Internet Marketing for Small Business

Small Business Marketing Lessons # 2 of 45 – How to Find Clients

July 26, 2010

Image by EmaStudios via Flickr

Welcome to the 2nd of 45 lessons on how to market your small business.

How to find clients is a question on the mind of every business owner and it is also one of the most important factors in a marketing plan. Without clients a business simply would not exist.. so how do you go about finding new clients?

In today’s lesson we are going to study how to find clients and how to market to them so that you have unlimited new prospects.

In order to know where to find your clients or prospects, you need to know all there is to know about them.

Who is your client?

Discovering the demographics of your business’s clients is essential for your business to develop and grow. Just for a moment consider your clients. Now answer these questions:

what income bracket do you think your customers are in?
what is their gender?
where are they located – in your local neighbourhood or across the globe?
why would they buy your product or service?

Once you build up a profile of your typical customer, it will lead you to them. You will know where to find more of them to sell to and you can raise your profits. Once you answer the above questions, you also need to consider:

what do they spend their free time doing?
where do they hang out – both online and offline?
what types of media and publications are they reading?
where do they live?

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What do your customers want?

In order to stay on top of what your clients or prospects are looking for, you should be reading whatever publications your customers are reading. Being current with trends in your business niche is key to knowing what your customers are looking for, so that you can provide it to them. Whatever your niche is, stay ‘in the know’ and look to your competition to find answers too.

Another question that will lead you to your market is to discover what key issues or problems your clients have. Put yourself in their shoes to think about this. Also visit the online forums for your niche to discover what questions are being asked. Offer something that is going to improve their life or solve their problem.

Use the following to discover what the needs of your customers are:

regularly visit the online forums for your business niche. Study what your prospects are asking in the forums.
find a way to host a question and answer session with your clients, even if it’s on your Facebook Fan Page – let them ask the expert what they need to know.

Don’t be a business that is caught up in prescribing the customer products without finding out what they need and want. There will be many missed opportunities and it could even lead to bankruptcy. Your profits will grow exponentially with selling customers what they do want, not what we want them to want.

Where to find your client

In order to find your clients online think about the following and make that a place that you are too:

what blogs do they read?
where do they go to discuss what I am able to sell to them – ie which online forums or review sites?
what publications do they read?
what communities or forums are there for this topic? (you could always create your own on your site)?
if you are working offline – where do they drink their coffee or shop or spend leisure time?

Once you know what your clients and prospects are up to – you will crack the code of successful small business marketing and reap the rewards of uncovering the answer to your business’s biggest question.

Here’s the link to Small Business Marketing Lessons #1 of 45 just in case you missed it first time around.

How to Do SEO Optimization for Blog Posts

July 19, 2010

Image via Wikipedia

SEO optimization of blog posts is critical in gaining large volumes of traffic to a web site. Imagine being on the first page of Google for a term.. it certainly does bring more visitors your way. In 55% of cases, Google users will click on the first line of search results returned.

Today I want to show you search engine optimization for blog posts. I use WordPress for my blog, so we will use that as the model. WordPress is a very popular and easy to customise blogging tool.

Step 1 : Make a list of relevant seo keywords

To do this we are going to go to the Google keyword tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal and enter the seo keyword that you will be basing your blog post around. For this example we will use :

blog post seo optimization

Now make a note of the related keywords that are returned, as we will be using these sprinkled throughout the blog post.

Step 2 : Write your blog post

Write a blog post that your readers will find informative and educational. Sprinkle your seo keywords in a way that will make your post easy to read and interesting for the human being.

Step 3 : Use these SEO techniques:

Use a list of related seo keywords that you can then go back and create blog posts for (I have done this at the bottom of this post as an example). This will encourage your visitors to stay on the site for longer, and will provide them with more information
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add the main seo keyword to your blog post title and use it 3 or 4 times throughout the post if you can without making the post sound too wooden and unnatural. Some people overdo their SEO optimization on blog posts.. and it just reads in a way that is not human friendly at all
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Use h2 headings with related seo keywords as Google looks at this when it decides how to rank pages
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Link out to authority sites such as Wikipedia or sites ending in the .edu, .org and .gov when possible and this will make the site more authoritarian in the eyes of Google. Let’s not forget that we need to do what Google loves so that it gives us kudos for our page and rewards us with a strong seo positioning on the search engine results page.
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And you need to do this too:

Add an educational video from YouTube that is relevant and useful. Use it to demonstrate your point or add something extra to your post that will educate and inform your readers. They are easy to insert, just use the embed code provided next to the video on YouTube to the html of your post.
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Here is a video that I found about Zemanta WordPress Plug-In – you don’t always have to post a video – but it can liven up the post.

In addition to using my own royalty free images, I use some from Zemanta WordPress Plug-in which suggests media images that are related to whichever topic you are writing about. The images usually come from flickr and other sites that allow reuse of them and there is a link back to the original site. Using photos and video make the post more interesting and interactive for your readers.
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Change the image title and the alt tag on the image properties to your main seo keywords
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create your post in small paragraphs so that your readers can easily scan the post – as this how humans prefer to read online
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add bold to your words where it makes sense to break up the text further and for the readers to easily pick out the succinct points
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Add your blog post to the right categories and assign tags
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use All-in-One SEO Pack Plug-in and create a description and add related keywords too
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Step 4 : Publish the post

Then use social bookmarking and social media to distribute links to your post. Write an article and link back to your site..

Remember that by using Google Analytics you can understand more about what types of blog posts and seo techniques are working well on your site. You can also see where visitors have come from and which links they use to leave, how long they spend on your site etc and it will tell you how you are doing with your seo and whether your optimization on your blog post is up to scratch.
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In future seo blog posts I will cover:

how to optimize a website for improved local search engine results
how to seo optimize images
how to select seo keywords
social bookmarking
how to use use social media profiles for your off site seo
how to use RSS to help your seo
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Is this how you seo optimization for your blog posts?

10 Small Business Marketing Must Reads – Weekly Link List 05

July 16, 2010

Here are a few useful and interesting reads on small business marketing that I came across this week – I hope that you find something useful too.

Domino’s UK Foursquare Initiatives Increase Profits by 29%

25 Blog or Newsletter Topic Ideas for Company Bloggers

91 Fundamental Habits of Highly Motivated Small Business Owners

Is it Time to Hire Someone to Help Your With Your Social Media Strategy (and More)?

Foursquare vs Gowalla vs MyTown : Which Is Better for Business?

10 Inspiring TED Talks for Startups

Small Business News: Social Media and Blogging Basics

5 Free, Easy -to-use Web Analytics Tools

How to Add Your Business to Twitter Places

How to Optimize Your Site for Google

Case Study: Creating High-Profit Sales Videos For Free, In Just A Few Hours

July 13, 2010

It should come as no surprise that YouTube is the #2 search engine on the Internet. That’s why videos are such an amazing way to create awareness and generate killer traffic for your business.

With the instructions in this article, we’ll guide you step-by-step into making your own slick viral videos within just a few hours.

First, take a look at this completed example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxnH8QP3ZTE

This video was produced by Storagepipe Solutions as a means of showing the benefits of their enterprise online backup & archiving systems. And it’s an ideal illustration of how your final video will look.

Step 1: Write the script

Notice how the video is very entertaining, and doesn’t go into boring semantics or technical details. Instead, it’s very light-hearted and playful. The main focus of the dialogue is around the customer’s backup-related problems…. and NOT the company’s product.

You want to leave the viewer wanting more. Your goal is not to make the sale in the video. Instead, your aim should be to generate curiosity and get the viewer to ask for more information.

Also, the video should be brief. No more than 2 minutes at the most.

Step 2: Record the script

Go into a quiet room and record the script using your PC microphone. You can improve the sound by filling the room with large soft objects such as stuffed animals or pillows. This will help dull the background echo.

The best free audio recording software for this is Audacity.

Step 3: Create the storyboard

You don’t have to be Picasso to illustrate your video storyboard effectively. Just make the nicest, cleanest drawings you can on paper. There should be one image for every 10 to 15 seconds of the movie.

Take each of these drawings and scan them as image files on your machine.

Step 4: Compile the movie

When you bought your computer, it probably came with some form of video editing software.

Windows users can create their own movies for free using the built-in Windows Movie Maker. All you need to do is import your audio and image files into your Windows Movie Maker session, and rearrange them however you like.

Step 5: Publish the movie

Once you’ve published your video using Windows Movie Maker, you can open an account with YouTube and upload the video for the world to see.

Extra Tip:

If you don’t feel very confident about your voice talents or drawing abilities, there are many outsourcing sites online that will help you find a professional artist or voiceover actor at a reasonable price. Getting the components of your videos professionally made should cost less than $250, but the results will be much nicer.

The best thing about this video-making technique is that it can be applied to just about any product or service. If viral videos can make big-business backup and archiving sound interesting, just imagine what it can do for your exciting business ideas.

About The Author: Patrick Jobin works for Storagepipe Solutions. This company uses viral videos to promote their line of server online backup products and their online backup partner program to businesses.

New SEO Marketing Packages Available

July 12, 2010

Learning SEO skills and writing engaging material with a ‘wow’ factor can be very time consuming especially for business owners who have so many other tasks to attend to.

However, it has long been recognised that the foundation of a well optimised web site should include content that will inspire and educate your prospects about your business niche. Well written informative articles and blog posts bring new targetted traffic to your site which could convert to sales and more profit.

Small business owners can often feel overwhelmed by all the tasks necessary to stay on top of their to do lists. For this very reason, Amelia Champion is now offering monthly maintenance SEO marketing packages to aid business owners who cannot always find the time to “do it all”.

Traffic generating articles and blog post packages are now available. The packages which start at just $195 per month, range from a Junior SEO Package that will provide 5 x 400 word articles and 8 x blog posts to a Guru SEO Package with 20 articles, 20 blog posts and 6 hours of social media relationship building and bookmarking.

However, if there are any businesses who would like a unique custom made package tailor made for their business, this is also possible.

All social media hours includes crucial relationship building interaction with prospects and customers. In addition bookmarking of blog posts and articles to create more backlinks is all part and parcel of the service.

Amelia Champion is a business that prides itself on quality output. If it will not bring you extra traffic, we will not post it. All blog posts and articles are unique and 300 targeted Twitter followers are added per month for packages that include social media hours. Click here to see our SEO Marketing Packages.

Local Search Engine Optimisation Essentials

July 6, 2010

Local search engine optimisation is quite a different kettle of fish to global. In this post I’m going to take you through what you need to consider when setting up your website to perform well with the search engines for local searches. You’ll need a slightly different SEO strategy and approach.

What NOT to do

Let’s start off with the things that you shouldn’t be doing:

Having an unhappy customer could well be to your detriment now. If you have any negative online reviews about your company, they could show up in the results when you are Googled. But if you have plenty of positive ones, then one or two unhappy customers could well be hidden under the mass of happy reviews.

If you have been using more than one name for your business, such as ‘Clarke’s Cakes’ in conjunction with ‘Clarke’s Bakery’ this could confuse Google and will spoil your search power.

Using different addresses or telephone nos. will also have the same result – your search power will be diluted. Wherever you are listed, be sure to put the same telephone no. Make it a local one too.. as then you will be tied into the local area. Keep all contact information consistent including addresses. PO Boxes are not great to use due to credibility issues with your online customers. A local street address is preferable.

What to do

You may have noticed that over the last year or two entering a local search in some cases brings up a Google Map - you need to get on this map. To do this, you need to claim your Google business listing. Not only can this get you into the no. 1 spot on the page when the map is shown, but you can get extra power to your site.

Be sure to put a “meta description” on your website’s homepage. This is what will show up under your website’s entry in the search engine results. If you are a bakery in San Mateo - then put that. Also put it on your website home page title field too and add the City or State while you there too. Think about other related keywords here too. You can reuse these in your local business directory listings too.

Think about your keywords here. You need to think hmm… bakery – that means you will need to concentrate on using the following:

cakes
bread
catering
donuts
birthday cakes.

It seems that not only is Google picking up on who is linking to you as a website, it is picking up on citations too. So if you are a bakery in San Mateo, it is searching through local information to see who has mentioned you and then giving your business extra power if you have been mentioned by other websites in San Mateo.

Reviews are important for you as a business. If there is an industry review site such as TripAdvisor for the travel industry, you need to really get your customers using that. The more reviews you have the better, and better still to get those coveted 5 star ones. Google will take into account the quantity and quality of reviews. So.. you could encourage your customers to leave reviews by supplying free internet access in exchange for a review on TripAdvisor from your hotel lobby area.

Customers just love credibility. They won’t just give their money to anybody. Google is taking this into consideration and those sites that have photographs and videos of their products or business premises are performing better than those who don’t.

As with all website, Google is still checking the age of the domain and is factoring that into it’s algorithm. If your domain is going to expire within the next year, then extend it for another 5. The longer the domain name is registered for the better, as Google is judging that to mean that you are not intending to disappear overnight. Many shortlived spam type websites will only invest in a domain for 1 year as they want to see if they can make money before investing anymore.

Another little tip is to add coupons for discounts on products too. There are plenty of sites now that will link back to you because you are offering coupons. Free link power!

Be sure to keep your address and telephone no. consistent. Google appears to be checking this before deciding on what order to bring up the search results. The telephone no. should be a local one preferably to tie your business into the local area.

Oh and by the way.. sorry for the lack of posts lately.. I took on a big consulting project and it’s been zapping my time. I’m doing my best to get back on the blogging program though.

Top 10 Forums Every Small Business Should Belong To

June 16, 2010

The top 10 small business forums that every small business owner should be participating in.

Startupnation is a community full of entrepreneurs who want to learn from each other and teach each other.

This forum is packed full of resources for the small business owner.

Discover all there is to know about online business world in this community forum.

All things small business marketing in this popular forum.

This forum has opportunities for small businesses to request capital from visiting investment firms.

The Admin Zone is a forum for the owners of online communities to discuss techniques and ideas.

Econsultancy delivers the latest discussions on digital marketing.

Hang out with small business owners and be party to the latest exchanges of views and information on small businesses.

Get your business know-how from the 13,000 other participants of this small business forum.

This forum is full of ideas and resources for those considering starting a new business.

10 Small Business Marketing Must Reads – Weekly Link List 04

June 14, 2010

This weeks interesting small business marketing reads from across the web.

Google Rolls Out Ad Tags Nationwide

How to Set Social Media Goals

5 Easy Steps to a Winning Social Media Plan

How to Do a Simple Marketing Checkup

Five Best Places to Set Up Shop Online

11 Ways to Promote Your Facebook Page Outside Facebook

Playing Marketing Games on Twitter

Google’s “Caffeine” Update Has Arrived

How to Talk to Small Business

Facebook Facts (Some of Which) You Probably Didn’t Know

How to Do SEO – 5 Useful Links for Beginners

June 8, 2010

As you can imagine in this business, my clients always like to know what to read on how to do SEO. Today I want to give you a list of links that will really set you up to be able to manage some of your own SEO on your site and off your site.

When I first learnt how to do SEO, it was from the infamous PotPieGirl and her product One Week Marketing. This is a marvellous product that provides a weekly action plan and all information required to dominate the front page of Google for your chosen keywords. Using PotPieGirl’s simple methods can result in a healthy income from marketing other people’s products or your own. This product taught me how to choose keywords, how to optimise a page and this brought about my first ever internet income and I highly recommend it.

But let’s get back to today’s post. Here are some links that give some SEO assistance, from how to benefit with your Fanpage to a general overview for those who are fairly new to all this.

1. Most businesses know by now that there is great value in creating a Facebook fan page for their business. However, not many know how to really make the most of it in the eyes of the search engine. Read about how to how to improve the SEO on your Facebook fanpage to really reap the rewards of having one.

2. Yoast.com has a great post on how to optimise your WordPress blog for SEO and covers how to optimise images, titles, what plugins to use etc.

3. Now this list of 79 tools and tips for every internet marketer might be a little over your head if you are new to SEO, but if you see something that interests you, take a look. SEO is such a huge topic that you need to read, read and read some more to really get on top of it. SEO gurus will be using these tools too.

4. Where to begin your SEO campaign gives pointers to new businesses who are looking for some signposts about where to start.

5. If you want to cover the Simple SEO Techniques then this Squidoo page gives a good overview.

Let me know how you get on.