Social Media Management Platforms

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More Trouble For Small Business

Everybody knows that it’s important to promote yourself using social media. But now with the rise of SMMS’s (social media management systems). The web is more and more looking like a playground for giants –– similar to the way big networks took over TV. Why is this so? These systems are impressive in their reach, but they are way too expensive for a smaller company. Add to that the fact that they require dedicated staff and you have left a lot of people outside the circle.

How They Work

The idea is simple, you go to a single program to integrate social media with all the other promotion strategies. But what if you can’t afford a dedicated staff to run these SMMS’s? In an economic environment where small business is taking a more damaging hit than the giants, it’s just one more blow. There’s another aspect to pay attention to. The whole idea of social media was to reach out and share your experience with other individuals. This idea can be undermined pretty quickly if the user experience is controlled by corporations battling for your attention. Where is the place for individuals, small groups and small companies to stand?

I think it’s important to keep social media, well, social. Let me know what you think.

 

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Number One On Google

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I’m sure if you have a business you’ve gotten those calls about making your site number one on Google. Well, here is the bad news. There is no such thing. You rank on Google for a title, a keyword, or a URL, but when somebody promises you will be number one, they imply that people will just do a search and your company will appear at the top. Actually, it’s very easy to have your URL at the top of Google if you have a unique web address. For example, our web address is NewEnergyCom.com . If you google this term we will almost always be on top. But what does that give you or me? It’s not very useful. What I want is to be on top for search terms like, “internet marketing hartford”. And the last time I looked, I was at the top for Google’s organic or non-paying slots.  And once I was able to secure that position, I started working on other keyword phrases that would help businesses find me when they wanted help with their online marketing in Hartford, and all over Connecticut.

So regardless of what the fast-talking guy says about being number one, you need to use those keywords that we discovered in my last post. A short digression: why do they call them keywords? Because those are the words or phrases that visitors will use to find what you are selling. So if you want to be ranked for a particular keyword, it needs to be part of your site. We’ll discuss this in a future blog. But here is something to keep in mind: using keywords is part science and part art. You’ll get better the more you use the system, and there is a huge universe of ways to use them on your site and ways to make sure seekers find them. Until next time be thinking about ways your customers are searching for you. Are they looking outside Google? Do they use Bing, or Yahoo? Are they looking on facebook and or twitter. The possibilities are not endless, but to be cost and time efficient you need to plan. Planning more now will save you dollars and hours.

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Web Strategy Part 3

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Know Your Niche

Now that you have some free gifts in the form of whitepapers, discounts, and or merchandise, it’s a good time to focus on your market niche. There are two reasons for this, first you may find out your freebies are not that attractive to your desired visitors, second the keyword testing I recommend, will be the platform for the rest of your online marketing.

Almost everybody knows the free Google Keyword Tool. It’s good for finding what people are searching for and even more useful because it tells you how much competition there is for that keyword or phrase within your niche. Keywords are tricky however and it’s great if you have some money to spend on Google Adwords that will allow you to do some testing.You can test by running two or three different keywords in your ads and also by trying whole different campaigns that use different sets of keywords. Personally I’ve found Adwords somewhat unreliable. And I have to think it’s because Google has it’s own interests in mind and not mine. There are other keyword suggestion tools that are useful, for example, Seo Book’s keyword suggestion tool. And for an all-in-one tool you should try Submit Express. And if you are willing to buy a keyword software product Wordtracker seems to have a good product, although I have only tried the free version.

What To Do With Keywords

Now that you have a set of popular keywords in your chosen niche you can use them in the content, headlines, titles and links. More importantly, the process of looking for good keywords should have helped you discover if there is enough interest in what you’re selling. If you can’t fine a lot of interest and competition for your service or product, that might not be bad. It means you’ve got something that people need to know about and your job is to teach them and create the desire to have it. Believe it or not, that’s often easier than finding a niche that’s overcrowded. If you are joining a very large party you will need a fancy dress to get noticed.

I’ll cover in detail how to use the keywords and how important they are. For now your job is to see if you can handle the demand –– either too much or too little. What sort of marketing problem are you trying to solve? Do you have too many competitors or are you ahead of the pack with new mousetrap. Fortunately there are good ways to work with both issues. Join me on twitter or facebook for more.

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Web Strategy Part 2

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I’ve been talking in this series about using your website for more than just brand building. It seems like a lot of companies, would rather use social media for getting customers and leads. But social media as many folks soon find out, is not a quick solution. If you are avoiding an interactive site because it’s too much trouble, don’t expect social media to be any easier. So how do you set up you site to be a leads funnel?

I’ve already written about freemiums, incentives, and give-aways. The key here is to have a call to action and a reward for following that action. In most cases the call is to get the visitor’s name and email address in return for a valuable gift. Getting a visitor to respond is valuable in two ways however. Yes it’s important to get her contact information, but it’s just as important to engage with a potential client in a way the builds trust. For example, if I offer you a guide to Twitter and it’s smart, easy to read, and provides you with unique actionable insights, you will gain some respect for me as a source. All of a sudden a relationship is born. And you will be receptive to other information I have to offer. You may even look around the site and buy something if the price is right.

Does this sound too good to be true? In many cases it is, but that’s why it’s so important to structure your site with multiple offers and incentives. And as I stressed in my last post every premium is your chance to win trust, so make sure you are giving away quality stuff. I would go so far as to say, before you build or redesign your website, make sure you have a basket of these freebies.

One final point: The freebies you offer have to be valuable to you desired customer. So in designing your incentives you need to know everything possible about this customer. Two things are critical however, know what he wants, and know how he will be searching for it on the net. Next time we will talk about researching your ideal customer and how to get the most from giving away something valuable. Reply below or share this post with your friends.

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Website Freebies

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Website Strategy Part 1.5

As I finished part one of this series it occurred to me that readers might be having trouble thinking of a freebie, an incentive to offer in return for a visitors email. It’s important to give this some thought, however, not too much thought. Here’s why. The longer you postpone providing an actionable offer, the longer it will take to make your new site sticky. But let’s look at some possible freebies.

If you have a retail or product site it’s pretty easy. Here’s some suggestions:

  1. A sample of the product
  2. A reduced, time-limited price. Or a sale price.
  3. A list of upcoming sales events or product demonstration events
  4. A video that demonstrates the product, or provides unique uses of the product
  5. A white paper that provides detailed instructions, and unique uses and even product accessories.
  6. A password to a forum that consists of power users.
  7. A list of dealers that carry or distribute the product.
  8. A contest to win the product

By now you get the idea. But what if you are strictly a business to business service company; or even worse a doctor or a lawyer? B2B companies can offer:

  1. Limited time price reductions or introductory prices
  2. Online help or phone support
  3. Price reductions based on subscriptions
  4. Video support
  5. Extended service contracts
  6. A white paper on the best way to take advantage of the service
  7. An exclusive club or forum area of the website
  8. Phone time with senior executives

OK what about doctors and lawyers? These are touchy professions and require a little more thought. What would a clinic or a doctor want a visitor to do? I can imagine a few things:

  1. Download white papers on preventative health or best practices for how to prepare for an emergency
  2. Admission to lectures or webinars on appropriate subjects
  3. For both doctors and lawyers downloading a schedule of community service events
  4. Downloading healthy recipes
  5. A white paper on topical legal issues such as Super Pacs

If I haven’t covered something that triggers your particular business or issue, let me know in a reply below. Also, please let me know incentives that worked for your company’s website. I spend a lot of time with clients helping them formulate incentives and calls to action. It’s what keeps visitors coming back.

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Website Strategy

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Your Company’s Website Strategy Part 1

It’s difficult to break through the misconception held by many advertising agencies and their clients: That the function of a company’s website should be to reinforce “the brand”. This is an important goal but for most firms it is less important than gaining a following and increasing sales. If your brand is a household word, building brand buzz may be the best tactic.

Most companies don’t have that luxury and they are hoping for some way to beat the competition and get sales. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom fails to see the website as a powerful tool for accomplishing these goals. Actually it is. Over the space of the next few blogs, I’ll explain how this strategy works and some ways to implement it. Let’s start with the fundamentals.

A Call To Action

Contrary to what many web marketers say, getting a list of followers is not your first move. Your first move should be to decide what you want visors who land on your site to do. If you say you want them to pick up the phone and call you, chances are you won’t get too far. The reason? That’s what a business card or a billboard is for. A website is for engaging the customer. It takes action for them to click on your site in the first place. If you want your site to be more than just an online business card you need to know what you want, and ask the visitor to start moving toward your desired response. Notice I said “moving toward”.

The fact is, web visitors are more jumpy than humming birds. If they don’t find something to do immediately, they are gone. And anything can scare them away. But the NUMBER ONE REASON for leaving your site, is that you seem to be wasting their time, telling them over and over how great you are. Your visitors always want something. Sometimes they don’t know what it is. It’s your job to offer them something that’s attractive. Hence, the free service or download you find on so many sites. Smart web strategists know they have to make an offer, and a free offer that promises value is the best kind. Why, because people expect it. That’s the way things work on the internet.

Why Give Something Away, For Free?

That’s no way to make money, right? Before my wife got hip to how the net works, she used to ask me,”How does anybody make money that way?” My answer is that some companies don’t. But if you do it right, you gain trust, and loyalty and leads that translate into profit. So let’s get a little more specific here before we end this first installment.

How It Works

  • Before you design or redesign your company’s website decide what you want visitors to do when they get there.
  • Know your customer well enough so that what you’re asking them to do will be relatively painless and provide a reward.
  • Understand that this “call to act”; sometimes called a “call to action”, is the first step in building a relationship with this client.
  • Because you’re building a relationship, it is absolutely critical that you provide an incentive that is valuable and that your delivery and service is impeccable. Every future aspect of your relationship is built on the integrity of this first interaction.
  • In a typical case, you visit my site, I offer you an e-book on a topic you value in return for you name and email address. The e-book I offer you is well written and useful and contains an invitation to subscribe to my newsletter or podcast. You will either subscribe or move on, depending on your satisfaction with my free gift.
  • Out of this simple interaction, a relationship is born –– one that will lead to more interactions and ultimately sales. This is the dating stage. The customer and I have agreed to go for coffee. Whether we have a date for the dance requires more offers and an evolving conversation.
  • Many web consultants call this the top of the “sales funnel” and we will discuss that in more detail in my next installment.

Stay tuned and let me know what you think.

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Google Plus Is Booming

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I’ve already written a few things about Google+ . To me the interface still needs improvement. But it also seems like its growth is unstoppable. Why? Because like the search bar, at the top of your browser, it’s there all the time. Whenever I want to access any of my other Google apps, like analytics, I seem to have to go through Google+. I could list all the ways, it keeps popping up like some kind of cartoon gopher, but if you are a “Pluser”, you already know what I mean. These may be the confessions of a resistant convert however, because if I was Facebook, I would be scared. People are gaining rank and influence by using Plus and you can’t turn that train around. Until something better comes along, it is the horse to bet on. For more check out this Web Pro News video.

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Google V. Microsoft

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Internet Search Wars

I read an article today about the epic battle between the two giants over search traffic. It reminds me of those old Japanese science fiction movies where the giant lizards fight it out. I have nothing against either company, but one thing that seems clear: neither side is ready to blink and walk away. This is probably smart because the web is still changing so quickly. The way Bing could gain market share might not even be on the horizon yet. But the stakes are so high, it’s worth staying in the game if you can. Personally, I think many folks are staying with Google out of habit or convenience. The Google search bar is at the top of my Firefox browser and so it’s easier to use than to go looking for Bing.  What’s useful about comparing the two engines is the way they respond to a particular search. For example I searched “Jim Coon” on both platforms and got very different SERPs (results). This is a good, actually a necessary, exercise to perform if you have a company. It’s important to know how you’re showing up on the web and if your web marketing is actually making a positive difference. Next up, a series on web marketing strategy.

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Blog Comments

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Even if you have an akismet account, if you achieve any amount of traffic, you are likely to get waves of “comment spam”. There is always a list of comments waiting for approval on my blogs, The difficult part is that most of it is spam, but some of it is great comments. Part of this may be a function of the activity on your blog. In my case I’ve done a number of interviews with prominent web marketers. Spammers can always be found in the web marketers orbit. Moreover, a lot of the spam I’ve received lately seems machine generated. The comments make no sense, but seem to be making an attempt to compliment me on my brilliant insights. I appreciate the praise and the suggestions, but not the spam. Let me know how you are dealing with spam comments, or even if it’s not a problem for you. And make sure to follow me on twitter.

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Internet Consultant

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I met with a web designer who just moved into my building today. The web world is getting more and more fragmented. I spent a lot of time talking about the services we provide, but the bottom line is that it takes strategy to make money on the internet. And I don’t just mean setting up a website to sell products or ebooks. Even if you work for a huge company, you are probably missing chances to turn visits into growth. The main reason is that websites are often seen as part of the general branding campaign and left at that. I understand why folks think this way. But even if your site is a glorified business card or brochure it can be a magnet for sales leads at the same time. In short if you want to visitors to stay and return to you company website, there has to be multiple “calls to action”. Give people something to do besides reading how great you are and letting them call you. I would love to talk to you about this and provide some suggestions, so take a minute to fill in the form on the right, and I will contact you as soon as possible. In the meantime, have a fantastic holiday with family and friends.

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