So does Apple, whose specialty isn’t advertising, stand a chance in a duel to the death with the Google juggernaut? The answer is a surprising “yes”, depending on what shape iAd takes and how the iPhone vs. Android () battle plays out. It’s fighting a more experienced competitor, though.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Even as private equity investments languish, venture capital — including funds for startups — is seeing a boom in business from last year to now, according to data collected by Dow Jones. Will these funds trickle down to web startups?
Throughout 2009, funds for early-stage companies and multi-stage funds saw significant growth — optimistic signs heralding the return of venture capital. Funds fluctuated from quarter to quarter last year, but the year still ended strongly and Q1 2010 is robust compared to the beginning of last year.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Shortly after launching Google Buzz, we quickly realized we didn't get everything right and moved as fast as possible to improve the Buzz experience. We made a number of changes to the getting started experience based on your feedback, the most significant of which was replacing auto-following with suggestions for people to follow.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
PaperGSM local online advertising solutions
Flyerboard is a virtual corkboard that can automatically convert any image (print ad, insert, etc.) into an interactive online ad with built-in community features. Publishers are using Flyerboard to increase online ad revenue from local businesses. Learn more >>
PlaceLocal is a smart technology that allows online publishers to automate local ad creation, sales, and management. All you have to do is type in any local business, and PlaceLocal will automatically build a stunning, customized online ad. Learn more >>
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Foursquare, the smartphone app that gives you points and badges for "checking in" at clubs and convenience stores, is about to reach the one-million-user mark. That's a big deal. But it's also a reminder that, try as we might to cover its every move, most of you haven't tried Foursquare yet. (Or you're using its scrappy archrival, Gowalla.) Here's what to expect when you do:
It doesn't take long to get to stage five on Foursquare or Gowalla without an active network of friends using the same social application. Even then, with just getting virtual stamps, mayorships and virtual goodies it might get boring quick. What's next to keep people checking in? Find real money or songs or tv shows or movies or movie tickets or coupons instead of virtual goods? Become the real mayor of a town for a day after 250 check ins at city hall? Move to Rally Up http://www.getupandrally.com to cut down on the stalking and frequent home break-ins when you broadcast to the world you're out of town?
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
A group led by George Petre at BitDefender, an antivirus software company based in Bucharest, Romania, performed an experiment to test the effectiveness of spamming techniques geared toward a social networking site. They found it surprisingly easy to entice Facebook users to "friend" people they didn't know; they also found that many users were willing to click on links without knowing who sent them or where they led.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Foursquare, the smartphone app that gives you points and badges for "checking in" at clubs and convenience stores, is about to reach the one-million-user mark. That's a big deal. But it's also a reminder that, try as we might to cover its every move, most of you haven't tried Foursquare yet. (Or you're using its scrappy archrival, Gowalla.) Here's what to expect when you do:
It doesn't take long to get to stage five on Foursquare or Gowalla without an active network of friends using the same social application. Even then, with just getting virtual stamps, mayorships and virtual goodies it will get thin quick. What's next to keep people checking in? Find real money or coupons instead of virtual goods? Become the real mayor of a town for a day after 250 check ins at city hall? Move to Rally Up http://www.getupandrally.com to cut down on the stalking and frequent home break-ins when you broadcast to the world you're out of town?
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Apple's iPad arrives in stores tomorrow and reviewers agree that it's a magic revolutionary new class of computer. But you shouldn't buy one. Not yet, anyway.
Let's break this down.
First-generation Apple products are for suckers. Only lemmings with no self-control and excessive disposable income buy first generation Apple products, especially in a new gadget category. When they do, they pay the double the price for immature hardware and software.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
With social media looming larger for brands, more are willing to carve out spots on their agency rosters for social specialists.General Motors is doing so by adding SS+K. The auto giant has tasked the New York-based shop with developing big social ideas that can take root and grow online and offline for its Buick and GMC brands.
On those nameplates, independent SS+K joins existing GM agencies Leo Burnett, Starcom and Digitas, all from Publicis Groupe, and Martin Retail Group, part of Interpublic Group.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Yahoo has undergone a rough patch lately, but some of the latest members of its executive exodus hope to tap into a bright spot of its heritage: innovative marketing.The team behind its nontraditional marketing efforts, like setting up a yodel studio in Times Square, has left the Internet company to create its own agency, Manifold.
Based in San Francisco, Manifold is a five-person buzz marketing shop. It brings together longtime Yahoo marketing executives, including former director of buzz marketing Sean Florio, who wrapped up work at Yahoo yesterday.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Google is definitely on a buying spree this year. The company's latest acquisition is Episodic, an online video platform that Google will probably integrate into YouTube is some form. Neither Episodic nor Google shared any financial details about this acquisition. Episodic plans to keep its current service up and running for the time being.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Two months after entering beta, YouTube's video page redesign is ready for its close up. Google's video-sharing site first unveiled the makeover in late January, and today the streamlined interface goes live to all users.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Advertising has been a killer Internet business model, making billions of dollars for Google and others. But a number of startup companies think there's a huge untapped market in providing automatically tailored display advertising to thousands of local businesses.
Ad slot: PlaceLocal automatically generates ads for local businesses by crawling the Web.
Credit: PaperGYelp, which aggregates customer reviews of local businesses, has tried to provide targeted local advertising with varied success. Now a new crop of startups are hatching plans to provide more effective advertising services to local businesses. The aim is to ease small businesses into online advertising through familiar channels such as newspaper sites, and to help these locally focused websites increase revenues by making it easier for them to service small accounts.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
The definition of insanity is, “repeating the same behavior expecting different results.”
If you are struggling for new business ideas, hopefully this list of fifty agency new business tips will provide some help.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Vancouver's competitive advantage over the major cities of the United States has jumped significantly in the last two years, according to a report by international consultants KPMG.
Vancouver ranks fifth -- up from 21st two years ago -- among 41 major international cities in terms of business competitiveness, says the report.
Montreal ranks third and Toronto sixth. Vancouver's nearest geographical competitor, Seattle, ranks No. 29
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
It's no longer a secret that China's online gaming industry is booming, and growth is set to continue with companies such as Shanda Games, Netease and The9 leading the way. In 2009, China's online gaming industry earned nearly $4 billion, growing 39.5% from 2008.
Each day, millions of high school students trying to forget the pressures of college entrance exams and young adults discontent with their jobs flock to Internet cafes to play online role-playing games. They're part of China's 384 million netizens, and they sit in front of rows of computers in dimly lighted smoke-filled rooms for upwards of eight hours at a time, living in virtual worlds to escape the pressures of contemporary Chinese life.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
A new geolocation app for the iPhone was released today called Rally Up. What differentiates Rally Up from the likes of Foursquare and Gowalla is that it has a strong focus on privacy and content sharing. Rally Up bills itself as “a social network for real friends,” letting users share messages and photos with the people they trust.
To this end, Rally Up takes a very different approach to friends lists and friends management from other social applications. For instance, Rally Up doesn’t integrate with Twitter (
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Upcoming Events
F5 Expo
Wednesday, Apr 07th 2010
8:00am - 8:00pm
Vancouver Convention Centre EAST WING
Why Attend? Attending F5 will be an essential part of developing next year’s business plan.…
19 Guerrilla Social Media Marketing Secrets
Wednesday, Apr 14th 2010
6:00pm - 8:00pm
YWCA (4th Floor)
Guerrilla marketers achieve conventional goals using unconventional tools and strategies. Instead of…
Sociable Luncheon
Wednesday, Apr 21st 2010
11:30am - 1:30pm
Abbotsford Banquet and Conference Centre
Speakers: Stephen Jagger and Shane Gibson, social media experts and co-authors of Sociable! How social…
Great opportunities to network in the Vancouver Internet marketing industry
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Along with my co-author, the talented Eric Butow, I wrote Blogging to Drive Business, which is now on sale in bookstores and online.
Blogging can help you deepen customer loyalty, reach new customers, gain indispensable feedback, and drive more sales.
This no-nonsense guide shows how to craft a business blog that does all that, and more–building your business and increasing your profits.
Top e-marketers and business bloggers Eric Butow and Rebecca Bollwitt help you define clear goals, generate the right content with the right tools, attract visitors, build communities, and avoid costly mistakes…
I recently wrote a blog post about our book as well, featuring a review by Gillian Shaw of the Vancouver Sun (which was in print Saturday January 23, 2010).
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
Montreal-based Yellow Media Inc. - which owns Yellow Pages Group and the Trader Corp. classified advertising business - announced yesterday that it will buy Vancouver-based Canpages in a $225-million deal.
Yellow Pages prints directories that already enjoy a more than 90-per-cent market share in most places in Canada. Canpages sought to grab a slice of that business, and to get ahead of the print giant in the online directory space.
Need an alternative to Yellow Pages or CanPages advertising for your business? Contact us today about custom small and medium sized online marketing solutions so you can target local customers online when they are searching for your product or services in Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, Twitter and other leading destinations. If you're spending too much money on your Yellow Pages or newspaper advertsing we can help you use some of your advertising dollars more effectively with custom local internet marketing solutions. Contact local business online marketing consultant Brent Purves http://www.BrentPurves.com at Stir Communications Group http://www.StirGroup.com today for a free consultation.
Posted via web from Vancouver Internet Marketing Consultant - Brent Purves
