Month: May 2015

  • How Blogging Can Help Build Your Local Business

    Blogging
    Today, marketing has many more elements outside of the traditional yellow pages, newspaper, radio and TV advertisements. Local businesses can take advantage of many different types of Internet or online marketing just like national businesses can. In fact, most shoppers go online today to research products before they buy them. I know my family does. How about you? And, did you know that most searches for products online result in an offline purchase?

     

    This means that you need to have a website. And in order for search engines to send shoppers your way, you also need to have a blog on your website. Don’t be tempted to create a free blog with Blogger, or WordPress.com; instead, add a blog to your website using the open source self-hosted WordPress. It’s the same software that WordPress.com runs off of and is just as easy to use. The difference is that you load it on your own server along with your website (and it can even be used to make your entire website). You own all aspects of your blog, and no one can tell you what you can and cannot write on it. The best part is that you can monetize it. Which means you can sell products and services!

     

    Most businesses who embark on blogging for marketing find that they don’t even need some of the other expensive advertising that they were doing before. Many stop paying for the expensive Yellow Pages display, and slow down their newspaper and TV advertising substantially because using online marketing and blogging to do that online marketing works so well. There are many reasons for this but a few are that it costs less, reaches more people, and is measurable.blogging

     

    Through your blog you’ll be able to connect with people who want to do business with you. You’ll be able to covert readers of your blog to happy customers who remain with you long term. In fact, they may become fans of your business and help promote you online too by sharing your blog posts and other online marketing information. As a regular blogger you’ll become the online authority for your products and/or services. People will see you as an expert and go to you for advice.

     

    A blog added to your website will allow for easy content uploading, attract search engines, and offer your visitors the information they crave while building trust with your audience. Not only that; you’ll be able to study the metrics yourself to see how many visitors you have, who is interacting with your blog, and more. As mentioned earlier you will be the owner of your content if you build your blog on a self-hosted WordPress platform in addition to your website.

     

    If you have a website out there without a blog, you’re spending too much time and wasted effort. A website alone will not attract search engine traffic that can convert visitors into customers. Your website cannot get at the top of the search engine all by itself. Why? Because Google loves fresh content so you must have a blog that is updated frequently, and it must be interactive (i.e. allow comments on the blog) to be truly effective. If you want a lot of visitors to your website that you can convert to real business, start blogging today.

     

    If you need help with blogging, content or website development let us know. We build WordPress sites but also offer a variety of services that help you build your business.

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  • The Challenge of Keeping up with the Latest Marketing Trends

    Trends
    Staying on top of the latest marketing trends can present quite a challenge. I’m sure that if you have been in business for a while you are aware of that challenge. With that being said, there are a few ways that you can stay on top of the marketing game and make sure you are using the most up-to-date methods of marketing your business.

     

    As a business, it is essential to make your presence known. Keeping a professional website is the first step of course. Your website is the “storefront” for your business and this is what actually sets the tone for those that express an interest in your business and what you have to offer. Make sure your website is search engine optimized (SEO) and mobile friendly.

     

    Let’s look at some tactics that you can use that will help you know what marketing opportunities exist and how you can keep your business marketing one step ahead.

    trending

     

    Having a perfectly optimized website is awesome, but make sure you gain the right exposure. Here are some ways you can find out more about the latest and greatest marketing opportunities available for you and your business:

     

    • Visit Internet marketing forums and blogs.

    Interact with others in the community and read posts by others regarding marketing methods they have tried or those they intend to try. If you see a new opportunity that arises, take advantage of it if it works for your type of business.

     

    • Participate in conferences.

      This will allow you to meet other people, many of whom are right on top of the game. This is a great way to gain useful insight and information that will prove to be invaluable for you and your business.

     

    • Take time to network with other business marketers.

      Share information with others and gather information from those who are trying to do the same thing you are. This allows you to stay on top of the latest marketing trends, and extract information from others as to their experiences with certain methods.

     

    • Research is one of the most important actions you can take that will help you gain knowledge about current marketing trends.

      Put your research skills to use and find information about the newest marketing trends. If anything in life is certain, it’s the fact that marketing trends are always changing. Keeping up-to-date can really be like a rat race if you don’t do your homework and commit time and effort in keeping up with the changes presented into today’s marketing world.

     

    • Make yourself readily available for change. Be resilient and flexible.

      Don’t forget what the main goals of your business really are. Think outside the box. Those are all ways of motivating yourself to entire ownership of the actions you take in marketing your business.

     

    Your success really is based on your efforts in putting your business name right in front of your intended audience. Using the information given will give you the insight and knowledge you need in order to help you keep up with the latest marketing trends for your business.

     

    Don’t have time to keep up with the marketing trends and information out there? Outsource your marketing to us. We are a full service online marketing firm ready and able to help you with all your marketing pain points.

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  • How Group Learning Events Can Add to Your Bottom Line

    webinars
    Do you ever wonder why some businesses host so many webinars, seminars and online workshops? The reason may surprise you. The truth is that these group learning events can generate big profits. Let’s take a look at what live learning events are and how they can help you increase your bottom line.

     

    Group Learning Events

     

    Group learning events are just that – they’re events that are usually held online and they’re designed to teach a subject to a group of people. Webinars, organized social chats, and Yahoo group conferences are just a few examples of group learning events. People organize at a specific time to learn about and discuss a topic.

     

    Why Are These Events so Profitable?

     

    There are many reasons why group learning events are profitable. Let’s remember first that a group of people has signed up for or joined a learning event because they’re interested in the information. They’re pre-qualified prospects. It’s significantly easier to sell to a pre-qualified prospect than it is to a cold one.

     

    Dynamic

     

    When you’re teaching a large group, there’s a connection to your audience that is much different than what they’d receive by simply visiting your website. You’re talking to them. You may be interacting and answering questions as well. There’s a different dynamic. Assuming the prospect already likes you and you have established credibility, then they’re much more likely to take the next step – your call to action – at the end of the event.

     

    Speaking of Credibility…

     

    Group learning events put you in the position of teacher. In general, we give a certain degree of authority and credibility to our teachers. We believe what they tell us, for the most part, and we respect their knowledge. Credibility, authority, and liking are all buying triggers. We buy from people we like; people who we believe are credible sources of information, and people we believe to be experts or authorities on their subject.

    online events
    The Next Step Is Easy

     

    Most group learning events are set up so that they deliver only a portion of the information. To gain the full value, an attendee needs to take the next step. For example, if you attend an online seminar about how to use Twitter to market your romance novel, you’ll probably be willing or interested in buying a book or course on how to market your romance novel. Assuming the teacher delivered valuable information, you’ll be interested in gaining more of it.

     

    Finally, there is some immediacy to a group learning event. The call to action is usually a special deal offered for only those who attended the event, and it’s only available for a limited time. So your prospects feel as if they belong to a special group and there is a time limit on the offer. These two triggers often motivate more sales. But remember this deal has to be exclusive and not one you offer all the time. It could be a deep discount or a product specifically put together for only this specific event.

     

    If you’re seeking a nice boost in profits, consider planning and hosting a live event. This may turn into your most profitable marketing tactic.

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