Kauffman eVenturing, a Web site for growth-oriented entrepreneurs operated by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has posted a new collection of articles to help entrepreneurs evaluate different aspects of online marketing.
The eVenturing articles focus on a range of topics, including search engine optimization, key word advertising, blogging, online publishing and using eBay as a distribution channel.
The articles explain how entrepreneurs can take advantage of the latest online strategies to compete more effectively with their larger companies.
According to eVenturing, article highlights include:
* “The Rise of the Participant Economy� by David L. Sifry, founder & CEO, Technorati, Inc., the leading blog search engine, highlights the explosive growth of the blogosphere – which doubles in size roughly every 200 days – and its impact on empowering consumers and companies with a goal of building concrete two-way relationships with their customers.
* “What MySpace Means for Marketers� by Zachary Rodgers, deputy managing editor for the ClickZ Network, a publisher of interactive marketing news, information and commentary, highlights marketing opportunities on MySpace, which he calls the “undisputed juggernaut of social media.� As one of the most trafficked properties on the Web, MySpace is of particular interest to record producers, entertainment companies, cause marketers and book publishers seeking to reach teens.
* “Developing Online Publications� by Todd Smart, founder and president of BeTuitive Publishing, specialists in custom e-newsletters and blogs, guides entrepreneurs on how to create stand-out online publications that serve their target audience and marketing objectives, and how to measure their success.
* “Handling Online Customer Feedback� by John Villafranco, partner, and Alysa Zeltzer, attorney, both with Kelley Drye Collier Shannon which specializes in advertising, privacy, data security litigation and compliance with federal and state laws, counsels entrepreneurs to stay tuned into what people are saying about their businesses online in blogs, chat rooms and rating sites. They advise taking immediate steps to understand and resolve a consumer’s online criticism and publicly communicate that you’re working on the problem.
* “Giving Online Marketing a Greater Share� by Chris Topping, CEO, Petals Decorative Accents, which markets high-quality silk flowers and other accessories, shares his company’s successful online marketing strategy – focusing on increasing Web site traffic and enhancing the customer’s site experience (through greater privacy protection, inventory visibility and an e-catalog). The results: Petal’s 2006 online sales are expected to triple their 2004 level, accounting for about one-third of the company’s overall business.
* “Capitalizing On eBay’s Distribution Channel� by Debbie Gordon, president/CEO of Snappy Auctions, Inc., a Nashville based franchisor of eBay consignment centers, explains how entrepreneurs can use eBay to reach a huge potential customer base – including a rapidly growing business-to-business component – and inexpensively test the market for their products.
* Tools and Templates: An array of tools to help entrepreneurs get started on online marketing, including a Guide to Google Analytics (a free service that helps advertisers track traffic from keywords, hits from unpaid searches and other metrics), and a chart showing the types of personal customer information protected by state privacy and data security rules.