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Think Local, Go Global For Internet Marketing

September 30, 2008 Leave a Comment

by Tracy Needham

Whether your customers are local, national or even international–you should be taking advantage of local search and other local internet marketing tactics to land more clients and boost your sales. Here’s why:

Phone Books are a Dying Medium. A recent study by the Kelsey Group found that more than 90% of people looking to buy products or services from a local business start their search on the internet. Surprised the number’s so high? Think about it…

  • People usually look during business hours–would you traipse around the office to find a phone book, or use the computer sitting right in front of you?
  • Websites and even online directory listings often provide more key information than a phone book ad–such as business hours, brands carried, services performed, location, and even price information. So you don’t have to make a ton of calls or drive all over to find what you want.
  • Some shoppers (including me!) would never call a service firm without checking ratings sites like Angie’s List or at least checking the firm’s website to make sure they look legit. And it’s just smart shopping to check ratings and compare prices online when we’ve got a purchase to make.

Google loves local. In fact, local internet marketing can be a search engine magnet. Of course, traffic from local searches means higher Google rankings overall–which in turn brings in more of all types of traffic.

  • The “Google Maps 10 Pack” of companies is usually the top item under the paid listings on the results page when you search for a business. Ten businesses with one line listings are shown plotted on a map, but each one links back to more information in the Google local business directory.
  • The computer’s IP address tells Google where each searcher is located, so the first results below the Maps 10 Pack are businesses that include local references in their keywords.
  • A number of other local business directories exist, all of which provide links back to your website, further boosting your traffic and overall ranking with the search engines.

Local can be less expensive. Just as it’s cheaper to advertise in local rather than national publications, adding geographic modifiers to your pay-per-click search terms can greatly reduce the price you’re paying for each click. For example, “financial planner Raleigh” will cost much less than “financial planner” because there’s obviously much less competition for the local phrase.
 
Local doesn’t have to mean YOUR locale. If you do a lot of business in other cities–or research shows they’re good markets for you–you can also include local references for those areas in your keywords or pay-per-click advertising. This allows you to target key geographic markets for much less than the cost of a national pay-per-click campaign.
 
The good thing about these tactics is that many are free or low-cost and easy to implement. In fact, aside from pay-per-click advertising, the others are set up once and then you’re done. So listen to the recording from last week’s teleseminar for more details–and information on a free special report on this topic–later this week!

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Is Social Media Just an Internet Marketing Fad?

September 29, 2008 5 Comments

I’ve heard this question several times recently and it reminds me of my graduate school final project, which I wrote about PR and marketing in the microbrew industry. (Yes, it was fun and yes, I did do a lot of on-site visits for my research in addition to an internship at Mass Bay Brewing Company. But it was also a serious look at the grassroots-style marketing that was typical of these companies!) It was 1995 and tons of skeptics were predicting that microbrewing was just a fad.

My response was always, “You’re telling me that the hundreds of thousands of people drinking these better tasting beers are going to just stop one day and switch back to drinking beer-water? No way. You can’t ‘unring’ the decent beer bell.”

And they’re still here, aren’t they? Sure, there was some consolidation and microbrewers with weak business models went out of business. That’s just normal with any trend. But it has changed the face of the American brewing industry.

But this was a trend with a history going back to our founding fathers. Microbrewing wasn’t new to the U.S.—it was the resurgence of a pre-Prohibition tradition of having hundreds of small breweries serving handcrafted beers to local customers. I’ll skip the history lesson as to why they died out for awhile, but it’s highly unlikely we’d face the combination of Prohibition and the Great Depression followed by a World War again.

On the other hand, social media has dramatically changed communication. One-way conversations with companies, politicians, and the rest of the “elite” pushing their message out into the world have become two-way conversations. Hundreds of thousands of people now expect to have a way to respond and make their voice heard. And information, which is a key element of power, is no longer the domain of a few. It’s available to anyone with an internet connection and can be distributed around the world in an instant.

Do you really think people are going to just relinquish all that?

Like the brewing industry, the tools of social media may change and evolve—websites and applications may come and go. But the change being created by social media is here to stay.

It too, has some historical basis. Community was once created by living close to other family members, growing up with your cousins, volunteering for the church bake sale and frequent socializing with your neighbors. Then we started working longer and longer hours and became more mobile, more paranoid and more isolated. In many respects, social media is rebuilding that sense of community by redefining what your community is.

Of course, it may be hard to borrow a cup of sugar when your “community” members live all over the world.

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Fish Where the Fish are Hungry, for More Effective Marketing

September 24, 2008 1 Comment

Stop thinking about who needs your product or service.

Let’s face it–just because someone needs your service, doesn’t mean they’re going to buy it.
I wish I had a dime for every time people talked about educating prospects–especially when I was in the coaching world. “If we just teach them what coaching is, and what it can do, people will sign up for it.”

Everyone knows someone who seriously needs to lose weight. They know it’s affecting their health, as doctors and loved ones frequently remind them. And it some cases, it may even be a matter of life or death. But they’re not going to do it until they want to do it. Until they value their health enough to make it a time and perhaps even financial priority.

I’m certainly not judging them because all of us have things we know we should do but don’t. The point is that knowing does not necessarily translate into action–even when the consequences can be tragic. Just ask any life insurance salesperson.

But this is why “educating” prospects about why they need your services is a losing proposition for most businesses. Occasionally, you’ll get lucky, but most of the time you’re wasting your time.

Instead, you can save a lot of your own time and money if you go fishing where the hungry fish are–where prospects already value your services and are ready to invest the time or money to act.

In general, a customer passes through four stages before they buy:

Awareness
Interest
Desire
Action

Wouldn’t you rather have prospects who are already in the Interest or Desire phase?

So where do you find the hungry fish–the ones who both need and want your services and are willing to pay for them? Start by looking for prospects who…

Buy similar services from someone else. You’d be amazed how many people–especially business prospects–stick with a current vendor because they don’t have time to hunt down a better one. Now it’s just a matter of showing that you’re better–such as having specialized experience they will appreciate or a faster delivery schedule.

Constantly need your services. What types of businesses or people are heavy users of your services? Odds are good that they’ll need a new or an additional provider. Pharmaceutical sales people frequently provide lunch for doctors’ offices–making them a great target for caterers. Building management companies may need several janitorial services to handle all their properties.

Experience (directly or indirectly) a triggering event. If a plumber replaces a busted water heater in a neighborhood of homes built 10 years ago, he’d be smart to distribute flyers letting other homeowners know they too may come home to a flooded basement someday soon, and offering them a special check-up or pre-breakdown replacement special.

Experience a relevant life event. People often buy life insurance when they get married or have kids. Parents often start thinking about college in the sophomore or junior year of high school. Women who get divorced often need a new financial advisor.

Attend classes or conferences in your topic area. Often, people do intending to do it themselves, then decide it’s better to hire someone else when they see how complicated it is or how much time it’s going to take. But try to find out who the typical attendee is ahead of time–if it’s mostly start-up companies or wannabe entrepreneurs they may not have the means to outsource it.

Bought from you in the past. They may not be immediately hungry for your services, but it’s good to know how often clients typically need more services from you. Hopefully, you’re already staying in touch with them, but plan to reach out in a different way when that time nears. For example, a smart car salesperson would call customers who bought a car three to five years ago. Corporate clients often start planning expenses for the new budget year in the fourth quarter.

In short, you’ll get clients much faster and more effectively if you go where you know the fish are hungry for your services, instead of trying to convince all the other fish they’re hungry.

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Who Are You Calling Neurotic?

September 23, 2008 Leave a Comment

According to a new study, bloggers blog because they are neurotic. Does the shoe fit? Business Week blogging post

According to the study, neuroticism is defined as “the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression. It is sometimes called emotional instability.” Isn’t that all writers? Whether they blog or not?

I’d love to see the whole study….

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FREE Teleseminar: Discover the 3 SURPRISING roadblocks to permanent financial peace of mind and how you can avoid making them!

September 22, 2008 Leave a Comment

Join me in attending Prosperity Coach Janet Majoulet-Foust’s complimentary teleseminar where she shares the amazing wealth secrets that most people fail to adopt (which can easily increase your net worth in a single year). On the call, you’ll…

  • Learn the 3 SECRETS to allow more money to flow into your life and experience massive success when changing your money mindset.
  • IGNITE a powerful process to MAGNETIZE money or the financial success you want and to better leverage your own resources.
  • FEEL a greater sense of peace about your finances.

The call is Wednesday, September 24th at 8-9pm EDT.

At the end of the call, 3 lucky listeners will win a cash prize! And everyone who attends will be eligible for more than $2,500 worth of ADDITIONAL bonuses that Janet’s put together for you! (Of course, there’s one from me.)

To discover Janet’s amazing wealth secrets and reserve all of your bonuses, all you have to do is register for the free teleseminar and be present at this must attend session today!

Reserve your seat now by clicking here.

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Discover How to Use Local Search to Get More Website Traffic & More Clients–From Everywhere!

September 19, 2008 Leave a Comment

Join me for a teleseminar interview with SEO expert Teddy Garcia, president of Cybermedia Marketing and Geared Local, where you’ll learn:

  • How local search engine optimization (SEO) can boost your website search rankings—and attract both local and national clients
  • Why local search is one of the most cost-effective way of marketing to local customers, online or off
  • Tips on free, easy-to-do local SEO techniques
  • The top areas to focus on, if you’re doing it yourself
  • How to avoid getting ripped off if you hire someone to do SEO for you

The call will be held Monday, September 22, 2008 at 3:00 PM Eastern (NY) Time.

Busy at the scheduled time? Register anyway so I can send you an email with access to the audio when it is ready…

Don’t wait to reserve your spot—I see A LOT of ads for free teleseminars and haven’t seen any other ones on this topic. So it may fill quickly! Click on the link to sign up below….

http://www.compellingcomm.com/current.html

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Your Social Consciousness is an Asset to Your Business

September 17, 2008 2 Comments

Corporate giants are spending billions of dollars today on initiatives designed to make them appear more socially and environmentally conscious because they’re finally waking up to the fact that “social profit” is as valuable an objective as financial profit. According to Leonard Berry in Discovering the Soul of Service, a company creates social profit by sharing its talents, leadership, and money to make a bigger, more meaningful difference in the world around them.

Research shows that social profit boosts the bottom line because it enhances your company’s reputation and visibility, converts customers into loyal fans, and enriches employee recruitment and retention. As for its impact on sales, consider this:

More than two-thirds of Americans say they consider a company’s business practices, such as its environmental friendliness and treatment of employees, when deciding what to buy
87% of consumers will choose a company that supports a worthy cause over one that doesn’t, if price and quality are similar.

Many conscious solopreneurs and small business owners are pursuing the same kinds of initiatives–just on a smaller and less formalized scale. The difference is we often dismiss these efforts as irrelevant to our “real business.”

But your social and environmental initiatives give the prospect insight into your values and help establish that all-important emotional connection. So instead of overlooking the good that you do, create a strategic plan to leverage your limited resources for maximum impact.

Tips for creating your Social Profit Plan:

1. Focus, focus, focus. Instead of haphazardly writing a lot of small checks and volunteering here and there, choose one cause to rally behind. Ideally it should be one you are enthusiastic about, that is relevant to your company’s mission, and which appeals to your target market.

The same goes for environmental initiatives. Choose one or two areas that are relevant to your business instead of trying to tackle everything at once. Reducing waste and energy efficiency are usually good places to start.

Keep in mind that the cause or initiative itself is not nearly as important as having a genuine commitment to it. Customers are becoming increasingly savvy at distinguishing genuine efforts from purely promotional ones.

2. Identify where you can have the largest impact. For your charitable efforts, look for one organization which represents your cause and allows you to be a visible, big fish in a small pool. It’s far better to support a number of events and projects throughout the year than to be one sponsor among many for a single big event. Consider how you can leverage resources besides cash as well.

Environmentally, look for opportunities that can save you money in the long run, such replacing incandescent lighting with fluorescent and halogen bulbs, or exchanging outdated equipment for new Energy Star models. Also, where’s the easiest place to start so you can get the momentum going?

3. Get the word out. Send out press releases. Post articles and photos on your web site and in your newsletter. Hang signs in your office that explain what you’re doing. Instead of a “look how great we are” message, talk about why you’re doing this and share stories that show how the non-profit is benefiting.

Make the results of your efforts to go green visual. Again, photos can help, or go online to find equivalents that paint a picture. It’s much easier for people to relate to statements such as “The newspapers we recycled would form a stack 12 feet high” or “The energy we saved could power 200 homes for a year!” than citing pounds or kilowatts reductions.

4. Measure and evaluate the results. Whatever initiatives you choose, you must track your progress and results to see what’s effective and worthwhile–for both you and your non-profit partner. It’ll also provide valuable material for your communications.

Far from being irrelevant, your social conscience is an asset to your business. It can differentiate you from competitors, forge stronger connections with prospects and clients, and enhance public perception about your company. All of which translates into a stronger, more sustainable business.

This article was excerpted from my chapter in Conscious Entrepreneurs: A Radical New Approach to Purpose, Passion & Profit. To find out more and get your copy for a better-than-Amazon deal, visit my website. 10% of all books ordered there goes to Donors Choose, where donations provide resources to classrooms across the country.

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Insider Strategies for Marketing Your Business

September 10, 2008 Leave a Comment

So here’s the scenario: A long-time local chiropractor wanted to drum up more business since many people were cutting back on their health spending. Marketing strategies that had once worked just weren’t cutting it anymore, and she was tired of wasting money on coupon mailers and other ineffective advertising.

So here are a few of the strategies I proposed—strategies that could actually work for many types of businesses:

1. Identify a target market. She’s one of the few chiropractors trained to work on children and babies and she loves having them as clients. (Surprisingly, kids often have chiropractic issues due to difficult births, genetics, heavy backpacks, sports and so on.) We talked about how focusing some of her marketing on parents could expand her geographic reach, create built-in referrals, add credibility, and even help allay some people’s fears about whether chiropractic is safe.

And since it’s easier to market to a specific group of people, I was able to give her about a half dozen inexpensive ways to reach out to parents—as well as tips on how to ensure people know she works on adults as well.

2. Change your prospecting list. Coupon mailers and most direct mail are sent to what’s called a compiled list—a list based on demographic factors and usually culled from public records. For example, everyone who owns a house in certain zip codes. Problem is you’re wasting a lot of money marketing to people who have no interest in your offer.

Often, it’s more effective to use a response list. This could be a list of people who recently downloaded a free white paper on CRM software, subscribed to a golfing magazine or bought a book on alternative health. It may initially be more expensive than buying a compiled list, but the return on investment is often much higher because these people have already bought or are highly interested in buying similar products and services.

I suggested a group of lists for her to check out through a list broker, who can help choose and pare down the right list.

3. Mine your past client list for new business and referrals. Sometimes we focus on getting new clients to the exclusion of our best “prospects”—those who have already worked with us. An occasional “recall” letter or postcard is one proven way to reach out to them.

A recall letter essentially says, “We haven’t seen you in a while, come on in for a free/steeply discounted visit—no strings attached.” Yes, a few people may accept your offer with no intention of continuing. But the ones that do become active again should more than make up for that.

The payoff though comes from referrals. Send the letter above along with a coupon or certificate for a sharply discounted new patient/client consultation to give someone else. Because you’ve given your client such a great value, they will often feel obligated to do you a favor in return, and pass along the referral certificate. (Of course, you have to make it easy for them to identify who else could use your services in the letter.)

Of course, you have to get the client to open the envelope first. So I shared some examples I came across in my research and we discussed ways to make her recall letters even more attention-getting and fun.

4. Make your client a star. Make a client the star of your next ad by writing a mini case study or testimonial about how you helped him. (And include his photo.) Even better, reduce your ad costs by partnering with a small business owner client. A small section of the ad talks about what the business owner client does and lists a few of her services. The rest of the ad is the testimonial/mini case study about how you helped her. You get a persuasive ad about your services and your client gets some promotion as well.

We discussed a few other things as well—from neutralizing objections to website traffic to ideas for the waiting area. In short, keep in mind that every area of your business affects marketing, and marketing affects every area of your business.

And if you’re interested in a Marketing Strategy Session, click here for more information.

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Sincerity Pays When It Comes to Scarcity

September 3, 2008 Leave a Comment

Scarcity can be a powerful sales motivator because no one wants to miss a good deal. It can instantly seal the deal for tire-kickers, and it can also convince people who weren’t even looking to buy now as well. But when it comes to unknown products and especially services, our first response to a big price cut, extravagant bonuses, or “limited quantity” claims is usually skepticism.

 

We’ve heard all about the pricing games car salesman play. We’ve heard how department stores mark-up clothing several hundred percent so they can put it on sale and still make a ton of money. And we’ve seen “limited time offers” that were still available 6 months later.

 

So to get the best response, your offer not only has to be great—it has to be believable. Here are three ways to do that:

 

1. Tell them why. We all know the saying, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” So make sure you give a sensible reason for the price cut, outrageous bonuses or limited quantities.

 

One internet marketer’s site recently had an “I only have 197 copies made so you’d better get them fast” offer and my skepticism alarm started ringing. Why would you get 197 copies made instead of 200? That’s stupid—printing and fulfillment is always quoted in even-numbers. And why did you only have 200 made—especially since you’re always flaunting the fact that you’re a seven-figure business owner and we both know you could sell thousands of them? So I’m definitely wondering if the “limited quantity” is a lie.

 

2. Mean what you say. If prospects see the “introductory price” is still there six months after they first visited your site, or if they return in a month and see the same “just 5 spots left” are available–you have lost credibility with your prospect.

 

When I was growing up, department store holiday sales were a big deal because things weren’t discounted at other times. But when was the last time you went into a department store and nothing was on sale? They’re always having “one-day” sales (that last all weekend) and coupon specials because the only way they know how to compete is on price. But now we know if we miss one, there’ll probably be another next weekend. The motivation to “buy now” is gone.

 

3. Give specifics. Anytime you can support your limited-time offer with specific details, the higher your credibility will be. Having a believable number for a limited quantity offer is one example.

 

But to stimulate your creative juices, here’s another. A chiropractic business coach invites seven chiropractors to join him for a day to learn about his business-building system. In the letter, he explains that since he wants to keep the event small, he has only sent the package to six other chiropractors. So they need to watch the enclosed DVD (with plenty of details about what his system can do for them) and RSVP in 72 hours, or he’ll move on and contact the next seven chiropractors on his list.

 

But just as the gimmick alarms may be going off, he actually names the next seven local chiropractors on his list. Now they feel compelled to watch the DVD to see if it would give their competitors an edge on them, and most are persuaded to sign up for the discovery day to find out more. (And yes, when they arrive it’s just a small group of people or his credibility would be shot.)

 

Overall, customers can identify with the fact that you’re having a sale because it’s slow in August and they can understand if you only made 100 copies because you’re doing a trial run. So they’ll be much less likely to get hung up looking for “the catch” and much more likely to take you up on your offer.

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Days 24-27 Labor Day Weekend

September 2, 2008 Leave a Comment

I worked a lot of the weekend–and I definitely don’t want to do that again next year. I’m going to partially make up for it tomorrow morning, when I go to some museum in Durham to see my nephew, sister and mom. Breaks are important, I don’t take enough of them!

But it was a fairly productive weekend. I wrote the text calls to action for my three videos which I’ll get to finally see soon! My mastermind group and I went to Minneapolis back in June to shoot them and they’ve been in production ever since.

I have three items almost written and ready to go–a press release about the Conscious Entrepreneurs book, as well as a free ebook of my chapter from the book, and a new free report for people who sign-up for my Compelling Marketing ezine. And of course, the ezine, which was scheduled to go out today.

I also received a check one day for 172% of my daily income total.

I also spent part of Monday rearranging my office to be more in line with the principles of Vastu. It’ll be interesting to see if it makes a difference in my productivity.

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