Central Perk

marți, 4 septembrie 2012

Meeting with Victims of Hurricane Isaac

Your Daily Snapshot for
Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Meeting with Victims of Hurricane Isaac

President Obama visited St. John's Parish in Louisiana yesterday to take in the damage from Hurricane Isaac and highlight the "extraordinary work" done by first responders:

Because of the great work of law enforcement, National Guard, Coast Guard, making sure that folks were out in rescue mode rapidly, even in some cases at risk of their own lives, no lives were lost.

President Barack Obama talks with a resident as he tours a neighborhood in LaPlace, La., with local and federal officials to view damage and the ongoing response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Isaac, Sept. 3, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

How To Get More Comments On Your Articles

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 08:01 PM PDT

Posted by Jacob Klein

If you've spent any amount of time reading up on content creation, you've most likely seen a post or two with a similar title to this one. In my experience, these articles are typically littered with buzz-phrases such as "have a call to action" or "write compelling content" and consist of 30+ overlapping ways to do either of those things. While asking your readers to comment and creating comment-worthy content are certainly important concepts to understand, I'm going to assume you're already on-board and looking for something a bit more actionable.

Why are comments important?

The benefits of user generated content are obvious to most. Not only are you generating additional unique, (hopefully) on-topic content for your pages, comments may even contribute to your article's freshness score. While it's debatable whether the number of comments on a page is directly correlated with higher rankings, we all understand the value of having more fresh, relevant content on a page to say nothing of user engagement and community building.

No matter how in-depth your keyword research is, you'll never be able to naturally incorporate every iteration of a key phrase onto your landing page - and you wouldn't want to anyhow. With user generated comments, you're able to get some of those alternate queries (long-tail or otherwise) without having to shoehorn them into your on-page copy. Let me give you an example of this in action:

The highlighted text isn't actual copy from the page itself. It's from one of the comments towards the bottom of the page. Google has determined that this page is relevant to the query in part because of a comment that includes text that the webmaster hadn't even thought to include on the page. Would the page have ranked without the comment? Possibly. But to me, an example like this shows that Google clearly uses comments to help determine page relevance. In a competitive space where most competing pages look startlingly similar, you're going to need any edge you can get.

I'm sure you've all had the experience of landing on an article after searching for something only to "ctrl + F" your way to the comments section to find your answer. Content from users can provide real value, and this article will arm you with tips to help increase your user comments.

Actionables

Okay, so maybe you didn't need much convincing as to the importance of user generated content. You're here because you want to read something you haven't read before about getting users to comment on your posts. Over the last 10 years, I've founded several fan community pages covering such nerd-tastic staples as Magic the Gathering, Nintendo, and Game of Thrones (yes, ladies, I am that cool). While building these communities, I've picked up a few tricks for attracting article comments that I thought I'd share with the Moz community.

1. Make it as easy as possible to leave a comment

Does "website" really need to be a required field? Are your CAPTCHA images harder to solve than a Rubik's cube? Sometimes the effort it would take to comment on your blog outweighs the potential user benefits. Take a look at each field and ask yourself "is this a hoop I'd be willing to jump through to leave a comment on a blog I've never visited before?" Most users are wary about giving out an email address, so assure them that their data won't be used for anything other than unique identification or just let them login using Twitter of Facebook (more on that below). In the end, you should be mostly concerned with their username, email address (to distinguish their comments from others, gravatars etc), and the comment itself. Anything else is a barrier to entry that should be scrutinized and broken down wherever possible.

2. Comment placement

So many widgets, so little real estate. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that the end of a blog post is the hottest piece of property on the net these days. After you've pumped your full author bio, social buttons, "other articles you might like," opinion disclaimer, and multiple ad units, the comment section often ends up an entire page screen below the actual content. I know, I know, it's tough to demote any of these widgets because of course ad placement is important; of course, "related content" and extra pageviews are important, but if you're truly serious about getting the conversation going on your article, then you should consider giving the comment section a more prominent position on the page.

At the very least, give users an anchor jump at the end of the article that reads "Leave a Comment" or "Join the Conversation" and bumps them down to the appropriate level.

3. Social logins

If for whatever reason you simply must require users register for commenting (a rather large barrier to entry) consider allowing them to log in using the social media accounts they're already using. If you're running Wordpress, this can be done by installing one or two plugins of your choice. Simple Facebook Connect will get the job done and the Twitter version will do the same. If you're looking for a more comprehensive solution (all social networks), try Social Login. Social logins on custom CMS' obviously vary and can be achieved using OAuth and following the developer instructions from Facebook and Twitter. There's also the all inclusive Disqus comment system that you've probably already seen in use on many blogs.

Not only does this offer users a 1-click login option for commenting and other community activities around your site; this option also gives your users an automatic avatar and social identity. Comments coming from a person with a traceable identity are almost surely of higher quality than those coming from completely anonymous users. And hey, once they're logged in with Twitter or Facebook, it stands to reason that the chances of someone sharing your page on one of those networks increases considerably.

4. Profiles, Awards, and Rankings

You've probably used (or been used by) a piece of ego bait in a link building campaign and the same principles of human nature apply to community building. In-depth profiles, award systems, and commenter rankings are great ways to encourage your contributors to keep coming back for more. A simple database comment count for each individual is all that is required for deployment. Attach fun titles such as "Youngling," "Aspirant," or "Padawan" to these values and you'll not only please current commenters, but you'll also give readers a way to gauge that person's standing within the community.

Grab the Top Contributors plugin for Wordpress and show your top commenters some love. You could also display "X-Year Club" awards on user profiles or a "She's Over 9000aaaand!" badge for your most ambitious contributors. Anything you can do to give your loyal commenters a feeling of community and importance will encourage more comments.

5. Join the conversation

This one's a no-brainer. Respond to comments on your articles. You took the time to write the piece, so get in there and stand by it! Keep the conversation rolling with questions of your own and address things you may have glossed over in your initial publishing.

Try highlighting author comments so that they stand out a bit. This immediately communicates to readers that the author is paying attention and will most likely respond to their comment if they take the time to write one. The reality is that articles with comments get more comments. Articles without comments have trouble getting initial comments. The difference between 0 comments and a handful can mean everything. Who wants to be the first person to comment on a post? Each new user post offers an entry point for new lines of discussion. Help get the chain reaction going by helping the initial conversation to get started.

6. Email notification on reply

With great power comes great responsibility. If a loyal reader has given you their email address and contributes to your site on a regular basis, the last thing you want to do is lose their trust. You've got their email address but no one wants a "quarterly site update" or "Jan 1st Happy Birthday" email from every website they've ever commented on, right? But what most people would probably be okay with is a notification that their thoughtful comment has just received an equally thoughtful reply thus giving them the chance to respond.

Try Comment Reply Notification for Wordpress if you're looking to add this feature to your blog. You can choose to alert everyone on the thread whenever anyone replies or limit it to personal replies. You could also allow users to choose for themselves with a simple checkbox as they reply. Disqus also offers this feature.

7. Tracking your progress

For many blogs it will be obvious when the influx of new commenters come in, but on larger sites it might be more difficult to track your progress. One simple and universal way to track your progress is to set up a Google Analytics goal associated with a new comment. Here are some instructions on how to do this. You can also easily set up GA event tracking any number of ways using the Raven GA config tool.

Have you found other effective methods of attracting commenters? Try some of the above and leave a comment below!

Oh, and don't forget to have "create compelling content" and "a call to action."

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

Seth's Blog : The best way to learn marketing

The best way to learn marketing

...is to do marketing.

Do it on the weekends. Volunteer and do it for a non-profit. Fundraise. Run a business online. Market a kid's lemonade stand.

When you put your ideas in the world, then, and only then, do you know if they're real.

Not expensive, merely frightening.

• Email to a friend •

luni, 3 septembrie 2012

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

German Manufacturing Declines Again, New Export Orders Fall at Fastest Pace Since April 2009
How to Get to Mars
Asia Export Machine Cracks Wide Open: South Korea Production Falls at Fastest Rate in Eight Months; Taiwan Exports Deteriorate Sharply; Global Recession Call Revisited
China New Export Orders Drop Most Since March 2009, Operating Conditions Down 10th Consecutive Month; China's Export Machine Grind to a Halt

German Manufacturing Declines Again, New Export Orders Fall at Fastest Pace Since April 2009

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 08:33 PM PDT

The Markit Germany Manufacturing PMI® – Final Data shows the German export downturn gathers momentum.

Key points:

Manufacturing PMI rises from July's 37-month low
Output, new orders and employment all drop at slower rates...
...but export downturn continues to gather pace

August data pointed to a fall in production levels for the fifth month running, and the rate of expansion remained relatively steep in the latest survey period.

August data highlighted a sharp fall in new order levels, although the rate of contraction eased slightly from July's low. The slower pace of decline largely reflected a less marked drop in domestic demand, as new export work fell at the steepest rate since April 2009.

Survey respondents commented on a general slowdown in global demand and particular weakness in new business inflows from Southern Europe. Investment and intermediate goods producers recorded the steepest reductions in new export orders. Meanwhile, August data signalled a rapid fall in outstanding business at manufacturing firms, which extended the current period of contraction to 12 months.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

How to Get to Mars

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 06:45 PM PDT

In the spirit of Labor Day weekend, and a well-deserved break from grim economic news, please consider "How to Get to Mars"

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Asia Export Machine Cracks Wide Open: South Korea Production Falls at Fastest Rate in Eight Months; Taiwan Exports Deteriorate Sharply; Global Recession Call Revisited

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 10:01 AM PDT

It's not just Chinese manufacturers that are struggling. It is also Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. In other words, the Asian export machine has cracked wide open.

South Korea

The Markit South Korea Manufacturing PMI® shows Production Falls at Fastest Rate in Eight Months.

Key points

New orders contract at sharp rate

New export orders decrease for third month running

Falling output prices signalled

Summary

Output contracted at the fastest pace in eight months amid reports of a strike in the auto sector. Moreover, respondents stated that the global recession had adversely affected production. Total new business fell and, although sharp, the rate of contraction was slower than in July. New export business also decreased, though at a slight rate. Panellists stated that weaker domestic demand and a downturn in the global economy had both fed through to the latest contraction in order book volumes

Purchasing activity at manufacturing firms in South Korea decreased for the third successive month in August. The rate of contraction was solid, but eased from that recorded in July.

Taiwan

The Markit Taiwan Manufacturing PMI™ shows Output contracts at steepest pace in the year-to-date.

Key points

New orders and new export orders fall for third month running

Workforces contract slightly

Input and output prices fall in line with weaker demand

Summary

Weaker national and international demand led to a third successive fall in output at manufacturing firms in Taiwan. The pace of the latest contraction was steep and the fastest since December 2011. New orders and new export business both declined, extending the current sequence of contraction to three months. According to panellists, the slowdown in the wider economy resulted in weaker demand for manufactured goods.

In line with falling production, backlogs of work decreased for the third month running. Furthermore, the pace of contraction was the sharpest in 2012 so far.

Input prices at Taiwanese manufacturing firms fell for the fourth consecutive month in August. Although marked, the pace of decrease was slower than that recorded in July. Panellists reported that input costs fell in line with decreasing metal and raw material prices. Moreover, it was mentioned that weaker demand also contributed to the latest decline. In line with input costs, charges fell at a solid rate as manufacturers attempted to maintain competitiveness and attract new business, it was reported.

China

Earlier today I noted China New Export Orders Drop Most Since March 2009, Operating Conditions Down 10th Consecutive Month

Japan

On August 31, I noted Japan Manufacturing PMI Hits 16 Month Low, New Orders Plunge

Global Recession

In the South Korea report it was interesting to see the line "respondents stated that the global recession had adversely affected production".

I certainly believe the global economy is in recession and stated so on July 11 in Case for US and Global Recession Right Here, Right Now.

Recession Definitions

Contrary to popular myth, recession does not mean two consecutive quarters of economic contraction. Rather, two consecutive quarters of economic contraction is a sufficient, but not necessary condition.

In the US, the NBER is the official designator of recession start and end points. Many recessions have started with GDP still growing.

The "Conditions for Global Recession" are even looser. "The International Monetary Fund (IMF) considers a global recession as a period where gross domestic product (GDP) growth is at 3% or less. In addition to that, the IMF looks at declines in real per-capita world GDP along with several global macroeconomic factors before confirming a global recession."

Global GDP will struggle to rise 1% and it may even contract. Even 2% is in recession territory, and that is a given.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

China New Export Orders Drop Most Since March 2009, Operating Conditions Down 10th Consecutive Month; China's Export Machine Grind to a Halt

Posted: 02 Sep 2012 11:49 PM PDT

The HSBC China Manufacturing PMI™ shows Manufacturing sector operating conditions worsened at the sharpest rate in 41 months.

Summary

August data signalled a renewed decline in Chinese manufacturing output, as new business decreased at the sharpest rate in nine months. Consequently, backlogs of work fell modestly, and job shedding was recorded for the sixth month in succession. On the price front, average input costs declined at the sharpest rate in 41 months, while the rate of output price discounting remained sharp.

The pace of reduction in new orders was solid, and the most marked in nine months. Meanwhile, new export orders also decreased during August, and at the sharpest rate since March 2009.

With new business decreasing further, companies depleted their volumes of work-in-hand (but not yet completed) over the month. Although only modest, the rate of decline in outstanding business was the sharpest since January 2009.

Commenting on the China Manufacturing PMI™ survey, Hongbin Qu, Chief Economist, China & Co-Head of Asian Economic Research at HSBC said:

"The final reading of the HSBC manufacturing PMI (August) confirmed that China's manufacturing sector still faces intensifying downward pressure. New export orders contracted at the fastest pace since March 2009, this, combined with a record high in stocks of finished goods sub-index, and a 41-month low employment index, suggests China's exporters are facing increasing difficulties amid stronger global headwinds. Beijing must step up policy easing to stabilize growth and foster job market conditions."

China's Export Machine Grind to a Halt

Notice the last sentence above regarding what China allegedly "must" do. Also note the faith in "easing" to stabilize growth.

Economists seem to believe the role of central banks is to prevent every recession. That policy works for a while, then as happened in the US with the housing crash, an even bigger recession occurs that the central bank is unable to stop or even slow.

The US economy is cooling substantially and Europe is a complete basket case. Moreover, China's infrastructure is already seriously overbuilt. There are no magic solutions for China.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

marți, 4 septembrie 2012

Meeting with Victims of Hurricane Isaac

How To Get More Comments On Your Articles

How To Get More Comments On Your Articles

Why are comments important?

Actionables

1. Make it as easy as possible to leave a comment

2. Comment placement

3. Social logins

4. Profiles, Awards, and Rankings

5. Join the conversation

6. Email notification on reply

7. Tracking your progress

Seth's Blog : The best way to learn marketing

The best way to learn marketing

More Recent Articles

luni, 3 septembrie 2012

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

marți, 4 septembrie 2012

Meeting with Victims of Hurricane Isaac

How To Get More Comments On Your Articles

How To Get More Comments On Your Articles

Why are comments important?

Actionables

1. Make it as easy as possible to leave a comment

2. Comment placement

3. Social logins

4. Profiles, Awards, and Rankings

5. Join the conversation

6. Email notification on reply

7. Tracking your progress

Seth's Blog : The best way to learn marketing

The best way to learn marketing

More Recent Articles

luni, 3 septembrie 2012

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

Subscribe to