NEW TRENDS IN DIGITAL PR WORKSHOP (0)
New Strategies in Digital PR
CultureFish Media’s CEO Lonnie Hodge and and Sam Flemming, founder of CIC, China’s first Internet Word of Mouth research and consulting firm, are the featured speakers at the New Trends in Digital Media Conference in Shenzhen, China. Topics to be discussed include: Benefits of Online News Releases, Myths and Realities of Digitization, Trends in Digital Online Ads, applications of Internet word of Mouth and Online Reputation Management methods. The event will give attendees a competitive advantage over the competition by revealing information needed to catapult a company, event, brand or website to top positions in search engines world-wide.
The conference is part of a trio of charity events designed to entertain and inform while raising money for important charities. The three events include a golf tournament, a concert with Virgin records star Che’Nelle and the Digital Workshop.
Veteran and apprentice PR, Advertising, Online Reputation Management and SEO and SEM specialist will equally benefit from the half-day seminar to be held at the famed Mission Hills Resort. Known for being the world’s largest championship golf complex Mission Hills is also a 5-star conference facility.
All proceeds from the workshop benefit two literacy projects: The Library Project in China which builds facilities in rural villages and orphanages and the Reading Tub which supports opportunities for under-privileged youth in America.
Cost for the workshop is $200 USD and covers lunch and dinner at the resort. All attendees can bring their families and discounted rates up to 50% for rooms and activities will apply.
To register for the events simply pay online at the Dream Bash: http://dreambash.eventbrite.com
The workshop is sponsored by Digital PR and Marketing Specialists CultureFish Media.
—You may also attend ONLINE. The workshop begins at 1:00 PM China Time
Posted 2 May, 2008 in Seach engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, SEM, SEO, Internet marketing China, Chinese Media, SEO China Expert, Online Advertising, Online Digital Marketing, seo expert services guangzhou china, China Business Consultant, Seo China, Chinese Internet, China web 2.0, China Consultants Directory, China Search Engine Marketing, Global SEO Services, China Editorials, China Cartoons, The Internet, China Web 2.0, 中国, China Business, China SEO
Brand and Reputation Management in China (5)
I have been thinking a lot about brand and reputation management (Yes, really!) in light of events in China over the last few weeks that I addressed in an earlier Onemanbandwidth post. Companies in the west tend to overlook reputation management unless there is a crisis and then it can be incredibly costly and I guarantee time will stand still during the repair.
It is especially hard on a multinational brand when negative publicity threatens them in a foreign country, like China. Suddenly every available bi-lingual marketer, search engine optimization specialist and online digital maketing company is called on to rebuild an image. A company should not have to ask, “Can we rebound from this?” Stock prices, and jobs will depend on the outcome.
Companies like CIC, the Internet Word of Mouth Research Company in Shanghai are called, after the fact, to assess damages and recommend strategies for leveling the Internet playing field again. If a brand’s good name is threatened a company should use (to exploit the metaphor) every play in the book to come from behind:
- Online Videos posted on popular Chinese video sites like Tudou and Youku and 56.com which may already be more popular here than Youtube.
For examples of success, look no further than the videos put out by Mattel and in America remember how Obama countered criticism of his pastor via Youtube and Facebook. - Buy Paid results in Chinese Search Engines. The first four search slots are for sale on Baidu and they have an incredible no-brainer tool I will mention later for branded terms and products. Partnering with Companies like Online Digital Marketing provider and Baidu partner Culture Fish Media, is a good idea. They will help you choose and translate, with help from CIC, the right keywords in the right local dialects. Armed with information and adwords they can then geographically target them for the right regions and toward the correct demographic profiles so you don’t waste advertising revenue with panic spending.
- SEO interface: Start looking again at keywords and language interface pages again. And be sure to hire a company in China that gets reputation management and IWOM.
- Because Bulletin boards (BBS) comments have such great authority in organic search results in China is is essental for a native team to continue to incorporate reputation monitoring as a regular business strategies. Ideally this is best done before a crisis.
Here are some facts compiled by the marketing pilgrim:
- 80% of adults are “very” or “somewhat” more likely to consider buying products recommended by real-world friends and family.
- 78% of executive recruiters routinely use search engines to learn more about candidates, and 35% have eliminated candidates based on the information they found.
- 52% of survey respondents from developed nations said they find “a person like yourself” to provide the most credible information.
- 87% believe the CEO’s reputation is an important part of a company’s reputation.
- 90% of consumers trust recommendations from others.
- 83% of companies will face a crisis that will negatively impact their share price between 20 and 30%, during the next five years.
- 100% of those reading this post have either a personal or corporate reputation to protect.
I would add that the stats for China, save the last one, are all higher. IWOM has far more impact here.
Some companies say full recovery from a PR trauma can take 4-41/2 years. That is a long time in the life of many stock portfolios. There is no need to get initial that situation in China in the first place. Baidu has a very inexpensive tool tailored for brands. It is called a power link:
Should your company have a trademarked name or branded service you can buy the entire first page of search results. On that page, a company can include up to 15 left-side links and a right hand display ad.
Think about that for a second: Owning your own page/keywords means a 100% click-through rate and 100% of the listings that are seen on the first page of results belong to you. It is the ultimate no-brainer for advertising.
Especially for a difficult to understand market like China it is important to begin SEM with a company, prior to an emergency, that can guide, nurture and maintain your online reputation.
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Note:
Culturefish Media is currently working and with ad agencies, SEO firms and Independent marketing consultants to tailor solutions for online digital advertising and reputation management in China. Inquiries about partnerships and services can be made here: Culturefish
Posted 5 April, 2008 in China Business Consultant, SEO China Expert, 中文, Chinese Media, seo expert services guangzhou china, IWOM, Online Advertising, Online Digital Marketing, Reputation Management, Search Engine Marketing, Seach engine Optimization, The Internet, 中国, China Business, China web 2.0, Chinese Internet, Seo China, SEM, SEO, Internet marketing China, China SEO
Baidu Basics…. (6)
I was reading an article that merely posed the question: “Can Google Gain Ground on Baidu?”
The benign and oft asked question then regressed into odd xenophobic commentary and a recanting of long traveled urban myths about the world’s #3 search engine Baidu (百度)…
Some of the feedback:
“I heard china were banning US based search engines (yahoo,msn,ask,google) in a politically driven move.”
–I think we should ban bad grammar in post-based nonsense. No, Google (New Motto: “Do a Little Evil“), Yahoo! and the others voluntarily censor themselves in pursuit of the almighty Yuan.
“Baidu’s PPC management tool is far less advanced than that of Google. However, they simply dominate the Chinese market. It would probably change as search marketing industry matures in China.”
–Another English major heard from….Actually, Baidu has a number of tools and programs that I prefer over Google. They can, and will, work side-by-side with companies to ensure maximum exposure. They are now opening up API access to distributors and analytics firms to ensure the best ROI.
“Baidu has only page rank of 7 i think the chinese just dont feel home in google. you forgot to mention google have a local version in china called SOSO.
“another factor is in china end users cannot manage their adwords account only by special adwords brokers appointed by google if every chinese would have made one link for me i was happy man ”
–The above mentioned blog has a diverse, albeit moderately literate, readership. First (or is it “firstly” Des?), Google ranks sites in countries relative to each other. Were Baidu in America it would likely be an 8-9. Anyway, Baidu’s Page rank (capital ‘P” ’cause it is named for the inventor, not the function) is not likely to affect its keywords in western searches. Secondly, SOSO (搜搜) belongs to the “QQ” people at Tencent (note: 搜，which in Mandarin sounds like the English word “so,” means “search” in Chinese). Thirdly, i too was happy if every one of the 230 million users in China would made one link for me.
“Surely google will deserves a position wherever it may be…”
–Insert your own punch line here______.
“You shouldn’t take Baidu’s dominance at full face value, remember that the Chinese government essentially turned google off a couple of years ago and redirected all traffic to baidu. In fact, on a recent visit to China a good friend of mine found it’s still happening intermittently. Not that he minds the free movie and mp3 downloads…”
–1. There is no Google master switch in president Hu’s office. 2. My friend thinks he gets lottery numbers from re-runs of It’s a Wonderful Life. 3. Baidu (百度) is now pursuing contracts with artists and companies and even branding legitimate mp3 players for musicians and advertisers. The Chinese invented noodles and fireworks and may have discovered America, but they did not come up with bit torrent. 4. Current data shows Baidu’s market share in China to be at about 60%. Baidu says that the 60% figure may be accurate for total searches done through a China-based portal, but Baidu claims a 70-75% share for queries originating from in-country. Google is running a distant second and Alibaba is limping in at 3rd. Tencent’s SOSO is an also ran…
“baidu is targetting Only China , but Googole is targetting all the world , so google will have all the previleges to be the n 1 in the world”
–Baidu, in a questionable moment of marketing sanity, just launched a Japanese search engine. “Googole” may be targeting the world, but it is missing the bullseye and shooting itself in the foot in Korea (ever heard of Naver?), China, Russia (Yandex) and other markets. In the David and Goliath wars, my money is on David with his home-field advantage.
Any savvy marketer, blogger or SEO provider needs to understand the mechanics of regional search. For starters:
- Use properly translated keywords in your tags and text. Baidu and Google.cn are more likely to pick you up.
- Submit your URL to Baidu at: http://www.baidu.com/search/url_submit.html
- Be wary of foreign based SEO players outside of China that do not have an on-the-ground presence in country, or purport to know the market while telling you things like, “Simplified Chinese will be sufficient to serve all markets.” A good SEO will optimize for the various ethnic groups and service or product targets you choose. China has 56 ethnic groups and a minimum of 6 distinct markets that can require special understanding and consideration.
- Get an authorized Baidu agent to place any ads for you. Do not buy from any company that claims Baidu has a set-up service fee. Ask for a copy of their contract with Baidu and access to your own control panel, even though it will be in Chinese.
A special Baidu Basics seminar will be held on-line March 6th and is free. Click on the banner above and head for the contact page and drop us a note. We will try and save you a spot and email you information. Whether you are a blogger, businessman, or SEO provider, there will be information on how you can successfully interface with Baidu on behalf of your clients.
Posted 3 February, 2008 in UK SEO EXPERT, SEO China Expert, 中文, Korea, Tencent, QQ, Yandex, Soso, seo expert services guangzhou china, alibaba.com, Chinese Media, Search Engine Marketing, Intercultural Issues, Asia, China Humor, China web 2.0, China Business, 中国, Seach engine Optimization, SEM, SEO, Chinese Internet, China SEO
China SEO Expert Services (0)
SEO Consulting China
For paid campaign work, inclusion in Baidu or partnerships in keyword advertising on Chinese search engines please fill out the contact form at: Culture Fish Media
Unlike many other search engine consulting (SEO) firms, I can be quite flexible as I work with clients individually. From simple search engine optimization to full scale consulting I can assist. Work for Non-profits agencies is free.
SEO, SEM China Client Profile
Typical Search Engine Optimization Consulting Clients are owners of websites with a dedicated team of webmasters and programmers, or are internet website owners who can handle the basic coding required to undergo a successful search engine optimization campaign or have an employee who can assist them.
If you have no Internet expertise, I can provide team members who can do this work as independent contractors.
The Search engine consulting client (or the client’s webmaster) should be able to implement suggested changes with as little assistance as possible (or see above). I send all suggestions via email or transmit them telephone/Skype. I make things as simple to follow and and never complicate things.
The Search Engine Consulting client must commit to a minimum of 5 hours of SEO consulting. Ongoing work beyond the first five hours is negotiated after the first month. All search engine consulting services are on a pre-fund (up front) basis. Once your hours have expired, you must purchase more time via pay pal.
For search engine consulting clients, there are no guarantees: no minimum PR value and no guaranteed search engine positioning unless of course you purchase a PR package. I can then talk to you about guaranteed Page Rank in the engines.
I can advise on adwords campaigns, but will not manage the campaign. I take no commission from Google for any advertising. This policy leaves me free to make the best decisons for you.
Cost for Search Engine/ Chinese Market Consulting
$100-$200 per hour depending on needs…Free for non-profits
Writing Meta-tags and such are done at the same rate. It is always my goal to teach you or your team to do as much of this as possible yourself.
Most smaller websites can have all major problems dealt with in under 10 hours of consulting…