The Direct Online Marketing™ Blog
Welcome to the home of the Official Direct Online Marketing™ Blog. This blog features mostly daily commentary from Paul Woodhouse and Justin Seibert on internet marketing news, pitfalls, and tactics. Learn internet marketing tips and tricks useful whether you're an industry pro or a business looking to learn more.
Federal Government Blogs & the Myth of Control »
Posted on July 1st, 2008 by Justin Seibert in Business Blogging, Government Marketing, Search Engine Reputation Management | 4 Comments
Blog discussions with marketing friends of mine like Skip Lineberg often end up with us trading war stories about potential clients. They’re intrigued with blogging, but don’t want to allow comments and “lose control.” There are many reasons not to start a blog (having a time constraint comes immediately to mind), but that fear is not one of them.
Friends, you’ve already lost control.
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TAGS: commenting policies, government blogs, join the conversation, myth of control, negative comments, online reputation management, TSA, two chances to make a first impression
On Word-of-Mouth, Online Recruiting & Measuring Web Site Stats »
Posted on June 27th, 2008 by Justin Seibert in Business Blogging, DOM News, Local News, Online Marketing, Web Development | 2 Comments
Rarely do I talk about our clients and their campaigns in this space. That silence is purposeful for a lot of reasons, chief of which is that often I’m not allowed to speak about their campaigns. Not so today. We launched a new site job recruiting site for the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia and Upper Ohio Valley Tuesday and there are 2 powerful points you can take away from this post, which you can use to improve your marketing today.
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TAGS: online recruiting, TakeMeHomeOhioValley.com, the mom network, viral marketing, Web analytics, Web site statistics, word-of-mouth, WV careers
SEM Smart: Rainy Day SEO »
Posted on June 25th, 2008 by Paul Woodhouse in SEM, SEO | Leave A Comment
I knew there was a reason I’d stopped feasting on the evening offering of the various television networks. That reason has never been clearer than Celebrity Family Feud.
Heavens to Betsy.
Al Roker, the former(?) NBC blimp of a weatherman who hasn’t so much lost weight as deflated like a celebratory balloon that’s been left stuck to the wall for a couple of years, was the host. The two opening families were the Rivers’ (as in Joan) and the Ice-T’s.
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TAGS: SEM, SEO
Marketing a State - Online Reputation Management for West Virginia »
Posted on June 20th, 2008 by Justin Seibert in Business Blogging, Local News, Marketing, Online Marketing, Search Engine Reputation Management, Web Credibility | 20 Comments
Fans of the old Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon will remember when they told you to tune in next week. They would always end “Don’t miss tomorrow’s exciting episode…[Bullwinkle’s Ride or Goodbye, Dollink].” Always two titles. The alternative title for this post would be “Growing Young Professional Class in WV…Now How do We Let Folks Know about It?”
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TAGS: abetterwestvirginia, Generation West Virginia, marketing West Virginia, online reputation management, ovconnect, West Virginia Day
Finally an Example of being Proactive in Online Reputation Management Courtesy of Obama »
Posted on June 13th, 2008 by Justin Seibert in Online Marketing, Paid Search, Search Engine Reputation Management, Web Credibility | Leave A Comment
I spend a lot of time talking with folks about online reputation management and how crucial it is in today’s world. Sometimes that’s to the press, sometimes at conferences, sometimes to my dog JJ after my wife goes to “sleep” to avoid listening to me anymore. (Honey, I know you’re just playing opossum; it’s okay.)
 I can’t help it. Most organizations are just so bad at it and don’t seem to recognize that the internet has fundamentally changed the way the game is played. And yes, I’m looking at you, David Stern. I know you’re a smart guy, but do you seriously think you can just shout down claims by Tim Donaghy - no matter how false and self-serving they may be - when your league already has an image problem in today’s world? Really? </condescending sarcasm to David Stern>
Often times, my talking of online reputation management turns to government. We seem to like talking politics a lot around this here blog. I’m proud, though, that neither Paul nor I show our cards and our readers don’t know whom we support. Except of course that we obviously don’t like Barrack Obama since we’re a bunch of racist, redneck West Virginians. </condescending sarcasm to national media and The Daily Show> Yes, Paul, I’m including you - you live here now.
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TAGS: david stern, fightthesmears.com, nba, obama, online reputation management, Paid Search, tim donaghy
Are you a John M(a)cCain or a (P)PC Guy? »
Posted on June 12th, 2008 by Paul Woodhouse in Business Blogging, PPC, Paid Search | Leave A Comment
A few weeks ago, John McCain was asked if he was a Mac or a PC guy, to which he answered:
“Neither, I’m an illiterate that has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance I can get.”
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TAGS: google adwords, john mccain, peter greenberger, PPC, presidential campaign ppc
Riddle: How do You Get 5 Kids under the Age of 3 to Sit Still? »
Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Justin Seibert in Slightly Off-Topic | 7 Comments
Answer:
Sorry - nothing of marketing value in this post. I just thought this was funny. Bonus points to any of our readers that tie this into online marketing.
TAGS: good behavior, kids eating ice cream
The (t-) Shirt Off Your Back »
Posted on June 4th, 2008 by Paul Woodhouse in Marketing | Leave A Comment
Well I think it’s over. I can’t swear blind who exactly wound up with the Democratic party nod as entering Hillary Clinton’s parallel universe that defies all laws of mathematics has sent me into an intellectually self critical tailspin of Nietzschian proportions.
I love it when the American media announces that history is being made then wails hysterically as soon as anybody moves off script. The irony is surely lost on most of the poor souls.
Man, did they ever dump all over John McCain’s speech and then all over Hillary’s lack of graciousness. CNN’s Jeff Toobin (who I strangely like as he contains the demeanor of a man who is mentally on a constant eyeball roll) was particularly savage in accusing her of ‘deranged narcissism‘.
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TAGS: hillary clinton, japanese media, john mccain, t shirt design, toobin
Slammer for Fake Blog Spammers »
Posted on May 30th, 2008 by Paul Woodhouse in Business Blogging, Internet, Online Marketing | 6 Comments
Did you know that it’s now a criminal offense - punishable by up to two years in jail - for any marketer/marketing firm/staff of marketing firm caught churning out fake blogs, fake reviews and other similar shady marketing practices online across Europe?
Read this and vent your first amendment spleens in the comments.
I shall be looking to make a citizen’s arrest on any commenter who attempts to shill a product and will invoke Godwin’s Law with impunity.
TAGS: astroturfing, europe, fake blogs, flogs, Online Marketing, sock puppetry
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