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President Obama on Tumblr

Featured

President Obama on Tumblr

On Tuesday, June 10, President Obama will take part in his first-ever Tumblr Q&A to answer your questions about education, college affordability, and reducing student loan debt.

A higher education is the single-most important investment students can make in their own future, but it's never been more expensive. That's why since taking office, the President has made historic investments to make college more affordable -- and it's why he's inviting you to join a conversation about the issue.

Find out how you can get involved:

The Best of MozCons Past: 7 Future-Facing Videos

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 05:13 PM PDT

Posted by EricaMcGillivray

The countdown to MozCon—July 14-16 in Seattle—is on! We've finalized the agenda and our speaker selection, put in our swag orders, and choreographed happy dances for Roger. We're also counting down as ticket sales speed up and are getting closer to selling out. That means:

For the best MozCon deal, make sure you take a 30-day free trial and register as a Moz Subscriber. If our software's not for you, cancel at anytime, and we'll still look forward to seeing you at MozCon.

To get you a little more excited, we're sharing these seven future-forward videos from talks from our past two MozCons. This is the first time that these videos have been available for free! That's right, all-new content just for you because we love you.

If each of these videos doesn't make you a little more happy to be part of this industry, thrilled to dive into your work, and overly-eager to attend MozCon yourself, then I suggest some cat video therapy. ;)

1. Building a Winning Video Marketing Strategy with Phil Nottingham

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Want more Phil? He'll be back on stage with "YouTube: The Most Important Search Engine You Haven't Optimized For" this year.

2. The D-Word: Leading the Way to Great Design with Jenny Lam

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You can never spend too much time thinking about your design and how to make it better.

3. Beyond 10 Blue Links: The Future of Ranking with Dr. Pete Meyers

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Noted as the scariest presentation from last year, Dr. Pete takes you on a journey through the SERPs. Don't miss his "How to Never Run Out of Great Ideas" this year.

4. 35 Ways to Get Links with Paddy Moogan

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And pencils down... Paddy will be bringing his great ideas and beer challenge back this year with "Beyond SEO - Tactics for Delivering an Integrated Marketing Campaign."

5. Next Level Local Tactics: Making Your SEO Stand Out with Dana DiTomaso

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"Wow." That's pretty much what I thought after seeing this presentation live. Dana will be give a talk titled "Prove Your Value" this year.

6. A New Form of CRO with Joanna Lord

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You'll never look at conversion rate optimization the same way again.

7. Strings to Things: Entities and SEO with Matthew Brown

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Yep, Matthew basically predicted Hummingbird before it hit Google's Algo.

Now are you ready for MozCon?

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!

The simple guide to better blogger partnerships – Part 1

The simple guide to better blogger partnerships – Part 1

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 02:42 AM PDT

Blogs. It's hard to browse the web without stumbling across one. You name the topic, there's someone blogging on it.

Food? Of course. Babies? Everywhere. Fashion? Don't get me started.

What's more, many of these blogs are extremely popular, very well done and, for a continually rising amount of the creators, a financially viable full-time job. Look at Perez Hilton for instance (apologies for the horrible example). He created his initial blog PageSixSixSix.com in late 2004, and in 2007 (after a name change to Perezhilton.com) it was claimed the site had 8.82 million views over a 24 hour period. Since then, his name tops the list when it comes to celebrity gossip. He's even (unfortunately) considered a minor celebrity in his own right.

A slightly more home-grown (and much more interesting) example is Mashable. For those who don't know, Mashable was created in 2005 by Pete Cashmore from his Aberdeen home. With a primary focus on social media news, as well as mobile, technology and web development, Mashable was named one of the 25 best blogs in 2009 by Time and, after checking yesterday, has over 4 million Twitter followers and over 2.5 million Facebook fans. Not bad. In the last decade, blogs have risen from a state of somewhat obscurity, to a viable and profitable mainstream marketing channel. And it's one that brands are increasingly looking to for marketing purposes.

Whether you're a start-up, an established brand, or an SEO, this two-part article hopes to give you some simple tips on how to identify, contact, and work with bloggers.

So why work with bloggers? And what are the benefits?

There are numerous reasons for partnering with blogs.

One such reason is simple brand awareness. For smaller brands, and especially start-ups, increasing brand awareness is one of the main reasons for partnering with a blog, or multiple blogs for that matter. By offering the blogger a sample, a trial or a free product, a business can immediately increase awareness through the blogger's followers and subsequent social media conversations.

Many brands, both big and small, will team up with bloggers for a product launch. A large company, Topshop let's say, might partner with an established fashion blogger, who has an extensive and loyal fan base, for the launch of a new clothing range. By doing this, they can have the clothing line directly marketed to a targeted following who will be interested in both the products, and the fact that this particular blogger is promoting them.

Many brands will partner with bloggers solely for social media purposes, as they may have a much larger following on Twitter than they do on their blog, and a tweet may be much more beneficial than a review.

Some smaller brands (as well as the larger ones) will be driven by SEO purposes and the intention of gaining links from blog posts created, tweets made, and resulting conversations about the brand and the product through social media channels.

Finally, there's sales. In most, if not all cases, sales will be an integral part of the relationship, and will be one of the key reasons for working with bloggers. Even if it's not the primary reason, it's likely to be in the list somewhere.

How do bloggers work, and in what ways can I work with them?

First off, remember that all bloggers work differently. Whereas a full-time blogger might email you three times a day to let you know how they're getting on, a part-time blogger who goes to work during the day might only get back to you every few days. The motivation for a partnership will differ from blogger to blogger, so don't assume anything, always ask. If the blogger has one, check their media kit, this will often help you understand their methods and can inform your approach. Here's a few ways that you might work with a blogger:

Reviews

Arguably the most common way to work with a blogger, a review is a great way to increase your brand awareness and also, if you're lucky, earn you some valuable links back to your website.

Interviews

While not as common, or possible sometimes, an interview is a unique way of marketing your brand through someone, instead of a review. It can help give customers a different insight into your product and your brand by showing its 'human' side. For more about this, read this great post by Nicholas Tart

Feedback

Here's something you might not have thought of. If you can afford to send them a sample, free trial, or even the actual product itself, many bloggers will be happy to give you some feedback, which is a great way to get some real comments from those that know the market you're pitching for.

Giveaways/Prize draw

Everyone loves a good giveaway. Readers will love getting the chance to win a prize, bloggers will love the traffic their blog receives (and any other incentives), and the client will love all the brand awareness, site-traffic and, ultimately, sales. Of course, many of these will have a positive SEO outcome, from links to likes, from shares to sales, all of these methods can be great for a site's rankings, trust flow and visibility.

But remember: As tried and tested as these methods are, don't be afraid to go beyond the traditional and think outside the box (sorry for the cliché). Blogging is relatively new, so don't be afraid to get creative!

—

Have you worked with bloggers in some super creative way? Have I missed something glaringly obvious? I'd love to hear from you if so, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @robertjmcgill. Tune in next week for Part 2 of this article, where I'll talk about how to find relevant blogs, how to approach and work with them, as well as ways of measuring success. You wont want to miss it!

—

Header image courtesy of Annie Mole

The post The simple guide to better blogger partnerships – Part 1 appeared first on White.net.

Seth's Blog : Clarity vs. impact

Clarity vs. impact

Sometimes you can have both, sure, but often, being crystal clear about categorization, topic sentences and the deliverable get in the way of actually making an impact.

If you can make change with a memo containing three bullet points, then by all means, do so.

The rest of the time, you might have to sacrifice the easy ride of clarity for the dense fog of telling stories, using inferences, understanding worldviews and most of all, engaging in action, not outlining the details. of a hypothetical interaction.

It turns out, humans don't use explanations to make change happen. They change, and then try to explain it.

• Email to a friend •

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

China Composite PMI Shows First Expansion in Four Months But Employment Declines at Fastest Rate Since February 2009

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 09:48 PM PDT

The HSBC China Services PMI™ reveals first expansion of output in four months, yet composite employment declines at the fastest rate since February 2009.

Key points

Services activity growth eases to marginal pace, while manufacturing output falls slightly
New business increases modestly at service providers
Composite employment declines at the fastest rate since February 2009

HSBC China Composite PMI™ data (which covers both manufacturing and services) signalled an expansion of Chinese business activity in May, following a three-month sequence of contraction. That said, the rate of growth was only fractional, as signalled by the HSBC Composite Output Index posting at 50.2 in May, up from 49.5 in April. According to latest data, a slower decline in manufacturing output and a further rise in services activity supported the first expansion of combined output since January. That said, the rate of services activity growth was the weakest in four months and one of the slowest in the survey history.

Reports from panellists suggested that muted client demand led firms to be more cautious towards hiring additional workers. As a result, employment at the composite level fell at the fastest rate since February 2009. Outstanding business declined across both the manufacturing and service sectors during May. However, the rates of reduction were similar to that recorded in the previous month and only marginal. Average input costs fell for the fifth month running at manufacturers, albeit at a modest pace that was the slowest in the current sequence. Meanwhile cost burdens at service providers rose modestly in May.

With a pronounced slowdown in housing demand and housing prices, this may be as good as it gets for a while.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Divorce Made in Heaven; Cameron Makes Fool Out of Himself Over Juncker

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 11:36 AM PDT

To the delight of eurosceptics, UK prime minister David Cameron backed himself into a corner with no way out.

His campaign to deny Jean-Claude Juncker the European Commission presidency even though Juncker receives the most votes was doomed from the start.

On May 28, in a surprising move, German chancellor Angela Merkel made a statement that opened the door for other candidates. No doubt Cameron was pleased. That pleasure didn't last long.

Following a firestorm of German protests including charges that Merkel gave in to UK blackmail, she changed her colors as quickly as the best chameleon on the planet.

Cameron's Empty Threat Backfires

The Spiegel Online reports Cameron's Empty Threat: Britain Risks Losing an Ally in EU Feud.

In his 18 years as a participant at European Union summits, Jean-Claude Juncker has witnessed a battle or two. But never in his dreams would he become the focal point of a showdown between Germany and Britain.

British Prime Minister David Cameron is actively seeking supporters among the 28 leaders of the EU member states to block Juncker's appointment in the European Council. Last week, Cameron declared to fellow leaders that if Juncker, a federalist, is appointed Commission president, the chances would increase that the British people would vote to leave in a planned 2017 referendum on EU membership.

'Blackmail'

That is a common opinion in the United Kingdom, but it appears that Cameron has underestimated the effect his words would have. The threat could in fact ultimately cost him a decisive ally: Angela Merkel. For days now, furious politicians and the editorial pages of newspapers have called on Merkel to not put up with this "blackmail." Merkel feels forced to repeatedly ensure her support for Juncker, as she did again in parliament on Wednesday in an address in which she also reaffirmed her committment to Britain staying in the EU.

The German public's suddenly passionate enthusiasm for Juncker caught Cameron off guard. How, his strategists are asking, could the country Britain views as its most important partner when it comes to EU reforms, have fallen for this representative of the status quo?

The fact that even the tabloid Bild has thrown its impassioned support behind Juncker was a "real shock," said Mats Persson, the director of the Open Europe think tank. He says the debate in Germany has developed in ways that are very unfavorable to Cameron.

Merkel Wouldn't Risk Personal Defeat for Cameron

Merkel could tip the balance against Juncker, and in the immediate wake of the election, she seemed willing. But after the intense debate of recent days, ditching Juncker would now be seen as kowtowing to the Brits. As much as she would like to protect Cameron from a loss of face, she would probably not do so if it meant a personal defeat for her.

As such, it very much looks like Cameron has backed himself into a corner, left with no leverage to convince Merkel to change course. Tory members of the European Parliament have, to be sure, threatened to invite Germany's euro-skeptic AFD party to join their group in European Parliament should Merkel stick with Juncker. Cameron famously withdrew his party from the center-right European People's Party, of which Merkels Christian Democrats are members, five years ago to appease his Tories' EU-skeptic wing in a move that deeply angered the German chancellor.

"Those who are in favor of leaving the EU are praying that Juncker will be named," Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform told the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Gideon Rachman, columnist for the Financial Times, wrote that the idea that the native of Luxembourg could become Commission president "evokes a strange, irrational rage in the British."

Political Arrogance

Amusingly, the second top vote getter in the European Parliamentary elections was Martin Schulz, a member of the left wing Progressive Alliance of Socialists.

Is that who Cameron really wanted to negotiate with?

Cameron's idea that he could get the EU to change direction regardless who hold the EC presidency is the height of arrogance in and of itself.

Divorce Made in Heaven

Cameron wants less Brussels, but Brussels wants more Brussels
Cameron is against financial transaction taxes, the majority of EU countries want them
Cameron wants special rules that will favor London exchanges, the rest of the EU opposes London favoritism
Cameron wants to reduce or end EU agricultural tariffs; France vehemently opposes such actions
Cameron insists on a rebate in UK subsidies to the EU. That caused a firestorm of a spat in an EU summit in 2013 (See Cameron Hijacks Summit with Rebate Spat)

In short, the UK saying goodbye to the EU would be a divorce made in heaven. The UK does not need the EU nor does the EU need the UK.

Yet, Cameron arrogantly believes he can persuade the EU to change its stripes. He can't and only a fool could not recognize that simple fact.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

joi, 5 iunie 2014

Fresh Pins for you!

President Obama on Tumblr

The Best of MozCons Past: 7 Future-Facing Videos

The Best of MozCons Past: 7 Future-Facing Videos

1. Building a Winning Video Marketing Strategy with Phil Nottingham

2. The D-Word: Leading the Way to Great Design with Jenny Lam

3. Beyond 10 Blue Links: The Future of Ranking with Dr. Pete Meyers

4. 35 Ways to Get Links with Paddy Moogan

5. Next Level Local Tactics: Making Your SEO Stand Out with Dana DiTomaso

6. A New Form of CRO with Joanna Lord

7. Strings to Things: Entities and SEO with Matthew Brown

The simple guide to better blogger partnerships – Part 1

The simple guide to better blogger partnerships – Part 1

So why work with bloggers? And what are the benefits?