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01
Feb 2011
Posted by Jasmine
2 comments

Grow Your Business By Blogging for Website Traffic

I have talked a little bit about blogging as an addition to your marketing toolbox before but never in depth. Here it is—I have finally put together a comprehensive series on the subject. A big part of the work that we work that 910 West does with clients is to help them get more traffic on their website. One of the fastest and easiest ways to do that is (that’s right you guessed it) BLOGGING!

Don’t just take our word for it. Here are a few stats that I picked up from a recent webinar on blogging:

• 51% of internet users read a blog at least monthly and over 60% by 2014 (Technorati)
• Companies that have a business blog attract 55% more website visitors than non-blogging companies (HubSpot)
• More than 43% of U.S. companies will market via a blog by 2012, up from 34% in 2010 (eMarketer)

Read More

Posted in: Blog, Internet marketing, Marketing

27
Jan 2011
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Weekly Roundup: Working with Desingers and Slow Your Readers Down

How to Collaborate With a Designer

My career started as a graphic designer and getting in tune with clients was one of the hardest parts for me to learn. It is partly that because as designers we put too much of ourselves in the process. But it is also partly because clients are often really bad at communicating their wants and needs.

Even now, there is nothing that makes me happier than receiving a well thought out work request from a client. It gives me a clear picture of their needs and objectives and gives me a clear path. If you often find yourself frustrated when with working with your design or marketing people, give this post a read. It has helpful suggestions for communicating your ideas.

Cones In The Road

It is a fact that we don’t so much read online as skim articles. Do not lose your readers—start out with something interest and make them want to slow down and read the whole thing. This newsletter gives some helpful advice and examples to do just that.

Posted in: Blog, Marketing

20
Jan 2011
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Weekly Roundup: Who Should Listen? How much is too much? and Email Marketing

Be More Arnold

This article answers a question that I get asked all the time, “How much is too much information to give away?” My answer has never been as elegant as Micael Katz’s and I am going to have steal this to answer it in the future. Basically, it is not about how much information that you give away but how you frame your answer. In other words, trust the headline and be more Arnold.

6 Parts of Your Company That Should be Listening to Social Conversations

Who contributes to your internet marketing? Is it just your lone marketing person? Think again. There are many aspects to social media and conversations that involve every part of you business: sales, marketing, customer service, research and development, HR and even management. Read on to learn what roles each plays.

How I Use Email Marketing

If email marketing is a part of your toolbox, then check out this article. I got two great ideas that I plan to use right away. The personalized welcome message is a great idea—I always want to respond when I get a new subscriber notice and say thanks but never have the time. Setting up an auto-responder is the perfect solution. Read on for more helpful tips that you can use right away.

Posted in: Blog, Internet marketing, Marketing, Marketing tips

13
Jan 2011
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Just a Taste: Blogging for Business

While I am busy getting my notes and resources from yesterday’s blogging for business organized and onto the website, I thought you might want to check out a couple of articles on the subject.

Make it Bigger: The 4 Types of Corporate Blogs

This is a must read for any business who is just starting a blog or has one that is not performing. It is especially helpful if you are unsure or unclear of the purpose for your blog. It lists four types of corporate blogs and provides real world examples of each—truly helpful for any business blog in search of an identity. Blogging for web traffic is the fastest way to get more people on your site, but you must be consistent to keep readers coming back.

11 Ways to Improve Your Blog Posts With Interviews

In the workshop yesterday, we touched briefly on ways to make blogging easier by getting outside help. Interviews are technique that is easy and brings a lot of value and a way how to get inspiring blogging topics. Blogs can get too bogged down in your views so having an outsider bring fresh perspective can liven things up. Interviewing someone is also really easy—it can be as simple as using Skype to record an audio or video chat. If you are in need of blog content, consider adding interviews to your toolbox.

Posted in: Blog, Internet marketing, Marketing, Marketing tips

22
Dec 2010
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Weekly Roundup: Checklists for Stellar Marketing

The only thing I love more than a helpful marketing article is one that gives me a manageable list of action items—a road map to success ff you will. These two articles do just that. The first one talks about your global internet marketing strategy (not just throwing a website up and calling it a day). My favorite tidbit is when he says that you need a blog for online success and then suggests you not only put your blog on WordPress but build your whole site using it. As a WordPress user, fan and proponent, I couldn’t agree more.

27 Ways to View the Web Beyond Your Site

The second article touches on the importance of local search and how several big names in the Online arena are making bids for smaller companies doing local well. The best part? The list of Action Steps for local marketing at the end of the article. There is only a handful of items and they are all things you can easily do in less than an hour.

Why Google Wanted Groupon and What It Means to Your Local Business

Posted in: Blog, Internet marketing, Marketing, Marketing tips

15
Dec 2010
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

What Does Your Marketing System Look Like?

I recently read a post on the Duct Tape that mirrors an idea and article that I have been working on for my blog. I figured what the hey, why not combine the two into a hybrid weekly roundup? Though our shapes vary a bit, the basic idea is the same—marketing is a system and the whole point is to get prospects to know, like, trust, and ultimately buy from you.

7 Little Words That Sum Up the Entire Marketing Machine

To build your marketing system (online or otherwise), you have to set up mileposts that track the progress of the relationship. At mile 1, you and your prospect are just getting to know each other so the barrier for entry needs to be low—you have earn their trust before asking them to commit. By the time you get to mile 101, you should be pretty comfortable with each other and that is when you ask for the big sale.

I use a simple flow chart model with my clients to create these milestones. (Download a template to start your system.) John uses an hour-glass shape for his. Either way, you need to have those milestones in place or else your marketing efforts are going to fall flat.

Just like in marriage, you can’t rush in and propose to a gal on the first date. You have to get to know each other before you bring out the bling. What does your marketing system look like? Do you even have one?

Posted in: Blog, Marketing

09
Dec 2010
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Let Them Come to You

Last week I volunteered to be a Salvation Army bell ringer at our local Bass Pro Shop. Though I have walked by the bell ringers and collection pots a million times before, this was my first time on the other side. It seemed like a pretty easy way to give back to my community so why not?

I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly, chatty and generous people were. (Apparently not everyone is like me and skulks by because they never carry cash. Thought after this experience, I am going to change my bah-humbug ways.)

Since the bell ringing really does not require much thought and I did have some lulls in foot traffic, I did get to thinking about how bell ringing relates to marketing. The best marketing behaves just like the bell ringers—they make enough noise to get your attention but don’t get up in your face. The bell ringer does not harass or pursue the foot traffic instead they smile, look approachable and wait for you to come to them. This approach absolutely works. We collected an average of $25 per hour for the entire day. That isn’t too bad if you ask me.

I have been using this approach to marketing since I began my business and have experienced an abundance of growth year after year. It is a simple fact that no one wants to feel like they are being sold to—that is why direct mail and traditional advertising are struggling right now. They focus on the push not the pull. Just remember, don’t be pushy! Let the prospects come to you and so will success.

Posted in: Blog, Marketing, Marketing tips

08
Dec 2010
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Weekly Roundup: A Selling System and Grabbing Readers’ Attention

Installing a Selling System

When marketing dollars are short and time is shorter, then achieve the quickest results by focusing on lead conversion over lead generation. It is a simple principle but one that often gets overlooked. Business owners get so caught up getting more leads that we don’t spend enough time working the ones we have. I am guilty of this and have been consciously shifting my focus for several months now. Business has never been busier and revenue is higher too!

Bonus: This follow up article “The Selling System Technology Toolkit”  provides a list of tools to help you with each stage of the process.

Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Readers’ Doors

Though this article talks primarily about e-newsletter, the principle can be applied to any type of marketing specifically blogging or Facebook posts. Anytime you create any marketing material look at from the outsider’s (the recipient’s) point of view. How useful is this thing that you just sent me? Is it relevant? Funny? Interesting? Remember success in marketing is NOT ABOUT YOU—it is all about the customer or prospect.

Posted in: Blog, Internet marketing, Marketing

01
Dec 2010
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Weekly Roundup: Blogging and Keyword Research

5 Incredibly Useful Research Tools Your Competitors Don’t Know About

Solid research is key to success in the SEO game. Unfortunately, it is not the easiest thing for a business owner to do on their own. The process can be a little complicated and absolutely time consuming and the best tools are not cheap. However, this article lists 5 solid tools for marketing research that are free. I especially recommend the YouTube Keyword Tool and WordTracker Question Search for anyone who is blogging (video or text) and wants to keep their post relevant and optimized to pull in traffic.

Should a Blog be Your Social Media Hub?

If you have just considered adding a blog or already have one but not sure about its use, then read this article. I love the idea of your blog being an online hub especially if the blog is integrated within your website. It is the perfect place to collect resources to share and post your own news and thoughts. If it is built within your website (not a separate site) then it also serves as tool to draw visitors further into the site and encourages repeat visits. It becomes not just an education tool but also a lead capture system.

5 Ways to Make Your Blog Posts Outstanding

Now that you are fired up about blogging, you may need a little help creating awesome content. This article offers five easy to follow and common sense tips for creating outstanding blog content. It is a must read for anyone who is blogging or thinking about starting one.

Blog Your Way to Corporate Success

Though it is a book review for “Corporate Blogging for Dummies,” this post has a nice voice, a few useful tips and a funny intro about spam comments that all business bloggers can relate too. The article is worth a read as is the book for anyone starting out or feeling frustrated.

Posted in: Blog, Internet marketing, Marketing, Marketing tips, Resources

17
Nov 2010
Posted by Jasmine
0 comments

Weekly Roundup: Tips for Creating a Strong Relationship

5 Ways to Let Prospects Sample Your Brilliance

This is a welcome article if you are struggling with the “close” in your marketing and sales. Many times when I am talking with clients, we discover that what is broken in their marketing in not the product or service but how it is being pitched. Especially in the case of high dollar services, prospects need to sample your expertise and try out your methods before committing their checkbook.

By rushing straight from the nice-to-meet-you stage in a relationship to buy my $1000 service, you scare them off. When spending that kind of money prospects want to feel confident that they are getting something that works, that they want and is worth the large price tag. Providing several smaller, free or low-cost offerings along the way helps lower the sticker shock and barrier for entry.

This post list a couple of solid strategies that can be worked into any businesses marketing plan and will give prospects the opportunity to try before buying. We use several of the techniques at 910 West and have had great success so we know first hand that it does work.

Turn Customers Into Stark Raving Advocates With a Customer Development System

I have been working on my own customer development system (though not is such fancy terms) for a few months now. It dovetails with a conversation that I with my business coach last summer. He told me that 70% of my marketing efforts (time and money) should be focused on my current clients. That is far above what I was doing (and most of the businesses that I work with too) so presented me with an opportunity to expand my marketing. So far, I have implemented a couple of programs and have a few more in the planning with great success. If you are struggling with this or just want to know more, this article will give you the steps you need to get your own program started.

Posted in: Blog, Marketing, Marketing tips