Free Webinar will feature 3 SFIMA Alums

Find out what's coming next in Internet Marketing with a FREE Webinar featuring 3 SFIMA Alumni Maria Harrison, Joe Laratro and Jay Berkowitz. Thought Leaders Forum - What's Next in Internet Marketing on Thursday, April 30th at 12:30 EST

The Panel of Internet Marketing Thought Leaders will include:
- Maria Harrison, Founder of iClarity and Past President, SFIMA
- Search Specialist Joe Laratro, President of SFIMA
- Jay Berkowitz, Internet Marketing Keynote Speaker and Author of the Ten Golden Rules of Online Marketing, Founding Board Member SFIMA
- Rohit Bhargava, Marketing Blogger and Author of "Personality Not Included"
- Jim Kukral, The Biz Web Coach
- David McInnis, Start-up Expert, Founder of PRWeb and People Pond
- Facebook Guru Mari Smith
- Web Semantics specialist Richard Stanton, CEO of Bintro.com

What you will learn:

* What is the future of online video
* Is Twitter important for business?
* How can I use Web 2.0 for my business?
* What is web semantics and how will it shape the future of online business?
* What are the best strategies for personal branding?

Click here to Sign up now for the Webinar Thought Leaders Forum - What's Next in Internet Marketing on Thursday, April 30th at 12:30 EST. This event is being presented for Free courtesy of sponsors The University of San Francisco's New Internet Marketing Course and Bintro.com.

SoFIE Award Finalists Announced!

2009 Finalists:

All finalists listed in alphabetical order:

Most Effective Integrated/Cross Channel Marketing Campaign

Germville-A sick place to live by The Factory Interactive

Levi's Project Runway Campaign by Razorfish

Most Effective Direct Response Campaign

ADT Security by Razorfish

eCollegeFinder by DMi Partners

Hotel de Soleil by LGD Communications

Most Effective Online Brand Experience

Levi's Project Runway Campaign by Razorfish

Mozilla Firefox 3 by Nobox Marketing Group

Southeast Toyota Finance

Most Effective Email Marketing Campaign

ADT Security by BGT Partners

ME by Melia by LGD Communications

Pet Supermarket by Loop Consulting Group

Most Effective Use of Emerging or Innovative Media/Marketing (social, viral, video, mobile, etc.)

Coke - Burn Alter Ego by Sapient

Destructoid.com by Worldmedia

Podcasting by Ten Golden Rules

Most Effective Hospitality, Travel or Tourism

Copa Airlines by Nobox Marketing Group

ME by Melia by LGD Communications

Southwest Airlines, Hallelujah Campaign by Razorfish

Amazon to Stop Affiliates from using PPCs to Drive Affiliate Sales

Internet Retailer reporting today that effective May 1st Amazon will no longer pay for affiliate traffic from pay per click campaigns. This new ban on bidding for placement will severely affect some affiliates with little or no natural search engine placement.

Amazon will stop paying affiliates that drive traffic via paid search

Web retailing giant Amazon.com Inc. told its affiliates yesterday that it will no longer pay them fees for sending consumers to its North America-based retail sites through keyword bidding or paid search. The policy change, announced via e-mail, is effective May 1 and only applies to affiliates directing shoppers to amazon.com, amazon.ca and endless.com. Shawn Collins, co-founder of the Affiliate Summit conference, says Amazon likely made the change because paid search terms don’t drive the same caliber of traffic to retail sites as links embedded in a destination site that offers information about products and attracts engaged consumers.

I am sure this will result in some drastic changes in all affiliate networks and have to wonder if other affiliate networks will follow suit with similar restrictions. Even if traffic from these paid sources is not "the same caliber" I am confused as to why Amazon would restrict this source of traffic since they only pay an affiliate for the % of sales. The only scenario that makes sense is that perhaps the paid traffic is using up more bandwidth and not resulting in enough sales to makeup for the bandwidth costs. If that is the case, it is only further proof that paid search advertising is no longer effective and mainly a source of click fraud. What are your thoughts? Is paid traffic still working for you?

Here is a copy of the letter I received:

Dear Amazon Associate: We’re writing to let you know about a change to the Amazon Associates Program. After careful review of how we are investing our advertising resources, we have made the decision to no longer pay referral fees to Associates who send users to www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, or www.endless.com through keyword bidding and other paid search on Google, Yahoo, MSN, and other search engines, and their extended search networks. If you're not sure if this change affects you, please visit this page for FAQs. As of May 1, 2009, Associates will not be paid referral fees for paid search traffic. Also, in connection with this change, as of May 1, 2009, Amazon will no longer make data feeds available to Associates for the purpose of sending users to the Amazon websites in the US or Canada via paid search. This change applies only to the Associates programs in North America. If you are conducting paid search activities in connection with one of Amazon’s Associates Programs outside of the US and Canada, please refer to the applicable country’s Associates Program Operating Agreement for relevant terms and conditions. We appreciate your continued support and participation in this advertising Program. If you have questions or concerns, please write to us by using the Contact Us form available on Associates Central. Sincerely, The Amazon Associates Program Update: Tech Crunch also posted an article on the Amazon Affiliate restriction and there is a lively discussion in the comments section about it. . . http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/06/amazon-no-longer-allows-associates-to-bring-in-traffic-via-paid-search/

Is Google Buying Twitter? The Question of the Weekend Still Doesn't Have an Answer

Twoogle?

On April 2nd Michael Arrington reported on Tech Crunch that Google and Twitter were rumored to be in final talks for an acquisition. Since then blogs and newsletters and Twitter has been buzzing with more speculation and rumors. Then on April 3rd, Arrington pushed the rumor mill even further when he posted that Twitter would not sell for $1 Billion dollars.

All I have to say is, "OK, Dr. Evil!" What is that about?

For more on this topic:

Search Engine Journal

WebProNews

Florida is 4th Largest in the US for Tech Employment

A recent article in the South Florida Business Journal quoted TechAmerica, stating that Florida as being 4th in the country in technology employment.

The Sunshine State well on its way to becoming Silicon Beach. A new state nickname I heard quoted last week by Alex de Carvalho at one of many ongoing, monthly internet and interactive gatherings happening right here in South Florida. There are many aspects to technology related jobs and many of them: hardware, software, internet marketing, social media marketing, online advertising, web design, web development, and the list goes on and on. No matter what your tech speciality is, there is most likely a meet up or even a Tweet Up for you!

"Florida remains first in computer training employment, with 1,600 jobs; third in communications services employment, with 84,900 jobs; and third in engineering services employment, with 59,200 jobs."; according to the article. Tech employment jobs in South Florida seem to remain more resilient than other fields, which is definitely the good news for us with the current unemployment rates.

Twitter Founder Biz Stone on The Colbert Report

This is a hilarious interview of Twitter co-Founder Biz Stone with Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report April 2, 2009:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Biz Stone
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

How Twitter #followfriday Began

I pretty much preach this every day, but if you are not on Twitter by now, get with the program!

Whether you are a Twitter Noob or an early adopter, you should know about #followfridays on Twitter. If not, here is the full story of how #followfriday began from the original trend setter himself @Micah

Its a great way to find new Twitter friends to follow and recommend your favorite Twitterers to the world.

So here are our #followfriday recs for today:

@sfima

@jlaratro

@techcrunch

@mashable

@themime

@the_real_shaq

@BreakingNews

There is definitely someone for everyone on Twitter and the best part is you customize what updates you see according to who you follow. Its just a new version of the information highway!

Miami Headquartered BGT Wins Big at the IAC Web Marketing Awards

Congratulations to BGT Partners, SFIMA members and Elite Sponsor for their recent awards at the Internet Advertising Competition!

Miami, Fl. March 19, 2009 – BGT Partners, a leading interactive agency based in Miami, continued its winning streak by collecting 14 awards at this year’s Internet Advertising Competition (IAC). BGT’s web and online marketing projects were judged alongside work by some of the top interactive agencies in the world. BGT received 10 Best in Class for clients such as ADP, ADT, AISC, BankAtlantic and Sony. “We are honored to be recognized by our peers for our work, especially since each of these projects differed in scope and were created for a diverse set of clients,” said David Clarke, Managing Partner at BGT. “I believe this demonstrates BGT’s unique ability to create award-winning campaigns across a wide range of industries and mediums.”

The IAC awards, hosted by the Web Marketing Association, are one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions in the industry. They recognize agencies for their excellence in online advertising, and judge work based on creativity, innovation, design, copywriting and use of the medium.

Read More:

http://www.bgtpartners.com/pressroom/news/2009/bgt_wins_big_at_iac.aspx#top