One of the key ingredients for the success of a business is a strong marketing strategy. Unfortunately, in today’s world, marketing is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Many companies may realize that after a while, traditional marketing strategies are not effective for their business. These companies may want to consider unconventional marketing strategies. Following these few unconventional marketing tips could potentially jumpstart your business.

1. Get listings in business directories on the Web. This may seem obscure, but business directories on the web can help direct consumers to many businesses. Additionally, web sites are listed in categories and therefore associated with other businesses in the same category. Association with other sites in a niche can help draw visitors. These business directories can also help a web sites search ranking (because of the links to the business site). The higher a site is ranked, the more potential customers will visit.

2. Publicity stunts are great. “Publicity stunt” has been given a bad image by some, but this marketing technique can do wonders. Doing something that no one has ever done before and using the platform to market a business or product is ingenious. Publicity stunts can be very effective when they are creative enough and draw large crowds. Naturally, be careful that it is not too obvious of a publicity stunt, because it can backfire.

3. Make t-shirts for anyone and everyone! Making a cool t-shirt with the company logo is very effective advertising. When people see a t-shirt with a new company on it, or a word they have never seen before, they are likely to investigate further. Designing an interesting t-shirt is a must for this marketing strategy to work. Sell or give the t-shirt to your friends, family, and anyone else who wants them. People wearing the t-shirt become walking, talking billboards. That’s high quality advertising for a low price.

4. Door-hangers on doorknobs are great for specific areas. New restaurants often generate a large amount of traffic from putting ads on doorknobs. Most people look at their doorknobs and will subsequently notice your business. It is a great way to generate word of mouth in a new community that you are targeting.

5. Purchase word-of-mouth advertising. While a door-hanger can generate word-of-mouth, one way to guarantee discussion is to pay someone to walk around town talking about a specific business or product. This person is lively and will tell everyone about a new business. It may seem odd to think of some guy standing in an elevator saying “Have you been to the new store on Main Street?” but the results are very real. Word-of-mouth is how many companies grow, so why not jump start word-of-mouth about your business?

About the Author

Jerry Hasson writes about a variety of marketing topics. He recommends http://www.uksearcher.com/ if you’re looking for a business directory.

For those of you who have businesses that are not on Twitter, here’s a clue; the White House is using Twitter as a communication tool.

That’s right, press secretary Robert Gibbs is on Twitter as @PressSec.  He just started this month and CNN reports:

Gibbs says he became fascinated with Twitter when he followed a live stream of reporters tweeting President Obama’s press conference in the briefing room on February 2.

The purpose of the account is to provide additional information the press secretary receives on a daily basis.  Gibbs explains,

“There’s a tremendous amount of information that we all get and have to read and go through each day,” Gibbs said. “This is certainly one way to get, on a rolling basis, to see a lot of that information in front of you.”

He follows journalists and pundits, i.e. his target audience.  That’s a pretty good tip!  Social media sites were blocked by the last administration and dealing with the Presidential Records Act when it comes to social media has been difficult, but it appears a policy has been created.

Government is rarely the early adopter of new technology, but when they do, you know that technology is important.  Press secretary Gibbs has done three things every business owner should do when it comes to social media -

1.  He figured out how to use it and then decided to employ it.

2.  He’s following his target audience to figure out what they want from him.

3.  He consulted with the proper technical and legal people to come up with a use policy.

Ok, now I need to start following @PressSec!

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Keywords?

We talk at length about how important social media can be for a small business. We talk about it so much that sometimes I worry that we talk about it too much. While there are certainly opportunities to capture new leads and gain exposure, small business owners can’t get caught up in what’s simply shiny. We still have to focus on the technical stuff that has been proven to produce traffic and conversions. And that means focusing on search engine optimizationRead More

From Small Business Trends

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Keywords?

We talk at length about how important social media can be for a small business. We talk about it so much that sometimes I worry that we talk about it too much. While there are certainly opportunities to capture new leads and gain exposure, small business owners can’t get caught up in what’s simply shiny. We still have to focus on the technical stuff that has been proven to produce traffic and conversions. And that means focusing on search engine optimization and using keywords effectively.

While I was traveling last week, I stumbled across an important article in InformationWeek that talked about how search terms mean big business for SMBs. The article cautioned that by focusing too much on branded terms and ignoring generic keywords, SMBs may lose out ‘on a significant amount of online traffic’. Because it is these generic terms that most people search for.

According to the article, users aren’t searching for ‘Round Table pizza’ or ‘Nike running shoes’. They’re simply searching for ‘pizza’ and ‘running shoes’. With more and more marketers shifting money online, it’s important that they allocate money to the right areas. If you haven’t taken time to tune up your keywords and tighten their placement into your site, then now’s a very good time to do that. Otherwise, you’re missing out on huge search opportunities, the ones rooted in the basics of online marketing.

I’ve written before about how to pick winning keywords. The tools outlined in that article still stand and provide excellent resources for business owners looking to understand what terms will bring the most traffic to their sites. But that’s only the first step.

Once you KNOW the terms, WHERE do you plug them in? How do you know you’re getting the most out of those keywords?

Title Tag: The Title tag is one of the most important places to put your keywords. It appears as the top line of your search results and acts as the title of the page once a user clicks through. Users want to click on the page that most resembles what they searched for, so if they’re looking for a page about [Los Angeles Chiropractors] and your Title Tag mentions Los Angeles chiropractors, they’re going to take that as a good indication that you’re relevant to them. And then they’re going to click through. This is just one of the many reasons why your Title tag should  contain the most important terms for your page.

Meta Description Tags: The Meta description is the 200 or so characters that appear under the Title tag in the search results. This is another great place to use keywords to help the search engines and users understand what your page is about and, in the case of users, to get them to click through. The search engines will also highlight the terms that a user inputs that match the ones listed in your Meta Description. SEO Darren Slatten has a Google SERP Snippet Optimization Tool that can you help perfect your Title and Descriptions so they are the correct lengths and optimized for the terms you’re after. I highly recommend it.

Navigation: Unless your home page is about “homes”, you should not be using that word in your navigation. It doesn’t tell people anything about your site or its pages. Use keywords in your navigation that actually tell people what the page is about. It sounds like common sense but many small business owners try and get ‘clever’ and use silly words to link throughout the site. All you’re doing is confusing people. Use keywords when applicable to take advantage of search traffic.

URLs: When naming site pages, blog posts or anything else related to your site, try to insert 2-3 keywords in the URL where appropriate. DO NOT go overboard and start stuffing your URLs with keywords totally unrelated to the content, however, you’ll notice that the URL for this post ends with ‘how-to-use-keywords’. This helps to take advantage of the natural search traffic for that phrase.

ALT text: If you have images on your site, then you need text to describe those images, per Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. This is another prime place to put keywords. Local search expert Patrick Sexton recently released an Image SEO Tool to help business owners see how well their alt tags are written. It’s not fancy, but it does get the job done and help business owners check their image titles. Another great (and free) tool.

Internal anchor text: The way that you link inside your Web site is incredibly important. Avoid using anchor text such as “click here”, “read more” or “next” and instead use keywords that explain what the next page is going to be about. The search engines use these links for relevance the same way they look at the external anchor text pointing to your site. You can’t always control how people link to you, so make sure you’re at least controlling how you link within your own site.

Your content: I know, I know, you already know this, but look over your pages and see how you’re using your terms. Are they spread out evenly on the page? Are you using them early enough to grab reader attention? Are you using them enough times on the page or diluting them? While there’s no magic number for how many times you should use a keyword in order to rank for it, by reading your copy over you should be able to identify what “feels right” for you and your industry.

Other people’s content: Are you writing a guest post for another blogger? Submitting an article to a local online magazine? Speaking at an industry event? Chances are you’ll be linking back to your site in the bio section or even inside the article itself. When you do, be smart about the keywords you’re using. Don’t spam other people’s blog, but do look for natural opportunities to benefit from keywords.

Above are just a small handful of ways you should be using keywords to improve rankings and traffic coming into your site. It’s really important that you be aware of the power that keywords can have not only in social media or your Google Local Business Listing, but on your own Web site as well.

From Small Business Trends

Great Article by Joel Block

I love social networking. Facebook, LinkedIn, and all of the different tools that are out there to help us connect and re-connect are great. I have re-connected with friends from high school and college who I had completely lost track of. I even reconnected with some of my very good junior high school buddies and incredibly, the Internet also helped me to re-connect with my long lost, best friend from elementary school.

I am a big fan of it, so I don’t have any intention of knocking social networking. The business opportunities and relationships that have come out of it have been absolutely stellar. But there are a lot of people who I know personally who clearly have taken social networking too far – at least too far for me.

I use the computer as a tool to bring people into my life. The next step, if appropriate, is to get them on the telephone, ultimately for the purpose of having a face to face meeting so that we can move the relationship forward.

But for others, the telephone and the face to face interaction that is so valuable to me, is not on the table.

As I watch my kids – who are busy texting and chatting on Facebook – the telephone and the personal interaction side of the relationship is starting to fall away. This concerns me a lot because personal interaction is the name of the game. Maybe life will be different in 20 years, but I can’t imagine that there will ever come a time when human beings will surrender personal contact as a way of “getting the job done.”

My son plays video games that have the most eye-popping graphics and state-of-the-art sound imaginable. The marketing behind these games has been fantastic. In order to play over the internet, each kid has to have their own console, so they sell many times as more consoles as they would have otherwise. But the impact is that when kids play over the Internet, they don’t play as a group in somebody’s living room. Instead, the kids play all alone over the internet and at the end of the day they are all by themselves.

My daughter goes to various friends’ houses and many of the moms are chatting on Facebook or they are playing video games – again, sitting in a room all alone.

Is it good to be in a room all alone, even if you are chatting or texting? That’s not the way that I live my life. I like to be around other people, but everybody gets to pick how they live their life and I am just one guy asking the question…

“Is Social Networking Making Us Less Social?”

What do you think?

Online PR News – 24-November-2009 – 95% of Internet blogs fail says an article by the New York Times, however, companies that are committed to blogging can still succeed says Utah SEO company SEO by Swaby. The Salt Lake City Internet firm provides solutions for small businesses across the Wasatch Front. Find them on the web at http://www.seobyswaby.com.

“So many website options for small businesses exist these days,”
“So many website options for small businesses exist these days,” says SEO by Swaby founder Nigel Swaby. “My ultimate task is to fit the right website solution to my client,” he continued. With blogs, websites and content management systems available, small business owners have more choices than ever. “It’s my job to use my experience to suggest the right solution for my clients,” said Swaby.

While Swaby himself uses blogs as a marketing tool, they’re not for everyone. He gets clients who he sets up with blogs to commit to the process. “For our business networking group that needs to make weekly updates, publishing a blog was a simple decision,” said Erin Norton, co-founder of Fiscal Networking. “SEO by Swaby asked us how attached we were to our current process and provided training to help us transition to a site we can update ourselves. While a blog was the right solution for us, it might not be for other companies and they presented all options to us,” she concluded.

Our research has shown that referral groups are growing in record numbers as a result of the slower economy and the need to “get back out there.” Historically, networking…especially in structured referral groups can provide a new infusion of business-generating leads… Especially,  if you’ve let your network stagnate while things were booming. However, merely joining a leads group does not guarantee an immediate flow of referrals. How long does it take? How much are you willing to give in order to establish trust in the others and to demostrate your professionalism and your worth as a team member? Often, people who join referral group are initially disappointed when leads do not immediately start flowing their way. They are also worried about how to give leads to their fellow members. I’ve outlines a few important points that will help both the referral group and individual members on how to creatively give back to the group and how to teach your fellow members how to be a good scout for you.
1. Know your 60-second commercial. Practice it. Learn different “sound bites”, and “bullet points”, so you can be concise and exact. For example how you answer the question. “what do you do?” would be different than if you were standing up at a meeting and address the whole room.
Vary your 60-second commercial, with seasonal variations or situational stories that could spark a referral. Most referral groups meet every week. If you say the same pitch every time, you will quickly be tuned out. It is imperative that you keep your promotional fresh, entertaining as well as informational.

2. You are responsible for teaching them about your business. Do not assume that they know every product and every service you offer. You never want to hear one of them say “I didn’t know you provided that product/service, too”, after they bought from someone else.

3. Network! The more you are out there…the more information you will have to share…the more resources you can bring to the group, and the more potential referrals you will meet. Some people tend to cocoon themselves in the comfort of their group and rarely venture to a chamber mixer or any other type of event. The group loses out when another member does not grow their own network.

4. Occasionally network on behalf of the group. It is easier to promote your group as a way to build their business than it is to promote your own business. I’ve talked about this in other articles…It takes the pressure off you to promote the group instead of yourself. This is especially true if you are in a profession that has a lot of competition at every event.

5. Warm Leads vs. Cold Leads The lead is “warmed” up and expecting a call from the service/product provider. Nothing falls flatter than a call to a “hot lead” who does not know who you are and barely remembers talking to the person who gave you the “hot lead”. Do not “sit” on a lead until your next meeting, call and deliver the lead as soon as you can. Opportunities have a short shelf life. By the time your next meeting comes around, that hot lead may be filled. Let the lead-giver know the outcome of the leads you receive.

6. Become a hub through which information flows. This has more to do with personal branding/positioning than your interaction during your meetings. When you regularly share resources & connect people…inside AND outside of your referral group, you broaden your worth to your fellow group members. Your outside network starts to think of you as a resource from which you can recommend your trusted group members. Using resources such as  a Facebook Business Page and Twitter are a good place to start.

7. Learn to ask:

• ….Of others: On a scale from 1 – 10, how happy are you with your (Real Estate Agent, Attorney, etc)?

• …Of yourself: Would one of my leads group members benefit from knowing this person?

8. Tell How The Lead Generated. It may spark up a lead in someone’s mind of a similar situation. This is often overlooked but is very effective in building awareness of how different products & services can be utilized.

9. Have an assigned variation of your 60-second commercial. Example: “Give your pitch saying how your product/service can be of benefit in a recession” Responses are spontaneous, often humorous, sometimes revealing.

10. The “Information & Resources Lead” Leads groups are all about getting client referrals. But most people overlook the benefit of the simple exchange of information & resources…in both asking for them, and recognizing them for others. For example, if you often speak to groups as a method of business development, a speaker’s bureau would be of interest to you. Then let’s say a fellow member knows someone starting a speaker’s bureau, but is not aware that you would like that information. That is a missed opportunity; one that could open many, many doors. Above all, get to know people, let them know you and most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!

Utah Business Networking

We had some great input from our Salt Lake City Chapter of Fiscal Networking today regarding effective methods for generating new business. Regardless of your profession, you will find that you can use these tools to increase your referrals, leads and income.

1. Attend Networking Events regularly. It is important to meet new people, but also to foster existing relationship.  Building trust takes time, so stay involved in groups that you find to be a good use of your time.
2. Work with your Database. Track all of your clients and rank them in order of importance.  Generally, there are 3 categories.  Spend the majority of your time on those clients that bring you the most results.  Also follow up with less involved clients.  And always find ways to stay in contact with referrals and those who may not need your services right now.
3. Warm Call. There are very few excuses for “cold calling” anymore.  You should always know something about the person you are contacting.  Between information from colleagues in common, to information on the internet, you should always be prepared for who you are meeting with.
4. Referrals. Be the best at following up with referrals.  This is one of the most effective tools for generating new income.  Suggest to whomever gave you the referral that they notify the person ahead of time so they are prepared for the call.  This will help build credibility and trust, which puts you ahead of the game.
5. Find lost Clients. There are clients out there who have worked with your competitors and have ended up disappointing.  Don’t focus on the weaknesses of those that have failed them, but the strength of what you will offer.  You have an opportunity to stand out and fulfill their needs.
6. Internet.  Obviously, there is no way to cover all the effective ways to use the internet to your advantage.  However, if you are not taking advantage of social media, blogging, or even a simple website, you are definitely losing out on a whole world of business.

Begin to learn as much as you can about any of these you are not currently using.  You will find it will push you out of your comfort zone, which leads to growth.  Growth, of course, is where we all begin to prosper personally and in our business.