The tips provided actually would work equally as well for blogging, or even website copy… So be sure to check it out!

Have a look for yourself at the link below:

Writing E-mail Marketing Copy That Sells

The answer is behavioral targeting. Behavioral targeting is simply a method of customizing the content of ads shown to you, based on your past behavior online. The advertiser knows you’re interested in canine dental cleanliness because you searched on one of their network’s sites for ‘toothpaste for dogs’…

The advertiser keeps track of this and uses it to provide you with ads that you will find more relevant and useful. The upside for you is that ads become an actual useful tool for improving your quality of life. If you’re going to see an ad anyway, why not make it useful to you and your unique likes and dislikes?

As marketers, what excites us about behavioral targeting in advertising is that it is much more effective than standard display advertising. A recent study by the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), and reported by eMarketer tells the story:

The study, which looked at ads run on member networks during 2009, showed that among users who clicked on a behaviorally targeted ad, 6.8% converted. That compared with only 2.8% of those who clicked on a run-of-network ad.

Behaviorally targeted ads are more than twice as effective! And they’re effective simply because they are simply more useful, thus more compelling, to the users.

So go ahead and buy that doggy toothpaste! That ad you see could be custom-tailored for you!

But the answer isn’t what you might think.

In the previous post, we cited a study by Sysomos that revealed that only 4% of Facebook pages have 10,000 or more fans. That same study revealed that there is very little correlation between the frequency or subject matter of wall posts and number of fans. But, there is a strong correlation between the amount of other content like notes, photos, and videos, and number of fans.

So, if you want to grow and engage your fan base, thus leveraging Facebook users into actual paying customers, focus less on wall posts and more on posting videos, photos, and notes.

Remember, the key to success in any kind of content-based marketing is delivering valuable or relevant information to your audience. Focus on that, and the results will flow in.

Read on to find out why…

Many businesses make the mistake of focusing so hard on gathering more and more followers/fans, that they neglect the one thing that will turn the followers into paying customers: Content.

Now, we know you probably have heard the (old by now) adage “Content is King”, but there’s a reason it’s said so much. It’s because it absolutely is true! Spend one week focusing on putting out quality, relevant content on your Facebook page, and you will see more results!

Check back on Friday of this week for Part 2 of this series, where we’ll discuss exactly what kind of content you need to focus on to get more from your Facebook pages- the answer may surprise you!

After reading through the article, we realized that many of the principles driving these best practices are excellent principles for your business to follow in its online presence.

Here are a few of the best practices discussed and how they relate to an effective web presence:

Links should indicate where they will take the user.

People like to know where a road will take them before turning onto it. Think about how you would feel if you got on an interstate and followed the signs to Indianapolis, but at the end of your trip ended up in Dallas. Now, Dallas is a fine city, but it isn’t where you expected or wanted to go. That’s why it’s important to set proper expectations for your customers.

>Your website is the very first impression most people will get of your business. It’s important that what you present sets a realistic yet flattering expectation of your service or product offering.

Take a few minutes to look over your web site. Better yet, ask a few friends or colleagues to look at your site and tell you what they might expect. Then compare that to your real business offerings. Exercises like these can be invaluable to your business and the results you’re getting from your website.

Ensure Contrast – Links should stand out.

Are you truly standing out from your competition online? Ignoring colors and general layout, is your site all that different from your competition? Are you saying something different or more compelling than others?

Take a look through the lens of an outsider at a few competitors’ websites. If you aren’t sure your’s is standing out, take some steps to change that. It may be as simple as taking a look at what your company really does well and stating that boldly on your home page. Or perhaps it’s even as simple as stating exactly what it is that sets you apart. Don’t be afraid to tell your customers exactly why you’re the best!

Don’t Forget About Visited Links

Once your website has converted prospects into customers, make sure you don’t leave them out in the cold!

Many businesses think of their websites solely as a sales tool, or as a method for converting prospects. While this is a big part of an effective web presence, it isn’t all there is.

No matter how big or small, any company can benefit from offering some type of ongoing interaction with their customers. While there are many ways this ongoing interaction can positively impact your bottom line, one of the most compelling is maintaining top of mind positioning with your customers. If you can stay in touch with your best customers, you can turn satisfied patrons into raving fanatics!

Of course all of these ideas are based just around best practices in link styling on web pages. But it’s a great example of taking concepts from one arena and using them as inspiration for making a business or product better.

What inspires you to constantly improve?

The article covers great storytelling not only in web sites, but in industrial design, product packaging, architecture and more.

It’s a great read and definitely worth your time.

Check it out here and view Part 1 here.