Category Archives: Marketing Strategy

Squash Negative PR on Social Media Sites

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Posted by admin on March 31, 2009 – 8:49 pm
Filed under Business Communication, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, market in economic crisis, online marketing, press releases, social networking

In the March 13 WebProNews article, “Fighting a Bad Online Reputation & Keeping a Good One,” author Chris Crum brings up some excellent points on how social media sites can spell disaster for some companies. Because there is so much interaction and freedom to say whatever you like, anyone could severely tarnish your company name.

There is always going to be someone on the web trying to bring your company down, and it’s extremely important to make an effort to be present on several social media sites in order to counter any negative opinions. Although you’ll never catch all the bad things people say, it’s important to keep your company in a positive light and build a strong network of loyal followers on these sites. This will counteract to the bad comments some people might be saying about your company. A strong and large network can silence these negative comments and keep your reputation intact.

In addition to building a strong network, Crum suggests using several online tools to find places harboring negative publicity about your company. According to the article, Trackur tracks blogs, other sites, images, and video. The article also provides a link to an article on Duct Tape Marketing, which provides a list of “34 online reputation management tools.”

In regard to the frightening publicity situation, Crum offers some wise advice to businesses:

“PR disaster is much more likely to strike when the business itself does not monitor its reputation. Tools are there for you to use. Don’t ignore them. Otherwise, it might be your company somebody tweets about having a poor product, leading to all of their followers seeing the negativity and possibly blogging about it which can then be linked to, and so on and so forth. I don’t think you want to go down that road. Just watch yourself.”

Start building a strong online network now, and begin using the tools Crum’s article mentions. Your company will thank you for the dedication.

To view the entire WebProNews article, click here.

Mobile Marketing Could Be Your Company’s New Event Coordinator

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Posted by admin on March 30, 2009 – 7:11 am
Filed under Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, attract clients, client attraction, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, marketing trends, small business marketing

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Mobile marketing began in recent years and has since increased in usage. Many companies already utilizing these mobile marketing strategies are club promoters, event promoters, and business promoters, among many others. It’s an excellent way to send a mass message out and have confidence the recipients will receive and view it within minutes of the message being sent. Once receivers open their invitation to an event, they can immediately RSVP and be placed on a list, all within minutes.

According to the mobile marketing company, Mobile Storm, MGM Grand in Las Vegas used mobile marketing to promote a party they were holding. They had recipients RSVP to be on the list, and, all in all, the party was a great success. The time it took to plan such an extravagant event was cut down drastically compared to if they had used an email, flyer, or billboard campaign.

The case study with MGM Grand is an excellent example of how using a strategic marketing plan via mobile devices can have such a successful turnout. Mobile marketing is something that all companies can use to promote products / services—it just requires a different technique to reach out to prospects.    

Mobile marketing is also the perfect way to build strong customer relationships, because it keeps customers up-to-date on company events and news with the click of a button. Using mobile marketing can help your company gain a competitive advantage over other companies in your industry that are not using this new and incredibly efficient advertising tool. Using mobile marketing shows customers you’re current with technology and the latest trends. With the fast pace of everyday life, it’s no wonder mobile marketing is taking off.

Yahoo Adds Video and Images Into Search Engine Results

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Posted by admin on February 27, 2009 – 6:44 am
Filed under Growing Business, Marketing Strategy, attract clients, client attraction, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, marketing trends, online advertising

According to the New York Times article, Yahoo Shows Search Ads With Images and Video, Yahoo is introducing a whole new visual element to search engine results.

Yahoo’s new search layout, Rich Ads in Search, incorporates video and images into the search engine results next to the company name. This creates a more interactive experience for visitors. According to the author, Stephanie Clifford:

“Search advertising typically shows only text advertisements and links. Marketers usually devote part of their online budget to search — which shows text-only advertisements and links — and part to display, the banner and box advertisements that show images or video.

By introducing video and images, the new offering from Yahoo, called Rich Ads in Search, gives search some of the advantages of banner advertisements. ‘It moves the advertising experience from just the blue links, to a more engaging experience for advertisers,’ said Tim Mayer, the vice president for search monetization and distribution at Yahoo.”

No longer is Yahoo search simply pulling up hyperlinked text for visitors to click. They’ve taken the next step to integrate more aesthetically pleasing visual elements to otherwise boring search engine results.

Yahoo’s Rich Ads in Search is a fresh, interactive way for advertisers to put a unique spin on online advertising, and is something that stands out more than a link in the search engine results. Make your links pop with an image or video, and try Yahoo’s new advertising product.

Be Found on the Web: Five Steps to Optimize Your Website

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Posted by admin on February 24, 2009 – 8:19 pm
Filed under Marketing Strategy, SEO, SEO copywriter, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, online marketing, web traffic

You can have a beautiful website with a clear business message. You can have a growing email list and an ezine that people love to read. But if you aren’t working to up your search engine rankings, all your hard work won’t get you found on the internet. 

If you want to grow your online presence and compete on the world wide web, it is imperative to optimize your website. It isn’t hard. And you don’t have to be tech savvy. All you need is the understanding of how it works and the tools to know how to do it.    

Here are five key steps to organically optimize your website:

Step One: Determine key phrases or keywords that potential website visitors will type into a search engine to find you. Remember, your target phrases must describe what your web page is about. One of the best ways to determine your target keywords is to ask people how they would search for you. Ask your current clients, colleagues, friends, and family. You can also use one of the many keyword tools.

Step Two: Analyze your competition. In the world of SEO, your competition isn’t who you might think it is because you’re working on a page level, not the entire site. The best way to determine competition using the same keywords as you, is to get on Google or Yahoo and type in your keywords and phrases. See what comes up and make note of the competition. Click on all the links on the first search engine result page and make a note of where and how that site uses their keywords. 

Step Three: Incorporate keywords and phrases into your web copy. Make sure your copy reads organically, or naturally. If it reads as if keywords have been stuffed into every single sentence, you need to rewrite it. Overstuffing won’t help you motivate visitors to call you or buy from you. And it might get you into trouble with the search engines and hurt your rankings. Also, including your main key phrases and keywords in the title of your page and in subheads helps with SEO.

Step Four: Get those links! Search engines love links. You’ve probably heard the term backlinks. Backlinks are external links from other web sites and blogs that link to the site in question. The more like-minded, quality sites that link to you, the more the search engine thinks your site keywords are important and will rank the keywords higher. In a nutshell, links are vital to your website if you want to rank high in the search engines. Search engines place a higher value on one-way links as opposed to reciprocal links. 

Step Five: List your website on directories. Directory listings are vital to your online visibility and should be a top priority for your online marketing strategy. Directory submissions provide inbound links to your site. These links help your search engine rankings. The more inbound links you have, the better your placement in the search engines. Submitting your link to relevant directories is a great way to maximize your SEO efforts.

Attract More Clients: Perfect Your Business Image

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Posted by admin on February 10, 2009 – 6:40 pm
Filed under Growing Business, Marketing Strategy, attract clients, grow your business, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy

Your business image–from your marketing materials to your personal dress–affect potential clients’ perception of your company. First impressions are everything.

Check out the style contest hosted by Charleston Style Concierge. The deadline is the end of this week — so hurry and enter today!  

Enter to Win a Style Consultation

Add some excitement to your Valentines Day with the gift you really want:

EFFORTLESS STYLE.

Enter to win a

Virtual Style Consultation

($100.00 Value)

Enter to win your Virtual Style Consultation.

During a 60-minute Virtual Style Consultation over the phone, we’ll discuss your style goals, answer your questions, and uncover the best way for you to get effortless style. We will use a style-assessment workbook and digital pictures you send to help develop the personal style you desire.

In your 60-minute Virtual Style Consultation, you’ll learn . . .

  • What clothes are right for your body.
  • How to dress based on the proportions of your body.
  • What you need to buy to create a versatile wardrobe.
  • How to develop a great style within your budget and for your unique lifestyle.

Here’s how it works: Using a style assessment and digital photos, we will help you determine the right clothing for your body type and easy ways to update your current wardrobe. All you need to do is fill out our style assessment, send photos, and show up for the call. It’s that easy.

Celebrate you this Valentines Day and enter to win.

Winner to be randomly chosen and announced on Valentines Day, February 14th.

Click here for your chance to win a FREE Virtual Style Consultation

Top 5 Website Design Myths

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Posted by admin on February 8, 2009 – 9:47 pm
Filed under Marketing Strategy, SEO, increase online sales, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, update webcopy, website navigation

Is your website design stopping you from ranking higher in the search engines and getting the traffic you want?

Are you frustrated that site visitors aren’t contacting or buying from you?If so, then I have a treat for you.

Join me and my special guest Nina Menezes, professional web designer and owner of InterDream Designs, for a 60-minute, free call on the “Top 5 Website Design Myths.”

Register now at http://webcopywritingqueen.com/designmyths.html

On this call, you’ll discover . . .

 

  • What you are doing that’s preventing your website from ranking #1 in the search engines.
  • What a great site entails—from visuals to functionality.
  • What to avoid on your website and what you need for a successful site.
  • Why your website might be turning away customers instead of attracting them—and how to steer clear of this.  
  • The tools you need to grow your online presence.

If you are in the process of creating or revamping your current website, thinking about redoing your site, or just want to change a few things on your site . . . then you need to be on this call Thursday, February 19, at 8 Eastern  /  4pm Pacific.

Register now at  http://webcopywritingqueen.com/designmyths.html

Nina Menezes works exclusively in the area of web design for women who are small business owners. She understands the challenges small business owners face when building a strong online presence and works with clients to create custom websites that bring in new visitors and convert them to paying customers.

And she’s kind enough to share her expertise with you. For free.

Don’t let your website turn away customers. Register for our free call, and discover how to make your website work for you. The call is being recorded, so if you can’t make it, you can still listen later.

Succeed online in 2009 and sign up today — http://webcopywritingqueen.com/designmyths.html

Are you struggling to make your website work for you?

Recession Should Facilitate Positive Thinking

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Posted by admin on January 29, 2009 – 7:16 pm
Filed under Growing Business, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, client attraction, grow your business, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy

A year ago, many businesses could safely assume what worked for one successful business worked for all. This is not the case today.

Business practices and marketing strategies, which made a company successful last year, aren’t the same ones companies should implement today. It’s important to understand the pros and cons of this economic downturn and change the way you do business. It’s about marketing your company in a unique fashion and flipping past practices upside down.

The businesses succeeding during this time . . .

• Don’t simply follow trends—they’re ahead of the trends.
• Think outside the box.
• Educate themselves on the economy as a whole and in niche areas, not necessarily related to their industry.
• Analyze what other successful businesses are doing and put a unique spin on it.
• Acknowledge the negative aspects of this economy but do not dwell on them.
• Go the extra mile to discover what their competition isn’t doing.

Don’t let this recession frighten you into hiding. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get on top. Use your mind as your main tool and resource for creating a successful business during this time. This will help you exercise your creativity for the future benefits of your business.

Change the way you do business today, and succeed in this troubled economy. You won’t regret it.

Save Your Business: 5 Ways to Stop Freaking Out About the Economy

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Posted by admin on January 25, 2009 – 10:23 pm
Filed under Growing Business, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, grow your business, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy

Feeling overwhelmed, stressed, scared? Here are five simple ways to avoid freaking out:

1) Stop listening to the news. If you listen to the news, read papers, participate in negative gloom-and-doom conversations, then stop. Try taking a week break from listening to the media reports. You’ll be amazed how much happier and less-stressed you will be.

2) Treat yourself to something nice. Take a walk, take a bath, take yourself to dinner. Whatever you do, do something for yourself. 

3) Sit down and write a list of what’s going right in your business and what’s going wrong. Take the list of what’s going right and focus on ways to do more of that. Evaluate what’s not going right and ask yourself why. Brainstorm a bit. Either stop doing what’s not working or find a way to make it work.

4) Surround yourself with positive, like-minded people. 

5) Ask mentors for advice. Every business owner should have a mentor. You cannot operate in a vacuum, and seeking the advice of someone outside of your daily struggles will help you refocus and stay on track.

5 Steps to Attract All the Clients You Want

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Posted by admin on January 10, 2009 – 8:01 pm
Filed under Marketing Strategy, SEO copywriter, attract clients, client attraction, grow your business, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online marketing, target market, web copy
  • Have you considered reworking your marketing message to better reach and speak to your target audience?
  • When was the last time you updated your website copy?
  • Revised your services brochure?
  • Revisited the email sales letters you regularly send?

If the answer is “It’s been a while” or “I don’t know,” then it’s time to give your marketing copy a makeover.

With the economic downturn, it’s important—now more than ever—to take a look at how you can improve your marketing message.

Why?

Your marketing copy has the power to bring you new customers and retain current ones. It connects you with your clients. Entices them to buy. Drives them to call you. Copy makes or breaks the sale.

Many companies are unaware their marketing message is driving customers away—both new and repeat business. If your current website copy or marketing materials aren’t bringing you the profits or the clients you want, the good news is that a change in your copy can drastically increase sales.

Step 1: Know Your Target Market

Before you write a word of marketing copy, you need to understand who will be buying from you. Knowing and understanding your target market is crucial for any company—from the one-person shop to the large corporation. Why? It’s simple. You can’t market effectively if you don’t know whom you are speaking to.

The key is to narrow down your target and get as specific as you can. There’s a big difference between the following:
a) My target audience is new mothers who want a career change; and
b) My target audience is new mothers in their late 30s who are interested in leaving their corporate jobs and starting their own businesses. They are married, most have master-level degrees, enjoy an active lifestyle, and are members of a gym.

Take this a step further and make a list of where your target market likes to shop and dine, what they do to relax, where they go for their information, what magazines they read on a regular basis. The more specific you get, the easier it will be to write marketing copy that will speak to and attract your target market. 

Stay tuned for Step #2 in the next blog post. If you can’t wait, check out www.webcopywritingqueen.com