Social Media is for Local Business

February 27, 2010/in Business Strategies, Social Media/by Chrissanne

What in the world is Social Media?

Let’s face it, people really want to be listened to. Social Media allows everyone to share experiences they want to talk about so that others can benefit from their experience. They may want to help others prevent something from happening to them, or share the wealth, so more people can have positive experiences too. Paying it forward is really not just for selfless people. We all have that instinct!

The wise man learns from others’ mistakes is an old adage that fits well here. Because human beings want to avoid making mistakes, we usually do whatever we can to prevent them. The Internet and the arrival of Social Media have created an amazing dialogue for people who like to get ahead. We are no longer limited to mom’s recipe book, the yellow pages or direct mailers for our holiday shopping ideas.

We can access virtually anything, as long as we know what we are looking for! From where I sit, in my home, within my community, I cannot learn much about what is happening in other cities, states, or countries. Media is limited and often skewed and overdone. Who wasn’t tired of the media hounds when Michael Jackson died? Does anyone really need to see Tiger Woods that much to understand that he has made a huge error in judgment?

However, since the Wiki made user-generated content the most popular and (shockingly reliable) source for data, I can turn off the television and find information that I am interested in. I can find consumer advice for almost anything! The greatest thing about social media is that it provides and encourages people to use their experiences to guide others. Mother and Fathers can actually share their advice and find an audience that listens!

What does this mean for Small Businesses?

Well, it means that your customers are looking. They are seeking the best service, top quality products, honest salespeople and positive experiences. They are looking for convenience too. However, while they are looking for shortcuts, if they are given the opportunity to buy locally, they almost always will. Our economy has made things difficult, but consumers still want to support the local economy! However, not when they have to spend more time, money and resources to get it. That is why huge corporations like Amazon and Target are still flourishing in spite of our economic crisis!

Now is the time for Local Businesses to take action!

If the local business is positioned where their customers can find them, they will build business relationships and return customers. If there has ever been a time to learn how to be the business of choice for your customers, that time is now! Social Media is the vehicle to take any business to the top of their local competitive market. It just takes optimization of your existing web site and a marketing plan that meets today’s new model of consumer. It’s really a very simple process! There are customers waiting!

Marketing in Lakeland, FL

February 22, 2010/in Business Strategies/by Chrissanne

Internet Marketing Strategies for Businesses in Lakeland, FL

It is no longer up for debate, in order to run a successful business you will need to be able to market your local business strategically. According to various research groups, marketing local business can potentially increase your revenue by 30%. This is especially salient in hard economic times. During these times, many local businesses in Lakeland, FL can no longer just rely on word-of-mouth referrals. They need to take advantage of every business opportunity they can. Your marketing plan will need to include not only the traditional marketing methodology. You will also need to make sure your marketing plan includes a percentage of Internet marketing. A strong marketing plan will generate new business that will sustain your business for years to come.

With the advancement in technology, Internet marketing has become a focal point for many local businesses in Lakeland, FL. Businesses today are using the Internet to place their message in front of some of the most qualified prospective customers. There are many formats for marketing local business online. Integrating several different Internet marketing techniques is cost efficient for local businesses. Some of the more successful Internet marketing techniques being implemented by small businesses are:

Articles and blogs
Press releases
Social networking sites
Videos
Podcast
Web 2.0 websites
Online Yellow Pages

Each of these formats will target consumers who use “local search” phraseology. What this means, is when a consumer is looking for your particular product or service, they will enter certain phrases into a search engine. By targeting these local searches, your website will be included as one of the top ranking websites. The higher you are ranked on a search engine, the more prospective customers will come to your website. The more traffic your website generates, the more opportunities you have to sell your product or service. These prospective customers will be those individuals that are ready to purchase your product.

The cost effectiveness of marketing local business online will increase your sales and profitability while lowering your overall marketing budget. In today’s economically stressed environment, being able to reduce your cost, while increasing your business is imperative. A byproduct of marketing your local business online is being able to expand your selling territory. You will now be able to sell your product to customers worldwide versus customers within a 10 mile radius. This is brought a new business frontier to several small businesses in Lakeland and throughout the world.

Chrissanne Long is a Media and Marketing Consultant

at Marketing System Blueprints

SEO on all Search Engines for Best Results

February 7, 2010/in Business Strategies, Search Engine Optimization/by Chrissanne

Don’t debate which search engine you like the most, use them all for best results.

When conducting research on appropriate keywords for one of our clients, it occurred to me that as SEO experts, its imperative that we see the project from every angle. This means looking at the company we are promoting from Google, Bing and Yahoo!’s perspective. Not just the most popular, Google.

First and foremost, we have to get out of our own heads and into the minds of the people that we are hoping will find us. We need to be asking the question, “What would I be looking for if I was trying to find me?” In regular conversation, that would be a nonsensical question. However, the fact is that I already know how to find me. It does not matter what I like, or how I prefer to search! What really matters is what my clients’ potential customers are thinking and how they prefer to search! Getting into discussions about the best keywords can be difficult because everyone has their own opinions! However the results don’t lie. That is where we need to be focusing. And not just on the keywords that I like, but the keywords that get results, on all of the different search engines!

Consider who is using Google, but keep in mind that people do use Bing and Yahoo! too. If you limit your search to just Google, you may be sending the Search Engine “gods” a message that says you don’t want any customers or clients that use Bing or Yahoo! Now, I know that is a bit silly, but in reality, you relly should be focusing on the entire market. I prefer Google. But that is really not important. Yes, there are a lot of people who agree, as the research shows, but there are still plenty of people using other search engines. The beauty is that everyone is focusing on Google! That means SEO campaigns are spending hours trying to figure out Google’s current algorithm. I won’t stop doing that, but I will start planting my SEO campaign seeds a lot more diligently in the less competitive markets of Yahoo! And Bing.

In SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible, Jerri Ledford states, “Every now and then you need to step away from the crowd and stop doing what everyone else is doing. In SEO, stepping out is usually rewarded with better traffic results. Everyone is doing the same thing. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. What it means is that you should do the same thing in a different way…”

The bottom line is that in order to be successful in any SEO campaign, the focus needs to be on the people that are searching for you. Forget your personal preferences and consider the many different ways people might find you… or look at it this way… why aren’t they finding you? Are you promoting your business everywhere people are looking? If not, you should be!

Here’s a great tool to get you started. http://www.bing-vs-google.com It gives you two search engines in one. Now you can see the results Bing is providing, and begin to focus on attracting that market to your website too!