The Karma Of Online Marketing and Advertising

Some time ago I planned a trip online. Today, hotels are following me around the web like a bad dream. Now that's some bad Karma.

No matter what your beliefs, it's hard to disagree with the concept of Karma. Good Karma and bad Karma is all around us. It is omnipresent.

The essence of Karma is that the sum of everything that got you where you are will determine your destiny. There is Karma in both our spiritual as well as our professional lives. Some believe that we share a collective Karma in a transcendent cosmic energy.

In my experience Karma is tremendously powerful in the field of online marketing and advertising. Unlike the marketing and advertising of the last millennium, the Online Advertising Karma one generates today can last forever. It is nearly impossible to undo something that is shared online.

There is good and bad Karma in SEO, Pay Per Click, Display Advertising and of course Social Media Marketing. The good is rewarded with greater online visibility, positive brand image, a healthy business and prosperity. The bad brings about negative viral reviews, user abandonment, and search engine penalties. Let's meditate on that for a minute.

The Karma of Social Media - Nowhere in the online marketing world is Karma more evident than in social media communities. This is where collective opinion is formed, and the truth about your intentions are ultimately judged. Good social media Karma is built through honesty, respect for the audience, clear and clean messaging and helpful dialogue. Bad Karma in social media takes the forms of pandering, intrusion into privacy, bullying, deceit, and discourse without purpose.

The Karma of SEO - Good SEO Karma is characterized by a spam-free original website easily viewed on a device of any size and in any orientation. Inbound links are organically earned through authoritative articles. Crisp navigation guides the user. Bad 'black hat' SEO Karma is built around keyword stuffing, link purchasing, spammy content and cloaking.

The Karma of PPC and Display Advertising - Successful PPC and Display campaigns follow best practices that measure, and truthfully report, for client metrics. We test and track conversions, sales, and lead acquisitions. Examples of bad Karma include third party buyers that waste client money on tons of "clicks" that aren't tracked, place ads below-the-fold on cluttered publisher pages, and stalk users with poorly planned retargeting display campaigns.

Analytics, Cosmic Energy and the Power of Lakshmi - The rewards of good Karma are measured in improved analytics. According to Wikipedia, "the word 'Lakshmi' is derived from Sanskrit root words for know the goal and understand the objective." Hindu mythology worships Lakshmi as the Goddess of Wealth. With careful interpretation of analytics we can take an introspective look at our strengths and weaknesses. Further, if we open ourselves up to varied opinion, we can actually read the aura of our website and improve our online offering. We will reap the seeds that we sow online.

Spread the mantra of good Online Karma by sharing this article with your colleagues. Tell us your story of Online Karma in the comments below, and have a healthy, prosperous, and exceptional day!

--Aside from offering spiritual advice, Gary Steel consults Higher Education Institutions and SMB's on Online Marketing and Advertising, and is Google Search, Display, Video and Analytics Certified. If you are feeling bad Karma from your present online strategy, drop me a line and we can talk about incorporating more 'Lakshmi' into your online marketing program. Photos: istock