Western Michigan University – Best Digital Marketing

The Western Michigan Broncos are officially in the conversation about the best digital marketing programs in Michigan. Western Michigan University offers a major in Electronic Business Marketing. The program combines the topics of marketing and information systems and prepares students for careers in the field of e-commerce, digital marketing, mobile application development, and more.

Core requirements for the program include Business Web Architecture, Marketing Research, and Internet Marketing. Students have the opportunity to choose among electives in order to diversify themselves from other digital marketing professionals in the field. It should be known that the course offering focuses heavily on Computer Information System (CIS) classes. The program offerings differ from the University of Michigan – Dearborn Search and Visibility Concept by providing an in depth technical approach to digital marketing. The tradeoff between the two programs is that the Western Michigan University Electronic Business Marketing program lacks an extensive foundation of marketing principles as the University of Michigan – Dearborn Search and Visibility Concept.

Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, MI and was founded in 1903. The University is located midway between Detroit and Chicago. WMU offers over 140 undergraduate programs and master degrees programs and has contributed many qualified business professionals to the workforce. Western Michigan University ranked 182^nd in the 2016 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges and Universities rankings.

Localized SEO

Continuing the conversation of the University of Michigan – Dearborn Search and Visibility Concept, I would like talk a little bit about localized SEO. Google has evolved over the years and has become more focused on not only providing accurate results but also localized results. It used to be that if you performed a search for a term like ‘pizza places’, you would end up getting results for pizza places anywhere from Los Angeles to New York. These days, Google is tied into where you are as a user and search results will offer up your local pizza options.
If you would like to know about pizza restaurants in an area outside of your locale, you may need to extend your search keyword and add a geographic tag. For example, if you are in Novi, MI but would like to eat pizza in Dearborn, MI, a likely search would be ‘pizza places in Dearborn’. The results displayed will be a mixture of paid ads, localized results, and organic results. A very noticeable portion of the localized results will be a map with markers that indicate pizza places in the area. The top organic listings may not be a restaurant’s website but a third party directory website like Yelp or Trip Advisor. The restaurants that dominate these results have the strongest localized SEO strategy.
In order to ensure that your business is dominating the results page for geographic related searches, it is important to make sure the businesses information is accurate on all the directory listing websites that are available. Business listings like your Google business listing, Foursquare, YP.com, Yelp, and many more are usually the last step a customer takes before calling your business. If the name, phone number, hours, or address are not accurate, a business could risk losing a potential sale.
An additional benefit to having uniform information across a variety of local directories is the organic value that it provides a business. It has been recognized that when external websites backlink to your website, your site is legitimized in the eyes of the search engine. When this happens, your site will rank higher in search engine results.
In learning the Dearborn Search and Visibility Concept students are equipped to improve marketing for not only the pizza industry but also the automobile industry. If you are interested in improving your automobile dealership’s localized SEO, utilizing a service like Search Optics’ Local Search is the way to go. With Local Search, Search Optics will optimize more than 50 directory listings, write a description, post pictures, post special offers, and more for your dealership. If you would like to add Local Search to your dealership’s marketing strategy, contact Greg Stewart at 248-556-4677 or email at greg.stewart@searchoptics.com.

Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn Search and Visibility Concept

The shopping experience is evolving and it all starts with the customer. We are used to the term ‘B2C- Business to Customer’, however these days the customer is more in charge than ever before. Today we live in a ‘C2B – Consumer to Business’ society. In order to have success, an organization needs to ensure visibility when potential customers search for them.

Dearborn, Michigan based Ford Motor Company is one of the world’s top automotive manufacturers. One of the ways that they have been able to maintain that position is the search and visibility concept practiced by the organization. C2B consumers tend to research products and manufacturers before they make a purchase. Ford Motor Company ensures that when shoppers search the term ‘Ford’ on a search engine, that their company dominates the search engine results page. One way for a business to dominate the search engine results page is to buy their own brand name.

There is some debate among marketers as to if buying brand name is a wise investment or a waste of time and money. I am one of those marketers that fully believes in buying brand name. There are huge benefits to having a paid search campaign accompany an SEO strategy. Google conducted a study in 2012 that showed when paid listings were not displayed along with organic listings, overall clicks decreased. Showing up two times with a paid ad along with an organic listing doubles an organizations visibility to shoppers. Buying brand name also defends an organization’s home turf. By taking up the paid ad real estate, Ford stops companies like General Motors from showing up for that search as a top result.

The Dearborn search and visibility concept practiced by Ford Motor Company has transitioned the company into the digital age and they continue to see growth. Ford has one of the best  digital marketing programs in Michigan and in the world.For more information on Ford Motor Company, visit their website at www.ford.com or search for them on Google, they’ll show up!

So what is digital marketing?

Digital marketing is the process of building and maintaining customer relationships through a variety of digital media channels. Devices that are capable of serving up digital ads include desktop and laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, video game consoles, and the list is growing! As internet users surf the web, their behaviors are recorded and are quantified into data. This data is used by digital marketers to target the right person, with the right message, at the right time. Return on advertising budgets are increasing due to the precise targeting methods used by best digital marketers.
Best Digital Marketing Programs in Michigan is devoted to the best programs for digital marketing in the state of Michigan. I’ve explored educational programs but I also want to discuss digital marketing programs that can be used to reach an audience. It is not enough for a business to just have a website in this day and age. There are also need to be digital pathways that lead to and extend from that website. This is where digital marketing comes in.
By utilizing Search Engine Marketing (SEM) through a platform such as Google AdWords, an organization can pay to have their ad served to people that are actively seeking a product or service through a search engine. With an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, that same organization can dominate a search engine result page with organic results. SEO helps to maximize free clicks to a website through a search engine. Display marketing includes banner ads and pre-roll video ads. Display is a great way to generate brand awareness and is used to behaviorally target and to re-target potential customers. Social media channels like Facebook and Twitter are utilized to serve display ads and to keep an ongoing dialogue going with customers.
In the digital age, consumers do a great amount of research before making a purchase. With the right digital marketing mix, Michigan businesses have the ability to target the right person, at the right time, with the right message.

Best Digital Marketing Programs in Michigan

In our search for the best digital marketing programs in Michigan, we explored the well-rounded undergraduate degree available through the University of Michigan – Dearborn in the post titled ‘Dearborn Search and Visibility Concept’. We continue our search by moving north to Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Central Michigan University does offer an undergraduate degree in marketing, however they do not offer a degree in digital marketing. However, CMU does offer an Undergraduate Certificate in Social Media.

The certificate is available to students who attend on or off campus and to online students. The curriculum dives into the history, evolution, and the impact that social media has had on our society. Social media students will create a personal portfolio, training materials, social media policy, and develop a strategy for a firm. The Undergraduate Certificate in Social Media is a fifteen credit hour program. There are four, 3 credit hour classes: Social Media in Society, Media Managing the Message, Media Legal and Ethical Issues, and Social Media Practicum, Portfolio and Plan. An additional 3 credit hours are required and they can be obtained through a course that compliments the social media certificate.

Although the certificate may not be the best digital marketing program available in Michigan, it is a favorable complement to an existing CMU degree. Depending on a student’s major, courses taken for the certificate can fulfill other degree requirements. The certificate is then awarded at the time of graduation.

The social media certificate can also stand on its own as an asset for digital professionals. Students have the opportunity to obtain the stand-alone certificate through admission as a CMU Online Non-Degree Seeking Student. This stand-alone option is a great option for those that are looking to increase their social media knowledge but it should be known that non-degree seeking certificate only students are not eligible for financial aid.

Social media is playing a bigger and bigger role in the business world.  What was once an option for businesses, is now becoming a necessity. Social media can help a business grow in numerous ways and Central Michigan University is sending professionals into the field that are equipped to help firms increase their social media presence. For more information about Central Michigan University, visit www.cmich.edu.

Dearborn Search and Visibility Concept

I am happy to be writing on the subject of digital marketing! After all, this is the field that I decided to pursue when I chose to further my education. So where did I choose to attend for my digital marketing degree? None other than the University of Michigan – Dearborn. As a student of the Dearborn search and visibility concept, I have built my marketing knowledge from the ground up. The foundation of my education began with essentials such as the Four P’s of Marketing , the Marketing Curve, and Developing a Marketing Plan. It is essential to know the basics of marketing before letting loose on a platform like Google AdWords. Marketing fundamentals are where every successful digital marketing campaign begins. Understanding what an organization wants to accomplish, whether it be to increase sales, increase brand awareness, or manage a reputation, is what determines which digital marketing tools should be used.

The University of Michigan – Dearborn digital marketing program is a BBA program available through the school’s College of Business. Aside from learning marketing principles, digital marketing students will become well versed in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Paid per Click (PPC) advertising, Reputation Management, Analytics, and much, much more. Whether it be through a search engine, social media, or a video platform such as YouTube, students learn how to effectively target in-market consumers and  serve up high quality ads. All of which is done by utilizing the Dearborn search and visibility concept.

The College of Business at U of M – Dearborn was recently recognized as one of the nation’s best business schools, making the Princeton Review’s list of “The Best 295 Business Schools”. Professors at the school are not only top academics but are real world players in the business world. The school was also recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report one of Michigan’s top undergraduate business programs for 2015. The school does an amazing job of preparing students for the future. According to a report released through the U of M – Dearborn Career Services Office, 92% of students achieved their post-graduation goals.

The Importance of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing has become a cornerstone to business strategies around the world. As access to the internet has grown, consumers are now plugged in 24/7. Business owners are now challenged with how they will best utilize this new marketing channel without losing focus of their business at hand. The answer lies in the right people with the right talent. Just as the field of digital marketing is new, the educational programs that teach these skills are even more so. This blog is devoted to highlighting the skills needed to become a successful digital marketer and the schools and programs that churn out the best in talent. It is important for both young professionals and companies of any size to understand the importance of digital marketing.

If you are a student looking for guidance on this subject, then I am glad you are reading this. I spent the first ten years of my professional career working in the banking/financial sector. When the ‘Great Recession’ hit, I saw many hard working people lose jobs that they had been working at for decades. I never wanted to be in that position, so I decided to return to school and obtain my bachelors in business management. During my first semester I learned that there was a new BBA program available with a focus on digital marketing. I also learned that digital marketing is a field that is still in its infancy and is in high demand…this meant security. I switched my major in a heartbeat and I haven’t looked back since. I am now knocking on the door of graduation, working full-time at digital marketing agency and the sky being the limit to my success!

If you are an employer looking for the talent needed to make your digital campaigns sore, then you’ve found the right place! Digital marketing is a living breathing field and in order to succeed, adaptation is key. I will share traits that I see in the field every day that are behind some of the most successful campaigns running today.

Hold on tight marketers and enjoy the ride!