Good affiliates are just ahead of the curve
Jason Calacanis has ignited a debate about the ethics of Affiliate Marketing. Joel Comms blog reports that at the 2008 Affiliate Summit in Vegas he's accused Affiliates of creating spam sites which have very little value. His view, along with the colourful way that he delivered his message, is provoking quite abit of response.
BBC iPlayer updated with social functionality
This is potentially a massive move by the beeb - and I'm pleased to see a major broadcaster openly embracing social media; something users and consumers clearly like. It's deflating to constantly see major institutions shun obvious trends just because they don't think it's the way of things (who cares what a business thinks?!).
The statement on the BBC website outlines that a trial service has just been launched "inviting users to share favourite programmes via social networks such as Facebook and Twitter". It will "aggregate content from other broadcasters including Channel 4" and "users will also soon be able to chat using Microsoft's Messenger service while watching live TV streams". It goes on to say that "Later in the year the BBC iPlayer will begin to take data feeds from other catch-up services including 4OD, Demand Five, ITV Player and SeeSaw as well as Welsh broadcasters S4C and Clic. However, it will not feature content from the Sky Player, as the broadcaster had not responded to an invitation to take part.".
This last part is especially interesting as it's impressively non-competitive: "The feature means that if a person searches the service for a non-BBC programme they will be directed to the site where it appears, unless it is only available on Sky.".
This is a fantastic and exciting new step from the BBC...
Press Release: New website scores a direct hit after 10 years in business
Direct2Digital, based in Wimborne, has replaced its stuffy blue-and-grey website with a funky new logo and an eye-catching black-and-orange colour scheme.
Why Search Engine Optimisation is the New Marketing
In this recent era of economic distress, companies, just like consumers, are more concerned than ever with saving every bit of money that they possibly can. In tough times there is a tendency to retreat, turtle like, into a financial shell and try to wait out the storm. This attitude is understandable and necessary to some extent but even the most depressed economic conditions cannot change the fundamental truth that a business that does not continuously strive to obtain new customers is ultimately doomed to fail. Fortunately, the rules of marketing are changing, and the most effective emerging marketing techniques require less capital expenditure than traditional in-your-face advertisements. These new marketing techniques are known collectively as search engine optimisation.
Taking it Viral – Marketing and the Modern Internet
The internet has forever changed the ways in which business is done. The traditional paradigms of business that have stood firm for a century or more have, in the span of a single decade, found themselves falling by the wayside in favour of the new and innovative ways of reaching customers and transacting business that have become the foundation of online commerce. Any business that ignores the new realities of the digital marketplace does so at its peril. Perhaps no form of online marketing departs from the traditional models quite as much as the new trend of viral marketing. In this post we will examine the viral marketing phenomenon with particular consideration given to how businesses unfamiliar with this technique can learn to apply viral marketing principles.
The Vast Untapped Potential of Social Network Marketing
Social networking is the fastest growing segment of online life, and recent studies have indicated that, in contrast to popular belief, not all social network participants are teenagers. In fact, the most rapidly growing demographic on the social network mega site Facebook consists of adults aged from thirty four to fifty. This is that golden demographic that marketers love to reach and, currently, that demographic is massively under targeted by social marketers. This represents an incredible opportunity for companies looking for unique and effective ways to reach new and existing customers.
It’s not Spam – Modern Email Marketing
Email marketing is sometimes considered to be the third rail of online marketing techniques – any company that touches it will suffer. With the glut of offensive and email server choking spam messages that pervaded the internet in earlier years, and still do to some extent, it is easy to understand why marketers are nervous to go down the email path. Yet, the benefits of email advertising are so alluring that many are tempted to do so anyway. Contemporary customer relationship management techniques along with advanced blacklisting and spam filtering software are enabling a new generation of email marketers to target customers precisely, quickly, and, most important, profitably. This post discusses some of the perils and benefits of using email to target customers and provides information on how prospective email marketers can follow a middle ground that will target customers without raising the spectre of the dreaded “S” word.
Target the World - The Importance and Techniques of Website Internationalisation
As we find ourselves in the midst of a worldwide economic recession the likes of which have not been seen for generations, it is more important than ever to reach as many customers as possible in the most cost efficient manner. While English has to date been the de facto language of the internet, the growth of the internet in second and third world countries, as well as the increasing importance of emerging economies, businesses can no longer afford to cater to just English speaking customers. This article discusses a few simple strategies that web site owners can employ to allow their web sites to utilize multiple languages and character sets.
Is charity just for Christmas?
We at Direct2Digital think not...
Newshound is Online!
We are pleased to report another site launch in the form of Newshound. Developed on the Silverstripe framework, the Newshound site is the portal for a dynamic group of young professionals who’re passionate about news and storytelling. Click here to view the site
