SEO World:

The importance of authority and trust on the Internets should not be looked at lightly. It can do wonders for your brand, persona, client relationships, future engagements, validate pricing (increases) for service and products – and – Google.

A trusted site will have lasting impact for positioning and more easily spider your site.  Let’s take a look at what it is, and how Social Media can put you there fast.

The defining point for websites is the amount of authority or expertise they demonstrate in their particular niche. Defining authority in terms of website design and content is based on many factors, however for the sake of simplicity, website authority is:

“A PERSON WHO HAS DEVELOPED EXPERT KNOWLEDGE AND HAS SHARED THIS KNOWLEDGE, TO THE POINT WHERE THEIR OPINION(S) REGARDING CERTAIN ISSUES ARE RESPECTED AND TRUSTED BY INDUSTRY PEERS.”

This definition is both interesting and important because it is through the process of sharing your knowledge that it becomes an asset; the more freely knowledge is circulated, the more rapidly your reputation grows by attracting the audience who is searching for this information. Social Media is all about sharing (and caring).

Web publishing is based on the model of packaging and circulating information via text, graphic images and rich media. In terms of the dissemination of information or sharing ideas, the people behind a) an authority web presence, the b) experts in a specific niche – can easily be compared to the world of academia because both of these groups are heavily invested in their field of endeavor.  They are able to provide extraordinary insight from their experience and research.

These two groups share similar traits that make it easy to identify them:

• Provides public access to their knowledge: An expert knows how to translate highly specialized information to a format that is easily understood by anyone. For instance explaining the impact of a news event and providing the information in a way the reader can utilize.
• Up-to-date and well-versed in current industry news: Especially in social media marketing there is a heavy emphasis on being well-informed. The information you distribute has to be factual and accurate, otherwise it can lead to serious problems. An expert is well informed in regard to all the latest developments in their niche which places them in the position of being consulted when there are questions on issues, or to make announcements that pertain to their networks.
• Broaden the perspective: Because they are acknowledged experts, this affords them the ability to change the perceptions and perspectives. Experts can bring new information to light, and test the validity of traditional concepts or practices by introducing new ideas or principles, theory or terminology from related fields of interest.
• Accumulate and validate information: Experts are selective in the information that they disseminate, filtering the content they provide for their audience. They distill the most vital data from the content and bring together related viewpoints or discussions to provide a comprehensive overview of the issue. This allows others to contribute ideas on how to move forward toward a solution.
• Research, research and more research. Experts study the phenomenon of current events more thoroughly than others and because of this they have access to knowledge that is unique. They also analyze current events or perform case studies to support their theories.

So, armed with this information and understanding how important it is to create and sustain – perhaps the best place to start is by looking at others – who started with “nothing”:

Problogger.com and Dosh Dosh are two highly trusted sites with people who began with humble beginnings. It required focus, knowledge, dedication and passion – to be sure. But, also a willingness not to quit – while watching their marketplace, building online friendships and where interaction and communication was dead center.

So, what is your passion? And, have you dared to really ask yourself how to make a difference? Is it your own (crappy) belief that is preventing you from moving forward? You do have the potential, and moving into massive action, and seeing the results will further deepen your belief and positive reinforcement.  Believing in yourself is key.

Next – use social media to thrust yourself into the conversation, don’t over-analyze it – and contribute with helpful information, ask questions and make sure you think long term. Your authority building is not an over-night thing, and neither is getting rich, or growing plants.

Start with Twitter, Facebook, and search for related blogs within your niche. Use Google’s Blogsearch.

Tell me what I can do to get you started.

P.S.

(This is a modified extract of a 90-page, new social media e-book coming out today. There’s also a free preview download).

Ask me on Twitter

Question: “What do Kogi & Twitter have in common?” (I’ll get to that).

But first–this past week, I’ve been collecting my thoughts from the first-ever social media marketing event at UCLA, put on by the awesome team at Gravity Summit. Led by industry notables such as Beverly Macy (Y&M Partners), Rodney Rumford (FaceReviews), David Reis (DEI Worldwide), Tony Adam (Yahoo), Ann Glenn (Sony) & Justin Goldsborough (Sprint), it was an event to remember. Not because of its flawless execution, fun-spirited group and great location, but because of this: Social Media Marketing For Business–In Practice.

The real case studies and incredible success stories from the field, coupled with insider strategies for how to build out campaigns for business, were illuminating, to say the least. Many conferences I’ve attended in the past include a stale, “one-way” PowerPoint presentation–and perhaps some questions at the end. Not here.

The summit was packed with an eager audience–wanting to learn more, of course (myself included)–but also to see the practicioners and interact and, may I say, at levels I’ve not seen in a while.

In speaking to Beverly Macy, she made it clear: “We are different. We attempt to bridge the gap that exists between the business community and the education about social media marketing. We empower the business community.” I couldn’t agree more. It was hands-on stuff and real information you can use. I felt like I was back in school, but with a support team behind me–with a strong business focus, and everybody super engaging.

The day was packed with great information and speakers. Here’s a top-level outline and my reactions:

• How Social Media Has Evolved and Why Marketers Need to be Savvy (A+)
• Using Facebook and Twitter in Business (A+)
• Social Media as a Corporate Productivity Tool (A+)
• Social Media and Entertainment Marketing (A+)
• Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (A+)

All this, and with the interactive Q&A and experts on scene, I would recommend this event to anybody interested in using SMM for business. (Watch out for the Stanford “social media marketing for business” event May 5 at http://gravitysummitstanford.eventbrite.com).

Here are some of the tips that surfaced: (If you want to join the conference series, see the website above)

• Groundswell (book by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, two Forrester analysts).
• Facebook Pages can message followers (broadcast), but Facebook Groups cannot.
• Facebook cannot use a corporate/business name–use only a personal account, and build out Pages for corporation.
• Social Media is . . . Media that is Social (pun not intended). It’s about “them,” not “you.”
• Twitter is a gold mine of conversation. It’s a “social river”–put up nets to catch the fish; you are panning for gold.
• Write blog posts and use Twitter to “shout”–and change your strategy from “what are you doing?” to “what are you thinking?”
• Find like-minded people on search.twitter.com
• Twitter’s not for kids anymore: Comcast, HR Block, Southwest, IBM, Intel, Quickbooks, and more.
• Twitter as a Business Tool (new book by Rodney Rumford)
• 3 million tweets per day.
• Sony pictures–heavy use of social media and “Don’t expect anybody to come to you. Go where ‘they’ are.”
• Sprint–learnings from how to build courage. “Management is not scared of social media, they are terrified.”
• “Sharing is Caring”–use Twitter to share information that’s useful, unique, valuable. “Give to Get.”
• #gravsum on Twitter
• Keyword research, always–including competitive research and analysis.
• Start by connecting locally, be conversational, be authentic and listen. Create consistency of brand across platforms.
• Social Media is not one hour a week; it’s not a “set it and forget it.” Commit resources and time.
• Bookmark on Delicious.com–every day.
• “80 percent about ‘them,’ 20 percent about ‘your business.’
• “Twitter is my drug of choice.”
• Measure and Tune.

In closing, a very worthwhile experience. Anything to change? The audio was not always perfect, and sometimes the questions from the audience could not be heard. Organizers recognized that, and they are ready for the next one.

I’ll be expanding this list, but start by following this group:

http://www.twitter.com/rumford

http://www.twitter.com/beverlymacy

http://www.twitter.com/tonyadam

Now, to the answer from the opening question in this post.

Kogi Taco Truck In Los Angeles. The guys at Kogi have used Twitter in a very innovative way. Folks are lining up to buy their exquisite dining–right off the streets in Los Angeles. See the Newsweek Story. What ideas for your local business can you use? (Note: It starts with the idea; the tools come second, so get to work. If you need more ideas, attend the upcoming Gravity Summit).

Final thoughts (borrowed from Rodney): Lots of folks are scared of joining the “new” conversation and/or don’t think it makes sense or that it cannot possibly yield returns (for a business). Ask the question differently: “What if you don’t join the conversation?” Now, that’s scary.

Further Reading:

• Google To Buy Twitter
• The Conversation Is Shifting
• Will Twitter Ever Make Money? (CEO Evan Williams, Twitter)
• Get Real Time Twitter Results with Google Search (technical article)

I recently had the distinct pleasure of speaking to one of the Masters of Social Media, Brent Csutoras. He’s a leading internet marketing consultant who primarily specializes in social media, viral and search engine marketing strategies.

Not only does he enjoy speaking on the topic, but he has a deep understanding and provides a mountain of great information you can use. I felt like that good hour we spent could have easily turned into days. I have attempted to distill our conversation about social media marketing into key learning points and some things you can do to get started today.

I should add that Brent is not only a tactician (”eats his own dog food”) but believes in good planning and sound strategies before starting any campaign online, whether SEO, PPC or social media.

Social media is *not* about just bookmarking your sites all over the place and joining Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, and posting some “pitchy” links. I hope that’s not what you’re doing. Social media marketing (SMM) is serious business, and you must have the same attitude about everything you do.

I asked him about “how to go viral,” but it became evident quickly that it’s not just a checklist thing, but rather deep understanding of your marketplace, people and community strategies, and a lot of work. Brent works 12 to 14 hours every day, 365 days a year. (He gets a “break” when he speaks at search marketing conferences such as SES.)

He not only researches and tests all the models and tools but provides services to a number of high-profile clients (whom he will not, understandably, reveal). Brent has a massive passion for this field, wants to give back to the community and is considered one of the best.

Brent is also speaking at the upcoming Search Engine Strategies show in San Jose, coming up August 18. I’ll have summaries from that trip, too.

J: What is social media?
B: Social media definitions exist. However, I say it’s what people think of last: “links.” I think of social media as modern day link building. As you do your research, think about how to acquire quality links. While many social networks, tools and blogs have “no-follow” tags applied, there are “do-follows” out there. For example, at current time, Reddit follows links. That’s powerful. However, while links and early links are important, there is a phased approach to this. I call this the “wave model.” The first wave is all about the social community penetration and expansion into your community. The second wave is about the “links that really matter.” These are the page rank 8 to 9 links that most would sell their car for! I explain this further under “Social Media Builds Traffic” below.

J: Can you give me some background on how you got started and how social media impacted you?
B: I began in SEO, worked for a company in the health-care section and did the online marketing for about 50 to 60 clients. I listened to Webmaster Radio almost every day for a period. SEO Rockstars Todd Friesen, Greg Boser are top guys, and they seeded the right thoughts in my head; they got me wanting to be an internet marketer. I would listen, write down the information, study and learn every day–even in my car. That hasn’t stopped. It was at PubCon 2006 when I received a faster ramp-up when I met BOTW guys Greg and Brian Prince, and later in 2007 with additional network support in Todd Malicoat (SEO), Chris Winfield (SMM) and Neil Patel (SEO/SMM). Danny Sullivan invited me to speak as well. I was impressed with their credentials, but my personal style and approach [are] to be humble, and I listened and watched carefully. The interesting thing is that real world networking helped me before social media did. I often say that the rules of social media are very similar if not the same as the real world. You must conduct and act the same in order to succeed. Quality information prospers, however, just like anything on the net. I was accepted and so does Google, apparently (search for “brent” in Google).

J: How does a brand new person start with social media?
B: OK, assuming you have a plan with clearly defined objectives and goals (you must!)–consider social media, but also PPC, SEO. Include these as a whole picture, not just in parts. All activities need focused and ongoing attention, i.e., it never stops, and you must consider expenditures (people, resources, etc.) versus return. Social media can have high returns, but you must bring all of the tracks back to your original plan and measure it along the way. SM is not something you do on the side: You must dedicate an employee 100 percent or get a new one hired in, or outsource to an established expert.

Here’s a high-level starter plan you can use for social media:

Phase One: Write good, quality content! After strategy signoff, start by participating in the communities. Provide real and useful comments, no spam obviously. Do not try to game this; build your presence online over time. You might benefit looking at the smaller communities, befriend some of the (top) profiles there, and start looking at how you can provide good content for that community. Then, start pushing: “Butter the network,” as I call it.

Phase Two: Make your site social media-friendly. No funky popups or hard to read/use sites. Blogs are commonly used, but make sure it’s professionally designed. Lately, I’ve found that authoritative sites can and will do better–and even commercial sites. Think about this: “Where do you want to be sourced from?” Even unique content on a crappy site will not get the respect it deserves.

Phase Three: Continue researching and networking. Continue to build quality content for your own sites and the communities. This can take a long time, but the results are worth it!

J: Generally speaking, what do you consider “must-have” sites/profiles to establish?
B: Depending on your business, you might consider Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Digg, Reddit, Delicious, Sphinn, Propeller, StumbleUpon, but this is the order of importance at current time: Reddit, Digg, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Propeller, Sphinn and LinkedIn, listed last because it is just a static resume, not a wide network reach.

All articles should have references to these profiles. (Jon: Check a recent poll at Lee Odden’s TopRank Blog–Social Networks Influences)

J: How much time should a person spend on social media?
B: Let me answer it this way: What is your dedication? Have you made a firm to decision to proceed? If you only have an hour or so per day, don’t even try Digg or Reddit–you’d be better off spending some time on Sphinn, StumbleUpon or bookmarking services only. However, make sure to set up complete profiles for your company or brand on the sites you target. You will not get a lot of traffic or brand recognition at first, but you must/should start today.

However, as with any marketplace online, it depends on your niche. In any case, you do want to become the top dog in your industry, which will take time, as I mentioned. You may find yourself in six months of full-time, dedicated work, trial and error, until something sticks. What works for one will work differently for another. I see 99 percent success, and most of the time, but you never know when an administrator on an important network gives you a thumbs down, and you’re gone!

You must always be researching while online, look at the competition and find the sites with best-result-opportunities ratios. Then, you must discover the community that supports your business, and find the topics within it.

A tip to find out what people are talking about within your niche, do this: Go to Google and type ‘site: “digg.com” keyphrase.’ You can also go to most social media news sites and sort by most popular, etc. Your end goal in research is this: What has been successful? Then, build on that.

Update: Google just released its insights search tool, to help find patterns and analytics in search: Check out the Google Insights tool.

J: Word on the street says that social media builds traffic, but does not provide good ROI.
B: I don’t agree. Link building, which is the most important aspect to social, has an ROI. You can test your landing page to tune up the conversions, always–and you should. The people in SMM are not typically in a hot buy mode, true. However, the conversion is there, but it’s long term–certainly not gained in the first tier of traffic. However, as you build, you would hope to get the highest, best portion of the linkerati : the top bloggers, the central journalists for your niche, etc.

Let me explain how social media traffic works, in a tiered model. It builds on the “social media wave model” mentioned at the top.

First Tier Traffic – ‘Wave 1′: This is people who are not in your niche and not likely to be interested in anything more than the single article they have landed on. This is not the traffic or movement you want, but it is necessary and you don’t get to the 2nd tier without it. Google wants links and content. You can be ranked for a number of days short term and be visible across the board – but it can sometimes drop off. People providing blog posts, video posts, etc – will get you social community site links, but you need to look for natural links. That comes next.

Second Tier Traffic – ‘Wave 2′: RSS Feeds, bloggers, journalists – those that go back and write about you a few days or a week later, or even those who are looking for current stories to write about for their deadline in a few hours. The highly sought after PageRank 8-9 can be attained this way. These are the highly trusted links with the quality and authority that you want. (Jon: This is big, I missed this myself until I spoke to Brent).

As an example, imagine you hit the front page of Digg about your Dog business – having a unique and different story listed, pointing back to your blog about Dogs. If a major pet company picks up the story, and they link to you, you’ll receive potentially massive traffic and it will be highly targeted. You will be ranking well for your keywords for a longer time and as you continue building, more and more success will be created from your trust within the communities and search engines. If you have good quality content, people will naturally link to you. If you sell something, try to build focused, single keywords to promote. Build content around that.

J: How can I write viral content around boring products? For example, if I was a sink company, how would I drive massive traffic and build authority around it?
B: The “Top 10” type of lists work very well. People online often don’t read the entire article – they scan. Fun, controversial and useful tips and lists work all the time. You could create the “Top 10 most expensive sinks – ever”, or “How to unclog any sink in less than 10 seconds”. Make sure to get your keyword or phrase in the title. You may consider videos and images to complement your article. But, before you start crafting that killer piece, participate in the communities related to your topic. Research the commentaries, what type of content and write quality copy. All of social media is a huge time commitment, and you should have 100’s of people in your network, be recommended by others, seen as an active participant and add value and involved in the site – continually.

J: What are some of the tools of trade?
B: This is human intensive. And why not – it’s all about the communities and the people! To use automation tools and try to software-enable this will not work. There are however, some resources and tools that can help on the basics. You may consider creating some internal tools for yourself to help organize.

I wrote an article for Search Engine Land: “Tools for engaging in Social Media”, start with that. (Brent’s Social Media Tool List)

Here are some tools that I use:

• Digg alerter – must use
• StumbleUpon
• Propeller
• ShareAholic – powerful

J: Thanks, Brent – and in closing can you tell me what you will be speaking about at the SES show in San Jose?
B: I will cover things like a) what is social media, b) what is it good for, c) what sites give you the biggest bang and the all important d) “I get it, but why is it good?”

Dear Reader, as you have come to understand,social media is a lot work if you do want to get to the mountain top for your business. So, don’t just do what you must, but develop your plan, take complete action and go full force!

Brent, see you at the 2008 search engine strategies show – should be exciting this year…

I visited search marketing illuminati Danny Sullivan and Chris Sherman this week, the power drivers of the SMX Search Engine expos in the USA and, now, internationally (SMX Espana coming up).

Their social media-related sessions, expert panelists and conference support staff were really attentive to detail and provided in-depth, real case studies of success (and not!). And even though the show in Long Beach this week on social media was small (if 200 people is tiny?), I enjoyed having a chance to meet many new people, including the above, and rock star SEOs Rand & Michael.

I was thinking of a great way to introduce social bookmarking to readers of my blog and discovered this cool video–commoncraft actually has many more, if you want to get more creative and useful videos.

Check out the below social bookmarking video explained, and come back next week for more tips on how to reach a wider audience with social media marketing strategies and tools. A quick way to bookmark across many platforms is the tool Socialmarker.

I also suggest checking out Marketing Pilgrim Social Media Marketing Guide for more 16 great ways to Social Media Marketing.

I’m working on a project where not only on-page (html/content) and off-page (links) factors are key to success (traffic in this case), but also crucial is generating more or less a rising buzz factor. Buzz by definition is like the “jungle-telegraph” model–where people start talking about something and naturally share among their friends and social networks.

Just this morning, I heard about the new Papaya Dance, the “next Macarena” (Note: currently, only about 300,000 pages are returned in Google in that search–this will grow).

The idea that generating buzz or natural sharing is easier now than ever may be true from a technology standpoint–just see this screenshot (from 10e20):

… but solid content–quality, that is–with maybe a slight bit of controversy, a fun factor or simply informational pieces–still is just as important. You must learn to use it all.

One place to start your social buzz trek: Learn some related (to your business) tools at go2web20.