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Reading at the First Annual Hamilton Library PoetryPalooza, April 23, 2011. Hamilton, NJ. Continue reading →
Reading at Farley’s Bookstore in New Hope with Nancy Scott, June 2, 2011. Continue reading →
Reading at the Princeton Public Library with Bernadette McBride on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
Continue reading →Thanks to Jayne at Your Daily Poem for selecting Poetry Night, First Grade for the October 12, 2010 edition… Continue reading →
Pleased to announce my 2010 Pushcart Prize nomination… Continue reading →
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Category Archives: Internet Marketing
The Best Plugins for a New WordPress Blog
Whenever you need to do something with WordPress that’s not already in the system, invariably someone will have created a plugin for it. So you can always start at the WordPress plugin directory itself, a miraculous collection of generosity and an example of true democracy, if you ask me.
But to make things simpler, here’s the standard list that I always start with for any new WordPress blog, in alphabetical order:
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The Essential Tools for a New Blog
Once I’ve done the basic steps for starting a WordPress blog, the next thing to do is register a Gmail account with Google and setup the following:
1. Google Analytics. This is for tracking and analyzing your visitors and also much, much more. It’s free and it’s the starting point from which all search engine optimization efforts begin. This is mandatory.
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Posted in Internet Marketing
Tagged google analytics, SEO, webmaster tools, wordpress
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Getting Started with WordPress
This site is built on Wordpress 3.0 and the smashing new Twenty-Ten default theme, which I’m using both as a blog and content management system. Usually the first thing I do with a new WordPress site is rip the theme apart, but Twenty-Ten is a fine design and works well, so I’ll just be tweaking it here and there.
As I write this, this website has zero inbound links, no page rank, it’s not been indexed by Google (or Bing or Yahoo) and it has yet to be crawled by any search engines. It has no sitemap. It’s unknown to Technorati, Digg, Stumble, you name it.
In short, it’s completely shut off from the world wide web. I’m shouting into an empty stadium. Hello world!
Since this is a blog devoted to (among other things) Internet Marketing, I’ve got some work to do.
My goal is to average 15 visitors per day within three months. This might sound low, but considering that I have a very full-time job, I’m writing a novel, I’m a father and a homeowner and I like to sleep now and then, I need to be realistic. Fifteen visitors per day is over 400 per month after all, not too shabby.
Even so, this will be a good test case setting up a new WordPress blog, connecting it to the outside world, optimizing it for search, building in-bound links and getting known. Hopefully others will find the experience helpful for their own efforts.
I’ve already done the basics; I chose the best web hosting company I could find (went with http://www.webhostingpad.com, jury is still out), installed WordPress (one-click install, very easy), added my own photo to the header (found on Flikr), and have started to add content.
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Creating Value with Internet Marketing
As the marketing director and the webmaster, I’m on the receiving end of the “info@” email account, and so I get the unsolicited resumes. Since I’ve been out of work before (and there but for the grace of God) I always try to at least scan these resumes, even when there’s nothing available at the time.
I recently got one from a college grad, and since I was a Recent College Grad myself, years back (there but for the grace of God) I wanted to be helpful. This kid did one thing which few others do – instead of sending a mass email on a BCC, he took the time to read about the company and send an individual note directly. So he stood out. Smart move.
Like so many others today, he was having a hard time getting callbacks on his resume. It got me thinking about what I’d be doing if I were starting out looking for a marketing job today.
Essentially, I would tailor my pitch and resume to the ways I in which I would build value for the company — and “value” means “revenue.” This is something no one ever explained to me and I wish they had, and it’s the only thing that matters. It may seem obvious for the big picture it’s easily forgotten in the day-to-day.
Everything you’ll do in marketing comes down to how much value – or revenue – you create. Editing websites, writing releases — these things are part of the job but the reason you do them is to generate sales. (Even non-profits run on transactions – a donation, a registration form, a newsletter signup.)
Every other skill that you bring to a job that doesn’t lead in some fashion to generating value is probably not going to get you hired. Are you a killer Flash programmer? Do you design beautiful websites? It doesn’t really matter. You can still do these things — and it can make your job rewarding and enjoyable — but it won’t get you in the door.
On the other hand, do you design beautiful websites that are built for search engine optimization? Do they build inbound links, increase web traffic, and lead to higher form conversions that generate leads? Different story.
If you keep this in mind you will have an edge. Being a “team player,” a “self-starter,” showing up for work on time with a smile — these are all positives and will make you popular. They probably won’t get you an interview.
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Posted in Internet Marketing
Tagged finding-a-job, internet marketing, SEO, social-media
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