8 Tips to Increase Visibility Online

How do I increase visibility online? This a question that people and organizations ask me quite often, so here’s a list of basic tips that will set you on the right path to increase your visibility online:

  1. Create good quality content (detailed, informative, slim, no jargon, etc.)
  2. The content must be relevant for your target audience.
  3. Optimize the content syntax.
  4. Tag the content properly.
  5. Promote the content in the right digital venues (social networks where your target audience lives, etc…).
  6. Tailor the content promotion for the digital venue in which you are sharing it (links for twitter, photos/videos on Facebook, etc…).
  7. Share it at the right time (during the day, on specific weekdays, before/after a product launch etc…).
  8. Nothing will happen overnight. To get Google’s “soul” to trust you as a relevant source on information you need to be patient. Results will come in the long run.

There are also more advanced SEO tactics that my team and I utilize – they change according to the nature & objectives of the projects we are working on. So go ahead and have fun testing out the tips I shared, then if you need some help or if you have more specific needs feel free to get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to help 😉

Andrea

Communications Report for April 27th 2011 – AndreaVascellari.com

Do you want to get these report-updates in real time? Subscribe to the live-report RSS feed! This feed includes only report related items. It’s not a substitute but a complement to my main RSS feed which still remains the official one that brings you all my blog posts.

Twitter Advertising? 5K. Thanks.

Twitter ads? 5K thanks...

Are you interested in having your ads on Twitter? Yes? Ok, that’ll be at least $5000.
Looking at the ‘natural influence’ of big brands that probably have no need for ads on Twitter vs the 5k minimum budget for smaller businesses and other players that want to make their voices heard it’s certainly something that makes me think.
Beth Harte recently grabbed my attention on this topic with a Facebook update, I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this ‘barrier’ at the entrance that Twitter has set.
Andrea

Do You Need an Infographic?

Do you need an infographic? You might want to talk to these guys.
These are some nice graphical summaries that Daniel, Carla and Bauke created during my talk last week at the Switch Conference in Porto (Portugal). Their contact info is below, enjoy!
Andrea

11-04 Porto (Portugal)

11-04 Porto (Portugal)

11-04 Porto (Portugal)

Daniel, Carla, Bauke and me in Porto

11-04 Porto (Portugal)

Digital Evolution at Switch 2011

Switch Conference 2011

This weekend I’ll be speaking at the 2011 edition of the Switch Conference in Porto (Portugal).

“Switch is a two-day event that gathers people with different background experiences to discuss technology, science, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation in a network-friendly environment.”

My presentation will focus on ‘Digital Evolution’. I will talk about why the need to constantly evolve in the digital space has become something that isn’t just important but necessary for anyone who wants to succeed. I’ll explain why we have to re-think of websites as ‘digital brains’ instead of a simple ‘online presence’ and I’ll give 5 practical tips on how to prevent and eventually overcome 5 of the most frequent causes of digital extinction that brands, organizations and at times also individuals are facing today.

I hope to see you there!

Andrea

UPDATE: These are the slides of my presentation. Enjoy!

QR Codes – What They Are & How They Work

In the style of a movie trailer parody, the following video is the full version of an informative series about the emerging technology of QR Codes that my team at itive.net and I created.

QR Codes are one of the latest emerging technologies in digital marketing and communications. Users may discover QR Codes in their environment or on their favorite products and then scan them with their phones to be taken to additional information online. The creative and strategic uses of QR Codes are being seen world wide as more and more organizations, as well as individuals, are implementing them into their marketing and advertising campaigns. From jewelry and t-shirts, to cupcakes and temporary tattoos, who knows where you will find the next QR Code…and where it will take you.

Did you like this video? You can check out Parts 1, 2 and 3 by clicking on the following links: What Are QR Codes? (Part 1), How To Use QR Codes (Part 2), and How To Create QR Codes (Part 3). Enjoy!

How can QR Codes help you? If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about how you and/or your organization can benefit from using QR Codes, please feel free to contact us 🙂

7 Questions About PR

Jody Koehler and his coopr.nl team interviewed me for their The PR Spotlight series. Enjoy it!
Andrea

We at Coopr connect with international PR professionals daily. From Sydney to Vancouver and from Cape Town to Helsinki. More and more PR professionals connect with each other online, via Twitter, blogs, podcasts or Facebook. To share their knowledge, thoughts, doubts and passion for Public Relations. With ‘The PR Spotlight’ we wish to contribute to this active PR community. We will try to approach some of the best in PR for you. To help you find answers. ‘The PR Spotlight’ today is on Andrea Vascellari, CEO of itive.net, communicator, blogger and video-poscaster. Please enjoy his 7 answers and help us share the story!

1. Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Andrea Vascellari, currently the CEO of itive.net and international digital strategy agency with headquarters in Finland and New York City. My team and I help companies to build dynamic relationships with customers, employees, shareholders, influencers and other key audiences world-wide . I’m also a blogger and video-podcaster. I share posts and videos on my website andreavascellari.com.

2. What does PR mean to you?
PR is an art and I’m in love with it.

3. How do you see the role of PR in the near future?
The role of PR will be fundamental, more than ever before, and its practice increasingly exciting. Especially because of the growth of the Internet, today’s communications eco-system in which organizations are immersed is growing in size and complexity; therefore, its going to be necessary for organizations to manage their reputation in different scenarios at best, whether it is a product launch or a crisis situation.

4. PR sucks because…
…well let’s say that it is not PR that sucks. What really sucks when I think about PR is the bad “nomea” that some practitioners gave over the years to, in my opinion, this beautiful and fascinating industry. I think that PR is now living an interesting period because social media is in a sense functioning as a natural filter that is starting to separate the practitioners that are actually doing a good job from the ones that aren’t. Good guys will keep growing, bad guys will fall.

5. PR rules because…
It is one of the core parts of the overall communication “equilibrium” of all organizations that truly want to succeed. It’s so interesting to see what PR is becoming. I think the Internet is the best thing that could have happened to PR, especially if you look at the speed at which things are happening and evolving in this industry. When I think about the new opportunities and challenges that come with this digital evolution I can’t sleep, it’s something that literally makes me explode with excitement!

6. What’s hot on your radar right now?
The new generations of digital natives and the new rules of engagement that are emerging with them.

7. Who’s the best in your field? And why?
Heh…this is an interesting question because I don’t think there’s a ‘best’ in any field, I believe that there are a lot of great people highly specialized in different niches. So in PR I would also say that it depends on what you are looking for. Are you interested in B2B? Eric Schwartzman immediately comes to my mind. Are you in need of insightful researches? Then I’d say Jeremiah Owyang, and indeed Brian Solis who always has his eye on upcoming trends. If you actually have no idea whatsoever of where to start, I encourage you to listen to FIR (For Immediate Release). FIR is a weekly podcast at the intersection of online communication and public relations. Hosted by Neville Hobson & Shel Holtz, it’s a wonderful show that I’m sure will help get you on the right path. Inside PR with Martin WaxmanJoe Thornley, and Gini Dietrich is another terrific podcast you want to make sure to check out.
The ones I mentioned are all fantastic practitioners and also good friends that I feel comfortable enough to recommend. In addition to this I often refer to several other good folks in my blog posts and videos on andreavascellari.com, I hope you’ll find it interesting. Feel free to ask me more via twitter @vascellari!

Social Costume

Episode: VMC #343 – Social Costume

Subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Check out what I found in Venice yesterday during the Carnival…yes, a Facebook costume!

When I saw it a thought crossed my mind: A few years ago, I was sending out invites to my friends to join and connect with me on Facebook. Initially, many of them didn’t even reply or check it out and today…well, we all know how things have changed. Facebook became one of the dominant platforms for social networking.

The ‘social’ aspect of the web reached its mature stage and placed a new brick in the building of our future life. The line that used to separate the digital world from our everyday life keeps blurring and it will keep fading away the more the Internet becomes a part of the lives of people in the most far and remote corners of our planet.

Now we got to a point at which people discovered that social interaction can take place online just as it does offline. How are things going to move forward from now on?

At least at this stage, Facebook’s role in how people socialize and communicate is fundamental. Facebook is not redefining social, it’s simply taking it to a new extent. However, it still has the reins of social data and social interaction. I’m wondering if and how things will change once people start feeling the need to be in control of the data they are sharing and using in their social ecosystem. Will Facebook change its nature from ‘social box’ to ‘social catalyst’? Will emerging projects like Diaspora become new fertile lands where people will be able to take care of their own data and social life?

Today’s social costume is a ‘Facebook wall’, what will it be in the future?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Andrea

Social Costume

Episode: VMC #343 – Social Costume

Subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Check out what I found in Venice yesterday during the Carnival…yes, a Facebook costume!

When I saw it a thought crossed my mind: A few years ago, I was sending out invites to my friends to join and connect with me on Facebook. Initially, many of them didn’t even reply or check it out and today…well, we all know how things have changed. Facebook became one of the dominant platforms for social networking.

The ‘social’ aspect of the web reached its mature stage and placed a new brick in the building of our future life. The line that used to separate the digital world from our everyday life keeps blurring and it will keep fading away the more the Internet becomes a part of the lives of people in the most far and remote corners of our planet.

Now we got to a point at which people discovered that social interaction can take place online just as it does offline. How are things going to move forward from now on?

At least at this stage, Facebook’s role in how people socialize and communicate is fundamental. Facebook is not redefining social, it’s simply taking it to a new extent. However, it still has the reins of social data and social interaction. I’m wondering if and how things will change once people start feeling the need to be in control of the data they are sharing and using in their social ecosystem. Will Facebook change its nature from ‘social box’ to ‘social catalyst’? Will emerging projects like Diaspora become new fertile lands where people will be able to take care of their own data and social life?

Today’s social costume is a ‘Facebook wall’, what will it be in the future?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Andrea

Why Digital Strategy and Online Video are Important

During Social Media Week in Rome (Italy) Elena Radaelli (Augmendy) interviewd me and Leah D’Emilio (CCO, itive.net) about social media strategy. The video interview is in Italian but has been transcribed into English below. We mention some interesting points about digital strategy and online video, enjoy it!

Elena: We are here with Andrea Vascellari and Leah D’Emilio, respectively the CEO and CCO of itive.net. How do you help businesses with digital strategy?

Andrea: Most importantly, before anything else, you must understand what the client needs, look at their objectives together, analyze where they are coming from and see what they want to achieve. Then we create a solid overall strategic plan including “tactical” moves which allow them to achieve their objectives. It’s like creating or improving their digital DNA to succeed online. Because today it’s not just the fact about being online, you also have to be ‘smart’ about it. Leah, for example, is one of our team members who specializes in new media, like online video and related tactics.

Elena: Therefore, video is very important. How do you use video to launch and promote businesses?

Leah: Yes, because a video is something very personal where you can explain something in an easier way, more…

Andrea: Efficiently, let’s say…

Leah: Yes, the person who looks at your site, whether its a dot com or on Facebook, they can better understand your product or service in a deeper way. Video also allows you to create a more fun and engaging experience!

Andrea: A common mistake that many business owners make online today is showing a brand that is cold and faceless. They don’t have personality and they don’t create a relationship of engagement with their target audience, or if they are b2b (business to business), with the potential businesses that they want to reach and talk to.

Video reduces this distance, but you have to do it intelligently. Leah and our team are highly specialized and very strong in this. Obviously, there are other tactics you can put into the mix to have a super “social media cocktail”.

Elena: Obviously, you can’t leave out social media in particular Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, which should business have?

Andrea: It depends. Because there are so many social networks – and in general many sites that are online are becoming social – therefore we are starting to have an over-saturation of social networks in an increasingly larger number of niches. One important thing we must evaluate then is which social network is better to adopt. You have to look at the needs and objectives of the client. It could be Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or it could be other social networks. There are many social networks out there. For example now here at Social Media Week there are many new startups being born and presented. What we do is help our clients to select the right strategic path to follow including the best social media tactics to adopt.

Elena: Many thanks to Andrea Vascellari and Leah D’Emilio
Andrea and Leah: Thank you!