Want To Increase Your Leads…Add Channels!

One of the most common questions we get from clients is, “how do we get more leads?” Leads are the lifeblood for any business, and they are harder to come by in a tough economic environment.

The first thing we do is analyze where leads are currently being sourced? We also look at the number of leads by channel. Even better, what is the ROI of each lead as well as conversion by channel. Without tracking you will never know where your business should continue to invest and focus time. As important as tracking is, this post is not about tracking. We want to focus on making sure you are making use of all the possible lead sources online.

Funny thing is, in this new “distributed web” we have a lot more channels to explore. Let’s quickly look at the online channels your business will want to test and use:

• Natural Web Search (SEO)- SEO is the ante for any business. The key here is in today’s distributed, social web, all the content you are going to publish around the web will help your SEO rankings in a big way if you do it right strategically.
• Pay Per Click (PPC)- PPC costs are going up in a big way for competitive categories. But with the right buying strategy and optimized landing pages you still can make this an effective channel.
• Social Media Marketing- We are most excited about Social media because it is free and offers both huge reach and targeted marketing opportunities. Doing social media right takes a comprehensive strategy (not one off Facebook Fan Page or Twitter) and consistent presence but the payoff can be huge.
• Banner Ads- The online advertising stalwart, it is being renewed with new, niche ad networks and banners in some new social communities.
• Article Links- Article marketing is the new “black” in online business marketing. The reason is content is king for marketers in this new distributed web. Getting attention in the attention economy is done through content. And it’s viral!
• Directories- Directories play a great role in organizing the distributed web and are important for your website marketing plan. Don’t forget the vertical market directories that are targeted for your market.
• Partners- Find partners to promote your business, who are in related markets, have a valuable list of potential buyers. Social media can help here because you can meet more potential partners when you are involved in the online communities.

Offline channels are also effective and should be tested as well. For best results, offline and online channels should work together. Drive target customers from offline media like TV, Radio or print to your online owned media like your website, Facebook Fan page and other places around the web. Use your “link bait” as the reason for them to go there. Also, take your online conversations and relationships offline via phone meeting, seminar or conferences to bring your relationship to another level.

Anything I missed? What works for your business…

Major Trends For Small Business Marketing In 2010

Small business owners are getting ready to take Internet marketing to the next level as they see the economy starting to turn.

According to an Ad-ology Research study, small business owners are planning to engage customers in new ways in 2010. Armed with web 2.0 and social media marketing applications, they are looking to find ways to break through the clutter of the marketplace and generate leads and sales.

In this study, 28% of small business respondents say they will spend at least the same or more on online video, an increase of 75% over last year’s plan. Social media wins big with 25% saying they will commit more resources to social media; and 21% say the same for mobile advertising.

Outlook Improving

Well over half of small business owners (57%) say sales in 2009 were equal to or higher than sales in 2008, down from 60% who said the same last year. Looking ahead to 2010, 86% expect sales to be equal to or higher than 2009 figures, up from 83% last year.

More important, concerns about the economy have eased since last year: 22% say they are fearful about the economy, compared with 25% last year; 48% say they are concerned about the economy, compared with 58% last year; 17% say they are “cautiously optimistic.”

Internet Marketing

Small businesses have lot’s of room to grow in their Internet marketing strategies and use. The good news is they see light at the end of the recession tunnel and are looking to grow their businesses. Online marketing is seen as a key new opporutnity.

Nearly one-half of small businesses (46%) say they do not currently have an active company website. Of those with active sites, the primary functions are to inform customers about products/services, provide general information, and offer special promotions. Many small businesses really have not integrated Internet marketing into a comprehensive interactive marketing platform….yet! In our view, winners over the next year will gain a huge economic advantage by using the social web to bring down average costs per lead.

The survey results also indicate email marketing and business websites remain the most popular online marketing tools for small business owners.

In 2010, many small businesses plan to spend the same or more on the following online activities:

• 57% on email programs to current clients.
• 57% developing a company website.
• 55% on email programs to potential clients.

Here’s a chart reflecting plans to spend more or less (time or money) on online marketing in 2010.

Interest In Social Media Marketing For 2010 Is High

Plans for incorporating social media and web 2.0 marketing strategies into the mix show a notable increase over last year.  In the survey, 28% say they will spend more or about the same time or money on online video in 2010, an increase of 12 percentage points from last year, and 21% say the same for mobile advertising, up 10 points from the previous year.

But…Small businesses are confused about how and why to use it!

Overall interest in using social media in 2010 is nearly the same as in 2009, as 58% agree that social media is a good way to both increase business and know what people are saying about a business. However, some 46% say they wish they knew more about social media, and 27% think only young people use social media.

Small business leaders say Facebook and LinkedIn are more effective than other sites. We note this could be self fulfilling if they do not know the other local or vertical market social sites that are available or how to use the larger ones properly. Among those who say social media is “very or somewhat beneficial” to business:

• 33% say Facebook is more effective than others.
• 21% say LinkedIn is.
• 19% say Twitter.
• 17% say MySpace.
• 15% say YouTube.

As the chart below reflects, among small business owners who use social networking, the top benefits cited include generating leads (50%), keeping up with the industry (45%), and monitoring online conversations (44%).

Overall, this study reinforces the momentum behind social media marketing for small business. But also points out the confusion and complexity that small businesses face implementing new media marketing programs.

What do you think? Does this sound right?

Creating Content That Breaks-Through: Three Questions For Killer Content

Content is king in the distributed web. We use it to attract our ideal customer and get them to “convert” to a lead or sale. We call this new paradigm “content marketing”. The content we create becomes “link bait” to attract target customers. We promote that link bait across the distributed web in forums, blogs, Web 2.0 sites like Facebook, Squidoo, Hub Pages, You Tube…it’s endless and free. Done right, content marketing becomes a huge economic advantage for your business.

Just to be clear, content can take many forms; whitepapers, ebooks, video’s, mini courses, blog posts, articles, podcasts, Internet radio shows. The key is using a media vehicle that your target customers want, and providing great content that builds your reputation, authority and brand.

Creating great content is not easy. But anyone can do it if you ask yourself some simple questions before you begin:

1. What are the most burning questions your target customers have relative to buying products and services in your market and what is the unique information and/or personality (voice) that will compel target customers to read it?

• Use surveys, listen in forums and blogs, ask questions in Yahoo and LinkedIn Answers…the key is spend time upfront to understand your customer and the questions they have.
• Identify what your competitors are using for content (Link Bait) and find a way to make your approach unique, have a voice. Sometimes you can find ideas or a positioning that will give your businesses a strategic advantage.
• Do your keyword research and make sure you thread targeted keywords throughout your content, landing pages and all your headlines and copy.

2.  What medium will be best for your content?

• First, who is your target customer and what medium do they use the most right now? For example, video is a great tool. Particularly for mini courses and such, but many executives feel uncomfortable using video in an office situation because of the noise…especially in cubicles. Look at what competitors are using and try to identify how long their campaign has been running. Are they successful.  Sometimes using a new medium can set you apart, but make sure it is something your customers will want to consume.
• Second, what do you or your business colleagues feel most comfortable producing right now? Good intentions alone will not get you great content. This needs to become a regular part of your workflow.  Eventually you can try everything, but to get started, just find something right now that you are comfortable producing and go for it. Get help by outsourcing writing and design.

3.  How will you go about marketing your content?

• Join discussions in forums and blogs and when appropriate, let people know about your content by putting in a link. Use trackbacks (if you don’t know what this is Google it) to promote related blogs that have an established audience and people will find your blog and content easier. Warning, you need to be an established member of a community before you start to do this or you are simply a spammer.
• Include links in your email signature and other online and offline promotional materials. Chances are you and your team send out hundreds of emails and other promotions per week. Make sure you take advantage of this free exposure.
• Promote your content on your Web 2.0 pages like Facebook, Twitter and others.
• Sometimes you will use content to bring your customers down the purchase funnel. Once you have a name and email, implement a series of Autoresponders and integrate your content into them to keep prospects interested and convert them to buyers
• Use PPC and other forms of paid promotion. If you start to understand the value of each new customer, you know how much you can pay to get someone to sign up for your “link bait”.

Having great content is the key to marketing success in the distributed, social web. Sonia Simone has a great post on content development over at Copyblogger. She has some great advise including the key point made here, you need a plan before you begin.

Get going by answering these questions and you can be confident that you will be aiming in the right direction.

What works for your business or clients?

Don’t Fake It…Is Your Brand Authentic?

Have you ever tried to find a restaurant that your family can stop in quickly while you are on the road in an unfamiliar place.  You start looking for places along the side of the road, and make split second decisions about where you will eat…what brand you will buy!

Last weekend while on the road with my family we did this, and it struck me how we were making these decisions.  In this case, we were thinking about two different Italian places. One was a chain and the other was a family owned restaurant. The chain seemed to be a well organized, nice looking store but it felt sterile, not very warm or inviting. Even more important, we did not see many cars in the parking lot. We got the impression that the chain was going to have “fake” Italian food. In contrast, the other Italian restaurant was smaller, but something felt “authentic” about the look and feel.  Not very polished like the other restaurant, but it was inviting. Even better, a TON of cars in the parking lot…we had to wait for a seat.

Not all chains are bad and not all family owned restaurants are good.  That is not the point here. Being true to what you are, and making that contagious among your best customers and prospects is the difference between an average business and one that needs “extra parking”. McDonald’s does not sell on the fact it has the best burgers in town or most comfortable environment. But if you have kids, and you are looking for a quick, no hassle place to get a meal everyone will like, who does not absolutely love it when you see those golden arches in the windshield?

This principle of authenticity is going to become even more important in the emerging digital era of social media marketing. The opportunity is to energize the social graph with what your product or service is about. The net effect is brand buying decisions like we see in the analog world (discussed above) are happening real time in the digital word now. How do you make sure your business marketing reflect your brand or service in an authentic way? Here are some ideas:

1. Don’t let others define your brand, be active. If you make adjustments because of competitive issues or customer insights, make sure they become core touchstones in every facet of your business. We have a strategy document that among other things outlines specific touchstones for communication. Anyone in the company (or outside contractors) has access and uses it as a guiding principle for creating any touch-points with customers or prospects.
2. Explore various ways to communicate your brand authenticity and measure reaction. You want to get people talking, sharing and engaging with your brand. The great thing about the social web is it costs virtually nothing to participate. You can try approaches in fairly quick cycles and get feedback. In the analog world, you have to build a store and it is very hard to change it once it’s done.  Not so in the digital world. Use this to your advantage.
3. Participate! I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago about how I think blogging makes me a much better business person.  It clarifies my thinking and gets me in the conversation with my customers. Also, participating in forums and other blogs plugs me into the top of mind issues that my customers and partners are taking about, and allows me to make adjustments if I am not talking to those issues.

The big reason why you want to be authentic…it will differentiate your brand. The worst thing you can do is blend in and be like everyone else. That chain Italian restaurant probably suffered from this more than any other issue. I did not see a reason to go!

Every business and every person has a unique, interesting personality that people will want to engage in if you let it out. Are you?

5 eMail Marketing Guidelines To Unlock New Revenue From Your List

Let’s face it, the effectiveness of  email marketing can make or break your business profits.  You’ve spent the time and treasure building your list of customers and prospects. This is your biggest asset. But unless you are able to effectively tap into your list and regularly active new revenue, all that effort is lost.

The name of the game in this new marketing normal is lowering cost per lead and increasing the lifetime value (revenue) of your customer and prospect base. If accomplished, you will have more profits than your competitors and be able to dominate your market.

Here are 5 key email marketing guidelines to make sure you are maximizing the opportunity:

1. Keep the attention on your subject line. Make sure you have a “remarkable” subject line that causes your prospect to open the email and then deliver on the subject line quickly in the body of the email.
2. Create a cohesive mix of promotional and informational copy to maintain your readers interest.  If you are only selling, readers will loose interest quickly, and worse, not open your emails in the future.
3. Engage your readers. You have a good deal of information about where your prospects are in the buying cycle. Hopefully you segmented your readers into different lists so you understand their emotional and product needs very well. Tap into their emotional state, let them know you understand what they need and service that need.
4. State your call to action clearly. Be direct and lead your prospect to the next action…they will follow you if you are clear and appear to be motivated to help them solve a problem.
5. Take on the role of your reader.  Step into the dialogue going on in your customers head and understand, and anticipate, what their needs are (emotional and physical).  This will also help you figure out the right sequence of products and services to offer over time as you continue your relationship with them.

Make sure you are measuring everything so you can fine tune your email marketing campaigns over time. The biggest thing, just do it.  I cannot tell you how many businesses I have worked with have large lists and do nothing with them.  Many have the sophisticated autoresponder capabilities but treat email marketing as an afterthought.

Don’t make that mistake. It will cost you market domination!

Internet Marketing For Small Business: Don’t be left behind using traditional marketing and sales methods that are no longer working

Attention Small Businesses: The old way of doing marketing doesn’t work anymore. Still relying on ‘advertising’? You’re sunk – unless you learn the new way of reaching your market.

Imagine a 28 year old starts a business competing in your market. You spent years building a brand and reputation in your community. One day, you realize it is all taken away by this person who became an “authority” overnight. This is going to play out with businesses all across the country over the next few years. So what can you do to stay relevant?

Some business marketing tips just aren’t all that successful anymore. What worked for Internet Marketing for small business a few years ago is not necessarily what is going to pull in the customers and the profits in today’s social media-dominated environment. In order to stay in tune with your niche and prospective customers, it is important remain current with your efforts—from marketing communications to brand strategies. Rather than allowing your competition to pass you by, you can update your marketing strategy and keep your business relevant.

The new, effective marketing for small business is a shift in focus from “advertising” to “engaging.” What this means is that you are getting in the middle of discussions that are happening on the social web, building relationships and attracting customers—not because you have the best ad, but because you are offering valuable information to these conversations.

You may hear reference to the “distributed web.” This is related to the fact that people are going to search engines like Google and Yahoo and even YouTube to find solutions to their problems. As customers become savvier, they are beginning to see banner ads and other forms of advertising as gimmicky and even scammy.

In fact, consumer studies show that 78 percent of customers value peer recommendations versus a small 14 percent who trust advertisements. A move away from this type of marketing to a more social method is your ticket to staying relevant and competing with the big dogs in your niche.

Because of this change in the online environment, you will see greater results for your small business if you focus on meeting these customers where they are. Utilizing content distribution and affiliate marketing are two simple and relatively easy ways to connect with your ideal customers and convert them into buyers.

How content distribution works

Content distribution is creating keyword-rich articles, audios and/or videos to provide quality content for customers and then distributing around the web in key places where your customers will be seeking information. The reason for the key-rich content is because search engine spiders are crawling around the web trying to find content that contains certain keywords.

You can find the best keywords for your business by utilizing free web tools, such as Google’s Keyword Tool, finding out what keywords your competitors are targeting and what your customers are plugging into the search engines. Once you have a keyword and phrase list, you place them into your titles, headings, tags and content and distribute them to a number of free article directories online. This is how you become a search engine spider magnet.

The search engines will find your content, place it into the search engine results, and the customers will eat-up the quality info you provide. Once you have established yourself as someone who knows your topic, the customers will then come to your business when they need a solution to a problem.

How to utilize affiliate marketing

What if you had dozens of people who knew your business and wanted to share it with others? This is basically every small business owners dream. Affiliate marketing can make it happen. Marketing 101 tells us that word of mouth is the number one best marketing method, and affiliate marketing is where it’s at.

Because people are more likely to trust recommendations over advertising, affiliate marketing is becoming one of the most effective methods for pulling in customers. The typical affiliate marketing program is based on the business owner paying affiliates who refer a paying customer to the business. Rather than having to pay people up-front for marketing on your behalf, you only pay when the customer makes a purchase. This is ideal for small business owners who typically do not have a lot of money to invest in marketing.

To ensure you have quality affiliates who will spread your message as effectively as possible, you can offer trainings and reports to keep them connected with your business. Furthermore, by doing this, you are creating loyalty and trust with your affiliates who will in turn do a better job marketing for you.

Is it possible to have free internet marketing? With content distribution and affiliate marketing it is. Thanks to a plethora of no-cost article directories at your fingertips and affiliates you only pay once you’ve made a sale, you can create a free internet marketing strategy that works.

Chris Marentis is a serial entrepreneur and recognized Internet Marketing expert having served as SVP at AOL and CEO of Clearspring Technologies. For more information on Internet Marketing, go to http://www.surefiresocial.com today.