W2DotZero Selects Good Shepherd Alliance as Web 2.0 Business

After months of waiting and deciding, the UpClick Marketing team has selected The Good Shepherd Alliance (GSA) (www.loudounhomeless.org) as the winning Non Profit that will benefit from our new Web 2.0 social media marketing program called W2DotZero (www.W2DotZero.org). The program will build the online presence of GSA using our online social media marketing and search engine marketing techniques, thereby increasing GSA’s opportunity to meet many if its goals and objectives for 2008 and beyond.

We’ll optimize www.LoudounHomeless.org so that it ranks higher on Google, Yahoo and MSN search engines. We’ll also use Web 2.0 websites like FaceBook, YouTube and del.icio.us to promote GSA online. Other online marketing tactics will include:

• Creation of and frequent updates to a blog on the company’s website

• Search Engine Optimization for the non profit’s website

• External search engine optimization including link building and other “off-page” optimization tactics

• Local promotion on Google and Yahoo search engines

This is what Mark Gunderman, spokesman for GSA had to say when we made the announcement:

“We’re very pleased to be chosen as the winning Non Profit business for W2DotZero. Although GSA is the oldest, established in 1983 and largest emergency homeless shelter in Loudoun County with thirty six beds, we still have many hurdles to overcome that include raising awareness of the homeless plight in Loudoun County. We’re also focused on fundraising, establishing a core volunteer team and soliciting material donations. We’re county-wide with facilities in Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Lucketts and Purcellville, and we’re optimistic about what W2DotZero can do for us.”

It was tough for our team to choose the winning business. We performed online analytics to determine the “online footprint” of all the participating businesses, but for the entire UpClick team it came down to helping homeless and indigent people in Loudoun County. We didn’t realize that many of the homeless include women and children who are victims of domestic violence.”

I’d also like to thank all the businesses that took the time to make their case at www.W2DotZero.org. Take heart because there are no losers. Do a search for ‘web. 2.0 Northern Virginia’ and you’ll see W2DotZero is ranked at least in the #3 spot on page one of Google. We also learned of one participating business that received new customers because they had found the business’ information on W2DotZero.org. Now that’s the power of the web.

Keep visiting for updates on W2DotZero and other blog posts.

Thanks.