It’s a great time to be in marketing. The low barrier to creation and the variety of channels available allow brands to consistently create, innovate and earn audience attention through remarkable experiences. We’re able to tell stories through content, through social, design, product development, motion graphics and more, and to reach customers in more exciting ways. With so many resources at our fingertips, brands can create virtually anything. Or brands can fail. Epically. Below is what happens when your “strategic marketing” plan looks more like something a hangry seven year…

We already know businesses small and large are signing up for social media accounts more than ever. By July 2013, 77 percent of Fortune 500 companies were actively on Twitter and 70 percent had Facebook pages. Smaller businesses everywhere are online as well, posting everything from their daily specials to interactions with people interested in their products (and why they’re better than their competitors). Some are even telling people on Twitter… that they’re on Twitter. If you haven’t heard, we’re on twitter! Check us out @VillaMyriamCafe — Villa Myriam (@VillaMyriamSC) November…

When you work in the world of SEO, you get used to seeing the same issues repeat themselves throughout different sites. In fact, there are some issues you can almost expect to see on a site that has never been optimized or touched by an SEO. Being aware of these common SEO issues is a critical start to making sure your website earns high visibility in the search results. What are these SEO problems, and how are they corrected? 1. Canonicalization Confused already? It is a long word. Canonicalization refers…

Oh, it’s almost here. [No, not snow, that already happened.] The day dedicated to thanks and pie and turkey and stuffing and more pie. And before we head on up out of here to enjoy a holiday week with family and friends, I thought I might share some of the things I’m most thankful for as a marketer. Because even though the Internet has a propensity for yelling and throwing things, the truth is, there’s a lot to be thankful for this year. Here’s my gratitude list: A smarter Google:…

We all make mistakes. I’ve certainly made more than my share of mistakes throughout the past several years I’ve been managing PPC campaigns. However, a number of big brands show a troubling level of carelessness in their ad setup, resulting in not only constant ridicule from people who notice, but also a hefty amount of wasted money. Sadly, I’m talking about brands well-known for both online and offline marketing expertise. A lot of these problems stem from over-depending on automation, dumping in bulk keyword lists without careful review, writing generic…

Maybe you were there when Jeff Gaines talked about why everyone is so “fat, broke and busy” in 2010. Maybe you were there in 2011 when Joel Goodman began his speech with the Erma Bombeck quote, “When humor goes, there goes civilization.” And maybe you were sad when there was no Capital Region TEDx event in 2012. We were. Good news: TEDx Albany is back. On Thursday November 14, a new batch of speakers will come together to present ideas, share their findings and inspire conversation among their audience members….

Media relations, like most elements of public relations, is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Your targeted media outreach will need to be adapted specifically to your goals and objectives. Are you launching a new line from an international fashion brand? How about sharing the news of a brand new iPhone app? Or what about a celebrating a local restaurant opening? It doesn’t take a PR guru to tell you that the strategy for these cases would be vastly different. Each of these scenarios is going have a different PR goal, and…

Jill Whalen, one of the most recognizable and respected names in search, announced she was moving on from SEO last week. Her reasons for doing so are varied: Her passion for it isn’t there, she has new interests  and, according to Jill, Google has finally put its money where its mouth is by rewarding sites that invest in quality content and great user experiences. As Jill put it, her work here is done. While you shouldn’t expect to see hordes of SEOs picking up their stuff and going home, you can…

Happy Halloween from your friends at Overit. Who would have thought being chased by a skeleton would be less scary than a panda or a penguin?  ;)  

Search prominence doesn’t happen by accident. No, often it happens thanks to an SEO company working behind the scenes using carefully-crafted techniques to help that site do better in the search engine rankings. Some tactics have continued to work well over the years, some have lost their luster and a few may violate the Google guidelines and cause problems for your site if you choose to use them. With an index reliant on quality, it’s no surprise Google has made it its mission to fight against techniques that violate its…