Archive for November, 2010
Is Social Media Marketing Worth the Investment?
Nov 29th
Social media marketing has become extremely popular partly because of the meteoric rise in sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Along with this development is the fact that the Internet has become a primary place where people make connections, share information and transact business.
Fifteen years ago successful business transactions were usually based on face-to-face meetings where someone could get to know and trust you. Now they are based on virtual links made across the web where someone gets to know and trust you. The basic formula is the same but the venue has changed.
One of the primary reasons for the new venue has to do with the advent of social media, its rising popularity and the various changes it has undergone. This has made social media marketing services extremely useful to small businesses. Here are three primary reasons why social media marketing is worth the investment.
Interaction
Business is transacted through client/business interaction and social media sites allow for such interaction at any time of the day or night and anywhere there is an Internet connection. Millions of people meet, stay in touch and communicate online each and every day and social media has made it very easy for people to form communities and connect with people of like interests, sharing useful information.
Linking Back
You can use social media sites to link back to your primary website, connecting directly with people who get your Tweets, watch your YouTube video or check out your Fan Page on Facebook. Additionally, if someone joins your Fan Page, elects to get your Tweets or submits a comment to your blog, you’ll capture their information and be able to send them auto-response follow-ups, a free ebook, newsletter or a special discount for your products or services.
Lasting Connections
Social media marketing can create lasting connections that you can continue to cultivate. This goes beyond the one-sale and that’s it mentality that results in very little growth. As you utilize social media to offer new or expanded products or services, special offers or announce a new hire or other change in your business, you’re making strong connections for the future.
Social Media Marketing Works
The fact is that social media marketing works on various levels and continues to grow in influence and popularity. It’s certainly worth the investment. Those who decide to entirely eschew this virtual phenomenon may find themselves lagging behind competitors who have learned to utilize the power of this new and amazing force.
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Want your online marketing COMPLETELY done for you you every month? Click here for more information on how to fully automate the internet marketing and growth of your business.
Related Blog Posts:
How to Choose a Top Tier Local Search Marketing Company
3 Easy Steps to Promoting Your Facebook Fan Page
Why you Should use Video in your Small Business Marketing
How to Get a Flood of Traffic to your Local Business Website
How to Choose a Top Tier Local Search Marketing Company
Nov 27th
Chances are, you’re not getting the quality traffic that you need to make a profit or expand your local market share. On top of that, the average business owner doesn’t know how to and is too busy to put in the effort to get the needed results.
It makes sense that you would want to hire someone to perform this duty for you. You need a local search marketing company.
First, you would expect a quality local online advertising service to be totally up-to-date on the latest developments, trends and tools in web-based promotion. Additionally, a top tier local search marketing company will be able to serve each and every one of your needs.
The four cornerstones that you should look for in a provider are online expertise, ongoing services, definition of and record of success along with complete coverage. You want someone that’s actually been successful using internet marketing for their personal local business, not just a group or agency that makes a living consulting others. Let’s consider each of these aspects.
Online Expertise
You want to work with a local search marketing company that has expertise in the area and knows how to utilize every part of the web for your benefit. Services should include and/or be related to:
- Search Engine Optimization and copy, articles, press releases and blogs
- Utilization and management of free social media websites and services such as, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
- Creating unique articles then submitting them to the best internet article directories
- Regularly building backlinks to your various sites and content
- Creating videos and submitting / syndicating them to dozens of the top ranked video sharing networks.
- Creating information-based, Google friendly and optimized blog posts
- Writing top-quality press releases and submitting them to dozens of major news outlets
- Use of reviews and other features related to Google Maps
Ongoing Services
The provider should offer ongoing services. One-shot deals are not effective. Although you will see results quickly when working with a premium local search marketing company, you want sustained growth and that comes from a minimum working agreement of three to six months.
Each month, the company should provide you with a range of services, including distribution of videos via YouTube, press releases, articles, SEO, social media marketing, and more. Consistently distributing new information across the Internet is extremely important to the growth of your business. You’ll also need to make sure they provide you with an end-of-the-month report on what’s being done.
Success
A company that specializes in local search marketing that is designed to drive quality leads to your site should define what they consider to be a successful effort on their part and what they expect from you to ensure the process is beneficial. They should also guide and manage your expectations accordingly and be transparent.
They should also have a record of success that includes positive reviews and references that you may contact. This is a relatively new field that has many young and talented providers. They may have been in business less than five years. That’s all right as long as they have a record of success and are actively engaged in this quickly developing area.
Complete Coverage
Finally, you want complete coverage from your local search marketing company. That means they need to have the ability to connect with and provide information to a range of services and sites that will distribute your information across the Internet.
Additionally, you want that coverage to connect locally via Google. A top tier local search marketing company will know how to do this, thus enabling you to generate more business and sales within your region.
Local Search Marketing Works
A local business can see its profits expand quickly when they use a top tier search marketing company. In essence, you want to work with a provider who can cover all bases, giving you total coverage of your area and driving quality leads to your website and customers through your door.
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Want your online marketing COMPLETELY done for you you every month? Click here for more information on how to fully automate the internet marketing for your business.
Related Blog Posts:
3 Easy Steps to Promoting Your Facebook Fan Page
Why you Should use Video in your Small Business Marketing
Social Media Marketing Done for You?
How to Get a Flood of Traffic to your Local Business Website
How to Get a Flood of Traffic to your Local Business Website
Nov 1st
The Internet has forever changed the manner in which we do business. For so many small business owners, the ability to drive local traffic to your website can mean the difference between having a modicum of success and a flood of visitors who spend cash and continue returning.
Here are five ways that you can use to drive traffic to your business website.
Social Media
Today successful businesses are becoming experts in using social media such as Digg, Facebook and Twitter. These sites are designed to link together people of like interests. By developing a community of followers who frequent these sites a business will increase their search engine rankings, create buzz amongst members who will let others know about your site and services and establish a foundation of dedicated consumers. Social media is an amazingly effective tool that is free to use.
Free Articles
There are numerous free article sites that a business can use to post informative articles that link back to their site. These articles are not advertisements. If you submit an article that is designed to tell readers about your business and product, the directories will reject it. You must provide articles that offer instructive and useful copy.
How does this generate more visitors to your site? Each article may contain links that take the reader directly to your web page. Thus, if someone finds the article useful, they may click on the link and go directly to your website.
Press Releases
A monthly press release is a must for any business that wants to drive traffic to its site. Press releases must be newsworthy. A press release may focus on a new product, some recent success your business has had or the addition of a new worker. Any change in your business is seen as being a good subject for a new press release.
Online Reviews
One of the best things that you can do is to get positive reviews from customers or clients posted on Google Maps. The more positive reviews the better. Thus, when you have a new customer who is pleased with your product or work, you should invite them to submit a review through Google Maps. You may also want to contact past or ongoing clients via your email list requesting that they post a review. This is a great way to boost your Google Maps search results.
Services to Drive Traffic
There are various service providers whose job it is to use all of the tools discussed in this article and more to drive traffic to your site. Such services can be extremely useful because they already know how the Internet works and are able to utilize its power. Also, using a service gives you more time to attend to your business.
To Drive Traffic Keep Current
It is very important that web-based businesses continue to add new content to their sites. In doing so, they will be recognized by Google as a resource for information. This helps to drive more traffic to the site. That is exactly what you want to do.
Want your online marketing COMPLETELY done for you you every month? Click here for more information on how to fully automate the internet marketing for your business.
Related Blog Posts:
How your Facebook Fan Page Can Create Massive Local Buzz
Social Media Marketing Done for You?
3 BIG Reasons to Have a Strong Presence on LinkedIn
How to use YouTube to Promote your Business or Brand
