If you keep seeing a name, it starts to sink into your memory. This is basically the same strategy to increase your search engine optimization (SEO). To maximize this effort, you want to spread your company’s name on as many useful websites as possible whether it be a social networking site or maybe a search engine.
Having your company be active on different sites. This will increase the average user’s knowledge of your company. Here are some ways to do this. Use blogs and free social networking websites to post articles about your company. --Make comments on other blogs or social pages. --Aside from posting articles, you should try to leave comments on other sites – especially ones that have similar interests to your company. What can happen? Users will check out your company’s profile on the social networking site and your webpage. Make it meaningful or it may get deleted. Wikipedia: get your company on it. --When something comes up on Wikipedia, people assume that it is credible. It is after all the modern enclyopedia. But getting on it can be a challenge. It usually requires a Wikipedia-approved writer. Also, some people do not know that it should come from someone other than at your company and should be newsworthy. Another plus to Wikipedia is that it feeds directly into Facebook and that means more chances that people will connect to your company. Wikipedia entries often show up at the top of search results. Sell your product on multiple websites. --Aside from selling your service or product on your own website, why not try Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon.com? By putting your product on these types of sites, you can increase the links back to your site and increase your SEO for organic search. So, just like commercials, the more information about your company available to internet users, the better it is for business. Of course, the information can’t be a jingle; instead it needs to be helpful information on history and service. By doing this, you will increase awareness of your company and reach a wider pool of potential clients.
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If you thought direct mail advertising was dead, think again. A survey by Constant Contact and HubSpot reveals that 47% of businesses still promote events through direct mail. The same survey reveals that 76% of businesses promote events through e-mail and 40% do so through social media.
These numbers are not really surprising, but they are telling. E-mail marketing has become a staple of online promotions. Companies not currently using e-mail marketing for event promotion, or any kind of promotion, are missing great opportunities. Social media is still a little bit complex. While Facebook is the most trafficked website online, not everyone is using it - particularly in Adams County, Pa. I say use the media that are better suited toward your audience. If you have a product or service that appeals to a younger audience - say, the under-30 crowd - even in Adams County, then you might try promoting it through social media. E-mail promotions will work on any audience. Older people, those above the 50-year-old mark, will probably respond better to direct mailings. Of course, the most savvy marketers will use all the channels at their disposal. The remember the Rule of 7. Your prospects will have to see your offer 7 times before they respond. If they see it in all available channels, including e-mail, direct mail, and social media, then you'll be a thousand times more effective. These are changeable times for Facebook! Lot's of updates and new features currently happening, but adding 'subscriptions' is a biggie!
You can now subscribe to people who previously may have not accepted you as a friend or have reached the 5000 friend limit and you can get their updates in your newsfeed! This is very exciting for people who want to use Facebook primarily for business, but not as exciting for those who really want to keep their personal profile personal. The good news, for some, is that you have the option whether to turn it on, or leave it off! I've attached a video below. Jo Barnes at The Social Networking Academy, explains this new option brilliantly. Or, you can click here to learn more info, directly from Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/about/subscribe All Facebook has an interesting article about marketing on Facebook. They share 5 ways to fail at the largest social network ever. Here's what they say:
If we were to flip these points around, then you could say the way to succeed at marketing on Facebook is to understand your audience, be creative, track your efforts, build relationships, and hire the experts. That isn't so hard if you think about it. You should attempt to understand your audience as a first step to marketing, period. Whether you intend to market your products online, through social media, or in traditional ways, understanding your audience is a key component. And, of course, marketing is all about imagination. All successful marketers are creative. And they also track their results. These are two essential ingredients to any marketing plan. Social media marketing is building relationships. If you don't focus on the most basic fundamentals, then why bother? Finally, hiring an expert in social media means that you get to tap into the wealth of knowledge their experience has gained. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Do what has been proven, hire the best, and put your nose to the grindstone. Internet marketing is a lot simpler than many small business owners make it. In fact, it's so simple that I'm about to give you a 3-part recipe that will almost ensure your success as long as you don't do anything superstar athlete level stupid.
What is the recipe? Here it is in all its simplicity:
This is a real simple recipe that anyone can follow. You don't have to be a genius to succeed online. You just have to follow the 3-part recipe. Should Adams County business owners use social media? You've probably heard of sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. But maybe you think they are just hangouts for frustrated teenagers and stay-at-home moms. Not true. You can also use them for business.
Here are 4 good reasons to use social media to spread the word about your small business in Adams County, Pa.
Social media is the wave of the future. It's the way the Web is moving and before you know, if you don't have a social media presence, you will be lost like a canoe without a paddle. Here in Adams County, there are still small business owners who think that Internet marketing doesn't apply to them. But there are a growing number of small business owners who are taking an interest in online marketing. And they're starting to ask questions.
Which is more important - blogs, e-mail marketing, or social media? That's a good question, but the answer isn't so simple. All three have their places and to what degree you engage through each channel depends on your own marketing goals, the type of business you own, and where your audience is. In many cases, a good mix of all three is the best approach. E-mail marketing is a mainstay of online marketing. It was an early channel and is still strong. I highly recommend an e-mail strategy for most businesses - especially retail businesses. Blogs are good marketing tools for a number of reasons. First, the search engine optimization benefits are incredible. Secondly, there are the huge branding opportunities available for serious business bloggers. Then there are the social benefits involved in having a blog that is highly trafficked and elicits a lot of direct reader feedback. Finally, social media is good for building relationships and driving traffic back to your own Web properties. Which of these tools is right for you? Maybe we should talk about it. Give me a call and I'll consult with you on a strategy that makes sense for your business. Facebook has turned out to be a phenomenon of sorts. With an incredible size of 300+ million active users, Facebook is one of the epicentres of social networking. You probably know that and already have a Facebook profile to keep in touch with friends and family. What about your business, then? Have you tried your hand at Facebook yet to boost up your business? If you own a small business or are planning to start one soon, a Facebook Page is the perfect springboard to make your business known to the abounding millions. How to go about it? Keep reading! A Facebook Page is fundamentally different from your Facebook Profile. Your business needs a fan page that tells the audience about the company, its latest ventures, web and contact info, blog posts, Twitter updates, press releases, and much more. The major advantage of such a page is that you already have a huge audience base ready; you just have to post something that attracts them. Additionally, it’s possible for even a novice to maintain their Facebook page, whereas a personal webpage requires a bit of expertise. Crawford Designs can establish your facebook business page, and show you how to easily update it. Remember that Google Search gives a lot of respect to Facebook profiles and business pages; so the more details that are entered for your business, the better. We won’t forget to include company logos, RSS blog feeds and relevant multimedia. Promote your page. Create a list of profiles or business connections that might benefit from your company and send them invites to join you. Remember that they are looking for benefits from the association; so tell them what exactly is in there for them. We also spread the word about your Facebook Page (with the link) on Twitter, your blogs, through email notifications, business cards, and so on. Make it interesting. None likes business all the time; post crazy stuff and lure the Facebook audience into reaching out to you. Post polls such as “How can we improve?” or “What’s your favorite?” Let them know that you want to keep it fresh and exciting. Keep evolving. Your Facebook fans need their dose of the new and the amazing from you every now and then to retain their interest in you. Dedicate a few hours of your busy schedule in updating your page. Trust us; it’ll pay you rich dividends. Contact us today and we'll show you how to get your business page started! Think Again Before Deciding to Build Your Own Website... Many existing businesses have started offering free web-building tools. Sounds great, right? Such tools enable you to build your website and go online within a short time. Although you might think this is a brilliant service, it isn’t. You will find that the tools offered by such sites are simple enough to understand and use. However, most of them are not as useful as they promise to be. Some of the tools exclude most of the important aspects related to good website design, such as an artistic approach, sense of aesthetics, and use of SEO keywords and metatags. Most websites that offer such services are full of ambiguity and lack any focal point or strong message. As you must have observed, colors and fonts are crucial to the fate of a website. A proper combination of colors and artistically selected typestyles and design convey subconscious messages to visitors and prompt them to remain on the site till they have seen it all and more significantly, to return. Some color schemes when used in combination with certain fonts convey the messages of reliability and trust. Most tools that such sites offer are very generic and part of basic templates, which say nothing about your business. Some sites even put default advertising on your website, which is similar to wearing a tattoo you know nothing about. Another important aspect is the layout. The manner in which all elements within a webpage are put together and function evokes a subconscious response from the visitor. We have all landed upon websites that don’t ‘seem right’, and have therefore abandoned the idea of doing business with them. Web marketing and conveyance of messages are considered carefully by professional web designers. To-the-point yet unambiguous content and well-coordinated elements on a page attract visitor’s attention. Search Engine Optimization is a crucial factor in turning your web business into a success. This professional touch, that differentiates your website from other sites in terms of search rankings, is a field of expertise for professional website designers. Let the professionals construct your website. Such designers are generally quite affordable and the product they generate is worth every cent spent on it in terms of value addition to business. The first impression is always the last impression, and you need to make sure that your client returns to your site after the first visit. A really good impression may even prompt social sharing, and your visitors will tell a friend or two about you. If you are looking for a few personal pages, choose a free blog rather than a website. Unlike blogs, websites require rigorous HTML formatting, which is entirely the professional web designer’s field of expertise. So, think again before you decide and choose a professional designer to build your site, just as you would prefer hiring a contractor rather than taking on the task of building your own home. What exactly is a landing page? A landing page, sometimes known as a lead capture page, is a site page that appears in response to clicking on an advertisement or link. The landing page will usually display specific sales content that is a logical extension of the advertisement or link. Landing pages are often linked to from social media sites such as facebook, twitter, and linked in, or an email campaign or search engine marketing campaigns (such as google Adwords) in order to enhance the effectiveness of the advertisements. Why Use Landing Pages? The ultimate objective of all the online marketing activities like PPC campaigns, banner ads, SEO and the like is to bring potential customers to your site. Regardless of the source, once visitors reach your landing page, it has to be effective enough to compel them to take the desired action. Apart from the content, the design and the overall look of your landing page plays a crucial role in its effectiveness. Good design keeps audience interested and leads them step by step in towards the desired action. It is best to get your landing pages designed by a professional. Here are some useful tips to help you develop the ultimate landing page. Be sure to contact your local website design firm, to help you launch your landing page and website. Four Tips for the Ultimate Landing Page:
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