5 For Friday — Links, Stories & Posts For Your Weekend (Plus An Announcement!)

September 30th, 2011 by Search Influence Alumni

The Content Strategy that Made Justin Bieber a Star — Content Marketing Institute

You may or may not be a fan of the teen star Justin Bieber and his ubiquitous haircut, but there’s no denying that some serious marketing has gone into making him one of the most famous and adored pop sensations in recent memory. Disney Media, geniuses that they are, have floated a unique campaign to make Bieber famous and skyrocket him to domination of his niche — in this case, pre-teen music. Content Marketing Institute’s Scott Aughtmon dissects the tactics Radio Disney undertook to market their star and how you can apply these concepts to your own campaigns.

5 Keyword Research Alternatives for Mobile, News, Social, Image & Video Optimization — TopRank

Search marketing isn’t just for Googlers sitting in front of their PCs anymore. Mobile search drives a huge portion of web traffic, while ancillary optimization opportunities such as video and images are a goldmine of untapped potential for the right marketers. This handy article by TopRank’s Lee Odden provides you with tools to hunt down the perfect keywords to target your audience — no matter what platform or medium they’re using.

B&H Photo Shows How To Convert Customers Into Fans & Followers — Small Business SEM

While we’ve elaborated on many good practices for small business SEO campaigns, but those carefully-tuned broadcasts can seem like a waste if there’s nobody there to listen. If your business is hitting all the marks in your social media sphere but just can’t seem to gain the followers, check this article out for several handy tips on converting your real-life fans into online followers.

How Marketers Can Connect with the 3 Mindsets of Search [STUDY] — Search Engine Watch

In this recently-released study, About.com and Latitude conclude that customers use search engines with one of three specific mindsets: Educate Me, Answer Me and Inspire Me. Check out Search Engine Watch’s writeup for in-depth exploration into these searchers’ motivations, as well as how to apply the concepts to your own campaigns.

5 Cheat Sheet Basics for International SEO — TopRank

As we’ve noted before, cross-borders SEO can be a tricky area — but also a rewarding one. No matter the distance between you and your client, these basic international SEO tips are sure to have you on your way to an effective and well-planned campaign.

As a special bonus sixth feature, we’re proud to announce that several of our talented SI bloggers are taking part in the 2nd Annual Bad Ass SEO Guest Blogging Contest at Search Engine Marketing Group! Keep your eyes peeled for quick tips and insightful search marketing commentary from our homegrown team of experts. Our first entry, Doug Thomas‘s The Real Meaning of the Facebook Timeline – Are Display Ads Dead? has just been published today, so head on over and tell him what you think. All of us over here at SI thank SEM Group and the contest’s sponsors from the bottom of our hearts for enabling a great opportunity. Check out the great groups and businesses they have sponsoring this event: