Submit Your Blogs and Feeds to Directories

Submit your blog to directories as an integral part of your blog marketing strategy. Directory listings are incoming links to your blog. In fact, take your blog marketing one step further; enter your feed (atom.xml or rss.xml) in these directories as well as your blog address. The blog feed will be indexed by search engines quicker than your blog. The search engine spiders will follow the feed back to your blog and will actually speeed the indexing process.

If you do not have time to manually submit your blog and feed, use a cool new tool that will automatically submit both! RSS Feeds Submit is the quickest way to submit your blog feed to the most popular blog directories and blog search engines. With RSS Feeds Submit, you control the entire submission process--which only takes minutes!

Are you a do-it-yourself (DIY) type person? You may use this listing of RSS and blog directories to manually submit your blog and feed.

For more on blog marketing, read blog-advertising-and-feed-marketing on CoolAdz.com or read more on RSS and other blog feeds at Feedburner.


Tags: submit blog, blog marketing, submit feed, incoming links, blog directory, Feedburner, CoolAdz

We Are Attached to Our Cell Phones

Pew Research Center, the Associated Press and AOL conducted a survey of American cell phone owners and found that the cell phone has become an important communications tool in modern life.

In fact, many cell phone owners would like to add more functions to their cell phones:

• Maps - 47 percent
  
• Instant messaging - 38 percent
  
• Search (movie listings, weather reports and stock quotes) - 24 percent
• eMail - 24 percent
• Text messaging - 13 percent (35 percent already using service)
  
• Still photography - 19 percent

Cell phones have changed our lives, from helping us in emergencies to endangering ourselves and others while driving.

• 74 percent - have used cell phone to summon and to receive help
• 44 percent - defer cell calls until they will not use anytime minutes
• 41 percent - make cell phone calls during free time when traveling, waiting or bored
• 32 percent of men and 25 percent of women - admitted cell phone usage adversely affects their driving

Surprisingly, cell phones appear to enable us to more easily lie about our location.

• 39 percent of cell users ages 18-29 are not always honest about where they say they are
• 22 percent of cell owners admit they are not always truthful about exactly where they are when they are on the phone

Cell phones have replaced our home telephones, played havoc with our personal finances, invaded our personal space and left us open to unwanted advertisements.

• 86 percent of cell users admit to being disturbed by loud cell users who conduct calls in public places
• 52 percent of cell phone owners (and 81 percent of cell-only users) say the cell phone is always turned on
• 36 percent of cell owners have been shocked at the size of their cell phone monthly bills
• 24 percent of cell-using adults feel they must answer their cell phones even if it interrupts a meeting or a meal
• 23 percent of cell phone owners who currently have landline phones say they are likely to convert to cell phone use only
• 22 percent believe too many people call them because they have a cell phone
  
• 18 percent of cell phone owners have received unsolicited text advertising on their phones
• 8 percent admit to bothering others while using their cell phones in public

Tags: Pew Internet, Associated Press, AOL, cell phone survey, cell phone usage

Virtual International Podcasting Expo this Weekend

Join Us At the 3-D Virtual Podcasting Expo
April 21st-23rd

The fastest growing trend in Internet marketing is Podcasting

• Learn from the Experts at the Live Seminars


• Boost your online success at the Networking Events


• Voice and Text Chat with Exhibitors in the 3-D Expo Booths
  
  
• Choose from over 40 Seminars and Live Podcasts
  
  
• Receive welcome pack with free gifts.
  
  
• Incredible deal is the cost: $11 USD
  

Click here to visit the International Podcasting Expo

Tags: Internet marketing, Internet advertising, Podcasting expo, virtual seminar, international podcasts, expo, learn from experts, virtual international podcasting expo

Internet Video Going Mainstream

Internet video services are becoming a mainstream phenomenon in the United States. Much of this growth will be fueled by a surge in the amount of premium content made available online.

According to a new report by IDC, revenues for Internet video services will increase to $1.7+ billion by 2010. This is an increase of $1.5+ billion from 2005.

Concerned by piracy and illegal file sharing, content owners began experimenting with digital distribution to retain market share. In fact, the decision by television networks to offer new episodes of popular shows for immediate download has engaged a significant interest in Internet video.

IDC expects content owners will migrate toward three basic service types:

Advertising-based services will ... decline as a la carte services, buoyed by consumer familiarity with iTunes, grow... home networking solutions that make subscriptions more appealing to consumers.

Content owners and service providers have many challenges to overcome, such as licensing issues, inadequacies of video search, competitive challenges, how to move content beyond the PC, and remaining flexible through strategic partnerships.

Tags: Internet video, premium online content, digital download, iTunes

Free Download: New Industry Guides

Omniture, Inc., leader in web site analytics and online business optimization, offers free industry guides containing best practices, trends and insight for innovative web site optimization and in-depth analysis and measurement.

Each industry segment has specific metrics and unique objectives—such as generating sales, customers, leads, visitors and more. Omniture's five Industry Guides have been developed to provide market-specific direction for the following segments:

* Retail and Commerce
* Media and Content
* Financial Services
* Travel and Hospitality
* B2B and Lead Generation

Each guide includes:

* Industry Trends
* Essential Key Performance Indicators
* Industry Links and Research
* Marketing Insights
* Case Studies

Download your free guide today.

Tags: Omniture, web site analytics, web site optimization, Retail and Commerce, Media and Content, Financial Services, Travel and Hospitality, B2B and Lead Generation

Blog,Podcast and Feed Marketing Set to Zoom

The first installment of Alternative Media Research Series, Blog, Podcast and RSS Advertising Outlook, by PQMedia contains some interesting projections on blog, podast and feed advertising from now until 2010.

From the sales page for the report:

Blog advertising accounted for 81.4 percent, or $16.6 million, of total spending on blog, podcast and RSS advertising in 2005, but will comprise only 39.7 percent of the total in 2010.

Podcast advertising, meanwhile, reached $3.1 million in 2005, and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 154.4 percent from 2006 to 2010, when it will be larger than blog advertising.

RSS advertising, non-existent until mid-2005, generated spending of $650,000 in 2005, but will be the fastest growing segment over the next five years.

The reasoning for the shift from traditional advertising to user-generated media marketing are given in the press release as audience fragmentation, ineffectiveness of traditional advertising venues, and elusive members of the 18- to 34 year-old demographic.

Patrick Quinn, president of PQ Media said:

Blog, podcast and RSS advertising have demonstrated an ability to reach younger demographics as well as influentials, and the media tend to be highly engaging. These are attractive trends to brand marketers that are focused on return on investment.

Uh-oh, we have the buzz words--engaging, influential, younger demographics and ROI--in the same sentence. This is going to be B-I-G.

If you would like more information about blogs and feeds, please visit CoolAdz.com.

Tags: online advertising, user generated media, blog advertising, podcast advertising, feed advertising, blog podcast feed marketing

Beware of the Hoopla Sites: Traffic, Track, Hits and Blog Hoopla

As a marketer who used, recommended and promoted TrafficHoopla, HitsHoopla, TrackHoopla and BlogHoopla, I must in all honesty tell others to Beware the Hoopla sites.

At last count, there are TrafficHoopla, TrackHoopla, HitsHoopla and BlogHoopla.

In February I tried the new service, HitsHoopla. When I ran my web stats program, I noticed the hits were coming from one referrer, eileentrainor2 on server 2hits.us. When I went out to 2hits.us, I saw two folders with my name on them (along with everyone else's name who had a campaign running with HitsHoopla). I looked around and could not figure out what the site was doing, so on 2/22 I sent the following email to HitsHoopla support:

I was surprised to see my website stats include referrer eileentrainor2. When I went to the page: http://2hits.us,I saw 2 folders: eileentrainor and eileentrainor2, one for each of my websites. What exactly is the software referenced at: http://2hits.us/info.php?

I received a terse reply from Mr. Bill Carr that said most traffic exchanges use tracking software and redirects. There was no explanation about why my name was published on their 2hits website. However, I took what he said for truth and went about my business.

In March, I was notified by Google that the traffic on both my websites appeared to be autosurf-like traffic and that I was endangering my AdSense accounts. The only change in marketing strategy I had made was to use HitsHoopla. I notified Mr. Bill Carr of this information on April 10 in response to an advertisement for HitsHoopla. I thought if he knew about it then he could fix the problem.

I just wanted to write about the traffic I purchased from hits hoopla.
It almost cost me my Adsense accounts on both sites because it was considered an autosurf-type traffic.

Thus he began a long series of threatening emails which ended in him cancelling my TrafficHoopla membership.

I was very disappointed and tried to get him to see that I was the customer and he was being very unprofessional.

This morning, he deleted my blog at BlogHoopla.

Just so you know, beware of the Hoopla sites.

Eileen

HitsHoopla, autosurf, Bill Carr, bad customer service, TrafficHoopla, TrackHoopla, BlogHoopla, beware Hoopla

Advertising For Success Blog is Back Online

Good Day!

I will be moving the most recent posts from the prior Advertising For Success blog hoopla server to this blogger server. This will take a few days. Just wanted my readers to know what happened.

If you subscribed to the feed at
http://feeds.feedburner.com/advertisingforsuccess
the move will not affect you except the blog posts have disappeared.

I am starting to copy my blogposts from the Advertising For Success blog that was hosted elsewhere. Any blogs below this post have been posted before on that blog. I am trying to make the dates and times of posts the same as original.

Thanks for the support.

Retail E-Commerce: Future Trends

eMarketer released a new Retail E-Commerce report in February that defines the trends that are shaping online marketing and Internet shopping and sales.

With product comparison sites, peer opinions, social networks, discussion boards and blogs, consumer input has never been greater.

Broadband technoloogy is allowing e-merchants to experiment with product presentation that historically was only available in stores.
For more information on this important report, please visit eMarketer.com.

Tags: Internet, shopping, Internet shopping, online sales, eMarketer, broadband, consumer input

Easter Spending Up in 2006

The recent 2006 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey by the National Retail Federation forecasted a rise in consumer spending this Easter, mostly because the holiday falls later in the Spring season.

• Over 77 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Easter.
• Easter spending is estimated to reach $12.63 billion in 2006, a significant increase from the $9.6 billion spent in 2005.
• 41.2 percent of consumers plan to purchase clothing for the upcoming holiday, compared to only 29.4 percent last year.
• Food purchases will account for 1/3 of consumer expenditures. Other shopping items include clothing, gifts, candy, flowers, decorations and greeting cards.

Tags: Easter, shopping, National Retail Federation, clothes shopping, food shopping, candy shopping, flower shopping, Easter greeting cards