Creating engaging content, managing social media accounts, optimizing pages for better conversions, keeping email subscribers, and using Google AdWords more effectively are just a few of this week’s topics aimed at helping you build your local business online.
“Content Marketing Blueprint” Website Magazine, February 2, 2014
The secret to content marketing isn’t just appealing to your prospective and current customers’ immediate needs but also to their “aspirational lifestyles.” While the author illustrates this point by using the Michelin Guide, the strategies can be applied to small-and-medium size local businesses. Knowing your sales cycle; creating and distributing content correctly within the sales cycle; and knowing what to measure are all part of the content marketing blueprint.
“The 4 A’s of Killer Conversions” by Larry Marine, Conversion Conference Blog, February 12, 2014
Your website needs to convince buyers that they are at the right place to spend their money or gain information. To increase conversion rates, guide your visitors through the four keys to conversion: Awareness, Attention, Attraction, and Action. Learn how to use transition triggers to meet your visitors’ expectations and get them to take action. One piece of advice I liked especially included organizing your solutions as desired outcomes for their “Points of Pain.” You’ll take another look at your website after reading this article.
“The Landing Page Optimization Guide You Wish You’ve Always Had” by Tommy Walker, ConversionXL, January 31, 2014
This article is a comprehensive guide to help you increase your conversion rates (visitors taking desired actions) — worthy of bookmarking for future reference. Eleven steps are included, each with recommended reading and include crafting a clear and compelling value proposition, establishing and measuring goals, choosing images, and whether or not to do a video and what to include and leave out if you do. Examples are used and this guide is written for those just getting started as well as those who need to improve and enhance their current conversion efforts. Local businesses can definitely benefit from this guide.
“11 Things to Ask Your Clients for Content Ideation” by Melissa Fach, CopyPressed, February 12, 2014
“Questions for your Customers and Prospects” would be a more exact title. The answers might not only surprise you, but also give you ways to improve your message and create additional content. Understanding your targeted customer is key and by asking them about your business, website, and service, you gain valuable information that not only helps you serve them better, but will help you reach even more people.
“14 Powerful Social-Media Sharing Strategies You Aren’t Using” by Courtney Seite and Jeff Haden, Inc., February 11, 2014
What, when, and how to share on social media, these tactics and strategies can be implemented with a bit of practice and experimentation by businesses of any size. By using some of these tips, you’ll find yourself saying, “that makes sense.”
“9 Steps to More Pinnable Pinterest Pins for Your Business” by Julia Campbell, Maximize Social Business, January 29, 2014
Pinterest continues to drive traffic to websites, especially if your business is visual, such as selling products. For local businesses, keeping up with the best practices on each social media platform can be overwhelming but these strategies are doable and fairly easy to implement. Information includes sizing, using text overlays, and adding URLs.
“Google+ Pages for Local: An SMB Survival Guide” by Mike Blumenthal, LocalU, January 28, 2014
Many local businesses don’t have the time to develop and actively engage on their Google+ page. But Google is showing the local company’s Google+ page prominently in many of the search results. What’s a local business to do? By following this two-step approach, you can provide a good customer experience to visitors who come from Google, direct people to your website and then you can decide if you have the resources to continue developing this social platform.
“Yelp Supersizes Its Local Profiles, Makes Them Less Busy” by Greg Sterling, Search Engine Land, February 11, 2014
If you haven’t updated your Yelp local business profile, especially the images, now is the time to do so. Yelp has changed the user interface to emphasize pictures, featured user reviews and local content such as hours and a map. Also, Yelp states that 59 percent of its searches come from mobile devices, so it may be a good time to make sure your site is mobile-friendly too.
“Tools and Tips to Help Marketers Inspire and Engage on Instagram” Instagram for Business, February 2014
Instagram for Business hopes to get more businesses to engage with their customers by publishing the first in a series of blog posts showcasing eleven brands’ creative work and tips for marketers, including: be true to your brand, share experiences, finding beauty everywhere, inspiring action, and knowing your audience. Seeing these examples may inspire you on ways to promote your local business.
“Nine Valuable Marketing Lessons From a Nonprofit – Charitywater.org” by Chloe Gray, Kissmetrics Blog, December 2013
Local charities often have the smallest budgets and no time to do online marketing even though they know the value it can provide. This case study, following Charitywater.org’s marketing efforts, provides some insight into what works. Most local charities won’t have their resources, but the ideas and strategies may be adaptable to your charity – learning donor’s “pain points’ and tying them into the value proposition, developing charity advocates and evangelists, partnerships, and storytelling.
“20 Tools To Stop The Social Media Timesuck” by Courtney Seiter, Marketing Land, February 5, 2014
Does social media take up too much of your time? Twenty tools are offered in this article for finding great content, keeping up with ideas, filtering out the less useful resources, posting and scheduling, monitoring your brand, reporting results and guarding your time – complete with timer and productivity dashboard.
“The Best Sites for Free, Royalty-Free Music for Your Videos [Creators Tip #127]“ by Tim Schmoyer, ReelSEO, January 30, 2014
Four resources are provided for obtaining music that is both free in cost, free from any copyright issues, and can for use in your company’s videos. Music can add the right touch to a video and creates emotion. Just make sure it doesn’t distract from your message.
“8 Ways to Keep Your Email Engagement Alive and Lucrative” by Peep Laja, Conversion XL, February 13, 2013
Want to improve your email engagement and not lose subscribers? The first 30 days is critical, but these strategies will help you beyond that time frame. Tips include simplifying your email messaging, mobile viewing, sending emails based on recipient’s actions, instant gratification by sending an email upon sign-up, and separating work from personal emails.
“Ten Steps to Audit Any Pay Per Click Account” by Rocco Baldassarre, Search Engine Journal, January 30, 2014
If you are a business doing Google AdWords, you should read this article to find ways you to improve your conversions and save money. The article is simple to understand and covers topics such as using a period in your first line description, location targeting and advertising extensions. These audit tips aren’t just a one-time only checkup, but should be done regularly.
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