Bullseye Strategy - Strategy + Execution = Results

Facebook Launches its Open Graph Application Integration

2012-01-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

Your Personal Activity Log!

Keeping track of what you’re doing… just got easier! Back in September 2011, Facebook announced a number of F8 integrations (Ticker, Timeline, Subscribe button, etc.) that would roll-out over the course of the upcoming months. Among these advancements, was the ability to add open graph applications, which would allow users to share what they are “actively” doing on the web with their Facebook network. Last Wednesday, Facebook launched the highly anticipated Open Graph integration.

This means these new social apps (created by third party developers) will allow users to say more about what they are doing – in real time. Some of you may already be familiar with a small group of Open Graphs that partnered with Facebook and launched over the recent months such as Spotify, Hulu and the Washington Post. These applications made it possible for Facebook users to not just “like” something, but tell their friends what songs they were “listening” to or what TV shows they were “watching” and even what articles they were “reading”. It doesn’t stop there; outside developers have been anxiously coding other custom “actions” since the announcement last September, waiting on the green-light from Facebook so that they can be made available to users (e.g. cooked, ran, etc.).

Facebook announced 60 new open graph partners, ranging from food to travel, at the F8 convention on January 18, 2012. App partners include TripAdvisor, UrbanSpoon, LivingSocial, Pinterest, Instagram, BranchOut, FundRazr, and more.

Some of you may be panicking at this point, fearing that all you do on the internet or via mobile app will be noted and posted for all to see. Not the case! Adding these social applications is not mandatory and will only be added if users “allow” permission and opt-in to share from a specific site or mobile app. Once one-time permission is granted by the user, all activities on that site will post automatically on a user’s Timeline.

That’s right! I said “Timeline”. The days of having the option to convert your profile to the new Timeline will come to an end soon! Facebook will start requiring users to migrate to the new design, perhaps as early as the next couple of weeks. The good news is that these ‘activities’ will not post to your Newsfeed, flooding it with your ‘actions,’ but rather they’ll post to your Timeline, Activity Log and your Ticker—allowing friends to listen, read, and watch something with you in real-time, if they wish. The main Facebook blog also notes that you can choose when to add an app and who can see it. After you’ve added an app, you can always remove the posts from your timeline and edit your settings in your personal Activity Log.

For personal use, the Open Graph is designed to share life events/activities effortlessly. So instead of physically posting that you “ran three miles today,” the Open Graph, connected to the Nike+ app will have the ability to automatically update the miles you ran to your Timeline. So much for fibbing and saying you ran a 10k when you barely made it around the block.

From a Business perspective, the Open Graph and actions will allow for even more targeted advertising opportunities over the weeks to come. For example, a concert venue could target all users who said they “listened” to a specific band that will be performing at that venue, in order to help sell-out the show. It will provide advertisers with more opportunities to create Sponsored Stories, which place a friend’s endorsement on a product or service. Although exciting, these options will require a shift in one’s marketing strategy. Up until now, most businesses simply encouraged Facebook users to “Like” a brand. Now, businesses will have to assist in the “social discovery” of brands—the finding of content, products, media or information through social tools based on your social graph/network—by using the new data and compelling advertisements.

Are you ready for the Open Graph? How will you use it?

G Marks the Spot!

2011-11-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves to hate on Google; it's been somewhat of a favorite past time of interactive geeks for years. In the end, I really just think they're all jealous of Larry and Sergey! But, I'm here to tell you not to hate on Google+. G Marks the spot with Google+ and the +1 Button (subsequent post to come on that).

It's here, it's here to stay, and you need to get on-board, and now.

I also don't see it as a competitor to Facebook; it will live in peace and harmony with Facebook - well, maybe not peace and harmony but they will co-exist for a long time to come. It won't put Facebook out of business, but it WILL be another social media channel that needs to be nurtured because the party has started there and it's going to continue.

Here are 3 good reasons to pay attention to Google+ and grab your Google+ page today:

1. Search Engine Optimization baby! - It's all about the SEO. There is a lot of chatter about why Google+ is no good, that there is no one there, no one is using it, it's a ghost-town. Give it a chance folks! It's only been open to individuals up until now but now that it's open to businesses, let the games begin! Businesses are completely motivated to ensure the conversation starts to happen on Google+ because Google is already counting Google+ posts in their algo. Google+ posts are already are seen skyrocketing to the top of natural search engine results pages (SERPs).

2. More Engagement Possibilities - Unlike Facebook, there is no ranking concept (e.g. EdgeRank) so all of your posts show up to at least everyone who is following you. It ensures that at least your followers will see your posts - that's not always the case on Facebook (though I would posit that most business owners don't event know that).

3. Higher Quality Content - So far, all of the content on Google+ seems to be higher quality than Facebook. I see much less posting (virtually none) about what people had for dinner, what the weather is like in their city, or what the kids are doing. So far, and maybe because it's early adopters, most of the posts seem business-like. I actually think Google+ might give LinkedIn a bigger run for it's money than Facebook. There are endless B2B possibilities on Google+, especially when considering SEO as noted above.

So, go get your Google+ page now! :)

New Position Open at Bullseye Strategy... Interactive Marketing Specialist – Entry Level

2011-09-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Bullseye Strategy (www.bullseystrategy.com)has an entry-level full time position open to candidates interested in breakinginto the online marketing field. You will be working with and reporting toInteractive Marketing Managers as well as the owners of the company. The idealcandidate will be a recent college graduate with a degree in something relatedto online marketing such as digital media, ecommerce or the like. You may havesome traditional marketing experience or 1-2 years of online marketingexperience. You must have a degree and a GPA of 3.4 OR HIGHER. If you’re GPAwas lower than 3.4, please do not apply.

If you’re interested in a realinteractive marketing position and if you understand that marketing is aboutcreative execution and NUMBERS, then this is the place for you.

You will be assigned projectsthat optimize online customer acquisition and growth across multiple onlinechannels including but not limited to search engines, email, display media andsocial media.

You will work on projects in avariety of industries including but not limited to travel, technology,entertainment, lead generation, membership, financial services, ecommerce andmore.

This is an exciting opportunityto be on the ground floor of a S. Florida based interactive media consultingcompany with national and worldwide clients.

Youwill learn how to do all of this and more:

How to develop creative briefs for online campaigns and provide strong creative direction to graphic designers
How to manage the creation of landing pages, deploy them, market to them, and optimize them
How to quality assure online creative assets before deployment
How to use industry-leading analytics tools
How to conduct online marketing analytics and how to implement new marketing tactics
How to write and post blog entries
Set-up/run Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts
Set-up/run self-service online advertising programs (e.g. Google AdWords, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
How to assess online media placement opportunities, negotiate and purchase online media

You must be able to come towork from our headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. No telecommuting.

Required Skills:

0-2 years experience
Passion for online marketing
Bachelor’s degree REQUIRED with GPA of 3.4 or HIGHER REQUIRED
Must be able to demonstrate other collegiate or work-related successes
Good spelling/grammar. You MUST be able to demonstrate this through your cover letter for application to work here, and all correspondence leading up to your employment as well as other writing samples that may be requested of you during the interview process.
Positive attitude and hard working
Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
Not afraid to ask questions
Fast learner
Must have good time management skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
Must have an appetite to always be learning
Self-starter with ability to thrive in fast paced environment
Must have a good sense of humor
Excellent phone ability
Extreme Internet proficiency
STRONG command of the English language!
Must be able to provide at least 2 references, one from a previous job (we don’t care if it was the local coffee shop, we just need to talk to someone about you) and one from a professor who will provide both a WRITTEN and VERBAL reference for you.

Please submit your resumevia email to maria@bullseyestrategy.com. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

All resumes should beaccompanied by a cover letter demonstrating why you’re the right candidate forthis position. If you do NOT send a cover letter, we will NOT consider you forthis position. Local candidates are preferred; relocation expenses will not bereimbursed.

NO RECRUITERS PLEASE.

Great Opportunity at Bullseye Strategy... Interactive Marketing Intern – Unpaid

2011-09-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

Bullseye Strategy (www.bullseystrategy.com)has a part time unpaid internship position available for 10-20 hours per weekat our headquarters on Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

We are looking for a fun,motivated candidate to join our team. The ideal candidate is either in theirJunior or Senior year, or has recently graduated. The ideal candidate ispursuing/has pursued a degree in marketing, ecommerce, online marketing or arelated area. You must have a degree and a GPA of 3.4 OR HIGHER. If you’re GPAis lower than 3.4, please do not apply.

You will be assigned projectsthat optimize online customer acquisition and growth across multiple onlinechannels including but not limited to search engines, email, display media andsocial media.

You will work on projects in avariety of industries including but not limited to travel, technology,entertainment, lead generation, membership, financial services, ecommerce andmore.

Youwill learn how to do all of this and more:

How to develop creative briefs for online campaigns and provide strong creative direction to graphic designers
Be a liaison between graphic designers, developers and marketers
How to manage the creation of landing pages, deploy them, market to them, and optimize them
How to quality assure online creative assets before deployment
How to conduct basic analysis using industry leading analytics tools such as looking at web traffic and user behavior to identify potential improvements to web pages and site architecture
How to write and post blog entries
Set-up/run Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts
Set-up/run self-service online advertising programs (e.g. Google AdWords, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

You must be able to come towork from our headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. No telecommuting.

Experience in anddemonstrable passion for any or all of the areas listed above would be adefinite plus. If you are a motivated self-starter with a sense of fun andlooking to gain experience in a fast-paced technology company then you could bethe candidate we are looking for!

Required Skills:

Passion for online marketing
In pursuit of a bachelor’s degree REQUIRED with GPA of 3.4 or HIGHER REQUIRED
Must be able to demonstrate other collegiate or work-related successes
Good spelling/grammar. You MUST be able to demonstrate this through your cover letter for application to work here, and all correspondence leading up to your employment as well as other writing samples that may be requested of you during the interview process.
Positive attitude and hard working
Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
Must be detail oriented, organized and able to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
Not afraid to ask questions
Fast learner
Must have an appetite to always be learning
Self-starter with ability to thrive in fast paced environment
Must have a good sense of humor
Excellent phone ability
Extreme Internet proficiency
STRONG command of the English language!
Must be able to provide at least 2 references, one from a previous job (we don’t care if it was the local coffee shop, we just need to talk to someone about you) and one from a professor who will provide both a WRITTEN and VERBAL reference for you.

Please submit your resumevia email to maria@bullseyestrategy.com. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

All resumes should beaccompanied by a cover letter demonstrating why you’re the right candidate forthis position. If you do NOT send a cover letter, we will NOT consider you forthis position.

NO RECRUITERS PLEASE.

Sizzling Summer Social Media – Part I Getting Your Facebook Updates Noticed In the News Feed

2011-08-07T08:15:00.001-07:00

By: Maria Harrison

This is part I in a multi-part summer series.

It’s sizzling hot outside; and social media is as hot as ever. As folks across the U.S. vacation, the rest of us are all logging into Facebook to keep up with our friends and families summer travels, kiddie camp happenings, summer concerts, blockbusters and more. This means a flood of posts in your Facebook News Feed. A recent report by comscore shows that the majority of time users spend on Facebook is looking at their News Feed.

Other studies have shown that popular brands such as Starbucks and Southwest Airlines saw 40 to 151 times more impressions in the news feed than on their Facebook Pages; this is driven by several factors, one primary cause is that the News Feed is your default “home page”; another cause is the re-shares of News Feed posts by a Page’s “likes”.

What does this mean for you? As a company, you need to be focused on how to get your status updates read in the News Feed.

Here are 6 sizzling summer tips for getting your Facebook page status updates noticed in the News Feed now and throughout the year:

1. Use Photos - Even though people are “reading” their News Feeds, we all know a picture is worth a thousand words… so use them! Posting pictures in your News Feed is more likely to get your post noticed.

2. Use Videos - If a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe a video is worth a million? Posting videos in your status updates potentially drives longer engagement with your brand. Post the video with an enticing headline that has a clear call-to-action (CTA) to click on the video and watch it for more information, exciting details on an offer, or educational information. Indicate how long the video is (e.g. short, 30 seconds, etc.), so folks know they won’t be pulled into a 20-minute video that they don’t have time to watch.

3. Post Regularly – Clients often ask us how often they should be posting updates on Facebook. There is no one-size-fits-all answer; it really depends on your business, your target audience, and what you’re posting. One post per day is probably safe, more may be warranted. It’s important to know that your posts get pushed down throughout the day so if you’re posting in the morning, you might want to post again in the afternoon to give your post a better chance of being seen. Posting too often will risk users “unliking” your page. Monitor “unlike” activity through Facebook Stats. If you notice a higher number of “unlikes” on a day where you had multiple posts, reducing posts may be the key.

4. Be Relevant – It’s easy to use a “set it and forget it” approach to social media by scheduling updates through a posting tool (e.g. HootSuite). While we love posting tools to manage social media, you still have to be vigilant about current happenings and news. If something’s happening that is related to your business, you might need to consider doing real-time ad hoc posts on occasion. You also need to consider how many people within your organization or agency have access to post on your Facebook Page. If multiple people can post for you, you may want to create a business rule that says no one can post for at least X number of minutes or hours after your primary post of the day. This insures that your primary post is front and center.

5. Ask a Question - Facebook’s recent release of their “Question” functionality allows you to ask a question of users. This is a great way to create engagement with your post. The fact that you answered the question will also show up in their News Feed, which will help to make it viral for you as well (see tip 6 below for more on making posts go viral). You can opt to use the Question functionality or you can simply allow people to answer a Question in “Comment” form. Here are two examples below:

Using Question Functionality:

Using Standard Post Functionality:

Make it Viral – One of the great promises of social media, and specifically Facebook, is that you can tap into the friends of your “likes”. Make your posts exciting enough that your “likes” will want to share it with their friends and tell them to do it. Clients often ask us why their posts are not being shared on Facebook and we often see that their posts are a) bland and b) don’t tell the reader to share it. People need to be told what to do… so tell them!

Here’s an example of a post that the company could have easily told me to Share with my friends. They had the room to do it in their Status Update but they didn’t tell me to do it (full disclosure, we are not Annie’s social media agency but we would love to be! We’re huge fans of their products for our kiddies!)

So, I could easily have made this a list of 30 tips, but I’ve got you off to a great start at insuring your posts get noticed in the News Feed and more than that, get Shared!

Stay tuned for Part II in our Sizzling Summer Social Media Series, You’re Tweeting…chirp chirp – Why Twitter is Important to Your Business

Interactive Marketing Manager Position

2011-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Interactive Marketing Manager will drive marketing strategy and initiatives that optimize online customer acquisition and growth across multiple online channels. The Interactive Marketing Manager will work with a variety of clients including but not limited to travel, technology, entertainment, lead gen, membership, financial services, ecommerce and more. As the Interactive Marketing Manager, you will have the opportunity to deliver a variety of services to clients including implementing strategy around social media marketing, display media, search marketing, email marketing and more.

This is an exciting opportunity to be on the ground floor of a S. Florida based interactive media consulting company with national and worldwide clients.

Job Responsibilities:

Overall ownership of media achieving key performance indicators
Annual, quarterly and monthly media planning and buying of CPA, CPC, CPM and flat rate media placements, such as networks, exchanges, premium, affiliates, etc.
Identifying, negotiating and project managing opportunities
Day-to-day ownership of key publishers, portals and technology partners
Imagining and writing creative briefs to direct agencies to develop results-oriented creative including banners, emails and landing pages
Analyze campaigns/derive actionable insights to expand programs and drive efficiency.
Weekly report-out to team including internal partners and clients on performance and optimization
Achieve spend, traffic and conversion goals for online advertising

Required Skills:

Bachelor's degree (B. A.) in marketing or like program.
Minimum 1+ years experience with digital media, agency-side or client-side
Demonstrated experience in negotiating placements and delivering against traffic and booking goals.
Strong working knowledge of interactive marketing best practices
Strong analytical skills.
Strong creative and direction skills.
Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
Some knowledge of email marketing, social media marketing and search marketing Experience performing creative optimization and landing page analysis
Proficient with MS Excel, MS Word, MS Outlook
Experience with PowerPoint
Self-starter with ability to thrive in fast paced environment

Email Maria at careers @ bullseyestrategy.com to apply. Please include a detailed cover letter and resume as well as soonest available date.

Welcome to Bullseye Strategy!

2010-03-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

Strategy + Execution = Results

Bullseye Strategy offers business development and interactive marketing solutions that get you results.