Digital Marketing Comparisons

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Digital Marketing Comparisons

Digital marketing is an increasingly complicated and time-consuming effort, but the need is also growing as well. But how well do some of the big names in web design, SEO, etc. brand themselves? Let’s look at a few national names and one of the biggest local guys in my region to see how they compare.

Yoast

  • General: Social media links on the home page, but not on blog posts or on headers, footers, or Contact page.
  • Facebook: Posts at 10am, 2pm, & 6pm. 2 typically are how-tos or explanations, while 1 is typically about the company, team, or a promotion.
  • Instagram: Synced with blog posts (cartoon images with the blog post title written across it). Plenty of hashtags.
  • LinkedIn: Synced with blog posts. Featured images are same as Instagram (not seen on blog post itself)
  • Pinterest: Synced with blog posts. Pins are posts. Boards seem to be post categories.
  • Twitter: Truncated (by hand) posts synced with everything else.
  • YouTube: 3-4 videos posted a month. Usually 1 Q&A session, others are how-tos or explanations.
  • Newsletter: Sign up for a free 50-page eBook on SEO.
  • Google+: Exists but hasn’t been updated since Dec 23, 2014.

Moz

  • General: Newsletter sign-ups available on footer. Other social media buried on right rail of Community page.
  • Facebook: Not consistent, but many days have 2 posts a day: 1 a blog post, 1 an invite/announcement for a workshop.
  • Instagram: No schedule to speak of. Pictures of the headquarters, pets, local spots.
  • LinkedIn: Synced with Facebook.
  • Pinterest: Heavily used. Promotes a fun culture in the office. Fridays have how-to links posted, but still have that whimsical style of images.
  • Twitter: Same as Facebook, but hand-written. Includes hashtags and blog authors’ Twitter accounts.
  • YouTube: Not linked on website. Hasn’t been updated in 7 months. How-tos and videos of convention speakers.
  • Newsletter: 10 most valuable pieces of SEO content sent every 2 weeks.
  • Google+: Active, but inconsistently synced with blog posts. Instead of Facebook or Twitter post text, copy seems to be first paragraph of each post.

hibu

  • General: Social media links on footer of pages and header of blog posts. Everything is posted with eye-catching pictures.
  • Facebook: Daily. Mostly links to blog posts, but occasionally link to customer review page.
  • Instagram: Was posting on a weekly basis, normally team/event pictures or life-affirming memes. Has slowed considerably over the past 3 months.
  • LinkedIn: Synced with Facebook.
  • Pinterest: Seldom used. Mostly infographics.
  • Twitter: Truncated (by hand) blog posts, trivia, and an occasional poll.
  • YouTube: Testimonials posted on a monthly basis.
  • Newsletter: Invited to sign up after 5 seconds on blog posts.
  • Google+: Synced with Facebook.
  • Vine: Inconsistently used. Usually well wishes for a day (National Techies Day, National Coffee Day, 4th of July, etc.).

Dex Media

  • General: Social links on pages go to a “social hub” that aggregates their social media posts.
  • Facebook: Daily, usually blog posts, team photos, or inspirational memes.
  • Instagram: Seldom used.
  • LinkedIn: Synced with Facebook.
  • Pinterest: Marketing data, infographics, and inspirational memes.
  • Twitter: Blog posts and inspirational memes with companies’/authors’ Twitter accounts mentioned (when applicable) and light use of hashtags.
  • YouTube: 5 videos from 7 years ago.
  • Newsletter: Subscribe to receive blog posts via email.
  • Google+: Synced with Facebook.

Main Street Media 360

  • General: Social links in header that disappears when scrolling down and in footer.
  • Facebook: Posts about every 4-5 days, linking to blog posts, recent videos for customers, and coupons for web design.
  • Instagram: 17 posts over 33 weeks. Mostly self-promotion with strong use of hashtags.
  • LinkedIn: Blog posts, but don’t appear to be synced automatically to anything.
  • Pinterest: Mostly infographics and some photos of local spots.
  • Twitter: Synced with Facebook with Facebook/Twitter app, so longer posts are automatically truncated.
  • YouTube: 6 videos over 6 months. Mostly videos done for customers.
  • Newsletter: “Sign up to get interesting news and updates.” Link goes offsite.
  • Google+: Synced with Facebook.

ReachLocal

  • General: Social media links on static header. Facebook & Twitter in footer.
  • Facebook: About 3 times a week, usually 1 per day. Nearly all blog posts, some team photos.
  • Instagram: No schedule to speak of. Pictures of the team, team events.
  • LinkedIn: Synced with blog posts.
  • Pinterest: Mostly infographics and some digital marketing-centric memes.
  • Twitter: Truncated (by hand) posts synced with everything else.
  • YouTube: 8 years of video, 6 posted 1 month ago. No real pattern. Mostly testimonials.
  • Newsletter: 3 options: Ability to sign up for marketing newsletter, alerts to premium content, or offers/promotions.
  • Google+: Synced with blog posts.

Review: Sense8 Christmas Special

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sense8 christmas special

The Details

Netflix original Sense8 returns for a 2-hour Christmas special on December 23. The episode picks up shortly after the end of the first season, following the eight, their allies, and their biggest threats–both old and new–as they celebrate their birthday, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

The Good

The long episode opens with a slow cover of a classic song, a popular theme this year, and immediately reminds the viewer of the one unquestionable quality of this series: the stunning cinematography. Love or hate its themes or plot points, you have to admit the show is one of the best shot shows currently being produced. If you loved the first season of the show, then nothing in the special is going to change your mind. The character of Capheus has been recast, but I honestly didn’t notice until I looked up the show to confirm a character’s name. But now a comment about his hair changing makes a lot more sense.

Sun and Wolfgang get to have their kick-ass moments. Hernando teaches one hell of an art class. And everyone–I mean everyone–gets naked and gets down. This is easily the most sexually graphic Christmas special you’ll ever see (unless Ron Jeremy’s done a show I’m unaware of).

The Bad

What Will’s been up to bothers me on two levels. First, the drug use is disgusting, and I’m not sure how we jumped to that point. A cop with an alcoholic father now doing drugs–not for fun, mind you, but to keep the Big Bad guys in check. Where was the conversation that led to that decision? Also, plot-wise, it gives the show a Harry Potter sort of feel, where Will gets flashes of the villain’s thoughts just when the pacing calls for it.

The Judgement Call

The show, as always, is beautiful. Watch it. Love it. Just don’t let the kids in the room while it’s on. And don’t be fooled: If this feels like a long commercial for season 2, it’s because it is. Ten new episodes have been slotted for the show and will be released in May 2017.

Review: The OA

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The OA

The Details

After being missing for seven years, Prairie Johnson returns. The twist? She went missing blind but can now see. Unable to talk to the FBI or her family, she gathers five individuals to tell them her backstory and what happened to her during her mysterious disappearance. For full disclosure: this is only based on the first (of eight) episodes available on Netflix.

The Good

The premise reeks of tropes, but that’s half the fun, right? Blind girl comes back with her vision. Some bizarre need to gather a group of people to speak with / coerce into action. It’s familiar and intriguing and promises a ride you’ve enjoyed before and should enjoy again. The acting? Fairly good. The cast? Great. I mean, Scott Wilson. Herschel himself. ‘Nuff said, right?

The Bad

Sweet Jeebus is the writing bad. So Prairie’s been missing seven years and is found after jumping off a bridge, but hey, sure, let’s just send her home with her parents. The FBI will catch up with her later. NBD lol j/k. There’s a layer of paparazzi around the house when they arrive, but reporters just disappear after a few minutes when the story doesn’t pan out, right? GRATUITOUS HIGH SCHOOLER SEX. And we’re watching this weirdo because she may be nuts fragile, but she has the time and freedom to meet up the local drug dealer and pretend to be his stepmother to his teacher? Sure.

The Judgement Call

No. Nah. Naw. Oh hellz no. Even a horribly underused Scott Wilson can’t save this train wreck. The actors work with what they’ve got, but the material they’re given is a pretentious high school student’s messy first draft. The story immediately dropkicks the viewer right out of their suspension of disbelief and then tries to convince them to stay on for the ride. No, thanks, Batmanglij. We’re good.

Trump Scares the Shit Out of Me, So Here’s a Novel

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Seeking Carol Lee

tl;dr version: My new novel “Seeking Carol Lee” is now available on Amazon.

Longer version: I’ll admit the title of this post is a little clickbait-y. It’s not Trump specifically who scared me, but one of his supporters. Recently, the cast of “Hamilton” addressed Vice President-elect Mike Pence as he was visiting the musical. This inspired a lively debate over whether it was the right time and place to bring up any sort of message to a man who was just trying to enjoy a night out with his family. I’m not going to side either way in this post. But in response to the event, a particular supporter of Trump/Pence tweeted the following:

Something about “an artist’s job is to make people smile” rubbed me the wrong way. And being a spiteful person, that’s inspired the artist in me to work harder on producing anything I can write, draw, edit, etc. I’ve been working for months to get “Seeking Carol Lee” published through the traditional route, and I received a couple positive rejections. But at this point, I don’t want to sit on anything and have it wait on a shelf.

So please pick yourself up a copy of the ebook. A paperback edition should be coming before the end of the year. We’ll see about an audiobook version if there’s any demand for it. But for now, check it out for yourself: “Seeking Carol Lee”

Review: Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen

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Cheddar's

The details

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, a Texas-based chain with over 160 locations, opened in Port St. Lucie, Florida last month along NW St. Lucie West Boulevard. The busy stretch of road has a number of chain restaurants with many apartment complexes and corporate offices nearby. When two friends visited us from out of town, we decided it might be fun to all try a restaurant we’d never experienced before.

The good

Portions. Sweet lord, the portions. We started with the chips & homemade queso appetizer, opting not to include the free seasoned beef. The size wasn’t alarming, and the quality was certainly there. The queso was good, and the additional salsa had a little kick to it, though I questioned whether it was homemade or store-bought. We proceeded to order a chicken tender basket (an appetizer as an entree) with a small side of cheese fries, a Monte Cristo, a buffalo chicken wrapper, and a homemade chicken pot pie. When they came out, the amount of food spilling off the plates surprised us all.

The bad

The homemade chicken pot pie lacked any spice or flavor whatsoever, to the point that my wife had to cover it in a pile of black pepper. My buffalo chicken wrapper, while tasty, could have been labeled just a chicken wrap. I lean on the side of hotter spices, but this lacked even the typical restaurant-level style of “heat” I expected. We didn’t hear any complaints about the Monte Cristo or the chicken tender basket, but the “small” order of cheese fries was an enormous platter, making us question what the other “regular” size would have looked like.

Judgement call

Overall, Cheddar’s wasn’t bad, but it never blew us away either. Reasonably priced for a chain, they provide a fair amount of food but at the cost of quality. Don’t turn down an invite, but don’t go out of your way to visit if better options exist.