Category Archives: online marketing

The Economic Downturn Is No Excuse to Forget About Online Marketing

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Posted by admin on April 29, 2009 – 8:28 am
Filed under SEO copywriter, attract clients, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online advertising, online marketing

The above video is an interview with Jack Flanagan of comScore at the SES conference expo on March 24,2009 in New York. The video provides excellent tips on how to market your business online during this turbulent economy.

YouTube Becomes Even More Interactive

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Posted by admin on April 17, 2009 – 4:34 am
Filed under Business Communication, attract clients, market in economic crisis, online marketing, website copywriter

In June 2008, YouTube added an application, called Collaborative Annotations, to video usage that allowed people to post links on their own videos, add stories, and post commentary at any point during the video. The person who posted the video was the only person allowed to add comments, links, and narration.

As of February 20, 2009, YouTube introduced an updated version of its Collaborative Annotations application. Today, other YouTube users can post comments on your video if you invite them to do so. No longer is YouTube simply engaging—it’s interactive.

The application update allows friends to create speech bubbles, complex narratives, notes, teaching tools, marketing campaigns, and spotlights on your videos.

The Collaborative Annotations tool works to stimulate conversation among audience members and allows you to receive feedback about the message of your video from viewers, colleagues, and friends. And it enables the audience to inform you about positive and negative elements of your video.

When you’re ready to begin using Collaborative Annotations, go to YouTube and click My Videos and copy the Annotations link. Send this link to friends, who can then add annotations to your video. Not crazy about what they write? You can always delete it.

Start using YouTube Collaborative Annotations today, and receive helpful feedback from others. Who knows, you might start doing things differently in response to viewer feedback.

See how effective YouTube’s Collaborative Annotations application can be by watching the video below:

6 MORE Ways to Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Website

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Posted by admin on April 15, 2009 – 6:35 am
Filed under Audio Marketing, increase online sales, increase site traffic, marketing in bad economy, online marketing, press releases, video marketing

If you’d like to see the first 6 ways to drive traffic to your website, click here.

7. Record Podcasts: The vocal and interactive aspects of audio podcasts are usually more enticing and entertaining than simply reading articles and information from a computer screen. Podcasts are free and can be used to help people through a step-by-step process, share knowledge fast and effectively, or entertain. According to Pew Internet and American Life Project, about 19% of internet users say they’ve downloaded a podcast.  

8. Host Teleclasses: Signing up for teleclasses benefits customers because the classes are free and provide useful and informative tips. Customers will associate the information they receive from your teleclasses with your company’s success and dedication to the industry. Customers will be more likely to trust your business operations and products / services, making the buying decision a simple one. The benefits from teleclasses are increased sales, more referrals, a rise in customer loyalty, and increased site traffic.

9. Post Video: Placing videos and audio on YouTube is a great way to get your company online exposure and drive traffic to your website. Video provides a personal connection to customers and allows you to show them how certain services are done, how you work, how the company works, how your product works, and so much more. Developing a video for YouTube benefits your company tremendously.

10. Publish Free Reports and Ezines: Sharing free tips and information about your industry through free reports and ezines can benefit consumers’ lives, helping them become better educated, solve a problem, or change their future actions. Providing well-researched and helpful information to consumers builds customers’ trust in your company, making them more likely to purchase your products / services.

11. Send Out Press Releases: Bring your brand name to life with a well-crafted press release. If your business has remained at a steady rate for years now, the right press release can gain your company credibility in the industry, recognition, and overall exposure. These results lead to company growth and incredible success.

12. Place / Swap Ads with Other Ezines in Your Niche: Seek out other ezines in your niche whose publishers might be interested in swapping ads. In addition to, or instead of, swapping ads, you could also purchase ad space in an ezine in your niche that has a large circulation. If you pay to place an ad, for the best results, run it for a minimum of three consecutive issues.

Google Introduces Google Friend Connect API

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Posted by admin on April 6, 2009 – 7:21 am
Filed under Gain Brand Loyalty, Marketing Tip, SEO, SEO copywriter, attract clients, blogging, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online marketing, social networking

Google has recently launched its new Google Friend Connect API, which works the same way many social media sites do. Just like social media sites, Google Friend Connect (GFC) is an excellent tool for companies to use to drive targeted site traffic and grow a successful business online.

This free online marketing tool works with blogs and discussion forums to build a niche-oriented online community on that specific blog / forum. GFC plug-ins are now available on Wordpress, allowing you to add a more interactive and social aspect to your blog.

Using effective SEO techniques to drive traffic to your blog is the first step. The next step is to build a loyal group of readers and allow them to interact on your blog more than ever before. If you use the GFC tool correctly, you can build strong and long-lasting relationships with customers, drive targeted traffic to your website, build readership, and allow visitors to have an entertaining experience on your blog.

How Does GFC Work?

• Allows visitors to sign in to the GFC aspect of your blog using their personal Google, Yahoo, OpenID, or AOL AIM account and make friends, share media, comment, and invite friends from their other social networking sites to visit your blog.

• Permits visitors to become members of the blog and create a profile or upload an existing profile from a social media site they’re a member of.    

• Offers entertaining social features that engage visitors more and encourage them to visit your website and continue to visit your blog. 

All of GFC’s features allow you to build your own niche-oriented online community centered on your blog. This community will consist of people interested in your industry expertise and business. The growth is viral and is an excellent time investment if you want to build a successful business online.

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.

Recession Proof Your Image

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Posted by admin on March 9, 2009 – 7:10 am
Filed under Marketing Tip, attract clients, client attraction, increase online sales, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, online marketing

Your business image has the power to facilitate growth for your income and your life. With 93% of our communication being nonverbal, having a business image–both personal and online–is essential if you want to achieve business success. 

There is no better time than now to invest in creating a business image–one that will draw potential business and strategic partnerships to you. One that gets visitors to buy from your website and gets current customers to refer you.

In this economic downturn, people are still spending, but thinking twice as long about whom they do business with. You must stand out—in person and online. You must give them a reason to buy from you by making the right impression.

On Tuesday, March 31, 2009, style expert Lee Heyward and I are going to share how to grow your business by perfecting a personal and online business image. In this FREE onetime only teleseminar . . .

“4 Easy Ways to Perfect Your Business Image . . . Right Now.”

On this call, you will learn:

• How to create a business image that tells people you are successful and credible BEFORE you even open your mouth.

• Why your clothing AND your website might be keeping you from business growth . . . and simple, effortless steps to avoid this.

• Why your website and blog image is key to your online business success.

• What you can do RIGHT NOW to implement your desired business image.

• How to create the personal and online image you desire without spending a fortune.

No matter your industry–whether you are in corporate, an entrepreneur, or an independent contractor–you won’t want to miss this onetime only teleseminar. Because we believe now is the time to invest in your business and your life and because we know the power behind having a powerful personal and online image, we’re offering this free, 90-minute teleseminar at two time slots: 2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific) OR 8 pm Eastern (5 pm Pacific).

Register today for this onetime only call. 

*No recordings will be made available. You must be on the call during one of the two available time slots to hear this powerful information that will change your life and your business.

Increase Sales and Build Long-Term Customer Relationships through Effective Email Marketing

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Posted by admin on March 6, 2009 – 8:41 am
Filed under attract clients, client attraction, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online marketing, small business marketing

Email marketing is an excellent way to increase sales, drive traffic to your site, or get prospects to inquire about more information—but how do you craft an effective email? It’s an art really. The content in your email needs to be composed in such a way that it speaks to the need of the reader, facilitates a long-term customer relationship, and drives the reader to take action. An email must do all of these things without being extremely obvious.

Emails that incorporate the words “Buy Now” in big, bold, red words throughout the content are extremely obvious and you only want to sell a product, not facilitate a long-lasting, trustworthy relationship with the customer. This forceful approach will scare the potential client away.

It’s important to illustrate to customers your company is dedicated to satisfying their needs through a result-driven product / service. Again, the copy should not forcefully sell the product—it must be crafted in such a way that it motivates the reader to take some kind of action.

Tips on creating a result-driven email:

• The headline (subject of the email) should not only illustrate what the email is about but should also be unique, intriguing, and pique the interest of the reader. Receivers won’t open the email if the subject of the email doesn’t arouse some thought or feeling within them.

• The tone of your email should be professional and should express your personality a bit. A bland and formal email will get you nowhere. Add zest and character to the email, and let your personality shine through.

• The length of your email should be no more than 750 words.

• The sentences, which make up the email, must lend themselves to the message you’re trying to get across to potential customers. This message should be speaking to the benefit of the viewers and inspire—not force—them to take action.

• The email must provide something valuable to readers. Offering a discount or free gift to people who visit your store, sign up for a free demo, refer your company to others, or purchase a product / service from you is a great way to increase sales and build your email list.

Increase Online Visibility with Article Marketing

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Posted by admin on March 4, 2009 – 11:10 pm
Filed under Copywriting, Marketing Tip, SEO, article marketing, attract clients, client attraction, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, online articles, online marketing, website copywriter

Article marketing is a cost-effective way to increase your online visibility, drive traffic to your site, and bring in more business. One article provides long-term results, exposing your company to thousands of potential customers—over and over again. Every article you place drives more traffic to your website and improves your site’s link popularity and search engine rankings.

Online articles are an excellent resource for potential clients and illustrate you’re an expert in your field. When writing online articles, it’s important for them to be well written, informative, and unique. This rule applies no matter where you submit your article.

Make sure the article is focused and expresses your expertise. The article should NOT sell your product or service—it should be informative and relate to your industry. For example, if you specialize in web copywriting and online website promotion, instead of writing all your articles about web copywriting tips, try to think outside the box and touch different industries in a unique way. Use what you know about online website promotion, and apply it to a specific industry.

There are five key platforms to submit online articles to, in order to increase SEO:

• Reputable article directories.

• Popular bloggers.

• Social media sites.

• Social bookmarking sites.

• Online publications.

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.

Branding Your Company Online: What Message Are You Sending Online Viewers?

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Posted by admin on February 16, 2009 – 5:09 pm
Filed under SEO, SEO copywriter, client attraction, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, online marketing, target market, update webcopy

Are you concerned about how customers perceive your brand image online? Perhaps your website currently isn’t a strong branding tool for you. If not, it should be.

Many businesses find that their message isn’t clear, effective, and targeted to their correct market. It can be extremely difficult for businesses to project an accurate message, encompassing a combination of their company’s products, beliefs, mission, and goals. The message is a mixture of several key elements, including effectively placing keywords to increase SEO, which makes the task of projecting company image quite precise and complicated.

Crafting your brand image online is an extremely important client attraction tool. With a result-driven business message, your targeted website visitors will understand the language and tone of the web copy, and the client will feel a stronger connection to your brand. Once this bond is established, the customers will be more inclined to take action and purchase from you.

The customer wants to feel compatible with all your company stands for. For example, if your brand image is high-end, a high-end client will be attracted and comfortable with this image and, in turn, will want to buy from you.

Since fashioning a company message online is both complex and important, it would be highly beneficial for your company to hire a professional copywriter.

A professional copywriter:

·         Interviews the company to pull out key elements vital to the business message.

·         Recognizes the company image and puts this image into the written word—the message.

·         Creates well-crafted copy that speaks the language of the target market.

·         Strategically places keywords to increase SEO.

·         Facilitates a connection between the brand image and the client through the use of a creative tone in the copy.

If you’re uncomfortable with the message you’re sending potential customers online, it’s time to change this message and solidify a strong brand image.