Top Five Online Marketing Stories for 10/15 – 10/22

Online sting operations to root out webspam, political gaffes creating online trends, and more statistics that show why business owners need to embrace new marketing channels without abandoning old ones. It’s the top five online marketing stories for last week!

Yelp Penalizing Businesses Who Buy Reviews

Yelp conducted a “sting operation” against businesses using Craigslist to buy reviews. Eight businesses were penalized with a “Consumer Alert” banner on their Yelp page explaining that they attempted to purchase reviews, complete with a link to the Craigslist ad that got them in trouble.

Link: http://searchengineland.com/yelp-sting-businesses-trying-to-buy-reviews-136952

Google Image Search For “Completely Wrong” Leads to Romney Photos

Search google images for “completely wrong” and you’ll find a screen filled with photographs of Mitt Romney. How did this happen? News articles quoted Romney’s statement on how he was “completely wrong” suggesting 47% of Americans wouldn’t vote for him because they pay no income taxes. This caused photos from those articles to be associated with the phrase.

Link: http://searchengineland.com/google-images-romney-completely-wrong-search-136053

Consumers Say Pinterest Makes Them Want To Shop

A recent survey by Bizrate insights revealed that 70% of Pinterest users use the social sharing site to get inspiration on what to buy from retailers, as opposed to just 17% of Facebook users. These findings inform eCommerce and traditional retailers where they should be spending their time and money on social media efforts.

Link: http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/interactive/pinterest-gets-the-shopping-juices-flowing-say-online-consumers-24113/

Are Small Businesses Indifferent to Online Marketing Channels Besides Social?

A survey of small business owners has revealed that 70% of small business owners use social media to promote themselves, but most respondents resist paying for other online marketing efforts. What is the cause of this lack of investment in online efforts?

Link: http://marketingland.com/survey-70-percent-of-smbs-embrace-social-media-indifferent-to-almost-everything-else-24176

Why You Need An Email Marketing Strategy

If you don’t have an email marketing strategy, you’re missing out on an effective medium for generating qualified leads and reviving existing customers. Read this article to learn 4 benefits of email marketing and discover what you need to do to get your campaign off the ground.

Link: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2215891/Why-Email-Marketing-Shouldnt-be-an-Ugly-Stepchild