Absolute Marketing Tips

There is a lot of confusion around about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and the most frustrating part from my view point is that businesses have been lead to believe that it is “black magic”!   Plus, they believe that is something that only needs to be done once to achieve the results they are looking for.

I was going to write an article, but I came across this by Patricia Robles on the Econsultancy Blog.  If you want to know more about SEO and why it is a journey, not a destination, then check out this article by Patricia Robles.

Let me know your experiences of SEO.  Have you been hood winked or worst? Have you spent a lot of money with little results?  I look forward to hearing from you.

This weekend I wore a coat that has been in the wardrobe since last year.  The sun was shining and I just needed something that was going to keep me warm as I went for a walk up the seafront with my son.  

We left the house and as I walked up the road, I put my hands in my pockets and I found a £10 note - WOW! Now we could go for a walk and have ice cream, drinks and a bag of chips (the diet was out of the window!) 

This got me thinking.  Can you remember that feeling of finding something that you wasn’t expecting?  

Now, hold that feeling and think about your business.  Imagine how your customers would feel if you could give them something today, this week or over the next month that they weren’t expecting. How would they respond?

Giving is really a simple task and can also be an inexpensive way to instantly improve your relationship with customers and prospects.

Ideas for you to think about

• Free tips
• Newsletter
• Sample
• Trial offers
• Free report
• Free white paper
• Short video

Make that extra effort and give your customers more then they were expecting.  You will be surprised by the results.  I am off to put together a Top Tips on Marketing.

Have a lovely day.

SEO is often seen as a dark art.  

There is a lot that you can do that is relatively simple, the only problem you will have will time.  But if you want to get the most of your website, there has never been a better time to start looking at your sites search engine optimisation. 

1. Links - the search engines like you having inbound links.  This is where a link comes into your site.  Find out how many incoming links you’ve got by use Link Popularity
2. Sitemap - your site should have sitemap.  If you haven’t already done this, go to Google and create a site map Google Sitemap
3. Content - you need to add relevant content to your site in order to attract your target clients and the search engines. I will be adding free articles to my website for this sole purpose.  Content is what keeps people on your site.  

Times are changing, customers have more power today.

How is your business adapting to this change of power?

Customers are being very selective with their time and with advancements in technology, they are able to seek out and find all the things that are important to them.  Plus they can find reviews and feedback on everything from CD’s to holidays.

One of the best ways to get involved is to join the online conversation using social media.

I am asked daily, what does social media involve.  All it really is any way that you can have a two way conversation with your customers, friends and family using technology.  Think about Facebook, My Space, review sites like Amazon, Forums, Blogs, Twitter, MSN and your own Website.

Here are my five top tips to getting involved:  Find out where your customers and potential customers hang out.  Listen to their conversations and then join in.

1. Observe - listen to the conversations.  Find out what their problems are.  Identify ways you can solve them.
2. Don’t Jump In - Think about how you can take part in the conversation.  You don’t want to come across as saleys, this will give the wrong impression and potential will lock you out of the conversation.  If the talk is negative, look at how you can put it right.  Be honest and supportive.
3. Be Social - Don’t talk about you, all the time! Engage your customers, take an interest.
4. Give - Always offer something of value.  Most importantly do it for free>
5. Do it - Don’t wait, perfect as you go.  Ask yourself what the cost would be if you don’t get involved.

Yesterday, I had lots of fun recording a five minute audio on How to Grow your Business Online at the fabulous Space Studios in Cardiff.  We are going to use it on our website, make it available to download via an MP3 and also put it on a CD for people to listen to in the car.

From one product, I can use this to market my business in three different ways.

Let me know how you use social media in your business.

Just a quick one….

The Godfather Trilogy is one of my favourite films. 

I came across this article http://www.dailyblogtips.com/the-godfather-approach-to-internet-marketing/ which makes interesting reading.

It relates to internet marketing, but it can also be applied in our offline marketing.

Let me know what you think.

I have recently started using Twitter and I am on a very quick learning curve.

This article is helping at the moment.

http://www.businesszone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=193915&d=1095&h=1097&f=1096

If you come across any other tips, please share.

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/ShamaineR

This follows on from the last tip.   There is no doubting that we are in a different economic climate then this time last year.  The marketing tactics that you used last year, may easily destroy your business this year.

The key is to focus on your strenghts and what the business is good at.  Really go back to your core products and services and look at what your customers really needs. 

Business who provide similar services and products as other business are closing their doors every day.  Look at Woolworths.

Do you remember when you were at school and your teacher would make you concentrate on your weaknesses?  I was always good at cooking, but awful at sport.  My sports teacher would really push me to try harder…. did this make me a better sports person. NO! I actually hate exercising, but that is a totally different blog story then this!  If I had, had the time to focus on my cooking, I better I would be giving Gordon Ramsey a run for his money… Well I can dream. The plain truth is that when we focus on our strengths we excel.  A hidden passion surfaces.

Tip:  Identify your businesses core products and services.  Focus on these areas and either drop all other bits you are doing or archive them for a time when the economy is stronger.  Give your customers what they have always bought from you and get better at it. 

Hope this helps?  I really would welcome your feedback.

A quarter of five-year-olds have internet in their bedrooms;

one in three eight-year-olds owns a mobile phone;

by the time they leave primary school 40% have the net in their room – although 80% still read for pleasure.

Guardian

My life has become absorbed with reading and learning about wealth on the Internet. If you are like me, then you probably receive 10 newsletters a day, plus all other extra emails that are sent out to get you to sign up to this package or that package.

I woke up this morning thinking, what is it all about and will I ever make any money online? Asking questions is the way to find the answers we are looking for, because, I received an email with the usually YouTube video and I decided to grab a coffee and watch it.

onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/ you Know

Let me know what you think about this video?

This has really made me think, but most importantly it has focused my ideas…. So I am off to plan my internet wealth!

I have given up on reading the newspapers, it is all doom and gloom. I was speaking to a client this morning and we were discussing the last economic downturn (I am showing my age) when mortgage rates were at 14%, yes 14%.  People were working 3 days a week and unemployment was at a record high.  Today’s recession is nowhere near as bad.

Back to, today, businesses are facing difficult times, investments are being scaled back, people are losing their jobs and their homes.

Businesses are responding by cutting back which is having an effect on lead generate and sales.

The good news is that there are still opportunities to be found.  You can still get more bang for your buck!

Does you business have a website?

Web businesses are growing and continuing to grow.  The move to incorporate bricks and mortar and a website are continuing at a pace.  Check out the profit results posted by web business.

The internet has given your customers power and more importantly value.  They can compare prices, read feedback, and find out the in-depth information on the products and services they want.

It is time to embrace the web, take small risks.  The key advantage is that you can instantly see what your marketing efforts are actually achieving on the web.  Let’s say you want to generate leads, there are a number of ways do this on the web.  One of the most popular is to run a Adwords or Pay-per-click campaign with Google.  Within 15 minutes you can account open and start a campaign. Within the first hour you will be able to see the results of this campaign, wow.  How powerful is that?  The best part is you can make instant changes to the site, the content and most importantly the call to action.

Today’s Task

Ask yourself these simple questions:

1.        How does the internet fit into your business?

2.        Is the internet generating my business leads?

3.        In what way can I change my website today to generate leads and add value?

Let me know how you get on this exercise and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Remember the key to survival is flexibility, action and advantage!