Can someone help me with this Google Adwords question? If I want my ad to show up in ANY search with my branded terms, is there a wildcard option? Is it tied to a specific Adgroup or can it be applied to all at once? I noticed that if you search on our company name comma another term, we don’t show up. I noticed someone else always is. How are they doing this??

I tried Google AdWords help and I’m not sure I understood it. It seems like they’re saying you can make sure you come up for a term without periods in it, say newspapergrlwordpress, by putting in a “/”.

Sometimes people don’t put dots or put odd spacing (i.e. wwwnewspapergrl SPACE wordpress) or even just type  your domain name in the search box. It would be nice to capture this traffic in an easy way.

Looking for a job? In2M Corp in Salt Lake City, Utah is looking for an internet/affiliate marketer with 2-3 years experience. It can be summed up in 3 bullet points (that are each huge jobs):

• Develop and manage PPC and SEO campaigns
• Manage Affiliate Program
• Optimize and track web site
• Improve conversion on web site

If you apply and interview, tell them newspapergrl sent you

You know what bugs me about webinars? People invite the whole country but either don’t put a list of times or only put THEIR timezone.

Every time I get an email invite to a webinar I have to think about what time it is. Today it hits squarely at lunchtime. Why don’t they make it easy and put the time for each timezone in the US? Wouldn’t that send a message that everyone is welcome regardless of where they live? Isn’t that the point?

Sometimes I don’t think people think about their audience. Please, think about when your webinar will start or end. Will people have to get up early to catch it?
Will it be during rush hour or lunchtime? Put in timezones.  At the least, please remember to always include at least your timezone.

Online you always have to have extend a welcome at all times. Never put up barriers or you may bypass another opportunity to get people’s attention. And on the web we all have ADD.

When I attended a Business Wire luncheon last month I remember wondering how a more traditional company would catch up to Web 2.0 capabilities. Now I know. They don’t. They simply partner with someone else who does
(PRWeb). Kudos to PRWeb/Vocus.

PRWeb gets you on search engines and helps you reach social media (such as blogs and forums). It even helps you reach the customer directly.  Traditional PR companies get you in print magazines and newspapers and reaches the media.

Very smart. Here is the press release about new press release optimization services on Business Wire. I wonder how much more it cost or how seamless it will be to add on the SEO portion. At work we already utilize Businesswire so it will be convenient for us to use one platform for traditional and SEO press releases.

I can’t seem to find David McGinnis’ blog but I first read about it on this blog.

Now if we can just get one or the other company to speak at a WOMA
(Wasatch Online Marketing Association) meeting. I turned over the Business Wire contact info to someone at WOMA. No bite from PRWeb. I hope someone gets in there. WOMA has a lot of online marketing PR firms who would be great customers. If I were one of these companies, I’d make sure to take this opportunity…

I also hope Kelly can get one of them to do a conference call with women entrepreneurs all over the country. I’m not sure what’s up at PRWeb. They were going to open an office in Springville. Seems like they let go of everyone based in Utah. However, I hear that David has ties here. Is this true?

Paul Allen blogged about my friend Kelly’s lunch with LoveSac founder Shawn Nelson. At first a lot of comments were attacking Shawn. Then several people defended him. Shawn himself made a great comment. As a blogger I love it when I blog about a person or company who comments on what I wrote about them. I’m also a fan of and sorely miss my LoveSac (the 6 footer was too big for my condo, getting a 5 footer for Christmas).

He said:

What we/I have been through is very difficult on many levels, and I care deeply for ALL of those affected at ALL levels more than I can express in words. The only way out is up, however, and it is best for all if we can be successful and profitable again, thereby providing go-forward profitable opportunities for ALL parties involved, or who may be involved with us again.

Reminds me of an Alanis Morresette line, “The only way out is through”. I remember Shawn talking about how the stakes get higher as your business gets bigger.

I just listed some things on Ebay to pay what I owe for Utech. It includes some LoveSac covers, ironically enough.

I got a call about Utech from the governor’s office today. It reminded me of the disappointment and my anxiousness to be completely done. Thank goodness for my bad memory. I’m too busy to stay mad or frustated. Plus, it’s all pretty minor compared to what Shawn and friends of mine have been through.

When you read about successful people very few get it on the first try or even second. It may take years, it make take hard lessons. I think it’s always gutsy to start a business. I can relate to what Shawn writes. You can never tell the full story and so eventually you just move on. I don’t know about you, but I like to see a comeback story. I wish Love Sac the best. I hope they do very well. And I’ll blog about it when it does.

Enjoy this cartoon “LDS to bench classic pews” from the famous tabernacle where the Mormon Tabernacle Chior sang for centuries…

HOLLYWOULD is the work of fashion designer Holly Dunlap. She claims that PR only took her so far (PR= public relations not press releases). She started to blog on her site. She bolds the names and places of the rich and famous. There are a lot of pictures. People came and got to know her and follow what she had to say. Then they became customers.

The way I see it is blogs can help you get web traffic to your site on one level. Pepper your posts with keywords and register your blog with blog search engines. Google will follow.

The other level is building community. People reguarly visit your blog, then comment, and some become friends. I feel at times I have a cheering section. I have people I can turn to and ask questions. Before you blog you might underestimate how great this is. I can see who is reading and what they are reading.

When I do a print article I’m often met with silence. I can’t really gauge response. When I post something on my blog, I start to see and know my audience. As a marketer I’m intensely curious about my audience, what they are interested in, why they come, and what they think.

I’m very biased on this subject. I love the easy formatting and immediacy of blog. There is a rush when the ideas gush out of my head and into my fingers. I hit publish and it’s [a]live.

Here are some good tips on optimizing your press release for search engines. Think: listed in Google News or Yahoo News. Think: The first paragraph is going to be seen first, so go for the click on the first line. Make it sell (grab interest).

• Use a keyword in the title like your brand name

• Choose the top keywords for your press release, put them in the first paragraph

• Make sure at least one of those keywords is actually a link

• If possible put the best keyword in your URL

I noticed that my insurance company for the past 10+ years - Allstate - is on the list of best companies for working moms. Kudos. So is Aflac, which I like and have used but their systems are so clunky and old school I gave up. Good to see Avon on the list too (since they are very progressive in general about empowering women).

New moms will need some accomodation if you want to retain them. They tend to be very loyal to companies that give them flexible work options while their children are young. I admire Rachel at Today’s Mama for her mom-friendly company.
I think almost all work for a supplemental income. She’s been able to
get some great talent this way.

My experience in this regard wasn’t that great. As a new mom I gave up after a week. I took a job for much less pay, so I could have flexible hours for two years (at a nonprofit). I feel the first two years of life are critical.

My son just started school. I see him for under 10 hours during the workweek. For me, this is one of the hardest parts of working full-time. Not as hard as not having health insurance or dependable income.

Moms have a huge impact on the future of our country.  If we raise well-adjusted children, society as a whole benefits. If we don’t or can’t, we may all pay the price.

It’s important to note the way a civilization treats its women and children.
It says a lot about us and our priorities.

I have been looking for a place to read more about B-to-B copywriting. I’m convinced that it is VITAL I learn to do it better. After all, writing can sell. The choice of words, the ordering of words, the size and font and color of words. This is all very important.

Good copy is what online marketing needs. I love to read a site that is well written. Don’t make me search to find out what you do. Don’t even make me think too hard.

Today I found Bob Bly’s (nice alliteration) blog. He’s a high-tech B-to-B copywriter. He has a list of links to other B-to-B copywriters and blogs. I  hit the jackpot. Thanks for blogging Bob. My thank you gift to you: a link, something we all want more of. I’ve got to order his book…The Copywriter’s Handbook

Another resource for copywriting for search engine traffic by MarketingSherpa. How-to Kit: Tweaking Your Site’s Copy to Get More Search Engine Traffic

I just posted an interview with Jon from WickedFire on Affiliate Flash. One thing I like is that Jon can not only dish it out, he can take it too. We certainly have our differences (I hate the raunchy parts of his forum A LOT). I nicknamed him Wicked Jon. Otherwise we share an absolute love of internet marketing. Plus, he knows what he’s talking about. He gives some excellent information from an insider’s point of view.

I must apologize for the look of Affiliate Flash. I need an outlet for my writing and ideas but I never have time to do more. I had a long long list of things to do on it this weekend and barely got this up. So much left undone. Please forgive me. When I have more time and money to spare I will get a real design and navigation. I’ll also market it!

However, I think you will agree that it’s a great article. Jon’s story is authentic, insightful, and makes a good (even if long) read. Thanks Jon for indulging me. Who is my next victim?