www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk CT, 06854
Interested in owning your own Online Community? Check out these frequently asked questions to learn more! Contents: About TMCs Online Communities What is an Online Community?...3 What will I gain from having an Online Community?...3 Why should I build a Community with TMC?...3 How many people will visit my Community?...4 What types of visitors will come to my Community?...4 What s the difference between an Online Community and a Pay-Per-Click Ad (PPC)?...4 How much do Online Communities cost?...4 Developing, Launching and Maintaining your Online Community What s the first step in creating my Online Community?...5 How do I select a keyword that will generate the best results for my Community?...5 Who creates and builds my Online Community site?...5 When will our Community Go Live?...5 Can we edit the design of our Community after it goes live?...5 Where does the content on my Community come from?...5 What types of content pieces can be posted on my Community?...6 How many content pieces will be posted to my Community?...6 What is the average length for a TMC-developed content piece?...6 Is my company able to leverage the content developed for me by TMC in our own marketing vehicles?...6 When does content start being added?...6 Will an Editorial Team be assigned to our Community?...6 How often will I have interaction with my dedicated TMC team?...6 When do promotions for my Community begin?...6 What kinds of promotions are implemented on Day 1?...6 What ongoing promotions will be implemented?...7 Can I add audio or video to my Online Community?...7 What is included with the ebook feature?...7 How can I integrate my company s social networking initiatives with my Online Community?...7 How will an Online Community support my company s Lead Generation initiatives?...7 How much time will I need to spend maintaining the content on my Online Community?...7 Will there ever be information about my competitors on my Online Community?...7 Measuring the Success of your Online Community How will the performance of my Community be measured?...8 How will I know my Online Community is reaching my target audience?...8 How do I measure the ROI of my Online Community?...8 How long will it take for my Community to rank in search engine results?...8 How can I learn more about building a customized Online Community for my company?...8 www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk CT, 06854 2
About TMCs Online Communities What is an Online Community? An Online Community is a news and content-generated, information-rich portal that positions your company as the leading, go-to resource for your industry group. Each industry specific Online Community is developed by you and your dedicated TMC team of expert editors and web designers. Your community is labeled with your exclusive keywords and surrounded by your branding and messaging. Unique content, combined with the volume of relevant news articles flowing through your Community every day, drives organic search engine ranking: Most of our Communities rank in the top ten many at # 1 in search results from search engines and receive thousands of visitors every month. Ranking highly on search engines is vital, as 91% of search engine users don t look at results beyond the first page. Online Community content (such as articles, videos, webinars and more) often spreads virally on blogs and other sites, and Communities are often bookmarked by key decision-makers who join these communities seeking solutions. By building the go-to resource for news and information about your market segment, you are able to control the messaging that surrounds the news, ensuring that your clients and prospects are continually exposed to your company brand and reminded of your market leadership. What will I gain from having an Online Community? With an Online Community you will: Increase awareness of your company s products, services and technology Create and enhance the understanding of your company s product offerings by potential customers Establish your company as the #1 thought leader in your industry through a combined approach of high organic search results, branding, marketing and thought-leadership Have consistent delivery and promotion of your company s news, events and service features through TMC media vehicles Generate leads in support of your sales efforts through gated content Attain high ranking for your community on major search engines Seamless integration of your social networking initiatives into your marketing and advertising efforts Why should I build my Online Community with TMC? TMCnet s credibility as a leading media company and our extensive team of expert writers combine to build a Community that establishes your company as the go-to resource for your prospects and clients. TMC has been designing, populating, launching and promoting highly successful Online Communities for over 10 years. We know that Online Communities are one of the most vital elements of today s marketing mix, and we are committed to continuing to enhance our community offerings through continuous product improvements many of which are recommended by our customers. While other companies have attempted and failed at offering Community products, TMC has been growing and succeeding at this endeavor at an incredible pace. Every day, thousands of professionals from across the spectrum of communications and technology visit TMCnet to get the latest news, analysis, blogs, whitepapers, webinars and other relevant content to help them improve how they do business, find ways to cut costs, improve efficiency, or most effectively employ new technologies and applications. Our large, first-rate team of writers delivers vast amounts of relevant, keyword-driven content to your Community regularly. We have the resources, technology and expertise to bring more traffic to your Online Community than most companies have the staff, budget, or technological capabilities to manage on their own. www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk CT, 06854 3
How many people will visit my Community? The number of visitors to your Online Community will vary depending on the type of Community you choose to sponsor: A Global Online Community, Or Online Community Channel: A Global Online Community is estimated to receive an average of 40,000-100,000 page views and up to 20,000 unique visitors per month, after 6 months. An Online Community Channel is estimated to receive an average of 1,500-3,000 page views and up to 2,000 unique visitors per month, after 6 months. This is in addition to the almost 2 million viewers who visit TMCnet every month and are potentially exposed to your branding, messaging and content through our various media channels and pages. The number of visitors to your Online Community is largely a result of the amount of keyword-related content generated for your Community by your TMCnet team. To determine which Online Community level is right for you based on your company s marketing objectives, speak with your TMCnet sales representative. What types of visitors will come to my Community? There are no limits to the audience you ll reach with an Online Community. Most people begin their search queries for purchase information online, so anyone who researches products or services related to your keyword online can find your unique Community and related content ranking highly in their search results organically. In addition to visitors reaching your Community through search engine results, TMCnet attracts millions of regular visitors each month, 76% of which are key decision makers in their organizations. Many of these visitors rely on TMCnet for the latest and most credible content, and will bookmark our Communities to continuously receive the very latest news in their industry. What s the difference between an Online Community and a Pay-Per-Click Ad (PPC)? Online Communities are more credible, cost-effective and comprehensive than a PPC ad. Although many companies use PPC ads to advertise their companies, the ads do not organically appear within search engine results but outside of them based on a competitive, non-transparent and sometimes costly bidding system. Online Communities appear in search engine results organically due to the high volume of content they contain as well as TMC s proprietary content-targeting engine. Ranking organically in a search engine is vital, as 39% of search engine users believe that the companies whose websites are returned among the top search results (which is the majority of our Communities) are the leaders in their field regardless of size or popularity. Online Communities are also loaded with targeted content, so they will consistency appear in search results when a person is seeking information related to the Community s keywords. PPC ads are not always targeted, and are in fact receiving extensive criticism for showing ads for products and services unrelated to search terms. An Online Community is more comprehensive than a standard advertisement with limited verbiage and space. Communities deliver a high volume of comprehensive content that you have complete ownership and control over. Plus, your Communit is hosted in a trusted environment on TMCnet, where visitors have come to rely on for news and relevant information. In addition, a TMCnet Community can generally cost less than PPC ads, and carry less risk of incurring exorbitant fees due to malicious click-fraud. Some PPC ads carry up to a 30% fraud rate, charging buyers for each click. Our communities are fixed-fee and accessible at any time from the same consistent location, with no additional or hidden fees. With an Online Community, you will also have the opportunity to leverage TMC s vast range of print, e-mail, social networking, lead generation, multimedia and advertising services, most of which are included in your Community s fixed price. So, your marketing costs are reduced by bundling them with one, credible resource rather than sprinkling them across varying companies and channels. How much do Online Communities cost? Online Communities are the most cost effective way to consolidate all your marketing initiatives in one place, for one fixed price. They carry significantly fewer costs and risks than PPC ads, and are far more effective. The cost of your community will vary depending on the features you would like to incorporate, and TMC will be flexible in providing a Community that meets your Company objectives within your defined budget. For detailed pricing please reach out to your sales representative or contact Client Services at Inquiry@tmcnet.com. www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk CT, 06854 4
Developing, Launching and Maintaining Your Online Community What s the first step in creating my Online Community? One of the first and most important steps in creating your Online Community is selecting your keywords. This will drive how your Online Community content is developed, promoted, and ranked on online search engines. Our Online Community experts who have developed hundreds of successful Communities can make suggestions or even help you select a keyword if you are unsure about which keyword will be most effective. Selecting your keyword can be done before or after signing your contract. Once you select your keyword, you are its sole owner for the length of your contract. Once your contract is signed, a kick-off meeting will be scheduled with your new dedicated team to review your goals and vision for your Online Community. Your team will come to this meeting with ideas and recommendations based on their understanding of your company and what makes a Community a success. During this time your team will also review procedures, develop a production timeline and begin brainstorming potential features and concepts for your site that will meet your company s objectives. How do I select a keyword that will generate the best results for my Community? There are two ways you can establish a keyword for your Community: Provide us with options, or ask our experts for suggestions. If you have a few terms you would like to consider, we typically ask you to send us this list. Our experts will review your ideas and make recommendations based on what we think will be the most successful and rank highest in search engine results. If you are unsure as to which keyword to choose, we are happy to send a list of available terms to get you started. Who creates and builds my Online Community site? TMCnet s team of expert web designers will work exclusively with you and your creative team to create a branded Community that attracts a targeted audience and ideally achieves high search engine ranking. We will work together to include your messaging, branding, logos, images, and relevant content such as webinars, videos or podcasts. Your community will provide your contact information and existing social networking sites. We will also leverage what we ve learned are the most effective design and content pieces based on our experience launching hundreds of other successful Communities. Once designed, your Community will be frequently populated with content that is specific to your industry and keyword. When will our Community Go Live? Your own customized Community will be ready to launch within 30 days from our initial consult. Can we edit the design of our Community after it goes live? Yes. TMCnet designers will continue to work with you after your Community goes live to maintain, update, modify and optimize the performance of your Community. Continuous updates are made to ensure SEO is maximized and your Community design is always fresh and engaging. Your dedicated TMC team is always available and ready to accommodate changes to your Community to help you meet your evolving marketing objectives. We will also proactively recommend site enhancements based on what we are seeing as leading or successful practices among other Communities with similar objectives. Where does the content on my Community come from? The content for your Community will be provided by TMC editors and designers who will frequently post exclusive, original pieces, such as news articles, to your Community. The content may include information about your company, your industry, or other relevant news. This content keeps your Community fresh, compelling return visits and driving high SEO. The content for your community comes from numerous authoritative sources around the globe and is always current and related to your industry and products or services. Your site will also be populated by daily newsfeeds from TMC-syndicated news sources with articles related to your Community keyword, helping attract the right audience and position you as the go-to-resource for information related to your industry. You and your dedicated TMC team are responsible for the content on your Community. While content will be created for you each week, we also ask our Community customers to provide us with updated company-created content pieces (such as new white papers or videos) as they become available to ensure the most relevant and up-to-date information is displayed Screen on your Shot of the Community. from Unified Communications Headsets on TMCnet www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk CT, 06854 5
What types of content pieces can be posted on my Community? The following list depicts some of the vast categories of content your Community may contain. (Content pieces will vary depending on the level of program you participate in.): Company Overview and Mission Statement White Papers Case Studies ebooks and Glossaries Product Demos Application Notes Training Material Catalogs and Brochures Benefits Product Reviews News & Informational Articles (including daily newsfeed) Press Releases Advertisements Links to your Social Networking sites Videos/Webinars Interactive Discussion Forums (such as Ask the Expert ) Podcasts Company Blog enewsletter How many content pieces will be posted to my Community? The number of content pieces developed for your Online Community every month will vary depending on the type of Community you choose to sponsor: A Global Online Community, or Online Community Channel. Content pieces can vary from news articles, videos, case studies and more. This continuous, fresh content increases the value of your Community to attract new visitors, keep visitors returning and helps you rank highly on search results. A daily newsfeed will also populate your Community with articles related to your industry or keyword, further populating your site with new content all day, every day. *Content target will be dependent on availability of related industry information. What is the average length for a TMC-developed content piece? As the content posted to your Online Community varies, so does the typical length of any content piece. However, TMCnet ensures that articles have a minimum of 500 words per piece. If you have questions about the length of your content pieces please contact a member of your TMCnet team. Is my company able to leverage the content developed for me by TMC in our own marketing vehicles? Yes. The content developed for you by your TMCnet team can be used by your company on your own marketing pieces, your website, during trade shows, and more. However, all pieces must clearly identify the original content author and state that they were developed by TMCnet. If you have questions on how to provide proper citation to your content pieces for external use outside of your Online Community, please contact your dedicated TMCnet team. When does content start being added? In addition to the content initially built into your Community, our team of editors begins populating the site with new content specific to your Community topic the day it goes live. Will an Editorial Team be assigned to our Community? Yes. Your Online Community will be assigned an editorial team who will continually develop and oversee the content. Your editorial team will also work with you to ensure your company s news and messaging is covered prominently in your Community. The editors will reach out to your regularly via email or by phone for news stories, approvals, releases, interviews, etc. to expand the depth and breadth of content on your site. How often will I have interaction with my dedicated TMC team? Your TMC-dedicated editors and designers are available at any time to discuss questions, challenges, make suggestions or enhance your Community. We encourage designers, editors and customers to have regular interaction, at least once a month, to review the performance of the Community and ensure it is continuing to meet your needs and objectives. When do promotions for my Community begin? The day your Community goes live on TMCnet, promotional efforts (such as banner ads) are up and running. What kinds of promotions are implemented on Day 1? A press release announcing your new community is posted to TMCnet on your launch date. This release is frequently picked up in News Alerts and often appears on the News pages of these search engines. In addition to a press release, an announcement e-mail blast is sent to the appropriate TMC e-mail distribution lists, reaching thousands of key prospects. www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk CT, 06854 6
What ongoing promotions will be implemented? In addition to the promotions implemented on day 1 announcing your Community s launch, TMC s creative team will create promotional ads such as a leaderboard, skyscraper and ad box to post on TMCnet, promoting your Community, company branding and messaging to TMCnet s millions of monthly visitors. These ads will also be the only ones visible on your dedicated Community page. If you purchase a Global Online Community, you will also have the ability to promote your Community through TMC print publications and an enewsletter. Contact your TMCnet sales representative for more information. Can I add audio or video to my Online Community? Yes. Sound bites, videos and other interactive media can be created and/or added to your Online Community to create a more engaging experience for your viewers. Our expert designers will work with you to demonstrate the many ways you can creatively incorporate multimedia in your Community and continually make suggestions based on the innovative, exciting trends we re experiencing in the Online Community space. What is included with the ebook feature? TMCnet offers all our Online Community sponsors the opportunity to develop ebooks for their sites as part of their Community program. An ebook is a comprehensive electronic document that compiles content from your Community into one robust resource, and provides visitors to your Community with information regarding your industry and company. ebooks can be gated for lead-capture and leveraged on your own company website for marketing purposes. An ebook can be compiled with: Articles Product Reviews And more Videos Podcasts Global Online Community sponsors: You may produce an ebook quarterly with your dedicated TMCnet team, who will work with you to determine the content to include in your ebooks. Online Community Channel sponsors: You may produce an ebook bi-annually with your dedicated TMCnet team, who will work with you to determine the content to include in your ebooks. How can I integrate my company s social networking initiatives with my Online Community? Your Community can provide links to and integrate with your other social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, allowing followers and prospects to keep up with news, comments and links shared by social network participants. How will an Online Community support my company s Lead Generation initiatives? One of the strongest features of an Online Community is that you have the ability to gate content for lead generation to support your sales efforts. Your TMCnet team will help you develop the right kinds of content and calls-to-action that will help generate the most leads for your Company based on our expertise in this area. If you purchase a Global Online Community, you will also have the ability to receive leads generated by an enewsletter. Contact your TMCnet sales representative for more information. How much time will I need to spend maintaining the content on my Online Community? After the initial site development, you can be as much or little involvement in your Community as you have the time or resources for. Some Community owners are active participants, posting messages, videos and more. Others rely on the team at TMC to carry out the task of adding meaningful content; they use their Community as an outsourced means of driving traffic for their company or brand. The benefit of partnering with TMC on your Community is that you will have dedicated resources who will develop content, update your Community page and manage the site for you. Still, we encourage your insight and input on the direction of the site, and provide you with the ability to request changes to the site at any time. Will there ever be information about my competitors on my Online Community? The majority of news and content created for your site will be focused primarily on promoting you and your products to your target audience. The difference between an Online Community and a standard PPC or online ad, however, is that our content is news generated and designed to depict you as a leader in your industry by being the go-to resource for your current and potential customers. TMC believes this is impossible to achieve without your Community content covering the full marketplace. What makes your site truly valuable, and powerful, is that you have the ability to brand all the content related to your market segment. www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Ave. Norwalk CT, 06854 7
Measuring the Success of your Online Community How will the performance of my Community be measured? TMC uses 24/7 to monitor and track every aspect of your Community including page views, visitors and number of clicks on every content piece. TMC will send you a regular report of the traffic flowing to your Online Community and how certain content pieces are performing. In addition, access to 24/7 data will be made available to you so you can monitor results more closely on your own. Constant site monitoring ensures that we are always working to maximize the effectiveness of your site and enhancing the content based on how certain elements are performing. How will I know my Online Community is reaching my target audience? TMC s reporting tool provides us with the capability to track Community visits according to your target audience (i.e. a certain job function). Once your Community is live, we will be happy to further discuss which demographics you would like to track based on your target audience, and how we will regularly distribute that information to you. How long will it take for my Community to rank in search engine results? Community rankings take time depending on the keyword selected and other factors, and may take up to 3 months to start seeing high ranking results. During this time frame, the site will generate enough keyword-driven content to boost exposure to visitors and search engines. If you have worked with a TMC team member in selecting your keyword, chances are that the Community just needs a few months to rise in search engine rankings. Your TMC team will constantly monitor your Community s ranking and activity and make recommendations as needed to optimize its performance. How can I learn more about building a customized Online Community for my company? To learn more about how you can benefit from TMC s Online Community offering, contact your TMCnet sales representative or client services at Inquiry@tmcnet.com. How do I measure the ROI of my Online Community? The ROI of your Community is measured by the comprehensive reports you receive from us. In addition to providing demographics on the types of visitors to your site (i.e. by job function), we also track page views, visitors, number of clicks on every content piece and other information you may find valuable. To demonstrate how your Community is performing within your industry group, we will also show you statistics for your competitors (without providing names) and where you rank among them. Contact: www.tmcnet.com/community 203-852-6800 800 Connecticut Avenue Norwalk CT, 06854 8