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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250820T073000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250820T090000
DTSTAMP:20250723T210726Z
CREATED:20250523T170402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250723T210726Z
UID:10000347-1755675000-1755680400@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:Minimum Viable SEO: How to Boost Your Visibility & Credibility On a Budget
DESCRIPTION:If you’re already investing in content marketing but haven’t seen real results from SEO—or haven’t tried it at all—this talk is for you. SEO today isn’t about gaming the algorithm or writing dry\, keyword-stuffed blog posts. It’s about making sure your best content gets discovered by the right people\, at the exact moment they’re searching for solutions like yours. \nIn this session\, content strategist and SEO consultant Olivia Barrow will show you how to integrate modern SEO best practices into your existing content workflows—even if you only publish one article a month. You’ll learn how to validate your content ideas with keyword research\, create articles that match search intent\, and optimize posts so they rank better in search without sacrificing clarity or credibility. \nThis is not a technical SEO workshop—it’s a practical\, approachable framework for small marketing teams that want to get more ROI from content they’re already creating. Whether you’ve had disappointing SEO results in the past or have never touched it\, you’ll leave with a clear\, actionable process for increasing your visibility and establishing your brand as a trusted authority in your industry. \nKEY TAKEAWAYS \n\nWhy traditional “SEO content” no longer works—and what to do instead\nHow to layer SEO onto a content strategy focused on thought leadership and trust\nA simple keyword research method for validating blog topics\nHow to structure and optimize articles to match search intent & reader knowledge level\nHow to tap into internal expertise to add original insights to your content\nWhen and how to use GenAI to enhance your content\nHow to get started even if your site has technical issues or past content that’s not optimized\n\nSPEAKER BIO – Olivia Barrow \nOlivia Barrow is the founder of Olivia Barrow Communications\, where she works as a fractional SEO and content strategist for B2B companies that want to grow their visibility without hiring a full in-house team. Since 2016\, she’s helped businesses earn trust\, boost search rankings\, and attract more qualified leads by creating authoritative and well-optimized content. \nTIME: \n\n7:30 – 8:00AM – check-in\, coffee\, and networking\n8:00 – 9:15AM – presentation followed by Q&A\n\nIf you aren’t able to join us in person\, our sponsor\, Live Well Video will be LIVE STREAMING this event on our Social Media Breakfast Madison Facebook page and on LinkedIn beginning at 8:00am. \nLOCATION: In-person and virtual options available! \n\nIn Person at Dream Bank- 821 E Washington Ave\, Madison\, WI 53703\nVirtual – LIVE on the Social Media Breakfast Facebook Page and on LinkedIn\n\nSPONSORS: \n\nDreamBank\nSerendipity Labs\nMelissa Carlson Creative\nVEDUB Media | Bryant Vander Weerd\nLive Well Video\nSuttle-Straus\nTalent CPA\n\nNONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin \nThe Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRF) is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to protecting Wisconsin’s lands\, waters\, and  wildlife. By funding conservation projects\, leading powerful partnerships\, and connecting people of all backgrounds to nature\, NRF is committed to preserving the state’s most ecologically important landscapes and supporting rare and threatened species. Their work ensures a healthier\, more resilient Wisconsin in the face of climate change. \nNRF’s popular Field Trips run from April through October\, offering unforgettable experiences to explore Wisconsin’s natural wonders by foot\, bike\, and boat—guided by expert leaders. Registration is open to all ages and skill levels. \nThey also host the Great Wisconsin Birdathon\, the state’s largest fundraiser for bird conservation. From April 15 to June 15\, birders across Wisconsin log bird sightings and raise funds to support critical bird habitat and research. It’s free to join\, and all bird lovers are welcome! Learn more at WisConservation.org. \nConnect with them at:\nWebsite: www.WisConservation.org\nFacebook: @NaturalResourcesFoundation\nInstagram: @WisConservation\nLinkedIn: @natural-resources-foundation-of-wisconsin\nYouTube: @wisconservation
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/minimum-viable-seo-how-to-boost-your-visibility-credibility-on-a-budget/
LOCATION:Dreambank\, 821 East Washington Avenue\, Madison\, Wisconsin\, 53703
CATEGORIES:AI,Artificial Intelligence,SEO
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SMBMAD-Social-Media-Templates-August_Social-Media-Art-2-copy-3-scaled.jpg
GEO:43.0812442;-89.3742167
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=DESCRIPTION:If you’re already investing in content marketing but haven’t seen real results from SEO—or haven’t tried it at all—this talk is for you. SEO today isn’t about gaming the algorithm or writing dry keyword-stuffed blog posts. It’s about making sure your best content gets discovered by the right people at the exact moment they’re searching for solutions like yours. \nIn this session content strategist and SEO consultant Olivia Barrow will show you how to integrate modern SEO best practices into your existing content workflows—even if you only publish one article a month. You’ll learn how to validate your content ideas with keyword research create articles that match search intent and optimize posts so they rank better in search without sacrificing clarity or credibility. \nThis is not a technical SEO workshop—it’s a practical approachable framework for small marketing teams that want to get more ROI from content they’re already creating. Whether you’ve had disappointing SEO results in the past or have never touched it you’ll leave with a clear actionable process for increasing your visibility and establishing your brand as a trusted authority in your industry. \nKEY TAKEAWAYS \n\nWhy traditional “SEO content” no longer works—and what to do instead\nHow to layer SEO onto a content strategy focused on thought leadership and trust\nA simple keyword research method for validating blog topics\nHow to structure and optimize articles to match search intent & reader knowledge level\nHow to tap into internal expertise to add original insights to your content\nWhen and how to use GenAI to enhance your content\nHow to get started even if your site has technical issues or past content that’s not optimized\n\nSPEAKER BIO – Olivia Barrow \nOlivia Barrow is the founder of Olivia Barrow Communications where she works as a fractional SEO and content strategist for B2B companies that want to grow their visibility without hiring a full in-house team. Since 2016 she’s helped businesses earn trust boost search rankings and attract more qualified leads by creating authoritative and well-optimized content. \nTIME: \n\n7:30 – 8:00AM – check-in coffee and networking\n8:00 – 9:15AM – presentation followed by Q&A\n\nIf you aren’t able to join us in person our sponsor Live Well Video will be LIVE STREAMING this event on our Social Media Breakfast Madison Facebook page and on LinkedIn beginning at 8:00am. \n In-person and virtual options available! \n\nIn Person at Dream Bank- 821 E Washington Ave Madison WI 53703\nVirtual – LIVE on the Social Media Breakfast Facebook Page and on LinkedIn\n\nSPONSORS: \n\nDreamBank\nSerendipity Labs\nMelissa Carlson Creative\nVEDUB Media | Bryant Vander Weerd\nLive Well Video\nSuttle-Straus\nTalent CPA\n\nNONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin \nThe Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRF) is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to protecting Wisconsin’s lands waters and  wildlife. By funding conservation projects leading powerful partnerships and connecting people of all backgrounds to nature NRF is committed to preserving the state’s most ecologically important landscapes and supporting rare and threatened species. Their work ensures a healthier more resilient Wisconsin in the face of climate change. \nNRF’s popular Field Trips run from April through October offering unforgettable experiences to explore Wisconsin’s natural wonders by foot bike and boat—guided by expert leaders. Registration is open to all ages and skill levels. \nThey also host the Great Wisconsin Birdathon the state’s largest fundraiser for bird conservation. From April 15 to June 15 birders across Wisconsin log bird sightings and raise funds to support critical bird habitat and research. It’s free to join and all bird lovers are welcome! Learn more at WisConservation.org. \nConnect with them at:\nWebsite: www.WisConservation.org\nFacebook: @NaturalResourcesFoundation\nInstagram: @WisConservation\nLinkedIn: @natural-resources-foundation-of-wisconsin\nYouTube: @wisconservation;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=821 East Washington Avenue:geo:-89.3742167,43.0812442
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250716T073000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250716T091500
DTSTAMP:20250701T175226Z
CREATED:20250617T171713Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250701T175226Z
UID:10000349-1752651000-1752657300@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:Avoid the Lockout: Social Media Safety for Your Team
DESCRIPTION:Social media is one of your organization’s most visible tools. But what happens when a staff member leaves and takes the logins with them? Or when no one remembers who still has access? \nIt happens more often than you’d expect. Many nonprofits and SMBs rely on shared passwords\, personal email accounts\, and ad-hoc processes for managing social platforms. When access is lost – or worse\, compromised – the consequences can be serious: reputational damage\, lost visibility\, or even someone else taking control of your accounts. \nIn this session\, tech advisor James Phetteplace will walk you through how to identify common risks\, regain control of your social media presence\, and put simple systems in place to protect your organization now and into the future. \nKEY TAKEAWAYS \n\nWhat happens when organizations lose access to social media accounts\nHow to spot red flags around account ownership and access\nTools and policies to help your organization stay in control\n\nABOUT OUR SPEAKER – James Phetteplace \nJames Phetteplace is the founder of Erawatech\, where he helps nonprofits and mission-driven teams make peace with technology. With more than 28 years of experience in IT and digital strategy\, he builds calm\, resilient systems that organizations can manage with confidence. \nJames brings a trauma-informed approach to tech\, recognizing that overwhelm and past frustrations often shape how teams interact with digital tools. His work helps organizations regain control of their platforms\, avoid preventable risks\, and focus on what they do best. \nTIME: \n\n7:30 – 8:00AM – check-in\, coffee\, and networking\n8:00 – 9:15AM – presentation followed by Q&A\n\nIf you aren’t able to join us in person\, our sponsor\, Live Well Video will be LIVE STREAMING this event on our Social Media Breakfast Madison Facebook page and on LinkedIn beginning at 8:00am. \nLOCATION: In-person and virtual options available! \n\nIn Person at Dream Bank- 821 E Washington Ave\, Madison\, WI 53703\nVirtual – LIVE on the Social Media Breakfast Facebook Page and on LinkedIn\n\nSPONSORS: \n\nDreamBank\nSerendipity Labs\nForward Fest\nMelissa Carlson Creative\nVEDUB Media | Bryant Vander Weerd\nLive Well Video\nSuttle-Straus\nTalent CPA\n\nNONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Dane Buy Local \nDane Buy Local champions independent businesses in Madison\, WI. Established with a clear mission of fostering a resilient local economy\,  they are driven by a profound passion for building strong communities and connecting consumers with local merchants. \nConnect with them at: \n\nWebsite: www.danebuylocal.com\nFacebook: DaneBuyLocal\nInstagram: @danebuylocalofficial\nLinkedIn: danebuylocal
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/avoid-the-lockout-social-media-safety-for-your-team/
LOCATION:Dreambank\, 821 East Washington Avenue\, Madison\, Wisconsin\, 53703
CATEGORIES:account security,crisis communication,digital marketing,mental health,SEO,smbmad,Social Media
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMBMAD-Social-Media-Templates-July_SMBMAD-June-2025-02-1-scaled.jpg
GEO:43.0812442;-89.3742167
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=DESCRIPTION:Social media is one of your organization’s most visible tools. But what happens when a staff member leaves and takes the logins with them? Or when no one remembers who still has access? \nIt happens more often than you’d expect. Many nonprofits and SMBs rely on shared passwords personal email accounts and ad-hoc processes for managing social platforms. When access is lost – or worse compromised – the consequences can be serious: reputational damage lost visibility or even someone else taking control of your accounts. \nIn this session tech advisor James Phetteplace will walk you through how to identify common risks regain control of your social media presence and put simple systems in place to protect your organization now and into the future. \nKEY TAKEAWAYS \n\nWhat happens when organizations lose access to social media accounts\nHow to spot red flags around account ownership and access\nTools and policies to help your organization stay in control\n\nABOUT OUR SPEAKER – James Phetteplace \nJames Phetteplace is the founder of Erawatech where he helps nonprofits and mission-driven teams make peace with technology. With more than 28 years of experience in IT and digital strategy he builds calm resilient systems that organizations can manage with confidence. \nJames brings a trauma-informed approach to tech recognizing that overwhelm and past frustrations often shape how teams interact with digital tools. His work helps organizations regain control of their platforms avoid preventable risks and focus on what they do best. \nTIME: \n\n7:30 – 8:00AM – check-in coffee and networking\n8:00 – 9:15AM – presentation followed by Q&A\n\nIf you aren’t able to join us in person our sponsor Live Well Video will be LIVE STREAMING this event on our Social Media Breakfast Madison Facebook page and on LinkedIn beginning at 8:00am. \n In-person and virtual options available! \n\nIn Person at Dream Bank- 821 E Washington Ave Madison WI 53703\nVirtual – LIVE on the Social Media Breakfast Facebook Page and on LinkedIn\n\nSPONSORS: \n\nDreamBank\nSerendipity Labs\nForward Fest\nMelissa Carlson Creative\nVEDUB Media | Bryant Vander Weerd\nLive Well Video\nSuttle-Straus\nTalent CPA\n\nNONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Dane Buy Local \nDane Buy Local champions independent businesses in Madison WI. Established with a clear mission of fostering a resilient local economy  they are driven by a profound passion for building strong communities and connecting consumers with local merchants. \nConnect with them at: \n\nWebsite: www.danebuylocal.com\nFacebook: DaneBuyLocal\nInstagram: @danebuylocalofficial\nLinkedIn: danebuylocal;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=821 East Washington Avenue:geo:-89.3742167,43.0812442
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230803T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230803T113000
DTSTAMP:20230719T214708Z
CREATED:20230719T015838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230719T214708Z
UID:10000329-1691056800-1691062200@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:SMBMad Study Hall: Making the Most of the New Google Analytics GA4
DESCRIPTION:No idea how to use the new GA4? Not sure where to find the marketing data you’re looking for? \nIn this virtual workshop\, digital marketing agency owner Eagan Heath will teach you how to do the following as a marketer: \n\nSet up and configure the new GA4 correctly.\nFind the most important information in your web analytics.\nTrack conversions for your marketing and ad campaigns.\n\nRegistration Required: Click Here to sign up for this free workshop \nBy the end of the workshop\, you’ll have the following knowledge and abilities: \n\nWhat makes the new GA4 different from the old Universal Analytics.\nWhy you need analytics and what information is valuable.\nWhere to find the data that actually matters for your marketing.\nHow to track the success of your marketing campaigns.\n\n  \nHere’s who this is perfect for: \n\nMarketers.\nBusiness owners doing their own marketing.\n\n  \nAbout our Speaker:\n>Eagan Heath is a digital marketing agency owner\, speaker\, and trainer. He helps clients and students grow company revenue by driving online traffic\, leads\, and sales. Since 2016\, he: \n\nstarted the local digital marketing agency Get Found Madison\npurchased\, ran\, and sold the pet painting business Splendid Beast\ncreated the training course and workshop series My Digital Marketing Mastery\nlaunched an ecommerce agency called Caravan Digital\n\nThese days he primarily leads his team and hosts the What’s Working in Ecommerce YouTube show and audio podcast. \n  \nRegistration Required: Click Here to sign up for this free workshop
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/smbmad-study-hall-making-the-most-of-the-new-google-analytics-ga4/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:analytics,G4,Google Analytics,SEO
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Study-Hall-Graphics-multiple-events.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220817T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220817T091500
DTSTAMP:20220726T142110Z
CREATED:20220712T171550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220726T142110Z
UID:10000313-1660723200-1660727700@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:Five Ways Create a Better User Experience — So Website Visitors Stick Around!
DESCRIPTION:**An Official 2022 Forward Fest Event** \nKeeping visitors on your website longer can yield big results! Improve user experience on your company site with tips from a local expert. \n  \nEVENT SUMMARY\nJoey Donovan Guido\, owner of Cuppa SEO Web Design\, and author of A Holistic Guide to Online Marketing\, will share five ways to improve the user experience on your website — including navigation do’s and don’ts\, homepage and subpage layouts\, and the creation of effective calls-to-action. Joey will also talk about how to remove “noise” and distraction from your site. \n  \n\nKEY TAKEAWAYS\n\nHow to streamline your website navigation for a better user experience (UX).\nHow to identify and remove distraction (AKA\, “noise”) from your website.\nLearn the “Introduction vs. the First Date\,” call-to-action philosophy for better engagement and conversion.\n\n\n  \nABOUT OUR SPEAKER:\nJoey Donovan Guido is the owner of Cuppa SEO Web Design\, and author of the book\, A Holistic Guide to Online Marketing. In addition to running his web design firm\, he offers consulting services and engaging presentations based on the principles found in his book. He also hosts a podcast called Getting Under the Surface. Joey is an expert in the areas of web design\, SEO\, user experience and website conversion. \n  \nLOCATION: Virtual – LIVE on the Social Media Breakfast Facebook Page \n  \nSPONSORS:\nDreamBank \nPowderkeg \nForward Festival \nGoodman Center \nLive Well Video \nMelissa Carlson Creative \nHey Allie \nSuttle-Straus \nMinuteman Press \nTalent CPA \n\nNONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT:\nCommunity Conservation Inc works directly with communities living in biodiversity hotspots all around the world. It brings enthusiasm and information to local residents\, highlighting the uniqueness of their area’s forests and wildlife\, and then ask for the community’s help in protecting them. The organization has been catalyzing and supporting community-based organizations since 1989\, representing over 200 villages in 14 countries and protecting over 1.24 million acres. It focuses efforts on rare habitats and endangered species\, including primates\, cranes\, tigers\, and turtles. \nLearn more about community-based conservation at communityconservation.org. \nAlso find them on social media: \nTwitter @comconsinc\nInstagram @communityconservationinc\nFacebook CommunityConservationInc\nLinkedIn @communityconservationinc
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/five-ways-create-a-better-user-experience-so-website-visitors-stick-around/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Content Creation,digital marketing,SEO
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/joey-ux-8.22-960-×-960-px.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210120T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210120T093000
DTSTAMP:20201216T221612Z
CREATED:20201216T221533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201216T221612Z
UID:10000295-1611129600-1611135000@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:SEO 101: Tips for Adding SEO to Your Marketing Strategy
DESCRIPTION:Who’s ready to jump into 2021 with a plan for growth and success?\n\n\nOur guest speaker\, Lauren Simonis-Hunter will be joining us in January to pave the way! Lauren will kick off the year with tips\, tricks and actionable takeaways you’ll be able to infuse into your 2021 marketing strategy and assure you’re getting found by your customers. \nEVENT SUMMARY \nAs content creation is becoming more important in our marketing strategy\, it’s important to make sure that our content is getting found. \nWith just a couple of tips and tricks\, any marketer can implement SEO basics to improve their content. No matter your level of experience with SEO\, it’s easy to add this tactic to your overall marketing strategy. \nKEY TAKEAWAYS \n\nWhich keywords to optimize for\nWhich pages to optimize\nHow to create content that performs well\nHow to secure links back to your content\n\nSPEAKER BIO: \nLauren Simonis-Hunter is the Digital Marketing Manager at Advarra where she manages all aspects of digital marketing including email marketing\, SEO\, lead lifecycles\, and analytics and reporting. As a self-taught SEOer\, she’s worked on SEO for a variety of industries including financial\, e-commerce\, technology\, and medical/pharmaceutical. \nTIME: 8:00 AM – 9:15AM \nLOCATION: Virtual – Facebook Live \nSPONSORS: \n\nDreamBank\nPowderkeg\nSuttle-Straus\nMelissa Carlson Creative\nA&J Photography\nNick Palkowski\nMinuteman Press\nTalent CPA\n\nNONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Wisconsin Technology Council \nThe Wisconsin Technology Council is the science and technology advisor to the Governor and the Legislature. Launched in 2001\, the Tech Council was created by a bipartisan act of the governor and the Legislature. It is an independent\, non-profit and non-partisan board with members from tech companies\, venture capital firms\, higher education\, research institutions\, government\, law and more. \nIt serves an important in-state networking role through the Innovation Network\, a membership arm that is dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. It serves as an economic catalyst through a variety of conferences\, luncheons and special events. We’ve pivoted to support our members by increased news coverage weekly via our Tech Council Current e-newsletter and virtual webinars and conferences. \n  \nIf you aren’t able to join us for the live stream\, Nick Palkowski will record this event and publish to our website and Social Media Breakfast Madison Facebook page.
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/seo-101-tips-for-adding-seo-to-your-marketing-strategy/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:analytics,digital marketing,SEO,social media strategy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/131388024_692067614784591_281471696789821099_o.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20171023T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20171023T000000
DTSTAMP:20180202T194830Z
CREATED:20171023T140751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180202T194830Z
UID:10000185-1508716800-1508716800@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:LinkedIn for Business and Lead Generation
DESCRIPTION:“It’s all about building relationships and starting conversations.” That’s what LinkedIn trainer and coach Cathy Yerges told attendees at October’s Social Media Breakfast at Madison’s Turner Hall. Cathy discussed the importance of LinkedIn company pages\, as well as social media policy & training and employee advocacy. \nAs with any social media platform\, you need to start with a strategy. “Understand what your goal is for using the platform. Your goal for using LinkedIn is going to be different from Facebook\,” says Cathy. She says knowing what your strategy is makes everything easier. \nLinkedIn company pages \nIf you’re doing business as a brand name\, you need a company page. Company pages help with branding your business and with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). For smaller companies\, Cathy suggests putting the bulk of your efforts on your personal LinkedIn profile to have a broader reach and help you establish your brand. Larger companies can use their LinkedIn company pages to talk about their products\, work culture\, community activities and more. \nCathy briefly discussed LinkedIn showcase pages which are extensions of company pages. Showcase pages give companies an opportunity to highlight a brand\, business unit or company initiative. \nCathy showed Thrivent Financial as a great example of using a LinkedIn company page. She said they do a good job of explaining and showing what it’s like at the company. Thrivent’s LinkedIn posts include inspiration\, shareable images and education about the products and services it offers. They also post about the work culture and how it gives back to the community. \nDownload Cathy’s LinkedIn Company Pages Best Practices. \nSocial media policy and training \nCathy says having a social media policy and training your employees can help direct and encourage their engagement. But understand employees own their personal profiles. She says don’t be afraid of this\, instead\, nurture it and teach employees how it can do well for them and the company. \nShe discussed what to consider when launching your strategy: \nLook at how employees portray your company on their profile – Some personal profiles aren’t linked to company pages or employees don’t have a description of their position on their personal profile. \nLook at the content your employees share – If they are sharing political messages or messages contrary to your business\, you can have a conversation with them. Your social media policy will make that conversation easier. \nLook at how your employees use their personal profile to achieve goals related to their position – Your employees’ personal profile should make it easy for people to understand what they do and make it easy to reach them. \nLook at how employees can share news and information about the company – Teach them to look at what the company is posting and share it. Encourage them to take photos at events and tell the company’s story. Empower your employees. \nCathy suggested checking out SMB’s March 2017 recap to learn more about crafting a social media policy. \nEmployee advocacy \nAccording to Cathy\, employee networks have 10 times more connections than a company will have and people are more likely to trust company information when it’s shared by an employee. “Develop those brand ambassadors in your company because it pays dividends\,” she says. \nCathy gave some advice on developing your employee advocates: \n\nDevelop and identify the people who can give a face to your company\nSupport your employees to become thought leaders in their areas of expertise\nInvite employees to produce original content on LinkedIn and share it on your company page and in groups where relevant\nSupport your employees in crafting a well-written LinkedIn profile that helps to brand your company\nProvide ongoing training\n\nEmployee advocacy is not a one-and-done deal. Cathy says it’s a new way of engaging that requires sustainability for maximum impact. \nSo why should we care about all this? Cathy says more conversations lead to more opportunities which leads to increased sales. “Your goal with LinkedIn is to move your connections further to a phone call or in-person meeting.” \nYou can see Cathy’s deck here. \n\nWritten by Hywania Thompson\, Writer and Editor\, @hywania
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/october2017/
CATEGORIES:SEO,Social Media
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/22712372_2131004536925095_3318018506238612309_o-659x439.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20170825T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20170825T000000
DTSTAMP:20180202T194836Z
CREATED:20170825T191850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180202T194836Z
UID:10000183-1503619200-1503619200@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:How Should I Be Using Analytics?
DESCRIPTION:Attendees at Wednesday’s Social Media Breakfast munched on pizza and drank coffee at Brix & Mortar Coworking  – Madison’s newest coworking space. Wednesday’s event was one of a series of events being held across the city during Forward Fest 2017 – Wisconsin’s largest technology and entrepreneurship festival. \nGet Found Madison owner Eagan Heath dove right into why and how you should be using analytics. \n\nMake your website better\nKnow where people fall out\nBring people back\n\nEagan says with website analytics\, you want to make sure your website is doing a good job. “You want to know how good of a job it’s doing\, if at all\, if it’s doing what we hope it is and we also want to make it do a better job\,” he says. \nAnother reason to use web analytics is to track your marketing funnel. Eagan says not everyone will go all the way down that funnel the first time they visit your website. You want to know where they fall out. Heath says measure your website\, and based on what you see\, make changes to improve your website and your internet strategy. Then measure again to see how you did. “Whatever matters\, measure it over time\,” he says. \nEagan talked about the basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). He says when people go to Google\, they want a specific answer so it’s a great way to capture existing demand. He cited a study that showed the top result on a search gets about a third of the clicks\, while the results that follow get half the clicks and so on. According to Eagan\, if you climb a spot\, you could double the traffic to your site from that search. \nHere are the free tools Eagan recommends for SEO and website analytics: \nGoogle Search Console – Allows you to monitor and maintain your site’s presence in Google searches. It shows you a sample of queries people used to find your site. You can view: \n\nImpressions\nPosition\nClicks\nClick Through Rate (CTR)\nLanding pages\n\nYoast SEO – WordPress plugin that allows you to easily update your title\, description\, keywords and other items to optimize your pages. \nKeywords Everywhere  – Chrome or Firefox plugin (Eagan’s favorite plugin). When you do a Google search\, Keywords Everywhere tells you how many people are searching a specific keyword or phrase. It also shows costs per click and other related searches. \nGoogle Analytics (out of the box) – You must add a snippet of code to your website. Google Analytics will show you: \n\nVisits to your site\nHow many users\nSession duration\nBounce rate\nGoals\nHow people get to your website\n\nDirectly\nThrough an email\nGoogle search\nGoogle AdWords\nSocial media\n\n\nSite speed\n\nGoogle Analytics has additional tools you can use to measure your site: \n\nConversions\n\nMicro – “Actions prospects take on the way to the ultimate action you want them to take.” Ex: Watch videos\, view products\, read blog posts.\nMacro – “The ultimate actions you want your prospects to take.” Ex: Purchase online\, submit contact form\, click or call to email.\n\n\n\n\nDestination\nDuration\nPages per session\nDestination goals\nGoogle Analytics Goals\n\nEvents\nCategory\nAction\nLabel\nValue\n\n\n\nGoogle Tag Manager – Allows you to track code in one place. It sends tracking data to all tools: Google AdWords\, Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel. You must add a snippet of code to your website. You can view: \n\nVariables\nTriggers\nTags\n\nGoogle Tag Assistant – A Chrome extension that makes sure your Google tags are working correctly. \nCampaign URL Builder – Allows you to drill down with specific email newsletter campaigns\, Google Ads and Facebook Ads. \nEagan also provided a couple free resources for help navigating analytics. \nGoogle Analytics Academy \nMeasureschool YouTube Academy \nFacebook Pixel and Facebook Ads – You need a personal page\, business page and a business manager account and they must be linked. \nThe Facebook Pixel is code that runs in the background. Eagan says it’s not conversion tracking for when you run Facebook Ads. He says you can set up the Pixel and spend nothing on Facebook Ads and get value out of the Pixel. “Make sure it’s on every page of your site\,” he says. \nGoogle Data Studio – This tool automatically updates from Google Analytics\, AdWords and Search Console and turns your data into reports that you can share. \nEagan provided many great tools and information. To see examples of the analytics and reports you can pull using the tools he discussed\, view his PowerPoint presentation. \n\nWritten by Hywania Thompson\, Writer and Editor\, @hywania 
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/august2017/
CATEGORIES:SEO,Social Media
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/smb-659x371.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20170519T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20170519T000000
DTSTAMP:20180202T194842Z
CREATED:20170519T193432Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180202T194842Z
UID:10000270-1495152000-1495152000@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:How to build an inbound & content marketing machine without blowing your budget
DESCRIPTION:Hubspot expert George B. Thomas\, not to be confused with mathematician George B. Thomas\, kicked off Wednesday’s Social Media Breakfast with a jam session\, wowing the crowd with his beatboxing skills. George is a self-described “inbound Jedi” at The Sales Lion.  \nGeorge dove right in asking the crowd about their knowledge of inbound and content marketing. He said in his work over the years\, he’s found that there are two main problems people face when coming up with a plan – the buyer and budget. He illustrated his buyer point with a picture of actor Ed O’Neill\, who played shoe guy Al Bundy on the hit show Married with Children.  \nGeorge then showed a picture of Zappos\, an online shoe and clothing shop. George said Zappos changed the game and is now the shoe guy. “They made it so that you can buy them online\, get them\, try them and send them back. Things are changing. People are more than willing to get anything they need online\,” he said. \nGeorge further illustrated his point with a picture of a bookstore\, saying bookstores really don’t exist anymore because of e-commerce companies like Amazon. He listed several defunct bookstores\, which he says did not realize that the game and the buyer had changed.  \nGeorge talked about the buyer’s journey\, the process people go through when buying a new service or product – awareness\, consideration and decision. He said 70% of the buyer’s journey is done online before they ever call a company or visit the contact page. “People have educated themselves and they probably know more about the product you sell or the service you provide before they ever talk to you.” He said if you haven’t become the Wikipedia of your space\, users will go somewhere else to buy products.  \n“Because the buyer has changed\, we need to use some automation\, we need to be able to have content\, we need to be able to do lead nurturing\, we need to have a contact database. If any of these pieces are missing\, then we’re fighting an uphill battle.”  \nAs for budget\, George said companies either have a budget and don’t know where to start or have minimal to no budget. He gave three examples of all-in-one marketing and sales software that companies use – Pardot\, Marketo and Hubspot. They cost anywhere from $2\,400 to $28\,000 for one year.   \nMany companies use agencies for inbound and content marketing. Hiring an agency can run $67\,000 to $118\,000 per year. If a company hires an agency and chooses a marketing and sales software like Hubspot\, the company is looking at $76\,000 to $128\,000 for a year.  \nSo how do you build your own inbound marketing machine? “There are many moving parts to an inbound machine. Social media\, analytics\, SEO\, automation\, content\, lead conversion\, lead nurturing. These are all the buzz words about things we should be doing to do a digital business right\,” George said.  \nGeorge asked the crowd if they use WordPress for their websites and received an overwhelming response. He then discussed various tools to use with WordPress sites. \nContent\, design and development \nVisual Composer – Page builder plugin for WordPress. Gives you a lot of functionality and allows you to set up your pages the way you want to set them up. Cost: $34 one-time fee \nGeorge said once you get your website set up\, you should be measuring everything that’s happening.  \nMeasure your website  \nGoogle Analytics –  Allows you to analyze traffic on your site. You should measure three things – where people are coming from\, new vs. returning users and how fast your pages are. Cost: Free \nMonsterInsights – Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. Simpler than Google Analytics. MonsterInsights will pipe what’s important to you into your WordPress portal. Cost: $39 – $199/year \nSlim Stat Analytics – Web analytics plugin for WordPress. Slim Stats measures top search terms\, top referring domains and much more. Cost: Free – $180 one-time fee for a bundle \nTo drive people to your website\, George said focus on keywords and keyword questions. Thinking about experiences with Google\, Siri and Alexa\, people simply ask them a question. George has started coaching his clients on using keyword questions.  \nIncrease website traffic \nAhrefs – A toolset for SEO and marketing. Allows you to run reports on your websites. Cost: $99 -$999 \nYoast – SEO plugin for WordPress. Allows you to set a focus keyword for articles or pages. It also allows you to customize your title and your meta description\, the summary people see on the results page when they search your product. Cost: Free – $69 \nYour website is looking good\, you’re measuring results and you’re bringing people to the website because you’re using keywords. Now\, how do you convert those people to leads? \nConvert web visitors to leads \nMautic – Free and open source marketing automation software. Allows you to build forms and have categories for your forms. Has templates or create custom landing pages. Mautic has list segmentation if you want to market to a specific audience. Mautic is not in WordPress. Cost: Free \nInbound Now – Marketing plugin for WordPress. Allows you to customize forms\, drag and drop the forms\, create landing pages\, see total visits\, total conversions and the conversion rate. Cost: Free or $45/month \nGeorge said you have to make your site look good\, measure everything and focus on the questions that people are asking. “We need to get them in a position where they convert and then we need to be able to segment those contacts and nurture them down the buyer’s journey into our sales and marketing funnel\,” he said.  \n“Go forth and become an inbound marketing hero and rock out the world!” \n\n\nWritten by Hywania Thompson\, Writer and Editor\, @hywania
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/may2017/
CATEGORIES:SEO
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/george-hamming-it-up-659x439.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20150617T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20150617T000000
DTSTAMP:20180202T194920Z
CREATED:20150617T222950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180202T194920Z
UID:10000247-1434499200-1434499200@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:Create content - and then ignite it!
DESCRIPTION:Creating great content is not enough for a successful social media strategy; you must amplify it in a way that makes it stand out among all the noise and connect personally with your audience. \n“It used to be content creation was the finish line\, now we have to think about igniting what we create\,” social media expert Don Stanley told a packed audience at June’s Social Media Breakfast Madison at the Great Hall of the UW-Madison Memorial Union. \nYou should now spend just 20% of your time on creating content and 80% amplifying it\, he said. \n“Brand power is not coming through content\, it is coming through content transmitted by friends\,” said Stanley\, president and CEO of 3Rhino Media and an internationally recognized\, award-winning social media and marketing instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Marketers perk up if they can get a recommendation from someone.” \nBut the challenge comes from the fact that people are suffering from “Content Shock” these days\, Stanley said. \n“There is a limited capacity for us to consume because\, believe it or not\, we all need sleep. As more content gets out there\, there is more noise and we have to figure out how to stand out.” Consider this: \n\n83% of brand marketing say social sharing is the number one benefit of digital marketing.\n85% say when other people share content it helps us better understand and process brand information and events.\n70% are more likely to make a purchase based on a friend’s social media share.\n\nIn order to stand out and get people to share our content\, we must understand our audience and appeal to their emotions. As marketers\, the dilemma we face is that people share for intrinsic\, emotional reasons but we want them to share for economic reasons. “That’s a big disconnect\,” Don said. \nIt is important to understand why people share content on social media: \n\nTo declare who we are.\nTo be useful and appear smart.\nTo be generous and kind.\nTo grow and nourish relationships.\nTo show love and support.\n\nSo when creating content\, start with these questions: \n\nIs your own content igniting? What is the competition doing\, and is their content igniting? If so why?\nWho are the people who share? Did you know that it will take 338 Tweets on average before someone will retweet? And on Facebook\, only one half of one percent of posts are shared.\nWhy\, where\, how do they share? What platforms are they on? Make sure what you create is easy to share on those platforms.\nHow do you tap into this and succeed?\nHow do you enable sharing in every way?\n\nDon is big on lists\, so I’m going to conclude with two of his main ones: \n6 elements of the Content Code: \n\nBrand Development. Think of brands you feel deeply connected to. Coca Cola is a good example.\nAudience and Influencers. Find your core audience members – the 2 percent who share your content regularly – and take good care of them. Send messages to them\, retweet them.  Give lots of shout-outs.\nDistribution\, Advertising\, Promotion\, SEO. Are you strategically distributing?\nBuilding Authority. This takes time. You have to do things that get people to think of you as a thought leader in your community.\nSocial Proof and Social Signals. Are you getting enough shares to be visible? You’re more likely to go to a crowded restaurant than an empty one. Brag about how many people have signed up for your newsletter.\nShareability of Content. If you take away one tip today it should be to work on your headlines. If you have a good headine there is 400% greater chance of getting shares.\n\n6 Ignition Tips \n\nBe sure you have Share buttons. If you do\, your content is 700% more likely to be shared.\nCraft a headline. Make it tweetable\, descriptive\, creative and include a number.\nRemove barriers. Do people really need to register to access your content?\nCreate joyful content. People love to smile.\nBe visual. Posts with images get twice as many shares.\nRepurpose your content for different platforms.\n\n“This is still uncharted territory\,” Don concluded. But everyone should keep asking themselves\, “How do I ignite my content\, engage people\, and stand out?” \nWe will post a video of this event from Geekazine soon. \n\nWritten by Bill Hurley\, (@billhurleymedia / billhurleymedia.com / beachmaniac.com) Editor\, writer\, social media strategist\, website developer\, digital publisher.  BillHurleyMail@gmail.com\, Bill@smbmad.org. \n\n  \nVideo by Geekazine:\n \nSPONSORS  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nunion.wisc.edu\ntwitter.com/WisconsinUnion\nfacebook.com/TheWisconsinUnion\nAmFam.com/DreamBank\ntwitter.com/DreamBankMSN\nfacebook.com/DreamBankMadison\nMadisonCollege.edu\ntwitter.com/MadisonCollege\nfacebook.com/MadisonCollege\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSmartImage.com\ntwitter.com/smartimageapp\nfacebook.com/smartimageapp\nWPSIC.com\nLinkedIn\ntwitter.com/WPSHealth\nfacebook.com/WPSHealth\nSuttle-Straus.com\ntwitter.com/suttlestraus\nfacebook.com/suttlestrausinc\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\nmadison-wi.minutemanpress.com\nfacebook.com/rbsprinting\nMelissaCarlsonCreative\ntwitter.com/melbatoast65\nfacebook.com\ngeekazine.com\ntwitter.com/geekazine\nfacebook.com/geekazine\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\nTalentCPA.com\ntwitter.com/talentcpa\nfacebook.com/talentcpa\nAxley.com\ntwitter.com/axleylawfirm\nfacebook.com/axleylawfirm
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/june2015/
CATEGORIES:SEO
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Stanley3_655x341-655x341.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20150520T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20150520T000000
DTSTAMP:20180202T194928Z
CREATED:20150521T021258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180202T194928Z
UID:10000246-1432080000-1432080000@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:Add podcasting to your social media plan
DESCRIPTION:Longtime Madison Podcaster Jeffrey Powers – a member of the Social Media Breakfast Madison Board – has been creating shows for himself and others (including Fortune 500 companies) for over 7 years. He has helped others in their podcasting efforts\, whether audio or video. He talks regularly with industry professionals\, has his own podcast help website at www.HowToRecordPodcasts.com\, and is the owner of the popular “Podcaster Community” on Google+. \n\nIn this special SMB session\, Jeffrey – who operates the Geekazine.com website – showed us the advantages of adding a simple podcast to your social media plan. More than just videos on YouTube or Facebook – podcasts can help with everything from answering questions to keeping up relationships with your clients. \nHere is this month’s recap\, followed by the complete video of Jeffrey’s presentation. \n### \nLike other social media\, podcasting is about building a community and engaging with people. But there is something unique and especially personal about the podcasting community\, says professional podcaster Jeffrey Powers. \n“ There’s no façade\,” Jeffrey said at the May Social Media Breakfast Madison event at the Orpheum Theatre. “For the most part these people are real people asking real questions\, making real comments. That’s the cool thing about this community; it’s just so real. \n“What does a podcast community do?” he asked. “They come together. It’s like you just brought them into your family. They also help out\, bring insight\, collaborate and support you. Sometimes they even send you money.” \nJeffrey\, who has been podcasting for eight years\, has seen more and more people turn to podcasts for information and entertainment over that period. \nAnd the numbers bear that out. The percent of Internet users who listen to podcasts has risen from 7% in 2006 to 27% in 2013\, “and that number is going to grow exponentially\,” with 46 million Americans now falling into the category of podcast listeners. \nThe average podcast listener consumes 6 podcasts per week\, is likely in the 25-40 demographic\, and is well educated. \nJeffrey’s main podcasts are Geekazine and Day in Tech History. The Day in Tech History podcast used to be the Week in Tech History\, testifying to the growth of interest not only in the topic but in the technology of podcasting itself. Jeffrey produces the Day in Tech History 365 days a year\, adding up to more than 2\,100 podcasts so far. He is also a professional “event-caster” podcasting from mostly tech-focused events throughout the country\, and is the Community Leader of the Google Plus Podcast Community. \nJeffrey says podcasting should be part of any social media strategy and be a part of a company’s or organization’s engagement with its customers or members. Podcasting can play a big role in engaging a community. \nIf you’re just starting a podcast\, he said\, don’t be intimidated. “Everybody’s podcast show starts at 1\,” he said. “But it gets better: 1 becomes 2\, 2 becomes 10.” \nDon’t expect to be the serialpodcast\, a spin-off of This American Life\, with 5 million listeners every week. \n“It would be nice if you get 5 million and I would be happy for you if you get 5 million for your podcast\, but don’t expect it.” \nThe average podcast gets 150 listeners without ad promotion and 1\,500 to 2\,000 with ad promotion\, he said. \nJeffrey offered this list of 7 Things To Do Before You Start Your First Podcast: \n\nPlan your podcast. Check out the competition\, put together your business plan\, and set a budget.\nPromote your show by helping out others. Spend some time on Facebook groups\, Reddit\, searching Twitter hashtags for keywords and replying to questions. “That’s where people go to find out who you are” so have quality profiles on these top social networks. “You don’t know them today but a year from now they could become your best friend.”\nThink of the podcast as a vertical business. Set a start date and schedule\, set up a promotion budget\, plan to advertise\, create a press release and get a website specifically for your podcast. That sheds light on the podcast and is great for SEO.\nSet your budget. “You can put together a podcast using your phone if you want to.” Or you can use inexpensive apps or go higher end with expensive equipment running hundreds of dollars. “You can start on a dime and grow from there.”\nAsk people to listen and to reply. Include family members\, co-workers\, people you meet\, even your grocer and Laundromat friends. “Ask everybody. Ask your dog walker if you have one.”\nSet up a quick survey. The survey should be nothing more than two questions\, such as: What did you think of the show? What would you like me to do differently?\nKnow what your “call to action” is and make it clear to your listeners. This is the most important part of your podcast. Don’t use a large part of the podcast to do this. “Sell yourself in two minutes or less.” Your call to action helps increase interaction and community\, defines your ultimate goal\, and gives people an idea of your intentions. “Make the show about something else and two minutes about yourself.” Your call to action is the only time you sell something.\n\nIt is important\, Jeffrey said\, to connect your podcast promotions with your social networks\, particularly Facebook\, Twitter and LinkedIn. \nAnd remember\, the quality of your content is KING. You want to have a good image\, a paragraph of what the show is about and 2-3 hashtags (don’t overuse hashtags). \nFor example\, he said\, you can create a Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn post using quotes from your podcasts added to a quality image and linking to your podcast. \nJeffrey said you should have a Facebook page for your podcasts separate from your business Facebook page. Other content resources include an iTunes link\, Stitcher link\, Twitter\, Google Plus\, and an RSS feed. \nAlso\, don’t be afraid to promote your past episodes\, especially if your topic is evergreen. (One tool for this is the Revive Old Post plugin for WordPress.) \nThe future of podcasting parallels the future of social media and the growth in Internet reach\, he said\, moving toward what is known as “Continuous Content.” That is where consumers can continuously access content from any location as they move through their daily routines: from home\, to the car\, to the office\, in a park or on an airplane. Foruntately\, the portability of a podcast lends itself to the future world of Continuous Content. \n“The bottom line\,” he said\, “is to use podcasting as a transport\, to use podcasting as a promotional tool for what you do.” \n\nWritten by Bill Hurley\, (@billhurleymedia / billhurleymedia.com / beachmaniac.com) Editor\, writer\, social media strategist\, website developer\, digital publisher.  BillHurleyMail@gmail.com\, Bill@smbmad.org. \n\n\nVideo of Geekazine by Geekazine:\n \nSPONSORS  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMadisonOrpheum.com\ntwitter.com/MadOrpheum\nfacebook.com/madorpheum\nAmFam.com/DreamBank\ntwitter.com/DreamBankMSN\nfacebook.com/DreamBankMadison\nMadisonCollege.edu\ntwitter.com/MadisonCollege\nfacebook.com/MadisonCollege\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIansPizza.com\ntwitter.com/IansMadison\nfacebook.com/IansPizzaMadison\nSmartImage.com\ntwitter.com/smartimageapp\nfacebook.com/smartimageapp\nWPSIC.com\nLinkedIn\ntwitter.com/WPSHealth\nfacebook.com/WPSHealth\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nAxley.com\ntwitter.com/axleylawfirm\nfacebook.com/axleylawfirm\nSuttle-Straus.com\ntwitter.com/suttlestraus\nfacebook.com/suttlestrausinc\nmadison-wi.minutemanpress.com\nfacebook.com/rbsprinting\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\nMelissaCarlsonCreative\ntwitter.com/melbatoast65\nfacebook.com\ngeekazine.com\ntwitter.com/geekazine\nfacebook.com/geekazine\nTalentCPA.com\ntwitter.com/talentcpa\nfacebook.com/talentcpa
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/may2015/
CATEGORIES:SEO
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://smbmad.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/powers5-655x341.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20140917T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20140917T000000
DTSTAMP:20180202T194943Z
CREATED:20140918T002243Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180202T194943Z
UID:10000238-1410912000-1410912000@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:Know who you are and find your audience
DESCRIPTION:Whether you run a large business or are just out to promote your local band\, the key to successful social media is to figure out who you are and find your audience. \nThat was one of the key messages delivered by the very entertaining Mike Huberty at September’s Social Media Breakfast Madison held at the Holiday Inn West. Mike\, who plays in the band Sunspot\, also represents Broadjam\, a Madison-based online hub for musicians to promote their music and themselves across the web and through social media. \nFor about 20 years\, Mike has been involved in promoting and marketing his band and the 1\,000 shows they have put on since he was in eighth grade. Since 2011\, Mike has helped other musicians promote themselves and license their music through Broadjam.com. \nMike said he often runs into musicians who say\, “All I want to do is create\, man. I don’t want to do marketing and branding. I’m an artist. I create.” \nBut in today’s world\, that just isn’t enough. What every band ultimately wants is an audience to consume their art\, he said. Nobody wants to play in front of an empty venue (and isn’t the same true metaphorically for businesses?). \n“You want to connect with people who care about your product and what you’re trying to do.” \nBasically\, he said\, it comes down to this: “You want someone to play in front of. You want fans.” \nTo get them\, you first have to figure out who you are\, what image you want to portray (yes\, your brand)\, and go where you can connect with people who are interested in what you have to offer. \n“You need to tell them why they should be there. This is where a lot of people fail. You need to create a context: the story that you weave together. What you are creating to get people excited. You need to give them a compelling reason.” \nBranding isn’t a dirty word\, Mike said. “It’s just about knowing who you are. It is about knowing yourself. It’s a shortcut for the audience to figure out who you are. The audience is looking for someone like them\, someone that expresses feelings thorough art that they cannot. Branding helps those people find you. It’s your context; it is your story.” \nThe beauty of the Internet and social media\, Mike said\, is that they help you make that connection with the right people. \n“It’s your branding that helps those people find you.” \nMike said the biggest mistake bands make is they don’t take the time to define who they are. They are afraid of pigeon-holeing themselves\, but if they don’t create a niche\, they can’t stand out in the crowd. So he said\, create that image\, create that niche. You can always change it later. Madonna has changed her brand many times over the years\, as have many other successful artists. \nThe same applies to businesses whether they are selling insurance\, music or food. \n“Before you do anything\, know who you are\,” Mike said. “Who you are is your context\,” so make it personal. “When you’re an artist\, your art is you. Your product is you.” \nAnd it’s all about marketing YOU. \n“The essence of digital marketing (social media) is that you’re a real person selling you. We have the freedom online to create that real person. We have the freedom at an event to create that real person.” \nBruce Springsteen\, he said\, is worth $300 million and he still connects with the working man. But it works. “He still speaks for them even though he hasn’t been one of them for a really long time.” Springsteen simply defined himself. \nThe vulgar band Gwar pretends they are aliens from another planet who came to Earth to destroy it. It’s a safe bet they are not really aliens\, Mike said\, but they defined themselves that way and their fans accept them for what they portray themselves to be. \nOnce you know who you are\, find out who your audience is\, where they hang out and go out and connect with them\, Mike said. \nMike ran through the major social media platforms and described how people can use them to define and market themselves\, their products and their businesses: \nFacebook:  \nOn Facebook\, he said\, “Everyone trying to show how awesome they are. You are creating that person. You’re playing dress up.” \nFacebook is great for promoting events\, posting live pictures and press photos\, showing success\, validating relationships and keeping yourselves in front of your fans. \nYouTube: \nIf you’re a musician and not on YouTube\, do it right now\, Mike said (and\, again\, isn’t that true for all businesses?). YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world\, he pointed out \n“It is Internet on crack. It has the greatest engine in the world for people looking for more content immediately. It is a place to create new relationships. \nTwitter: \n“If you’re gonna tweet\, then tweet! Play the game\, respond\, and interact. Join conversations. It’s Twitter\, you don’t have to be invited to say something.” \nGoogle Plus: \nIn addition to using Google Plus for SEO\, it offers an amazing tool for interacting with your audience: Google Hangouts. “We talk to our audience (on Hangouts). It’s long form interaction with your audience. I’ve done Google Hangout from a plane. That’s blows my mind. I’m talking to people from space on a video screen!” \nInstagram: \nDeepen relationships with friends by staying in their feed and make new ones through tags. People are searching tags for cool pictures. \nPinterest: \nIt’s worth it for SEO alone. Just post things that you like\, or post to content you’ve already created. \nPodcasts: \nLet people get to know you by spending a lot of time with you. Sunspot has done this since 2005. In his experience\, Mike said\, other popular podcasters listen to his podcast and then sometimes put his songs on their podcasts. Highly successful podcaster Adam Curry\, he said\, played one of Sunspot’s songs after hearing it on a Sunspot podcast\, and the song immediately got a large number of hits. \nSnapchat: \nThis is the place for funny\, in-the-moment pictures. It’s great if you have a young audience or already have a lot of friends out there. \nMySpace: \nBecause it has far fewer people than Facebook\, there is opportunity to grab them on MySpace. \nSoundcloud: \nGreat for EDM (electronic dance music) artists. \nBroadjam: \nGreat for songwriters looking to collaborate and meet other serious artists. \nFinally\, Mike said\, don’t neglect your own website and email list. “Email is still the best way to connect with your audience\, period.” \nSuccessful artists – like successful businesses – use all these Internet and social media tools – as well as building old-fashioned face-to-face relationships – to promote and market themselves\, Mike said. \n“Be ruthless and don’t stop. No one else cares about your career. If you’re not comfortable marketing your art\, find someone who is and get them on your team.” \nAnd\, in what can be turned into another lesson for us all\, he said\, music is a tough business and nobody cares about your success like you do. Keep plugging away\, don’t let it get you down\, and believe in yourself. \n“Play your own game. You are not competing with anyone else. Do not let other people’s opinions\, success or failure affect yours.” \nMike shared these links: \nHis band: sunspotuniverse.com \nBoradjam: broadjam.com \nHis other business\, which involves ghost tours of downtown Madison: madisonghostwalks.com \nMike also writes for Madison-based Maxiumum Ink magazine. \n\nWritten by Bill Hurley\, (@billhurleymedia / billhurleymedia.com / beachmaniac.com) Editor\, writer\, social media strategist\, website developer\, digital publisher.  BillHurleyMail@gmail.com\, Bill@smbmad.org. \n\nVideo by Geekazine:\n \nPhoto gallery by Bob Wydra:\n\n \n\nPost by Social Media Breakfast Madison.\n\n\nMike’s presentation:\n  \n\nSPONSORS \n[table id=1 /] \n 
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/september2014/
CATEGORIES:SEO
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UID:10000233-1397606400-1397606400@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:From Bernie Brewer to Hank the dog\, Brewers put social in social media
DESCRIPTION:Baseball is serious business\, but if there is one word that describes the Milwaukee Brewers’ social media presence it has to be “fun.” \nThe team’s social media is not just about batting averages and player trades\, it’s about Hank the dog\, Bernie Brewer (the #1 followed mascot in Major League  Baseball)\, golfing during spring training in Arizona\, and\, yes\, that viral video with players and staff dancing to the Pharrell Williams song “Happy.” What? You haven’t seen it yet? Well\, take a peek: \n \nThat’s just one of many videos produced by the Brewers this year\, and a few of the most popular feature Hank the lovable stray dog that wondered into training camp and stole the hearts of the Brewers and – thanks to social media – the entire nation. \nCaitlin Moyer\, the Brewers’ New Media Director (@CMoyer)\, talked a lot about Hank Wednesday (April 16\, 2014) during a presentation to Social Media Breakfast Madison because Hank rocked her New Media World this spring. Hank was an unexpected surprise that took her program on a waggish detour. \nIt started very early during spring training while Caitlin was still back in Milwaukee. \n“I got call that a little dog wandered into camp and players really like him. That’s cute\, but I didn’t think too much of it\,” she said. Yet it was unique enough to write about\, so she devoted a blog to the story of the huggable stray dog. “We got some more photos and wrote more. It was starting to build traction so we gave him a hashtag #BallparkPup. We were really just trying to find his original owner.” \nBut as the players started to build a relationship with Hank at Maryvale Baseball Park\, so the did the local media. The newspaper came out and wrote a story\, and a TV station shot some video. \nCaitlin soon arrived in Maryvale and Hank just couldn’t be ignored. \n“We used Twitter mirror with our players for photo day for player selfies. and we included Hank because now he’s part of the team\,” she said. “Things really took off when we ran him in the sausage race. We didn’t rally know what was going to happen. We just felt the outcome would be funny no matter what.” And it was: \n \n“After we posted that he kind of went – I don’t like to use term viral loosely – but his whole story did go viral\,” Caitlin said. \nSuddenly Hank was becoming a national celebrity\, appearing in People Magazine\, In Touch Magazine\, ABC News\, USA Today\, the London Daily Mail and even the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. \nThis was not one of those carefully planned social media campaigns\, Caitlin pointed out. “It became the other side of social media where you have to jump on something as it’s gong on.” \nCaitlin emphasized that the team hoped that any publicity would lead to a reunion of Hank and his owner. “Hank’s safety and well being was first and foremost\, and we always tried to find his owner\,” she said. But nobody ever came for him. So the Brewers decided to use the publicity around Hank for a good cause: raising money for pet adoption through the Humane Society\, which included a Pet Adoption Day at Maryvale Park. \nBut Hank’s foray into social media wasn’t over yet. The team had acquired a GoPro camera to experiment with placing it on players during practice\, so they decided to place it on Hank as he frolicked around ballpark\, turning it into a #HankCam video\, which was\, to say the least\, “highly shared” and made the Yahoo Home Page. \n \nFrom there\, the team developed Hank merchandise – T-shirts\, pennants\, plush dolls\, and other gear – with 20% of all proceeds going to the Humane Society. It was\, of course\, all very photogenic and sharable. \nWhen Hank flew with the team back to Milwaukee\, Caitlin covered it through social media\, and a large crowd was there to greet him. Soon\, on video\, Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin informed Hank that he had made the team\, one of the few “walk-ons” ever to do so. Hank was signed “in perPETuity”\, and on that day Hank trended Number One on Facebook. \n \nHank was a big hit on Opening Day\, and he will continue to make periodic appearances\, including a Hank Bobblehead Day – BobbleHank – September 13 at Miller Park\, again benefitting the Humane Society. But Hank may take some time off\, enjoying his new life with a Milwaukee family that has adopted him. \nLike anything\, Caitlin pointed out\, you don’t want to overdo a good thing. Hank’s story generated large increases in the Brewers’ social media following\, especially on Twitter\, Facebook and Instagram\, Caitlin said\, but you have to have balance. “Some people are like\, enough with the dog\, I want to hear about the team.” \nAnd\, yes\, Brewers social media strategy is about a lot more than Hank the dog. The overall social media objectives\, Caitlin said\, are: \n\nIntegration with Paid Media & Communications\nIncrease Brand Awareness\nPositive Brand Influence\nDrive/Influence Ticket Sales\nReceive Feedback from Consumers\nEngage in Dialogue with Consumers\nProvide “Insider” Content\nForum for Event-Specific Promotion\nAssist with Fundraising\n\n“We’re on pretty much any platform you can think of\, from Facebook to Tumblr and everything in between\,” Caitlin said. “We really try our best to provide that insider content … that behind-the-scenes content.” \nCaitlin is the entire social media staff but she works with a graphic designer and integrates with paid media and communications. She also gets assistance from the Major League Baseball office\, which works with all the clubs. \nShe works off an editorial calendar and has different strategies for each social media platform. On Facebook\, for example\, she interacts with fans\, listens to conversations and promotes offers. On Twiter\, she said\, she posts more frequently\, with updates\, photos and hashtag-specific links. The Brewers have an entire Twitter roster that includes separate accounts for the Brewers (@Brewers)\, Bernie Brewer (@Bernie-Brewer)\, the Brewers player development (@BrewersPD)\, Brewers merchandise (@MilAuthentics)\, events (@BrewersEvents)\, and many individual players. They use many hashtags\, including specific ones for individual games. \nBernie is the team’s “biggest cheerleader” and has a different “voice” than the Brewers’ main Twitter account. Bernie can get away with being especially friendly and funny and always expressing a positive attitude in his Tweets\, even if the team loses. \nThis spring\, Bernie went to spring training for the first time\, and it was turned into an event\, complete with social media and this fun video: \n \n“He sent a tweet from 30\,000 feet and wrote a diary\,” Caitlin said. \nThe Brewers also make use of Pinterest\, where they showcase retail items and impactful photos. This image of Miller Park as a heart was very popular: \n \nCaitlin said that\, like a lot of businesses and organizations\, she is not doing a lot right now on Google Plus but is using it to improve SEO. She said Tumblr is used for themed campaigns such as the Brewers’ bobblehead collection\, and Instagram is great for cool photos\, videos and contests such as a Grandparents Day photo contest that included game tickets as a prize. \nThe Brewers do have an app\, called AtBat\, which was created by MLB. It is a paid app that allows you to watch or listen to games. You can also download the MLB At the Ballpark app\, and select Miller Park\, then you can check in\, find special offers\, view stadium and concession maps and more. \nCaitlin also co-writes the John & Cait Plus Nine Blog\, which focuses on behind-the-scenes information\, event coverage\, and even reviews of concession food. \nFor more information about the Brewers social media offerings and to sign up for the email list and text alerts\, visit the Social Media Clubhouse at brewers.com/connect. \nWritten by Bill Hurley\, (@billhurleymedia / billhurleymedia.com / beachmaniac.com) Editor\, writer\, social media strategist\, digital publisher.  BillHurleyMail@gmail.com\, Bill@smbmad.org. \n\nCaitlin’s Prezi:\n \n\nThanks to @Geekazine for recording this video of the presentation:\n \n\nAnd Bob Wydra for taking these great photos:\n\n \n\nSPONSORS  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWisconsinDistributors.com\ntwitter.com/beersocietywi\nfacebook.com/beersocietyofwisconsin\nAmFam.com\n twitter.com/amfam\n facebook.com/amfam\nCharterBusiness.com\n twitter.com/charterbusiness\n facebook.com/charterbusiness\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\nTalentCPA.com\ntwitter.com/talentcpa\nfacebook.com/talentcpa\nAxley.com\ntwitter.com/axleylawfirm\nfacebook.com/axleylawfirm\ngeekazine.com\n twitter.com/geekazine\n facebook.com/geekazine\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBadgerGraphics.com\n twitter.com/badgergraphics\n facebook.com/badgergraphicssystems\nSuttle-Straus.com\n twitter.com/suttlestraus\n facebook.com/suttlestrausinc\n twitter.com/BobWydra\n facebook.com/WydraPhotography\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMelissaCarlsonCreative\n twitter.com/melbatoast65\n facebook.com\n wpsic.com\nLinkedIn.com/company/\nwps-health-insurance\ntwitter.com/WPSHealth\nfacebook.com/WPSHealth \n  yolascafe.com\ntwitter.com/yolascafe\nfacebook.com/yolascafe
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/april2014/
CATEGORIES:SEO
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130425T000000
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DTSTAMP:20180202T194955Z
CREATED:20130426T031606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180202T194955Z
UID:10000221-1366848000-1366848000@smbmad.org
SUMMARY:Leveraging EdgeRank and Graph Search
DESCRIPTION:SMB Madison welcomed the founder of EdgeRank Checker\, Chad Wittman\, who scoffed in the face of our lack of spring weather by going fashionably sockless to bring insight into Facebook’s News Feed and Graph Search. \nLeveraging the News Feed \n“Optimizing for Facebook’s EdgeRank is the new SEO\,” said Chad. The EdgeRank algorithm determines how often your posts actually appear in your fans News Feed. This is the single most important determining factor to achieving organic reach in FB. Wittman commented “most brands only reach 12% of their fans per post\, however brands that are leveraging the power of the News Feed reach +40% of their fans per post.” EdgeRank checker is a tool to help marketers analyze and understand the effect of EdgeRank on their posts to increase exposure and fan engagement\, the currency of FB we all seek. \nSignal vs. Noise \nOnce Facebook made the change to the News Feed layout\, their focus shifted to how to make all the content that was being posted most relevant to their users.  “They wanted to be your everyday newspaper\,” said Chad. EdgeRank was invented by FB to determine what a user sees within their News Feed. Chad noted they typically tweak it about every two weeks. What it’s trying to do is separate “signal” vs. “noise.” EdgeRank essentially became the next step in the evolution of search engines following the progress made by Yahoo and Google to point users away from “noise” to the direction of the content (or signal) they want. \nAffinity \nEdgeRank is the sum of three variables. The first factor is Affinity. Affinity is the relationship between users. When a person is using FB and liking\, messaging\, commenting\, FB is tracking (gasp!) all of that to determine how connected the two users are. “This is a one-way relationship. If I’m always commenting on someone but they aren’t commenting back\, I’m building affinity with that person or page\, but they aren’t with me” explained Wittman. This is important for brands as there are only so many ways you can reach out to users. “Ultimately your goal is to get them to engage with your content; that is the only way you can affect this variable. You want to create content that drives likes\, comments\, clicks and shares. Increase engagement=increase affinity.” \nWeight \nThe second variable is Weight. Weight is the quality of interactions on an edge. What is this thing and how important is it? Facebook gives a value to status updates\, photos\, likes and comments. One of the goals of EdgeRank Checker was to understand the differences in value FB gave to the various means of interacting. “We found that comments were four times more valuable than a like.” The key is realizing how much effort does a FB fan have to do to interact? A comment takes more effort than just liking a post\, so that action has higher value. \nTime Decay \nThe final variable is Time Decay\, defined as how long a post actually lives on a News Feed. “What we found is that a typical post lasts (meaning continues to have engagement) about three hours on a News Feed.” Marketers should take note of this and perhaps reconsider posting three rapid fire posts in one shot and calling it good vs. pausing and mindfully adding content with adequate time in between to let them marinate properly. Of note is Wittman’s comment “You never want to post while another post is still alive. Facebook gives you a visibility of one. It cannibalizes your posts. If two posts are out there\, one will kill the other\, and it isn’t always the first post that goes down.” He did comment that paid media will extend the life of a post if you need it to go beyond the typical organic lifespan. \nHow to Improve your EdgeRank \nBrands that are doing engagement well get three to four times the amount of average reach vs. the average user. How do they do it? \nCall to Action \nA basic strategy is click if you agree/disagree. Take it further by thinking how the user would consume this piece of content and how you are inviting them to interact with it. Are you only asking for likes? Are you following the same format with questions? \nTest and Monitor Content \nExport the FB Insights and look at who you are reaching and how you are reaching. EdgeRank Checker is a tool to help you go through process of analyzing the effect of different post content\, day posted\, even time posted. \nReduce Negative Feedback \nKeep post content in line with the expectations of the audience. Looking at negative feedback\, or those posts that are hidden\, can provide insight to what content is valued. \nWhat About Graph Search? \nGraph Search is Facebook’s technology for finding people and things that are socially connected. It can be used to find people who share your interests\, explore your world through photos\, or find recommendations for restaurants\, music and more. \nGraph Search uses the nouns of FB (people\, places\, pages\, apps\, groups) to help users discover tailored results that are most relevant to them. It even takes into account slang terms such as “homies” and “peeps.” A fun fact from Chad’s WhatisGraphSearch.com page states that when social results are minimal they are supplemented by results from Bing. Check out that website for a deeper explanation of the mathematical guts operating in Graph Search. \nUsers are primarily searching for friends and photos\, with places next in line. This is an opportunity for businesses to leverage Graph Search. While at this point you can’t advertise on Graph Search you can optimize your brand by adding Open Graph meta data to your website. Step by step instructions are on WhatisGraphSearch.com. Chad also advises completing your company Facebook page 100 percent and filling in all available fields. The tried and true strategies of continuing to build your fan base and posting engaging content still apply to the social connectedness Graph Search is built around. “Creating social connections between users is key to receiving search results exposure” said Chad. “Do it by understanding your audience and doing things they would like to like\, comment on or share. Facebook will reward you for posting positive things that get people excited.” \nCouldn’t Attend? Check out these resources to catch up: \nYouTube video recording by geekazine\nSMB Madison EdgeRank Checker PPT\nGraphSearch PPT on SlideShare\nChad’s Blog\nWhatisedgerank.com\nWhatisGraphSearch.com\nIntroductory Prezi \nMake sure to show your appreciation to our sponsors who keep this a quality event with fantastic food at terrific venues (and did we mention for no charge to you?!): \nLocation: BEST WESTERN PLUS InnTowner and the Highland Club \nCharter Business\, Food Fight Restaurant Group\, Avenue Bar\,  smart image\, Suttle-Straus\, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.\, geekazine\, pc/nametag\, DiditDirect\, Melissa Carlson Creative \nWritten by Annie Rubens\, integrated multimedia marketing and communications specialist including strategic social media page management. Annie.rubens@gmail.com \nPhotos by Bob Wydra of Did It Direct\, carbon responsible marketing diditdirect@yahoo.com \n 
URL:https://smbmad.org/event/leveraging-edgerank-and-graph-search/
CATEGORIES:SEO
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