Online Marketing Blog

High Level Overview of Social Media Marketing

Thu, 12 May 2011 03:06:00 GMT

Are you looking for a short overview on what Social Media Marketing is and how it applies to you, the business owner? This recorded webinar is a high-level overview on what Social Media Marketing is, why your business should be involved, whether you should focus on Socially Facilitated Sales or Socially Directed Buying sales models and how you can get started.

This is not a how to webinar, but is directed to those business owners who want a straight answer to what is social media and do you need to get involved. You can view the recorded webinar by clicking on http://wsiinstitute.com/media/ec/socialmediamarketing.html.

Press Release: Sacramento Internet Marketing Consultant Conducts International Digital Marketing Webinar

Fri, 06 May 2011 19:49:00 GMT

Ron Packer, Social Media Expert presented an educational overview on How Businesses Can Take Their Marketing to the Next Level through the use of Social Media.

Folsom, California, May 6, 2011– Hundreds of business owners and marketing professionals from around the world attended a digital marketing webinar hosted by WSI, the world’s #1 Internet Franchise. The webinar was conducted by Ron Packer, a respected Internet Marketing Consultant based in California and was titled “Social Media Marketing: The Art of Conversational Sales”.

“Social media marketing is the most asked about and least understood of new marketing concepts from the Internet”, says Ron Packer, Internet Marketing Consultant. “Almost every business is asking what is it and do I need to be using social media in my business, or they have jumped on to the bandwagon but really don’t have an effective plan on how to best use social media or even how to measure the success or failure of a social media marketing strategy. The key is to understand that social media marketing is part of the bigger marketing picture, and that it is clearly focused in engaging your target market in real, honest conversations on topics that are of interest to them. We are seeing a tremendous growth in social networking across all age groups and more of these customers expect the businesses they do business with to have a presence on the appropriate social sites. During my presentation, I discussed how a business can leverage these digital media technologies to take their marketing efforts to the next level.”

To read the full press release, click here.

2010 Local Search Usage Study demonstrates importance of web for Local Businesses

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 00:53:00 GMT

A recent report on Local Search Usage: Bridging the Caps, From Search to Sales provides small business owners with insightful information that is important to their business for maintaining a successful local marketing strategy. TMP Directional Marketing and 15 Miles commissioned comScore to conduct research on consumer trends in selecting a local business for locally available products and services. This resulting report specifically focuses on the continuing shifts in consumer behavior, opinions and marketing media selection within the framework of local search and was conducted by observing both online behavior and through a comprehensive survey of more than 4,000 local business owners.

So, as a small business owner, what are the key points that you should take note of from this report? Here are a few key points”

The majority of consumers go online first to search for a local business. More than 70% of consumers look to the Internet to find those local products and services. Furthermore, more than half of local business searchers spend the majority of their time on searching online.

SMB Key fact: 7 out of every 10 opportunities the small business owner has to sell is through the Internet.

Consumers continue to use Search Engines but other media sources are quickly gaining popularity and making an impact on buying decisions. Search Engines still have the majority of searches with greater than a 60% online search share, however non-search engine interaction (social media, mobile marketing, online directories, etc.) are growing at a rate 3 times as fast as search engine usage.

SMB Key fact: It is time to start thinking how to effectively engage not only on the search engines, but in the “new media” that is gaining use and effectiveness.

Those who do “local search” are more apt to buy. A greater percentage of sales happen among local searchers looking for nearby businesses. Generally these searchers are more likely to transition from searcher to buyer than the general searcher.

SMB Key fact: Someone who is looking online locally is more likely to take action and buy local shortly after his or her search.

An incomplete search presence will stop that sale. Consumers tend to be savvy searchers, and as such tend to be less tolerant of businesses that do not have a comprehensive search presence. In fact, 1 in 3 searchers abandon their searches because of incomplete information by local businesses.

SMB Key fact: It is CRITICAL that the local business develop and maintain a complete search presence. This includes more than simply the search engines and needs to be comprehensive in terms of online directories, social media and mobile marketing.

Even though the Internet dominates, print is still an important part of marketing. Traditional Yellow Pages are still a good secondary source of information,.

SMB Key fact: Local Yellow Pages advertising can still be of value, but should be a secondary strategy.

The bottomline; local businesses must develop a search presence across various platforms, from general search to social media. Failure to do so could result in missing a major segment of your target market.

Are you a local business? If so, take notice of the latest Google changes.

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:23:00 GMT

In October Google introduced a brand new local search strategy in addition to a new, re-vamped version of Google Places called Place Search. This new strategy may soon be felt – if it hasn’t yet impacted your local business – by any business focused on attracting local customers and in outshining their local competitors on the search engines (and what business owner isn’t focused on this goal?). Being found by your customers on Google is now a new ballgame and re-visiting your local search strategy is something your company should add to your digital marketing To-Do list.

What changed in Google Place local search?

First off, the local search 7 box is being eliminated and the search results now blend local and organic results together. Consequently, this might affect many small and medium sized businesses that initially were ranking in the top 10 on the 1^st results page and now might find themselves pushed to the 2^nd results page.

Google’s is now predicting your location and generating local results even when the searcher does not include a city name or location in their query; this feature that may be convenient, but may also correspondingly affect your business’ ranking on the search engine results page. Then Google has moved the local results map to the right hand side of the results page and has allowed the map to scroll down over the right hand Adword sponsored listings.

So how do you get ranked with the new Google Places Page

With these new changes from Google (and we can expect to see more testing of different variations over the next 3 to 6 months), it might seem harder for businesses to achieve a good ranking even if you do have a properly-implemented Google Places Page. This is precisely why WSI has called upon our Internet Specialists to assess the possible effects this may cause for businesses of all industries. The digital world is never at a stand-still; it’s endlessly evolving and it’s our goal to ensure your business is growing along with it. It is – after all – critical to your business’ online presence that you claim, optimize and participate on your Google Places Page!

Google Places is a Game Changer for Local Business Search!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:55:00 GMT

With the recent launch of Place Search by Google, businesses that market to a specific and local geographic base are now more than ever having to pay attention to how and what they do on the Internet for marketing. This change by Google provides a variation on local search results that organizes information around specific locations, with the idea of making it easier to make comparisons and decide where to go. Because of this change it is absolutely critical that local businesses have optimized local listings with Google.

On a Google Search Results Page the local search results are now significantly more prominent on the page, pushing content that is more general down the results page. If your business has both a strong organic and local rankings you will enjoy a competitive advantage over your competitors. If you see a decrease in your local rankings, you should quickly take a look at your search strategies to see what needs to be updated.

What actions should you take to remain relevant? A good place to start is to follow these guidelines for your Google Places listing:

Make sure you select relevant Place categories
Use long and short tail keywords and avoid duplication
Create customized fields and complete business descriptions using relevant keywords
Integrate photos and videos into your listing
Fill out every applicable field possible, including hours of operation, payment methods and your service area
Use Google Places Posts to keep information current
Encourage online customer reviews
Respond to reviews through Google Places
Make sure your Google Places flag is in the correct spot on the map
Add coupons and experiment with Google Tags

After all that work has been done, it’s important to make sure you get a return from that investment, and to update your strategy from time to time based on results. Google has a Dashboard for businesses (that you can see when you log into your account) that displays information about the number of impressions you are receiving and how often people are actually clicking on your listing for more information.

To see more about the Google Places changes, view this Local Search webinar.

What to Focus on for a Blog Post

Thu, 13 May 2010 03:29:00 GMT

So, have you started that blog? Not sure what to write about or how to keep that blog alive and interesting? Especially when you are thinking about your audience, what information they want and how to integrate all of this in with your Internet Marketing strategy!

Well, there are many points to remember and points to avoid. In this blog, I will provide the "things to do" in blogging in this post. For the next post, we'll focus on the "things to avoid" in blogging. So, as you think about blogging keep these points in mind:

Do be respectful of your audience and ensure any humor-based messages do not come across as critical or annoying.
Do provoke meaningful conversation in a professional, non-criticizing manner.
Do write what you know and post your areas of expertise.
Do have a monitoring process in place for comments on your blog posts.
Do respond to all comments in an appropriate and professional manner.
Do ensure that all content associated with you is consistent with your work and with your company's values and professional standards.
Do be polite and respectful when posting comments on other people's blog posts.
Do share content that is open-ended and invites response and encourages comments.
Do create a content plan for your blog and ensure consistent frequency in your blog posts.
Do use a tracking system for all links (ie, bit.ly.com)

Demonstration of a Humor-based Promotional Video

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:22:00 GMT

Please enjoy this video by 3 Inch Square Media. You can find out more about cost effective and affordable web-centric video services on www.3inchsquare.com.

How to do Video Sharing and Image Sharing in Internet Marketing

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:07:00 GMT

So, what do you do with those business videos and business images that you have been taking for your products or services? Well, a great tool in creating an effective Internet Marketing strategy is use those videos on your website and in your Social Media Marketing portals. So, how do you do that?

Do share appropriate business related videos and/or images on your company website, blog and the various video sites (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
Do try and optimize any videos you upload with relevant keywords (title tags, video descriptions, etc.)
Don't upload inappropriate pictures to your gallery or photo album
Don't create a company video without a standard company branded title and end slide
Don't use copyrighted material (videos or images) without the owners written permission

How to Build an Online Community for Internet Marketing

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:57:00 GMT

In developing an effective Internet Marketing strategy you need to consider how to build a credible and successful online community. Here are a few key points to consider in planning for and implementing your online marketing strategy.

Do build your community with your business contacts (i.e., business associates, past and current colleagues, partners and customers).
Do ensure your are engaging yourself in other people's social networks.
Do follow or add business contacts to your community that chose to connect with you.
Do email your customer database and encourage them to follow or add you on the social portals.

Of course, there are a few points to avoid.

Don't mix your personal contacts (friends and family) with your business contacts. Keep a separate profile for personal use.
Don't assume people will find you. Actively search for social network users relevant to your company.
Don't neglect to manage your followers. Block those that are not business appropriate.
Don't forget to include the social icons and "follow me" links in all of your marketing materials.

How to create an Effective Social Media Profile for Business

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:32:00 GMT

So, whether you have a profile or are looking to create a social media profile, it is always good to review a few key guidelines. So, from an Internet Marketing perspective, let's review the do's and don'ts of a good social media profile.

Let's start with the positives.

Do use your company name in your profile name, or use your company domain name.
Do have a company logo or professional photo for your profile picture and use a consistent picture across the social portals.
Do provide a company biography on your porfile and list your industry or service expertise.
Do use a branded profile design where possible.

Ok, now for the profile items to avoid.

Don;t use multiple names across your social portals.
Don't use the same profile for personal and business use, keep them separate.
Don't use your personal contact details (ie, gmail) as this looks unprofessional. Use your company branded contact details instead.
Don't detail your personal hobbies and religious or political beliefs on your company profile.

So, as that first step make certain you are establishing a profile that is appropriate and complete for your business and professional needs.

Facebook Announces Personalized Versions of Websites

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:34:00 GMT

San Francisco, Matt Zuckerberg (Facebook CEO) just announced some revolutionary tools available from Facebook to website developers. These changes are designed to provide new tools that will allow users to see personalized versions of websites they visit elsewhere on the Internet. Using these tools will allow websites to customize a users experience based on their list of friends, favorite brands and other elements they share on their Facebook profile. Can you imagine the implications of a website that can tailor a website based upon the interests and social connections (as long as they are logged in to Facebook)? This would allow a visitor to see what their friends viewed and liked (which can really affect a users perspective of how they view a website's product or service).

So what are the potential ramifications for Facebook, Google and the web in general? Should the Facebook community embrace this capability, Facebook will be able to gain valuable insights that will help it sell more advertising on its platform. From a Google perspective, this could pose a very significant threat to the Google Adwords dominance of recent years. And with the projected increase in online advertising over the next five years, this is a gigantic opportunity for the dominant player.

You can read the original article; http://tinyurl.com/28ypyyq

Social Media Marketing Do's and Don'ts

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:21:00 GMT

Over the next few days I plan to recap some of the do's and don'ts associated with good Social Media Marketing. We'll discuss some of the following highlights:

What to do or not do in creating an effective profile
What to do or not do in building an online community
What to do or not do for video and image sharing
What to do or not do in creating status updates and messages
What to do or not do for you blog posts and comments (and you are right, this will be a longer set of do's and don'ts)
What to consider about privacy and confidentiality in your Social Media Marketing campaigns

Any specific questions? Feel free to email or post a comment for us to discuss.

A Case Study for LinkedIn

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:34:00 GMT

Ok, so go figure. I was attending a nice quiet social event last evening and the talk turned to social media and specifically "what is LinkedIn?" So, I had the opportunity to listen to another member of the group give an example of how this "online business network" can help on a professional basis. This individual is an executive in the banking industry and has been active as a LinkedIn member. He became aware that a particular bank was going to have a vacancy and would therefore have a need for an appropriate replacement. Now, this individual knew the name of the senior executive he needed to contact but did not know them in person.

So here's how he used LinkedIn to get that introduction to a specific individual. What he did is enter the name of his boss in to LinkedIn search. Once he found his boss, he was able to look at the 2nd connections and see who was connected to this third party bank. He found a mutual connection that could introduce him to a member that had a direct connection with the target executive, was able to get an introduction, then received the cellphone number of that executive and placed a timely and effective phone call. He now works that bank in a more lucrative and rewarding position.

So, now think of how this process can apply to your Internet Marketing strategy. Yep, start to look for and work the connections for your target market accounts. Not only can they find you, but you can find and market to them. Sometimes, the concept of Six Degrees of Separation are very powerful (if you work at it).

LinkedIn Profile Cheat Sheet, Keys to getting LinkedIn in to your Internet Marketing Plan

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:23:00 GMT

So, you can probably tell that I am a strong believer in the power of the LinkedIn network! If used properly, it can help you define and achieve measurable results in pursuing your Internet Marketing strategy. So, let me provide a little cheat sheet of actions you should take to get started on effectively using LinkedIn. Just remember, you need to not only establish a good LinkedIn profile, but you need to use it and keep it updated.

Own a profile that truly represents YOU. List your current and past positions and all of your education. Make certain you identify the dates worked or attended for each (this helps the right people and opportunities find you). Remember to add that professional profile picture and a well written summary paragraph.

Ensure Your connections Represent Your “Real World” network. Use the LinkedIn feature to import your contacts (you can select who you want to invite during the process) from your webmail, Outlook, Palm, ACT!, etc. Next search for and connect with colleagues and classmates that are already on LinkedIn.

Leverage the power of your LinkedIn network. Post a question on Answers and tap in to the community of experts, this is especially helpful for those tough questions. Lookup someone’s profile before you meet with them to learn their background and see who you may have in common. Search for Service Providers and make the best selection based on your trusted network.

Taking LinkedIn to a Higher Level in Internet Marketing

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:15:00 GMT

So, you now have the basics setup with LinkedIn, or at least you have a better understanding of how you can use LinkedIn in a well planned Internet Marketing strategy or even in your professional pursuits. But how do you help LinkedIn make the connections and add value to your connections? Well, unlike Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn does not have many apps, but the apps they do have can be very helpful for positioning your profile and increasing your contact points. Here are a few to consider:

WordPress and Bloglink provide apps that allow you to send your blog posts automatically to your LinkedIn profile.
The Twitter app allows you to connect your Twitter updates to your LinkedIn status.
The Google Presentation and SlideShare apps let you embed PowerPoint presentations you have create in to your profile.
The Polls application can be used to attract a specific audience by carefully crafting the right poll questions.
If you travel frequently, the MyTravel app lets you know your network’s travel activity so you can see when your colleagues are in the same place, creating yet more opportunities to connect.
The Amazon reading List app lets you list books you’ve read, the books you are reading and those you would like to read and it connects you with others who are using the app.
Finally, LinkedIn provides a very nice elearning module. You can view the module at http://learn.linkedin.com/training.

Good luck, and remember it is best to have a well planned Internet Market strategy and specific and measurable goals as you work with LinkedIn.