marketing Mistakes Hotels Make

1. Emailing Without Permission

---

Getting an email newsletter that you didn’t sign up for feels like an invasion of privacy. As House notes, small businesses often start their email marketing campaigns by buying a list and then hitting everyone on that list. “There’s probably not a worse thing you can do,” he says. “You get started off on the wrong foot, and people expect to start receiving spam from you.” The moral? Don’t take shortcuts (even expensive ones). Build up your list organically by having an opt-in form on your website or, if you have a brick-and-mortar business, using a sign-up sheet.

---

2. Having Ineffective or Irrelevant Subject and “From” Lines

---

You can’t guarantee that someone will open your email, but a good way to make it unlikely that they’ll open it is to use a boring subject line. Mark Schmulen, a general manager at Constant Contact, says a subject line should promise short, digestable information that is likely to be of interest. One example: “2 Things Facebook Can Do to Help Your Business.” The reader only has to worry about reading two things and, if the email is properly targeted, there’s a good chance he’ll click through to see what it’s about.

The “from” lines are also important. Schmulen points out that few people are likely to open an email if they don’t recognize the sender. Plus, make sure you use an email address that uses your company’s domain — a Gmail or Yahoo address is a tip-off that the company is small-time, he says.

---

3. Blasting Irrelevant Content

---

Make sure your emails are relevant to the audience you’re blasting them to. Suppose you have a family and you signed up to get email from a travel firm. If you get a few emails with information about singles vacations, it’s not only going to be irrelevant to your needs, but it’s likely to sour you on the company, too. At that point, Schmulen says, “even if the fourth one is for families, you’re already checked out.”

---

4. Not Looking at the Numbers

---

You just sent out a batch of emails — any idea how many were opened? How many bounced back? If you don’t have that information, you’re operating in a vacuum and have no way to determine if the program is a success. Make sure you’re analyzing and comparing the numbers, which can help you get the most out of future email blasts. Metrics can provide useful information to boost email marketing efficacy, including the best day and time to send the email, the most effective subject lines and the content that most resonates with your audience.

---

5. Having No Purpose

---

According to Schmulen, many people start an email marketing program with only a vague notion about why they’re doing it. “They haven’t really thought about what their true goals are or what’s in it for the subscriber,” he says. So what are your goals? To educate? To start a dialogue? To inform your consumers of news and events in the industry? Having a purpose will dictate your content, so figure it out before you start typing.

---

6. Providing No Entry for Dialogue

---

House says that a good email is like a good tweet or a good blog entry — if people like it, they will pass it around. So to maximize the chances that your message will be shared, write provocative and interesting content. And don’t be afraid to ask your readers for their own content. “It’s important to state your point of view,” House says, “but you should ask readers to share their thoughts, too.” A good conversation sparked by an email marketing campaign can easily go online and manifest on Twitter and Facebook.

Read the original article at Mashable.

Google Boost

Google Boost automáticamente determina las palabras clave que los negocios deberían de utilizar y recomienda diferentes presupuestos mensuales de publicidad basándose en la competitividad del sector al que pertenecen los negocios. También gestiona los anuncios de Coste Por Clic en las búsquedas y los mapas de Google.

El objetivo de Boost es el de hacer que la publicidad para negocios locales de Google deje de ser un complejo sistema, que normalmente requiere que se contrate a un especialista, y se convierta en una tecnología turn-key que facilite las cosas para los dueños de los negocios.

La utilización de inteligencia artificial para determinar las palabras clave y lanzar recomendaciones es una ampliación lógica de los negocio de Google que además encaja con las expectativas que tiene la empresa con los negocios pequeños.

Como programa en Google Places, Boost podría ofrecer una monetización importante que permita que Places experimente con otras tecnologías innovadoras que estén fundamentadas en la geolocalización y que no se relacionen directamente con la publicidad

Una tecnología importante de monetización, podría posicionar a Google como el líder en lo local y en la geolocalización, sectores de la tecnología que están a punto de explotar con el aumento del uso de los smartphones y otros dispositivos móviles.

10 herramientas para el Social Media Marketing

Herramientas de supervisión

Alertas de Google . Podemos utilizarlas como herramienta de monitoreo rudimentario, aunque Google ahora está incluyendo conversaciones en Twitter y blogs, como también en perfiles abiertos y páginas en Facebook y LinkedIn en su índice.

Trackur . Esta es una herramienta de monitoreo ideal para pequeñas empresas y bloggers que cuentan con presupuesto limitado que además nos da una idea del sentimiento y la influencia en sus resultados. Tiene varios niveles de pago, incluyendo versión gratuita y una API.

Radian6. Esta es probablemente la mejor herramienta de monitoreo. Nos brinda mucha información sobre la conversación alrededor de la marca que deseamos supervisar. También incluye análisis de sentimientos.

SM2 de Alterian. Puede ser el sueño de un geek de los datos. Esta herramienta nos puede dar una gran cantidad de datos basados en palabras claves y frases, no sólo sobre marcas. Asignaciones de flujo de trabajo, análisis de sentimiento y ranking de popularidad de las conversaciones están incluidas en esta herramienta.

Herramientas de investigación

Google Trends. Esta herramienta la podemos utilizar para detectar todas las tendencias actuales del mundo. Muestra los mejores resultados de búsqueda en marcha en ese momento y permite profundizar para saber un poco más sobre estas tendencias. Esta puede ser muy útil en la creación de contenido sobre la marcha, pues será pertinente a las conversaciones en curso.

Google Insights. Difiere un poco de Google Trends, pues Insights es útil para descubrir si una palabra se utiliza más que otra, o si una persona es más popular que otra. Además, nos otorga un desglose por países.

Twitter Trends. Herramienta que observa las tendencias en Twitter, y su uso puede llevarnos a conversaciones muy relevantes en ese momento.

Compete and Quancast. Son dos herramientas que nos proporcionan datos demográficos y tener ideas sobre edades, géneros, referencias y muchos otros, que nos permitirá escoger nuestro nicho, considerando qué lugar es útil a nuestra estrategia, y cuál no.

Linkdex. Esta herramienta nos permite analizar los enlaces entrantes, clasificándolos en función del tipo de sitio del que provienen. Además, permite comparar sitios y tener una idea de qué tipo de contenido se está volviendo más interesante para enlazar.

How to Use Your Blog to Drive Social Sales

Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are great marketing channels, but the blog is king. If you aren’t setting your blog up to convert when new Twitter or Facebook users come your way, then your entire content marketing plan will be in jeopardy.

You not only have to find a way to build in social proof, provide a value proposition, craft an offer and convince readers that your product is worthwhile, but you also have to do it in a way that isn’t pushy, doesn’t confuse people and works for you around the clock.

Leaving Breadcrumbs: An Introduction

Your blog is your content showcase, but it also does more. It functions as a hidden sales agent, ready to market for you.If you’re selling something, don’t try to force all of the details on a single sales page, blog post or in an email

Define what your blog needs to accomplish, break it into sections and turn those sections into blog posts. You can use a single post for each goal, or you can take your time and work them in on a monthly basis.

The best part about this is that posts don’t have to be in order because there’s no way you can guarantee people will read them in that order; and furthermore, when you introduce them casually, you don’t raise any alarms. You’ve got your audience where you need them, which is focused and attentive.

By doing it right, you’ll slowly work your way into the forefront of your reader’s minds, without having to force your way in.

#1: Create an Offer

For now, stick to the basics. What are you offering (i.e., what is your product?), how much does it cost and what does it include?

Your Product

If you’re blogging already, then you should be talking about your products anyway, but if you aren’t, then start using your blog as a way to describe and explain what you’re offering.

Is it a physical or digital product? Is it something I can download? What does it look like when it arrives at my door?

This part is all about the experience. Use posts like this to help your readers actually visualize owning the product.

The Price

Although you don’t necessarily need to mention price (it should already be listed somewhere on your sales page or shopping cart), you can mention the factors related to price, such as how your product compares to those of your competitors, how important your ingredients or materials are to the value of your product and why the value of your product is far more than a number on a price tag.

The Package

Your product isn’t just a widget, it’s a package or a bundle, right? It’s not just a digital product, but a system… a whole course.

This is also a great time to talk about upgrades, new releases (great for software), trial versions, improvements and any other changes that you make to your lineup. Introduce new products as they come. Create ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Add some flair and spice it up. Get people excited!

37signals has a dedicated product blog that strategically pitches their products without going overboard.

Check out how 37signals does it.

The goal here isn’t to pitch, but to blog about your offer in detail so that you can eliminate this objection right off the bat. Readers won’t buy unless they know exactly what they’re getting, so don’t leave it up to chance.

Notice the call to action at the bottom of the post? This feeds directly into their lateral sales page.

#2: Create Value

Obviously, if you want to convert a reader into a buyer, you’ll need to convince him that your products are worthwhile. You’ve already done half the work by blogging about your offer, and now you’ve got to work to overcome a few objections.

This is where you get to dress it up a bit. Write posts about why your customers can’t live without your product. Provide examples of people who aren’t using it, but could really benefit from doing so.

Build your authority through informative posts and talk about the need for your services. For example, freelancers create need via detailed posts about how to improve design, how to improve copy, or how to build a better application. Internet marketers do this by talking about what could happen if you followed their system.

Online service companies such as 37signals share “insider” industry information and create not just a following, but also a philosophy around their product offerings. It’s even easier with physical products… The classic “before” and “after” shots in weight loss commercials come to mind.

You get the idea.

Feel free to add a call to action at the end of these posts. If you don’t point to the sales page, then point to an opt-in (continue this lateral concept there).

Again, this is where you talk about philosophy.

Are you green, easy to use, complex, efficient, experienced, and so on? What is it that makes your company tick, how does this feed into your product offerings and why should I buy from you instead of your competitor? You could easily write dozens of posts on these topics alone.

#3: Employ Social Proof

Social proof is one of the most important aspects of the blogging sales engine. It’s not essential, but it makes your job easier. It’s also something you should be doing on a constant basis because it creates a culture around your products and in today’s market culture is extremely powerful.

Written testimonials are decent. They’re a start. Most people don’t really believe them, but they like to see them. So if you have them, post them on your blog in a place that’s easy to see. If you don’t have any, then get some.

Video testimonials are even better because we get to see a face. It’s closer to being real. I prefer testimonials that are rough and imperfect because let’s face it, if they’re too polished they’ll look like a late-night infomercial. Nobody believes those are real, do they?

Also, interviews work well too. In fact, interviewing customers is a great way for you to put them in the spotlight. Who wouldn’t like to be on the blog of their favorite company’s website?

Both audio and/or video work well, but it just doesn’t have the same effect.

Another tactic is to post photos of your customers, or even better, of your customers with your product in/on hand. That’s about as real social proof as you can get.

Lastly, as we all know, Tweet streams are extremely useful for showing social proof. “Surely this must be good if everyone is talking about it,” right?

Tweetizen allows you to embed streams, as does TwitStat.us. Strategically placed on a blog or sales page, these streams work as street teams for your product, and they do it 24/7.

Artist John T. Unger has 10 pages of customer photos on his homepage.

#4: Take Your Time

Creating a lateral blogging sales page isn’t a one-time thing, it’s ongoing. If you do it right, you’ll always be selling without having to sell, your customers won’t have their guard up and you’ll still be providing useful information. That’s the goal really, to make use of your blog in a way that maximizes your ROI without making you feel like a marketer… even if you are one.

Just remember that a blog exists to serve one purpose, which is to keep your business in the black.