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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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.
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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.
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Is Facebook Ads the Next Google AdWords?
Oct 19th
The million-dollar question is stated in the title of this article: “Is Facebook Ads the next Google AdWords?” The question is about the future and because of that and facts being facts, it safe to say that Facebook Ads is not at this time equivalent to Google AdWords.
But, we may also conjecture that it could eventually have a major impact on selling in the same way that AdWords has.
Facebook Ads and Google AdWords
The two are similar in a few ways. Both offer pay per click and pay per impression rates. Both also allow you to target the geographic location where you want your ads to appear. Ads can appear within your city, region, state, country or around the world. But there are some major differences between the two, and they are important to consider.
The Differences
The major difference is that with Google, people are looking for either specific information or a product. They usually have an objective in terms of their search, and so if they put the word “guitar” into Google, there is a chance that they may be considering purchasing one. Thus, ads that come up for music stores or guitar manufactures have a decent chance of getting that person’s attention and perhaps even a “click” from their cursor.
But Facebook, which unlike Google you must join to use, is a membership site and not a open search engine. When you use Facebook Ads, you can decide on which subsets of users will see your advertisement, targeting them. But those who see your ad may not be interested in buying anything. In fact, they may be the type of user who doesn’t pay any attention to the ads at all.
Uses of Each
Thus, the Google AdWords and Facebook Ads work very differently. Google works better for those who are selling specific services or products, as the point of the search engine is to connect people with some sort of specific information that they have requested.
Facebook Ads are more like the ads you see on buses, billboards, newspapers and in magazines. They are part of the terrain and almost act more like reminders to people that the products are there if they want them. Also, because Facebook tends to be visited by people when they have leisure time, it’s thought that advertisements geared towards fun products or designed to help establish and imprint a brand work best.
What Should You Do?
If you’re looking to reach as many people as you can in as many ways, then you should use both Facebook Ads and Google AdWords. In a way, this is a time of great experimentation and development with both. Facebook Ads may become something very different if the site itself changes its focus or in some way expands its features. The same thing is true regarding Google AdWords. At this point, both can enhance your web presence in different ways.
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.
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3 BIG Reasons to Have a Strong Presence on LinkedIn
Oct 17th
With over 65 million members, LinkedIn has become an essential tool for small businesses. More and more people are joining and using the site to connect with others in their field and in related fields, creating connections that they can use in may different ways.
If you have not yet joined LinkedIn, you’ll want to do so as soon as possible. Here are three reasons for you to have a strong presence on that the social media site.
LinkedIn Instantly Gives You Credibility
Creating an account on LinkedIn and connecting with clients, other professionals in your field and those associated to your enterprise will give you immediate credibility. Plus, with LinkedIn, you control your image. You and no one else is responsible for establishing and cultivating your public profile. The more ways and the more often that you use the site then the more prominent your exposure will be.
Another Free Web Presence
One of the best things about the Internet is that you can harness and use so much of its power for free. LinkedIn gives you yet another presence on the Web and it is one that is both highly respected and expanding. Like other successful social media sites, LinkedIn is not complacent about its features. The site continues to evolve.
As an example, LinkedIn launched its “Follow Company” feature this year. This new tool gives members updates on new hires, job openings, promotions and various other aspects of each company. You may use “Follow Company” to ensure your company’s presence is magnified on the site. If you do so, people will be more likely to follow your business as it changes and develops.
You may also use it to keep up on develops in your field and in related areas. You may learn about new products, discover that your competition is expanding or realize a new business opportunity you had not imagined before.
Staying Connected and Growing
Making sure that you have a strong presence on LinkedIn allows you to stay connected to clients, related businesses and your employees. The more you use the professional website, connecting it to your own and other social networking sites that you use, the more prominent your internet presence becomes. You’ll generate better search engine rankings through content and links that you develop.
Actively Using LinkedIn
If you are using LinkedIn or will be, it’s important that you actually utilize it in an active manner. Logging in as much as possible, connecting and communicating with others and creating posts and links. The site gives you instant recognition and a solid platform on which you will be able to build for years to come. It is an exceptionally powerful tool that continues to develop and expand its influence throughout the world.
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Why you Should use Video in your Small Business Marketing
Oct 15th
The Internet has become the most popular video forum in the world. Each day hundreds of thousands of videos are uploaded to YouTube. In fact, it would take someone four years to view all of the videos uploaded to YouTube in a 24-hour period.
The reason for the popularity of video on the web is twofold—the Internet is video friendly and the Net can deliver information quickly and efficiently to the public through video. The wonderful thing about online video is that small businesses can easily utilize its power effectively.
Active and Informative
Videos are simultaneously active and informative. This makes them attractive to users since they don’t have to sit and read, which often takes time and effort. This is important because so many people are exceptionally busy and if they can access information quickly and effortlessly through a video, they will do so. Additionally, as a small business owner you can easily focus each video on a specific subject, making them educational and viewer friendly.
People will Know You
As a small business owner if you appear in your video, people will get to know you instantly. This will create a bond between you and your potential customer and it will make you the trusted face of your small business. With video delivered via the Internet, you become the expert in your field and a resource for those surfing the web.
Search Engines and Video
Videos help raise search engine rankings. The Internet has become a place where people form communities who want to share knowledge. Your videos become an important part of those groups who desire such information. Search engines are designed to give high ranking to videos that people find useful. Also, your short videos should include your logo and a link back to your website. That way people can connect with you.
Small Business Videos Work
If a small business owner takes the time to create a series of short one-minute videos, they can greatly increase their online presence. With the Internet some of the best advertising is not advertising but information-based videos that people can use in their lives. If your small business gives the public such information for free, that’s some of the best advertising that you’ll ever have.
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Social Media Marketing Done for You?
Oct 6th
Here is the easiest, most effective, efficient, and automated way to generate a steady stream of referrals / leads with the LEAST amount of work possible. If you don’t have the time to do the work, this may be for you. Check out the video now.
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3 Easy Steps to Promoting Your Facebook Fan Page
Sep 27th
The Facebook Fan Page has become one of the newest ways for businesses to utilize the power of that massive social networking site. When you have a Fan Page on Facebook, it not only has the potential to connect with the more than 500 million members of the network, it also helps to enhance your Google rankings linking to other power sites.
There are various ways that you can promote your Facebook Fan Page and, thus, use its power to the fullest.
Update and Enhance Your Fan Page
When you create your page, you want to make sure that it is unique, professional and interactive. Add photos that present a positive image and be sure to include a personal note that can help define you as a professional.
You also want fresh content on your Fan Page. You can do this by connecting it to the blog on your website and you can add a box to your Fan Page by incorporating the Facebook Static FBML application. This allows you to customize your page to get more eye appeal.
An introductory or instructional video is especially useful in creating a positive professional image. You can also offer a thread on your discussion board that allows your members to share information about themselves or their businesses, creating a thriving community that is self-perpetuating in terms of content and members.
Use Various Methods of Linking
There are various ways that you can connect to people. The first is simply informing your Facebook friends of your Fan Page. You may also use Facebook ads to promote your page on the site.
Add a Facebook widget to your own website. This will allow people to connect with and subscribe to your Fan Page easily. Don’t forget to use your site’s mailing list and your personal email list to court new Fan Page members. Finally, you can use Twitter to promote your site by sending out updates to members through that social networking tool.
Customization is Key
You want to make sure that your Facebook Fan Page is professional, unique and informative. This will help you get and keep people’s attention. The Fan Page is one of many effective tools on the Internet that you can use for free to build your presence, gain recognition and develop a community of individuals with like interests. Use it wisely and in every manner possible.
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How your Facebook Fan Page Can Create Massive Local Buzz
Sep 25th
Facebook has over 500 million subscribers and that means there’s a lot of marketing potential for those businesses that are savvy regarding social media. The Fan Page on Facebook can be created for free and it can be used in various was to enhance your presence on the web. Here are some ways in which a Fan Page can help your business thrive.
Recruiting Via Facebook
The initial effect a Fan Page has is on Facebook itself. You want to recruit fans in a few ways. First, you should contact all of your friends on the site, asking them to join your page. You can also use the Facebook widget on your own website, making it easy for visitors to link to and join your page.
Additionally, you can use the blog on your website to promote your presence on Facebook, talking about your Fan Page, making an active pitch for people to join and once again making it easy for them to link.
An Active Presence
Make sure your presence on Facebook is active. Update your Fan Page, post blog content and add pictures and videos. Make your Fan Page a great place to visit and emphasize the community aspect of it by allowing people to comment on postings and to share their own links, ideas and observations.
You can create a quiz, ask an opinion-based question or ask if people have favorite solutions to a specific problem or challenge. Update statistics related to your business or field and highlight information that can benefit your members. There’s no limit to what you can do. Use your imagination.
Versatility and Linkage
Creating buzz relates to getting people interested and keeping them involved. The way to do that is to make your Fan Page as versatile as possible. Linking to videos, other sites and offering useful information are great ways to connect with fans and get people to link to you. The more incoming links, the better your search engine rankings and the more exposure for your Fan Page and business.
Social media is an immense tool that you need to use in order to make sure that you rise above and beyond others on the Internet. With the millions upon millions of businesses on the web, it’s essential that you benefit by using every tool at your disposal. The Facebook Fan Page is an important part of your social media strategy.
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How to use YouTube to Promote your Business or Brand
Sep 23rd
YouTube is one of the most powerful marketing tools in the history of the world. It is the perfect way to utilize the Internet, due to the fact that it allows you use the power of active communication, reaching people quickly and effectively. Plus, YouTube is free. Here’s how to employ this great social networking site to promote your business or brand.
Video Content
Your video should be short, effective and informational or instructive. The best videos get people interested in your business or brand without actually selling it. That is, videos that can be used as a resource will have people coming back for more.
Thus, in order to use YouTube effectively you want to create videos that will engage an audience and offer them information or educate them. It’s better to do a series of short videos rather than one long one. The Internet is about people accessing important information quickly. Thus, if you can present your information clearly and actively in one to three minutes you’ll be golden.
Linked to Your Site
Be sure that people who visit your site can access your videos on YouTube through your site. If you can link them through various other blogs, articles or social media sites, that will also help increase your exposure and presence. You want to create a web of links that are interconnected and come back to you.
Use Videos to Define and Connect with You
Whether you are in the videos or someone else who represents your business or brand is featured, you need to understand that these moving and talking images are defining you to thousands upon thousands of people. This is your chance to connect with new clients, subscribers or customers in a professional manner. Thus, your videos should look and sound good. They need to be well organized and well written. Finally, make sure that they are focused and the audio and images sound and look good.
Prior to creating your videos, you should check out many of the offerings already on YouTube. In this way, you’ll be able to decide which videos are effective and why. You may also find a style that fits your business or brand that you can emulate, alter and improve upon, making it your own. YouTube is an especially effective way to promote your business or brand when used in a professional manner.
