Thursday 26 December 2013

Some Top Social Media Marketing Tactics

Have you started a new company? Are you having difficulty marketing your business? Let us show you how to improve your communication with customers!
Use Social Media to promote your business
Social media is an inexpensive platform that increases communication for an organization and enhances service to customers. For any organization, marketing is a compulsory activity. Social media marketing is a process of gaining traffic or attention of people and a better way to promote your brand or company.
Some Top Social Media Marketing Tactics:
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, Blogs, Yelp, YouTube and many more...
Among all these social sites, "LinkedIn" is a professional networking site related to only business. LinkedIn allows companies to create a special professional profile to maintain a better network. It has many handy features like Widgets, and various social networking activities. You can link to your other social networking sites like Twitter or Blog entries of your product pages on your LinkedIn profile page. It's a wonderful way for business owners to promote their products or services, and you can engage and interact with your audience to great effect. Instead of using different types of job portals, many leading companies prefer to use LinkedIn for their employee recruitment.
Here are five simple and easy steps to create a LinkedIn company page which will help you to acquire profits.
In your LinkedIn company profile page you can include company news, events, updates and relevant content. Research shows that 50% of LinkedIn users prefer to purchase the required products from the companies they know well. If you regularly update your company profile and engage with your LinkedIn members, they are more likely to prefer you.
1. Develop your LinkedIn page:
Advertise your products and services with relevant content to attract readers. Content takes a major role in retaining users on a website.
2. Connect with Your Audience:
Like and Share Content, respond to members comments on something you posted on your LinkedIn page.
3. Attract More Followers:
Some simple strategies to attract more followers:
· Ask employees to engage with your company updates.
· Add a link to your company page in their email signatures and design a customized button for help.
· Make it easy for your readers to follow you with a single click. Add a Follow button to your LinkedIn page. You can get the code for the Follow button from "developer.LinkedIn.com".
4. Follow rules:
4-1-1 Rule:
This rule states that "For every one self-serving tweet, you should retweet one relevant tweet, and most importantly share four pieces of relevant content written by others."
5. Analyze:
Compare your Profile page with your competitors' Profile pages. Analyze and determine your strategy.
Improve your strategy, look at updates with maximum engagement rates and note the type of content, date and time (and people targeted), so that you will know how to optimize future content.
Engagement % - Engagement = interactions + clicks + followers acquired.
Learn more about new LinkedIn Company page analytics here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CmQS5GLer-8
Rakesh publisher of smartsocialbrand.com the information resources for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, Blogs, Yelp, YouTube and many more


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8102815




Tuesday 24 December 2013

Marketing Plan Secrets - How to Make More Profits With Fewer Customers

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80-20 rule states that 80% of your profits come from 20% of your customers. The question is, which 20% generate 80% of your business? Are you focusing on the right 20%?
It's a lot easier to make money with an existing customer who already purchased something from you rather than to do business with a so-called prospect, somebody who is interested in your products and services but has never taken that leap of faith to buy from you.
Here's the thing: Once a customer spends even a small amount, say 1 dollar, he is more willing to engage and buy a second time from you. But there is one critical condition marketers often neglect and that is: the products and services you are providing have to be outstanding. Customers are looking for great experiences and your job is to make sure you create and deliver excellence.
Who are those 20% of your customers that have the highest impact on your profits? What activities are generating your 80%?
First of all, you need to track the tasks and activities that generate the majority of your company's revenues and profits. The best way to keep a track record is to implement a system. If you don't want to blow your marketing budget on special CRM-programs, a simple Excel-sheet will do the job too. It's crucial to KNOW, not guess, what 20% of your activities and clients are generating 80% of your business profits.
The next step is to evaluate the results and calculate the value of each customer. Many companies focus entirely on market shares thus missing a critical marketing metric that has a powerful impact on their business. It's the so-called wallet share.
Higher wallet shares can be gained by increasing the average purchase amount, encouraging more frequent visits and improving customer loyalty and retention.
As soon as you have figured out who the most profit-generating clients are, refocus your energy, time and resources on this particular group.
There is nothing more important than your customers. If you want your business to thrive, be laser focused on customer loyalty. Have a customer-centric approach in everything you do, create and sell.
"The most important single thing is to focus obsessively on the customer. Our goal is to be earth's most customer-centric company." - Jeff Bezos, CEO & President of Amazon.com
With new technology and social media on the rise, word-of-mouth marketing remains the strongest form of marketing and customer advocacy.
Bottom Line: Are you ready to focus on the right 20% of your customers and increase your profits?
Then I invite you to check out Marketing Strategy Secrets for a first-hand experience on how to define your target audience and start marketing to them effectively. Look for the other 9 key ingredients for a proven marketing plan.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8156948






Sunday 22 December 2013

Facebook Pages Vs. Profiles - What's the Difference?

I've noticed a lot of artists lately making the same mistake: they'll say, "come check out my Facebook page and 'like' it!" and I click on the link they give me only to discover that they don't have a Facebook page at all - they have a Facebook profile.
When I tell the artist this, they give me a blank look. "What's the difference?" they usually ask.
Actually, there's a big difference.
A Facebook profile is a personal profile. Profiles can usually only be viewed by people who are your friends; thus they are for personal use, not professional use. Yes, some people will use their profile as a professional page anyway, but I really don't recommend doing this. Only a real person can have a Facebook profile, in their name, and they can only have one of them.
A Facebook page, on the other hand, can be about absolutely anything: a book, a movie, a writer, a musician, a company, or an artist. (That would be you.) A person with a profile can make as many pages as they want about as many things as they want. There is no limit. Pages are public and can be viewed by anyone. Not only that, profiles have a 5,000 friend limit. Pages have no limit whatsoever.
If you are an artist, I don't recommend using a profile. I recommend making a page for your work instead. Why?
First of all, you can't 'like' a profile. You can only send a friend request and see their page if that person accepts your request. However, anyone can 'like' a page - including both personal profiles and professional pages. That's right. Someone else's artist page can like your artist page if they want to, and you can like their artist's page. There are no requests needed - likes are automatically accepted. Then whatever that page posts will show up in your news feed as if they were your friend.
Are you seeing the benefit of this? You are allowing anyone to like your page, even if they are only doing it through their company page or their artist page. You are a lot more likely to trade likes with people. Also, your page will show up on their profile or page as something that they 'like,' which is more visibility for you in the long run.
The benefits of having a page for yourself as an artist far outweighs any benefits of doing it as a profile. So get a Facebook page, and start telling people about it!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8165397




Friday 20 December 2013

5 Smart Marketing Tips for Small Business

5 Marketing Tips for the Savvy Small Business Owner
If you are a small business owner, there is a myriad of options for you to market your business.
How do you know where to start, how much to spend, which channels to use?
The key to boosting your chances of surviving and thriving is to have clarity, consistency and to make every marketing dollar count by only focusing on opportunities right for your business.
Get to Know Your Desired target markets
Eliminate the scattergun approach in your marketing by being clear about who your ideal client is and where you can find them.
Spend time to profile your ideal clients. Work out which social networking platforms they use, what they read, what they listen to and what they watch. Start to engage with them on a personal level.
Use Cost Effective strategies
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are free, and advertising on them is very targeted and cost effective. Paid ads or sponsored stories on Facebook can provide you with many leads. If you provide something free or something of value that showcases your expertise, you will get people wanting to engage with you.
Free publicity is very valuable, gives you credibility and is easy to get if you develop the right relationships, have effective writing skills and remember to follow up.
Be Found Online
Get your website optimised using basic SEO practices so that you can be found online by potential clients when they search for words and phrases related to your business.
List your business with free online directories like Bloo, Hotfrog, Gumtree and Google Maps or use Google AdWords to advertise your business online. Start submitting articles to articles directory sites like EzineArticles.com. Try making a few simple videos explaining your business in simple terms and submit these videos to YouTube. You could also join up to some relevant web forums and help answer questions related to your area of expertise!
Develop Partnerships
Strategic partners will help your marketing dollars deliver a better result through joint promotions.
Your partners should offer services that are complimentary to your business. Ensure they are reputable, deliver on their promises and will add value to your brand image.
Test and Measure Your Campaigns
Set up criteria for every marketing campaign you plan and test the results you get.
You will see what worked well and what needs to be changed the next time. It can be as easy as just asking the question "How did you hear about us?"
Dave Price is a Director of PM+A Marketing, a boutique marketing consultancy and also a Director of Price Advertising, an advertising agency in Perth, Western Australia.
PM+A marketing website is http://www.pmamarketing.com.au
Price Advertising website is http://www.priceadvertising.com.au
He can be contacted on david@priceadvertising.com.au



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8168820



Wednesday 18 December 2013

Top 10 Tips to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile to Get More Clients

Nowadays, with the power of Social Media you do not need to spend money in advertisement to promote yourself and your business. However, you need to know the strategies behind so you are in front of your ideal clients when they need you. In this week's article I'll show you one of the most important social media sites that it's not been properly used by professionals yet, and when use in the right way it can get you lots of clients and place you as a trusted authority in your field quickly and easily.
You can spend hours interacting in the LinkedIn discussion groups and connecting with people all over the world but if you don't have an eye catching profile, a profile that shows your clients "What's in it for me" (WIIFM) all your efforts are wasted. Your LinkedIn profile is where people land when they want to know more about you. Some people confuse LinkedIn profile with resume, but it's not the best use of their profile. Your profile has to be easy to ready by someone in a hurry, and, of course, with all the necessary information that your ideal clients need to take action and contact you. For example, schedule a breakthrough session, have a face to face meeting, or one-on-one conversation over the phone or internet.
I have one question for you. What does your LinkedIn profile say about you? What information about your services do you include in your LinkedIn profile? What does your profile say about your services, programs or products? Below are the top 10 tips to improve your LinkedIn profile so you can get more clients.
Top 10 Tips to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile to Get More Clients
Upload a professional photo of yourself which shows a little bit of your style, the image you want to convey to your clients, and the type of business you are in.
Create a compelling and value-driven headline. Your headline is super important and should contain words that describe the services you provide in a compelling and value-driven way. For example: Social Media Specialist, or even more specific, YouTube Video Expert, or under your name you say something like: "Teaching high-impact, low-cost, personalized sales-closing strategies for women entrepreneurs."Can you see the difference?The last example is even more compelling and value-driven because it tells you the results, the outcome or the transformation that you provide for your clients. Can you do this? Yes, you can. You just need to take some quality time and focus on the specific results/outcome/transformation your clients get when working with you. (Being specific is the key here) And remember, you only have 120 characters at the top of your profile to describe who you are, who you serve and how you help, so go for it. The good news is you can always change it as you grow and evolve in your business. The most important thing is to start being more compelling and value-driven in your headline.
Add brief information about each job position you had in the past. Again, show the results, the outcome, the transformation your past clients got from working with you. You can also add your accomplishments here. However, when writing about it, remember to always put yourself in your client's shoes. NOTE: If you don't list at least two past positions, your profile won't be considered "complete".
Create a personal URL for your personal website or brand. For example, you can use your name, the name of your company, or a tagline summary, meaning what you're known for or what you want to be known for.
Write content that is compelling and that grabs your future clients' attention. When writing, remember to write for people (your ideal clients) who have a specific problem that you have the solution for. It's also a good idea to keep in mind when writing content to use "keywords" your ideal clients will type in LinkedIn search.
Display any kind of award and achievements that you have. Doing so, you gain respect, increase your credibility and also your chance to sell your services, products and programs.
List your skills. LinkedIn's new endorsements feature is becoming very popular, so give your connections something to endorse. The more endorsements you have, the more credibility gain, and the more trust you will build with your future clients.
Write your name in the summary. Why? Because 1. Your name is a "keyword" that people will type to find you; 2. Your name creates more connection with others; 3. It gives a simple introduction to your story. The more people resonate with you, the better the chance for them to contact you. It's simple, yet effective.
Increase the number of connections you have. The more connections you have, the more social proof, and the more know-ability, like-ability and trust-ability you build (the KLT factor) for your future clients. Think about it. Who would you be more likely to hire, a person with only 10 connections or a professional with 500+ connections?
Get recommendations. Recommendations take a little more effort to get than endorsements. LinkedIn allows you to send a recommendation request to 200 people at a time. Remember that you're asking your connections to take their precious time and say "nice things" about you in a public network, so your communication with them should be sincere and appreciative.
These are my top ten tips and simple ways to improve your LinkedIn profile to get more clients. As you improve your profile, you will notice that your profile ranking and search-ability will go up, meaning and the number of people (potential clients) looking for you will most likely to increase. In other words, the better your profile becomes, the more visibility you get, and it's more likely that your ideal clients will find you.
Now, it's your time. Apply the Law of G.A.D.I. - Go And Do It! And start improving your LinkedIn profile today! Here's to YOUR LinkedIn success.
Authentic Business Success In Action
Follow the 10 top tips I've just laid out for you and apply the Law of G.A.D.I. - Go And Do It today. According to the research, if you take action on what you learn in the first 24 hours of learning it, it's more likely that you engage, build momentum and become successful doing it. So, again go and do it today and succeed in getting more clients with LinkedIn.
QUESTION: What's your TOP most pressing question or concern with regard to LinkedIn? Please share your comments below. We'd love to hear from you. We're here and always happy to help.
Olivia Lobell, The Enlightened Entrepreneur Authentic Business Success Mentor, is author of The Enlightened Entrepreneur and founder of AuthenticBizSuccess.com, a company devoted to teach enlightened entrepreneurs around the world how to build a thriving business around their blessing, attract more ideal clients and make a lot more profits while being authentic and aligned with their passion and purpose. To get your FREE Audio CD and receive her weekly authentic business success articles, visit: http://www.authenticbizsuccess.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8182154



Monday 16 December 2013

8 Reasons Your Content Marketing Program Isn't Working

Many businesses are getting more strategic with their content marketing program. That's good news for all of us content consumers. Unfortunately, many more businesses are frustrated with content marketing and wondering why it's not working for them.
Sound familiar? If you're spending lots of time and energy on content marketing but not seeing the results you expected, it may be time to take a step back and review your content marketing strategy. A few tweaks to what you're doing-and not doing-can make a huge impact. With that in mind, let's take a look at eight reasons your content marketing program isn't working for your business:
1. You haven't defined your goals. It will be difficult to implement and measure the success of your content marketing strategy if you don't clearly understand your goals before you get started. Want to engage more customers? Repurposing content in an email newsletter should be part of your program. Establish yourself as a thought leader? Your articles better be well researched and well-written. Want to drive more traffic to your website? Better have a strategy to leverage your social media channels. Whatever you do, take the time to identify what you want your content marketing program to achieve for your business. Then develop a plan and stick to it.
2. You don't know your target audience. Sure, you're an expert when it comes to your product or service, but how well do you know your target audience? What challenges do they face? What problems are they trying to solve? What are they interested in learning about? What would make them want to buy your product or service? Understanding-and anticipating-your prospects' needs helps you craft content that truly appeals to them.
3. Nobody's reading your content. You may be writing great articles, but if your target audience isn't reading them, all of your hard work is going to waste. Those of us who don't have tons of regular visitors to our blogs know we can't simply post an article and hope for the best. That strategy never works. Your content marketing program needs to include a plan for smartly (no spam, please) sharing your articles with your social networks and republishing them where your prospects are hanging out.
4. Your content isn't optimized. Google's algorithm changes haven't changed the fact that you still need to make sure you're using the right keyword phrases. It goes without saying that you should use them naturally within an article, but don't listen to the hype that keyword choice and placement within an article no longer matter. It does.
5. You're not being consistent. Consistency is the key to any effective content marketing program. Regularly publishing high-quality articles on your company's blog builds trust with prospects and engages your customers. It shows them you're interested in solving their problems and sharing valuable information, not just selling your product or service. Many companies start out strong but their content creation efforts fizzle out when they don't see immediate results. Don't be one of them. Be consistent and publish articles often so you can beat your competitors to prospects.
6. Your content isn't very good. Poorly written articles can cost you more than just your reputation as a leader in your field. They will also cost you customers. Do yourself a favor: Focus on your core business and outsource your content marketing program to an expert.
7. You're not repurposing your content. If you're only publishing an article on your blog, you're missing out on the opportunity to repurpose and leverage your content through other channels. Consider compiling a series of articles into an eBook. Turn an eBook into a month's worth of social media posts. And don't forget to reach out to other publishers to repost your articles so you can build awareness with a wider audience.
8. You're not dedicating resources. Regardless of the size of your business, you can't do everything by yourself. What's more, you shouldn't be trying to do everything in-house. Set aside the appropriate resources-including the people, time, and budget-to give your content marketing program a chance to succeed.
Now let's put it all together: Use the right resources to consistently write and distribute high-quality content your target audience wants-and can find. Sure, it takes some time and hard work to do it right, but the payoff is well worth it. Your business will start to be seen as the go-to resource in your niche. You'll build awareness and, even though prospects may not be ready to buy the first time they encounter you, they'll probably be back when it comes time to choose between you and your competitors.
Now it's your turn. What content marketing strategies work best for your business?
Get more tips to develop and implement an effective content marketing program by visiting http://www.ContentMarketingProgram.com.
Scott Siders is the president of Novo Writing, a leading SEO copywriting firm specializing in content marketing. Novo Writing helps businesses build brand awareness, establish themselves as industry experts and thought leaders, engage customers, drive more qualified prospects to their website, and improve leads by consistently writing, optimizing, publishing, and sharing high-quality articles online.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8162445

Saturday 14 December 2013

How To Increase Any Web Site Business Through Targeted Traffic

Building trust and credibility online today has many benefits to those that get it right.
As an example of a website with good traffic a supplier may make contact with you, asking you to promote their merchandise and/or professional services on your site. Don't take just any offer be sure that these kinds of products and services are in some way related to the content on your webpage.
If your site has targeted visitors, then you are more likely to capture the attention of a supplier?
First of all, obviously your targeted traffic is something that may well also be geared to their market or specialization. Let's imagine that a supplier which sells anti-spyware approaches you to sell their product on your web site, now your internet site offers high-speed internet connection, these two subjects are not totally related but they are connected.
As anti-spyware detects spyware that has been placed on a PC without the user's knowledge. The two are associated because if you are contemplating connecting to the online world, then you should likewise consider an anti-spyware software program also.
It is best to always keep your site well optimized with closely related content which enables you to get as much targeted traffic that you can. Just this one reason alone can can make your website worthwhile alternative for advertising for other similar businesses.
As your website grows with more and more relevant information, you'll be viewed as the authority in that niche market. Given that you are viewed as a specialist on the topic area the advertisements which are displayed on your site will likely be looked at with the same level of credibility.
Look at a shopping mall that's visited by people as a result of its popularity in a certain place. A franchise business makes a decision to lease a spot inside this shopping mall and really should prosper due to the level of popularity.
Other Sites Are Looking For Advertising Opportunities
This all works similar to a small business wanting to lease an area in a shopping center, a company will lease a spot (Advertising or Guest Post) from your webpage. If it wasn't for the shopping malls large traffic the company wouldn't normally even consider hiring a space.
So if you are adding poorly written content on your site, you'll never catch the attention of a vendor, because you will have minimal targeted visitors.
As you update and add new content to any webpage it would be an excellent idea to let your site visitors know about the new information which you just have published on your web site. You can do this by offering a RSS feed or by means of an email request.
These details - except for being extremely important to your own small business - will also be very helpful to the other vendors.
You will start to generate leads that are interested in your information when using an email opt-in list. Be mindful when contacting potential leads via email, you need to offer value not send a continuous stream of promotional emails.
Getting Your Site Noticed
To have a well optimized web site, you will need back-links to your site as well as different interactions from the many social networking sites. Any external links you get should originate from reputable web sites, it's an essential step to attracting search engine robots who in turn will start to index your site.
Having quality content with relevant and authoritative links will see you improve your index rate and search listings fast.
How to start making money with your blog is a question that is asked time and time again online. It is not hard to do, however you need to know where to look so that you have the correct resources to begin your online business.
Ron is an advocate of word of mouth marketing is just as important today as it was over 100 years ago. If you provide useful content to your site readers they will come.
This is one of the best ways to get qualified leads to a website, here are three reasons why - http://www.affiliatexfiles.com/3-reasons-to-use-a-referral-program-on-your-website/


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8162931






Thursday 12 December 2013

Things You Should Do For Improving Your Page Ranking

Title and Meta Tags
In order to improve your PR, you have to start from the titles of the pages of your website. The titles should be relevant to the content of the pages. If the title does not reflect the theme of the page, you will have a negative impact from the search engines. Make sure that all of your pages have clear, unique and descriptive titles. Try to limit your title within 65 characters; it is considered a good practice in this field.
Next, concentrate on the Meta tags of your pages. The descriptions you put in the Meta tags provide the search engines with a summary of the page. Along with the title, this description will be displayed in the results page. Therefore, write attractive and interesting facts about the content in the Meta tag.
URL and Navigation
The URL of your pages should be simple and informative. A generic or automatic URL won't help you in getting higher ranking over your competitors. A simple, easy URL will help the visitors remember your website. An easy URL also generates better crawling from the search engines. Do not forget to provide unique URL for each of your pages. Sharing an URL between multiple pages will confuse the visitors and the search engine.
An easy navigation system is another requirement for getting higher ranking. Organize the pages and posts of your website in a way that the visitors face no difficulty in navigating through your website. A confusing navigation will annoy the visitors and will reduce the chance of their coming back. Prepare two separate sitemaps of your website, the HTML one is for the visitors and the XML one is for the search engines.
Quality Content and Link Building
Providing quality content is a crucial aspect in the PR algorithm. Quality content will be original, helpful, error-free and up-to-date. Before making any content, try to understand what people are looking for. Provide your visitors with what they want and they will come back to you time and again.
Guest post on your competitors websites and on the leading blogs of your niche. Along with creating quality backlinks, this will also direct a significant amount of traffic to your website. Another important factor is to post regularly. Search engines love a gradually built website. Therefore, instead of bombarding your audience with lots of contents, try to add content regularly.
Actually, there are lots of ways to improve your PR. It is not possible to discuss all of them in a single post. Start with the tips provided here and analyze them. Find out which strategy is working best for you and follow that one. Keep in mind that search engines update their algorithms frequently. Keep an eye on the changes and try to accommodate yourself accordingly. Given enough time and dedication, you can get a modest PR for your website too.
BestTechnoBlog.com Is An Entertainment Blog Which Provides You Telecom, IT NEWS, Mobile Application Development of Every Thing Around The Web.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8153655



Tuesday 10 December 2013

SEO Practices Do's and Don't

When you type a query in a search box, you get some results. And when I type the same query, I get some different results. The difference lies not in the fact that we searched it differently, but in the fact that the relevance of what we searched for reflected differently in the websites of the businesses in our individual areas.
It is interesting to note how Search Engine Optimization can both be an asset to a website and a drawback. Certain SEO practices will ensure that the site is reflected as one of the top returns. The same if overdone can change the result entirely.
Be Relevant
With the latest panda and penguin updates, one thing is certain. If your content is not relevant to what your product or service is, then your website is going for a toss. This has got nothing to do with whether or not you pay Google, but to do with the end-user experience. So, one of the best practices is to be specific in what you're offering on your website.
Don't overload the article with keywords
One of the major myths about SEO is that the more keyword loaded your article is, the better it ranks in search results. The fact is entirely opposite. Imagine reading an article about apples, where the author had used the word 'Apple' around 15 times. Wouldn't it be really annoying, even if what they talked of made perfect sense? Well, the same applies to the readers out there as well.
Backlinks
Another myth about optimization is to leave lots of backlinks. While backlinks do help to an extent, beyond it, they simply don't. Imagine some charity people scattering their flyers everywhere, literally, everywhere. In the church, the temple, the shop next door, the bakery, the grocer's, the roads, anywhere you walk, you see a flyer. Does it make sense? No.
Similarly mindless backlinks don't make sense either. Backlinks at a relevant blog, with relevant comment, backlinks at a relevant webzine after you have something substantial to say, make sense. But just for the heck of it? It is almost suicidal for any website.
Original and Interactive Content
If your content is original, creative and interesting, the user is bound to spend more time on your website. Similarly, if your content is relevant and all your pages talk of what they say they talk of, then your website's user interaction will be far better. Trust it or not, the search engines do take into consideration how long does a user spend on your website. They also take into account, which pages on a certain domain are checked out more and what's the user flow (in terms of page to page navigation).
How to make it better
Whether or not you want to take external help from a service provider is your call. You may or may not want to hire one. The key agenda though is simple - If you know what you offer, can write well about it, and do not misuse technology, then there's no stopping you from success.
The best practices in any industry are full of myths as well as facts. The same applies to SEO Services as well. Read this article to know about some such practices, myths and facts.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8154278

Sunday 8 December 2013

How to Make Money Over and Over on the Same Promotions

As you probably know, the big secret to making massive profits is to get your best customers to buy from you as often as possible for the maximum profit per transaction. Do that with a large enough group and you'll get rich. It's that simple. Reselling to your existing customers is key to maximum profitability.
The best way to do that is to just keep giving your customers the same things you gave them before, but with a new twist added each time. If your products and services are perceived as old hat, your customers will be bored -- and bored people never buy. Whatever's current creates currency. On the other hand, if a product or service is too new and different, they won't buy then, either. Many will be afraid to do so.
Therefore, you have to deliver products and services that seem innovative and exciting, but nonetheless contain familiar themes your customers are already comfortable with. If you're selling ketchup, don't suddenly try to sell them mustard. Sell them a new variety of ketchup. Even then, don't make it too different! A slightly spicier red ketchup will sell better than even the tastiest green or purple ketchup (this has been proven). What you need, then, is basically old wine in new bottles. Most people are searching for variations on a theme, not a completely new theme.
They proved their interest by giving you their money in the first place. People vote with their pocketbooks, so take a close look at the products, services and promotions that have worked the very best for you, and realize that somewhere within those items are the things that your best customers (and prospects just like them) value the most. It's up to you to determine what those common denominators are, and then to add those to the items you develop in the future.
The newness will attract your customer's attention, while the old and familiar will hold that attention by making them feel comfortable with your new offers. When you learn how to apply this secret properly, you can keep offering your best clients and customers the same basic types of products and services again and again -- which means all the prep work is easier. You can reuse a lot of the same sales material, simply tailoring it to the new offerings. You gain enormous leverage because your "new" products and services are really your "old" products and services with new twists.
Here's a real-world example: the most recent Ford Mustangs (as of 2012) look a great deal like the original Mustangs from the mid-to-late 1960s. In the '70s and '80s they changed the model a little too much -- they got away from the familiar, and their sales took a hit. Now the newer models resemble the original models again, though with a modern look and feel. That's a great example of giving people things they're familiar with while modifying them enough for the new to show.
One of the most successful recent promotions at my company has been a series of advertising and management services. We're on our ninth edition of this promotion -- and it's simply a riff on best of the best of everything we've developed for the previous versions. All the hard work, thousands of person-hours of time, has already been invested; now we're reaping the harvest with the ninth version. It required someinvestment of time and effort, but not nearly as much as the previous editions. It looks and feels different from the previous versions, but it's essentially the same service with a few great additions.
Think of this as the marketing principle of evolution. You're constantly looking for ways to make your best products and services appear new, different, and special, so you keep tweaking them, constantly adding new elements. That way, you can keep using the sales materials you've used in the past, with slight (but vital) modifications to make them look and feel different.
On the other hand, when you do find a revolutionary product or service that's totally different from anything else in the marketplace, that doesn't mean you have to ignore it. Just inject a familiar element, or compare it with something people in your marketplace are already familiar with. As I write this, a revolutionary new healthcare service called telemedicine is all the rage. This is a concierge service that gives people direct access to a team of medical doctors in their own state who are on call 24 hours a day to help them with their medical needs. For as little as pennies a day, tens of millions of people can now pick up their cell phones and get direct access to a team of board-certified medical doctors. This is a service that will revolutionize the healthcare industry -- and generate billions of dollars in pure profits every month.
The brilliant company that developed this breakthrough is using the power of network marketing to reward average people who introduce their service to prime prospects. Because it's brand-new, this opportunity offers real consumer excitement. The millions of people in the business opportunity market that we serve are always looking for something new and exciting -- but again, if it's unproven they get scared, and like bored people, scared people don't buy. Therefore, the distributors have to prove to them that although this idea is revolutionary, it still incorporates ingredients that have already been proven profitable.
They do this by comparing the telemedicine concierge service with the concept of prepaid legal services, which hit the market in 1983. Prepaid legal services, which provide customers direct access to a team of legal advisers for a monthly fee, use a very similar business model -- one that's made thousands of distributors wealthy. That's all the proof people need for them to see that telemedicine has the potential to make them all the money they'll ever want or need. Even though telemedicine is a completely different field, the phenomenal success story of prepaid legal services -- which are delivered in a similar way -- helps to educate and persuade prospects. In fact, telemedicine might even prove more profitable than prepaid legal services. Most of us need access to a lawyer just a few times in our lives, but you might need medical help at any time -- and healthcare is much more important to most of us than legal aid.
That makes it easier to sell this revolutionary offer. It's wrapped around something that already has a rock-solid track record. This helps to ease the prospect's concerns, making them feel comfortable with the service, despite the fact that it's entirely new. So: when developing new products to offer to your clients, think about all the ways you can prove them similar to things your clients are already comfortable with right now.
Keep giving them more of what you know they want the most, and you'll make more money with less work.
You can get 1,000 pages of Mr. Rohleder's greatest marketing and success secrets absolutely free, just by going to http://www.6159FreeSecrets.com.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8165097

Friday 6 December 2013

Four Marketing Perspectives to Improving Business

There are over a thousand different marketing strategies which can be used to promote a product or a service. Each technique requires different combinations of financial and human resources. While each marketing strategy can help in improving business substantially, smaller marketing budgets limit your ability to implement them all. Critical choices need to be made in order to gain the maximum return on marketing investment.
Here are a few pointers on which marketing decisions are based to improve the return on marketing investment.
Market Research
Before thinking about marketing strategies for improving business, it is important to "study" the market conditions. If a product is not required in the market, it is likely to stay on the shelves and collect dust.
Forward-thinking companies conduct market research in relation with their products to identify market trends and the demand for their products well before heavy investment is made. Admittedly, there is a market for every product - some folks like to buy unique things. The trick is to identify whether your product or service is targeted at a specific audience or to the general population.
Channel Preference of Your Target Market
It is imperative to ask whether the target market is reachable through the advertising medium under consideration. The outreach of each medium is different. For instance, people reading economics magazines are likely to be middle-aged and older, employed in business management positions, and interested in the changing trends. Therefore it is a viable medium to promote real estate opportunities instead of baby products.
The key to improving business is identifying the best possible channels to reach your relevant audience.
Market Segmentation
Some products are specialized to the demographic characteristics of end users/customers. The users of financial products are likely to be adult, earning males instead of infants. Hence improving return on marketing investment demonstrates a higher success when marketing these products to a more focused segment.
Mass marketing undoubtedly facilitates in reaching out to the entire population; however, this will increase the cost of marketing against the benefit, thereby lowering the return on marketing investment. The crux of a successful marketing campaign involves creating maximum conversions with the least investment.
Budgeting
Your marketing budget plays an important role in deciding which marketing channels are viable and/or "too expensive". While our current financial system creates a catalyst for overspending, it is important to strike the right balance between cost and benefit. Marketing is least likely to help in improving business if your budget doesn't meet channel requirements or you don't have the staying power to achieve your sales goals and objectives. Constant testing, evaluation and revision are all important aspects in making the marketing plan work for your company.
For more information regarding micromodeling and direct marketing, visit website micromodelingbyamp.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8092734

Thursday 5 December 2013

Top Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid When Involved in Online Marketing

While it is true that social media proves to be very powerful within today's business world, it is not to be regarded as merely a platform for having conversations with your family and friends, or even old work colleagues. Check out the common blunders within this post that you should avoid if you happen to be involved in online marketing.
Neglecting to Post
It is simply not enough to post only once or twice a week if you hope to capture the attention of your intended audience so that you would be their go to place if they should ever need the product or service you offer. Unique content that satisfies their needs, and that they can identify with is what you need to post on a regular basis.
Procrastinating in Replying to Comments Made
Not replying to enquiries or comments made is a massive mistake. Treat your Social media platform like you would your physical business. Ensure you promptly reply to any followers of yours both on and off page. This way you will establish as solid rapport with you audience
Going Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
As with anything, competition is stiff, and in order to survive in online marketing, you need to go above and beyond the call of duty. Think out of the box and come up with attention-grabbing statements that would propel your visitors into action. What you say should have some humour in it, or even motivate or shock your audience.
Be Mindful of What Your Competition is doing
Everyone these days are making use of social media for online marketing purposes as it proves to be a very powerful marketing weapon. Marketing experts discovered that you need to stay abreast of what your competition is up to. Take note on what is working for them and get together with your team and brainstorm for something that is original to WOW your visitors with.
Constructive Criticism
No one likes to get negative feedback or comments, whether in writing or in person. This is especially the case with social media as people would speak freely without fear of getting penalised. However, it is crucial to view what is being said as constructive criticism. This kind of feedback will show you as business owner what people really think about the products or services being offered.
Other online marketing blunders to avoid would be things like; refrain from annoying your customers with too much information too frequently, isolating your marketing efforts and not diversifying into other areas, not understanding the social media platform you are using, ignoring the usefulness of social media tools or data, and making use of unnatural practices such as buying fans, views, or likes to boost your marketing reach.
Marketing experts have what it takes to get your online marketing company on the road to success with state of the art marketing solutions that is only known to them.
Anthony Khoury, Founder of Guerrilla Solutions Australia. Aspiring entrepreneur and marketer. Loves building start ups and small business in general. Just released a book called The Beach Bum Millionaire: How to build a Million Dollar Business The Lazy Way


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8087088

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Three Ways to Generate Quick Revenue With Easy Opportunities

Looking for quick ways to build business and bring in extra cash? Once you get your practice rolling, one of the easiest ways to do this is to look for opportunities that I call, "Money on the Table".
I don't mean to highlight what you haven't done. Yet, sometimes, the places where you haven't followed up offer the strongest opportunities to earn income quickly and build business.
For example, if you went to a networking event and had some really great conversations, but haven't followed up with those people- that's an easy opportunity. If you had a lead someone gave you, but you didn't connect, make time now to do so. Everyone has a few situations that might not have come to closure and that's where money has been left on the table. You can potentially capitalize on these things right away and convert them into money without a lot of time and effort.
1. People you didn't close. If you've had get acquainted sessions with people who didn't sign up, these people are a good bet to become clients. Since they know about your service, have expressed an interest, and you've already had the conversation with them, consider them to be "low hanging fruit" which is easy to pick! Follow up with them to find out if they are ready now or new circumstances make it possible to sign up at this time. Also, anyone who has said, "That sounds interesting," but you never had the conversation with is worth talking to again.
2. Products that can be relaunched. Maybe you created a product in the past that could be updated or refreshed. This is something that you have already invested time, money and effort in, but with a little work, could be offered again to your list. This is considered money on the table because the majority of work has already been completed. Relaunching a product takes much less effort than creating something from scratch and can really work to build business.
3. Follow up with a Joint Venture partner. Have you started a JV conversation with someone, but never executed the program together? Since you've already made the connection, this too can be money on the table. It's especially true if you can deliver a program that has already been developed and you can just deliver it to your partner's list and share the fee. That is certainly an easy way to bring in some profits quickly.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Where have you left "money on the table"? Think about who you have spoken with, leads you've gotten and networking events where you met new people. Create a list of the low hanging fruit and other opportunities that wouldn't take that much time and effort to move on and generate some fast and easy income.
Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time... guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit http://attractclients.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8095749

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Some Top Social Media Marketing Tactics

Have you started a new company? Are you having difficulty marketing your business? Let us show you how to improve your communication with customers!
Use Social Media to promote your business
Social media is an inexpensive platform that increases communication for an organization and enhances service to customers. For any organization, marketing is a compulsory activity. Social media marketing is a process of gaining traffic or attention of people and a better way to promote your brand or company.
Some Top Social Media Marketing Tactics:
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, Blogs, Yelp, YouTube and many more...
Among all these social sites, "LinkedIn" is a professional networking site related to only business. LinkedIn allows companies to create a special professional profile to maintain a better network. It has many handy features like Widgets, and various social networking activities. You can link to your other social networking sites like Twitter or Blog entries of your product pages on your LinkedIn profile page. It's a wonderful way for business owners to promote their products or services, and you can engage and interact with your audience to great effect. Instead of using different types of job portals, many leading companies prefer to use LinkedIn for their employee recruitment.
Here are five simple and easy steps to create a LinkedIn company page which will help you to acquire profits.
In your LinkedIn company profile page you can include company news, events, updates and relevant content. Research shows that 50% of LinkedIn users prefer to purchase the required products from the companies they know well. If you regularly update your company profile and engage with your LinkedIn members, they are more likely to prefer you.
1. Develop your LinkedIn page:
Advertise your products and services with relevant content to attract readers. Content takes a major role in retaining users on a website.
2. Connect with Your Audience:
Like and Share Content, respond to members comments on something you posted on your LinkedIn page.
3. Attract More Followers:
Some simple strategies to attract more followers:
· Ask employees to engage with your company updates.
· Add a link to your company page in their email signatures and design a customized button for help.
· Make it easy for your readers to follow you with a single click. Add a Follow button to your LinkedIn page. You can get the code for the Follow button from "developer.LinkedIn.com".
4. Follow rules:
4-1-1 Rule:
This rule states that "For every one self-serving tweet, you should retweet one relevant tweet, and most importantly share four pieces of relevant content written by others."
5. Analyze:
Compare your Profile page with your competitors' Profile pages. Analyze and determine your strategy.
Improve your strategy, look at updates with maximum engagement rates and note the type of content, date and time (and people targeted), so that you will know how to optimize future content.
Engagement % - Engagement = interactions + clicks + followers acquired.
Learn more about new LinkedIn Company page analytics here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CmQS5GLer-8
Rakesh publisher of smartsocialbrand.com the information resources for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, Blogs, Yelp, YouTube and many more


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8102815

Monday 2 December 2013

6 Powerful Marketing Tips to Boost Sales and Credibility of Your Business

The success of your business is dependent on marketing. Let's face the truth, if you are not marketing it, then it will eventually meet its demise! And stop complaining that you can't afford to market. The truth is, you cannot afford not to market! The good news is that you don't need to spend a fortune to market your small business. Here are 6 powerful, FREE or inexpensive tips to boost sales and build credibility.
Content Marketing
Pssssssssst, come closer! Now let me be frank; if you are not creating relevant and informative content that matters to your ideal customers, then you are NOT serving their needs. Worse, not only is your credibility the size of a 'gnat;' but you are handing potential revenue over to your competitors.
It is important to determine the needs of your audience and create content that's going to be meaningful to them. Once you've done that, you'll need to market it. Here are 10 easy to implement resources:
  • E-mail campaigns
  • E-newsletter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • Slideshares
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Podcasts
  • Guest Blog Sites
Email Marketing
If you think email marketing is 'old school,' think again! For an easy and inexpensive way to connect with new customers, build a loyal following and increase sales, email marketing can do all of that and more! If you still think email marketing is a thing of the past, here are 4 recent statics conducted by leading experts:
  • 44% of email recipients made at least one purchase last year based on a promotional email.
  • 33% of email recipients open email based on subject line alone.
  • 64% of people say they open an email because of the subject line.
  • 7 in 10 people say they made use of a coupon or discount from a marketing email in the prior week.
6 Leading Email Marketing Services:
  • Aweber
  • Constant Contact
  • Icontact
  • Get Response
  • Mail Chimp
  • Vertical Response
Build a Network
One of the most successful ways to promote your business is by networking. You can be the best cook or accountant but if no one knows you, then don't expect them to buy or refer business to you. The ole' saying "People buy from those they know, like and trust... is very true! So, it's imperative that people know who you are and the more face to face recognition at local networking events, the better!
Networking is a lifestyle in which you need to incorporate onto your "To Do" list. It is all about developing and building relationships.
2 Ways to Network:
  1. Get involved with local and online organizations. Take advantage of membership opportunities. Volunteer for special committees or share expert advice.
  2. Hit the speaking circuit. Offer to give a presentation at local groups. Most civic, service and professional groups are in need of speakers for their monthly meetings. Contact your local library, chamber or find online groups to offer a FREE seminar or webinar on a topic relating to your industry.
Joint Ventures
An extremely effective strategy for expanding your business is by forming a joint venture or strategic alliance with non-competitive companies. This gives you an instant marketing presence in front of potential clients. Do you know other companies to whom you share mutual customers with? You should be running, not walking to find who they are and how you can team up and benefit from each other.
For instance, say you are a broker... idea partnerships would include Realtors, mortgage lenders, title companies, appraisers, insurance agents and home builders. The key to this is to learn as much as you can about each partner's business so that you can promote it as you would your own. This new strategic alliance will enable each of you to grow more rapidly as you have a sales team working on your behalf. It makes so much sense to work smarter and not harder!
To find businesses that complement yours, jot down every linked product or service that you don't offer but that is related to what you do.
Here are 3 D's for a Sound Collaboration:
  • Draft an agreement outlining expectations of the partnership
  • Develop a bond with your new alliance partners
  • Decide how marketing activities will be initiated between partners such as handing out marketing material at various networking functions, exchanging banners and links on websites or share a big marketing project.
Website
Since majority of the earth's population make use of the internet, a website is the best way to tell the world about you and your company. This is also an opportunity to explain why you deserve their confidence and trust. In fact, internet users today expect serious business owners to have an online presence. They use the internet to research before buying products and services. Therefore, a website is a great tool to provide useful information about your business and convince your audience that you offer the best product or service. Here are 4 ways to increase credibility to your website:
  • Update your website with pertinent and relevant information on a regular basis
  • Offer visitors with quick and flexible answers to their needs
  • Post testimonials from satisfied customers
  • Provide visitors with a comment section and make sure you respond in a timely manner
A well designed, informative and updated website will add credibility to your business and strengthen your brand.
Blog
More and more businesses are blogging as they realize the benefits. It is a great opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. If executed effectively, this can be a smart online marketing strategy and an affordable way to grow your business.
As you regularly post relevant content, you build a loyal group of followers. Be patient as it takes time. As your followers get to know you, they will feel comfortable in passing on leads and referring you to potential clients. In addition:
  • Invite guest bloggers to contribute fresh content and reciprocate.
  • Interview subject matter experts. For example, I publish written interviews featuring established Women in Business and Women Authors. My subscribers receive informative and empowering content and the interviewees link the article from my blog to theirs, thus, driving new traffic to it.
  • Set up affiliate marketing to earn revenue for promoting products relevant to your business. For example, I earn revenue from Aweber and Blue Host when visitors click on or purchase products.
The key is to be persistent and consistent with your efforts.
In conclusion, there is enormous power in creating a strong marketing presence. It is not about getting sales, but developing strong relationships with people.
Sylvia Browder is a small business consultant, trainer and author. She is founder of National Association Women on the Rise, a virtual community for aspiring and established women entrepreneurs. She has served as an online volunteer SCORE counselor since 2004. For FREE weekly articles go to Sylvia Browder's Blog for Women Entrepreneurs, http://www.sylviabrowder.com. Want to work with Sylvia? Go to,http://www.browderconsultinggroupllc.com.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8108817