Successful Blog

Does Your Brand Market Success?

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How good of a job are you doing these days when it comes to marketing your brand for success?

If you responded to say not all that good, don’t you think this will need to change?

This is especially the case if you are in an industry where you face a lot of competition on a daily basis.

So, does your brand market success or do you need to focus more on your marketing efforts?

What Marketing Initiatives Are You Using?

In looking at your brand’s marketing efforts, are you focused where you should be?

To start, are you doing the bulk of your marketing in-house or out-sourcing what you need done? If the latter, you want to be sure you are working with a top-notch agency.

Whether you look at Klicker or another inbound marketing agency, find one that works for you.

One of the ways to find the right agency for your marketing needs is using the Internet.

Many marketing agencies have websites. As such, it is not all that difficult to find them online.

With a Google search or if you already have an agency’s website URL, get online and begin the hunt. Before long you may have the agency you need to partner with for more brand success.

In looking at which agency to work with, consider the following:

  • How long has the agency been around? While there are some great young agencies out there, one with experience may be your best bet. Either way, find the agency that will get to know you and your brand and help you succeed.
  • What does the agency have to offer? – Different marketing agencies will have a myriad of offers available. That said find the one best suited to your brand’s marketing needs.
  • Will the customer service be first-rate? – Last, you need a marketing agency that provides you with first-rate customer service. Anything short of this will not cut it. That said get some feelers on how agencies you consider working with treat customers.

What is Your Competition up to?

While you do not want to become fixated on what your competitors are doing, do not go to sleep on them either.

With this thought in mind, do you know what they do, especially as it concerns their online efforts?

In checking out their efforts, you should get a better understanding of what works and what does not. As a result, it can help you become more in tune with what marketing steps you may well need to take.

Finally, look for ways to push the envelope when it comes to your online marketing efforts.

From contests to podcasts and more, make your brand stand out from others. This is why seeing what the competition is up to and finding ways to one up them is key.

When you stop to look at what you are doing, is your brand marketing making its case?

In the event the answer is no, you need to get working on a successful brand marketing operation.

Photo credit: Pixiebay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

Six Examples of Solid Facebook Marketing

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Facebook is a very powerful, extremely viral social networking and micro-blogging platform that has catapulted many businesses to new levels. It has enjoyed a famously popular online exposure and an ever-increasing appeal to corporations, social networkers, and online entrepreneurs.

Some companies who recognize the Facebook effect experience enormous brand recognition and success that accompanies their marketing efforts. These six companies are currently enjoying successful social networking, high traffic to their sites, and a branding experience that they credit to Facebook.

1. Pringles

The famous potato chip snack company is quite popular on Facebook – something to the tune of over 3 million fans! The site’s attraction is more than the snack lover’s interest in their wares, but for their comedic and crafty use of their product videos.

The videos are a mixture of professional, commercial-style shoots and others that were taped possibly using personal video recorders. All of the videos are entertaining and funny, but without fail in each video, Pringles brands themselves very effectively through visual marketing.

2. Dell

If Facebook fans ever needed a reason to love a computer manufacturer, Dell has given them one – if not several. With over 100,000 fans and several niche Facebook pages, Dell is the company who proudly embraces a green campaign and makes a conservation commitment to their Facebook followers.

Each time one of Dell’s fan’s picks a friend, Dell plants a tree on their behalf. This effort is a part of their commitment to creating a healthier planet, additionally making a donation to The Conservation Fund to plant up to 150,000 trees. How’s that for social interaction?

3. LawListings

LawListings Facebook

LawListings has a very engaging Facebook page that is a good example of visual quoting: They put together well-branded visual quotes and engage their Facebook audience with that content.

This Facebook Page is a great example of effective Facebook marketing even in tough niches.

4. Pizza Hut

The pizza chain giant has over one million fans on their page. What makes their site so viral? Their generous interaction with the pizza community. They tag other users on Facebook, make it fun and very sociable by allowing fans to upload various pictures, images, photos and artistry depicting their brand in various ways.

Some of the fan photos are with family, creating a visual imagery of unity, while other photos that are incorporated onto their page are snapshots of different Pizza Hut restaurants or paraphernalia.

5. Harley-Davidson

The motorcycle giant has over 700,000 fans on their Facebook page and use several marketing methods to attract and retain those fans. Much of the information on their site consists of photos and videos, but there is a heavier focus on information and updates about their product and the motor bike industry at large.

Fans flock to their pages to sneak a hopeful peek at what the upcoming bikes will look like and to read about any changes in their current bike line. Harely-Davidson is definitely an industry leader with a proven track record. Facebook has helped their online marketing efforts by reaching a technical aspect of their customer pool.

6. Starbuck’s

With one of the highest number of fans on Facebook, Starbuck’s remains at the top because of their frequent and engaging interaction with coffee lovers everywhere!

They are very involved in the local communities and abroad, and use videos, blog posts, surveys, and coffee giveaways to appeal to their customer base. Starbuck’s takes the time to carefully groom their social networking page to be sure that they effectively reach their customers, making them an outstanding industry leader.

Further reading and resources:

Any other great Facebook marketing case studies? Please let us know!

Take Your Law Firm Marketing to New Heights

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In operating your legal practice, have you factored in the importance of marketing?

In the event you have not, do you have concerns that your law firm may be a step or two behind your nearest competitors?

When you come up with a winning marketing plan, your legal practice can benefit in so many different ways.

With that in mind, is it time to see what digital marketing can do for your firm today?

Where Best to Start?

In deciding if in fact digital marketing is right for your law firm, where best to start?

There are many digital marketers out there. But how will you know which one is best suited to help you grow your legal practice?

To get you started off in the right direction, do some Google research on the marketing firms out there.

Sure, you can’t look at them all, but you should get a fair sampling of them to better help you make a decision.

That said you may want to see who some of your legal competitors are using for marketing help. Unless they are doing in-house marketing, they have probably reached outside for help.

You should also spend time seeing which marketers get the highest grades in their field.

By having some good research info to work off of, you are in a better position to hire the right digital marketer. Whether it is Legal Legends or another top company, get the help to grow your brand.

Do You Know Your Role?

Even if working with a top-notch digital marketer, you still have some work to do on your end.

First, are you adept at social media and the importance it plays in today’s digital world?

Sure, the digital marketer you go with may very well set up and oversee any social media accounts you have.

Among the sites you should be going for:

That said you should still do some posting on your own. When you do, you should become more comfortable with how social media works.

You want to engage prospects with questions and comments on your legal services. Doing so could make the difference between you representing them or not.

Second, you might want to see if some of your clients who’ve you represented are willing to do a testimonial for you.

Such testimonials can carry a fair amount of weight with consumers. When they do, you could see more prospective business head in your direction.

Those testimonials could be on a local TV station, in the local newspaper, and even appear on your website. No matter where they go, they can be a difference maker when people are deciding which law firm is best for them.

Last, always work with your digital marketer to see where trends in your industry are going. You want to be at the forefront when it comes to digital marketing in the legal world, not lagging behind.

So, are you going to take your law firm marketing to new heights sooner than later?

Photo credit: Pixibay

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about business topics on the web.

 

Does Your Brand Get the Right Attention?

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Making sure your brand has a foothold with consumers is important on many fronts.

That said getting the right attention is more important than attention in general.

You do not want to be spinning your wheels trying to get the attention of consumers. If you are doing this, it can be both a waste of time and money.

So, does your brand get the right attention?

Make Sure You Are Doing the Right Promotions

In going about getting the right promotions for your brand, keep the following in mind:

  1. Message – What is the message you want for your brand? Without a strong message, you can miss out on great opportunities and revenue for that matter. Your message should not only be on your website, but also on your promotional items you send out to the public. Let consumers know why they should do business with you and not competitors.
  2. Help – If you are a small business owner, there’s a good chance you are wearing many different hats. As such, it can be hard to get everything done that is necessary. That said you may need to reach out for help to cover all your bases. As an example, are you using search engine optimization (SEO) to further your goals? Not doing so can be missing out on a great opportunity to connect with the public. With that in mind, you may well want to explore the top SEO companies in San Diego or elsewhere. Working with a solid SEO provider can mean the difference in success and failure.
  3. Demographics – Know the proper demographics for your brand. Trying to reach out to consumers without focus is often going to prove worthless. You want to know which consumers will most likely have an interest in your products or services. Some simple surveys can be a good way to find out about the level of interest one has in your brand. In doing surveys; give consumers an incentive to respond.
  4. Social media – While you do not need to have a fixation on social media 24/7, it should be in your repertoire. With that being the case, make sure you know what you are doing when it comes to social networking. Too many business owners are not up to speed on how to use social media the correct way. Having activity on many social sites is fine. That said make sure you give equal attention to them. Your best bet is to start off with one and go from there. For instance, try Facebook. Given it is the world’s most used social site, it will be a good starting point for you. Use it not only to promote your brand, but also engage with the consumer friends you build up over time. Consumer engagement is critical to a winning social effort.

While there are more promotions for your small business brand, review those above to see if you have them.

Given how important the right attention is to your brand’s ability to succeed, are your bases covered?

Photo credit: Pixibay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Business Directories And SEO

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business directoriesBusiness directories represent a proven way to be found on Google search. While directory sites don’t enjoy the same SEO clout they once did, they can still improve organic search rankings, especially when local searches are conducted.

The main difference related to how directories affect SEO today as compared to ten years ago is that they no longer improve a site’s backlink profile. As Google has evolved, so has the algorithm for search engine optimization (SEO), ensuring higher quality sites with relevant content always rank highest.

There are different types of business directories and it is important to recognize the differences. Featured web listing sites are high-quality directories you want to focus on as you get business listings setup. These types of directories have a better reputation. Sometimes you have to pay a fee to be featured on certain directories. Many are free though.

Below are 10 things you should remember about business directories and SEO.

1. Be careful about which directories you join. Review the site first before adding your business to the directory. The legitimate web directories that you want to be included on will edit your listing. You don’t want your business name in a directory if the directory does not have strict editorial requirements, it can actually have a negative impact on your website ranking if the directory is one of the low-quality sites.

2. Getting your listing setup “right” is important. In cases where the service your business offers is specific to a particular country or region, then you list your site there. When submitting your website information to a directory, always use the official website name. In the description section of your listing, do not use words like best or cheapest. These superlatives may be edited out by some directory sites and also make a negative impression on consumers.

3. Business owners are losing business if they don’t add their listing to well-known directories. This is true even in small towns where you might think everyone knows everybody else, and that ever resident knows about your business. There are always visitors and new people moving in who might be looking for the service or product that you are selling.

4. Be sure to add your name to the Google My Business Directory. Since Google drives this directory as the largest search engine, you want to be sure to get your free listing here. By not taking advantage of your free listing, you might be opening the door for a competitor to hijack your listing by adding their own phone number to your phony listing. Not only can business be lost in situations like this, but your business reputation can also be affected if the company under-performs using your name and Google listing.

5. When you create your Google my Business listing, be sure to remove the check from the box that says, “make this my website address on Google search and Maps.” This is important because if you leave that box checked then the free URL from your Google website will be used and substituted for your corporate website address, possibly losing traffic you want that is directed instead to your corporate site.

6. It is always a good idea to track your directory signups. That will allow you to review the progress made. This will also prevent you from signing up for a directory more than once which can be confusing for customers if somehow they both go through the system.

7. One of the reasons online databases are so valuable to business owners is because they direct mobile search. Considering the growing number of local searches and how people traveling through your town are prone to conduct a search for restaurants and other businesses via their mobile devices, competitive businesses who want to compete should always be sure to add their business to high-quality local directories.

8. Different search engine directories are aligned with that particular search engine’s map. There can be a lot of overlap between the directories. For this reason, it is not always clear how to categorize a listing. Proceed with caution or ask questions. Some directories will change your category if they think you chose the wrong one.

9. Using a good online ranker tool is recommended as a way to monitor your competition and how well their pages are doing in search results. Some tools to check out are Ahrefs, Alexa, and Rank Tracker (plus, there are many more SEO tools and plugins out there to check out). When revising your corporate strategies, it is always helpful to understand how well your business is doing in comparison with your competitors so that you can make adjustments as necessary.

10. Directories worth mentioning and adding your company information to are: Jasmine Directory.com, DirJournal.com, Aviva Directory.com, and Alive Directory.com. These are reputable business web directories because they’re all apply a high editorial discretion. Local directories such as Yelp.com, Yahoo Local Directory, and Bing My Places represent high-quality options to get your name out to local consumers who are looking for local businesses.

Here’s a list five directories worth website your business into:

  • Best of the Web (BOTW) offers a web directory, BOTW Local, Blog Directory and UK & Ireland Directory. With 25 million people searching this directory per year, Best of the Web represents an excellent opportunity to get your company name out there to be noticed. There are a range of categories worth checking out
  • Jasmine Business Directory in cited in several books and journals as being a directory that has a very high editorial discretion. Compared to BOTW, each listing added Jasmine Directory has its own details page where businesses address is listed (according to the directory’s guidelines only if the business owner or representative submits those details) and Google Map is used. Thumbnails are also another available feature.
  • Aviva Directory is a general web directory. While many of the websites and blogs listed in this directory are added by Aviva’s staff, a business or blog owner can pay a fee and have their site reviewed to be added to the directory. Editors are strict and have rules prohibiting adult material.
  • Alive Directory is another Google compliant directory worth listing on. First, you should search for your name to see if you are already on the site. Then, if you don’t find your name, you can submit your listing for approval. Hot categories listed are Business, Shopping and Regional. There are discounts given for bulk listing that start at 20 percent and can go up to 50 percent.
  • Directory Journal offers a few listing types with some attractive features. Photos and keywords can be added to enhance your listing. During the last couple years DirJournal mixed their general directory with their local directory.

Getting listed on local directories makes good business sense. According to Nielsen in 2016, 74 percent of consumers check review sites when online looking for information. Yelp is a popular local directory.

With millions of eyes on the site daily to get information before spending decisions are made, this site represents and important option for business owners. Based on this data, there is no reason not to claim your free Yelp page. Facebook is another popular review site where you can claim your free business page.

It is important not to automate your directory submission effort. You want each listing to b unique in some way. By considering this important fact, search engines will work in your favor and you are less likely to be penalized.

Conclusion

It is clear that more business is done each year on the internet. Even in cases where consumers want to see and touch the merchandise before buying, many people are doing their research first online, before driving to the store. Business owners who want to compete in this digital world where companies are evaluated online before buyers show up at the store, must recognize the power of local searches or risk being left behind by savvy competitors.

Taking advantage of the free listings on directories that are compliant with Google means you will benefit from the power of this monster search engine. Reviews sites are also being used to decide where to go to get what they need. Trust can not be underestimated when courting new buyers.

As mentioned above, not all business directories are created equal. It is important to be discriminating when adding your business to a business directory. Be sure there is a strong editing staff and they don’t accept “spammy” listings for non-businesses. The directories mentioned in this article represent excellent options for business owners. If you sign-up with these directories, your business will benefit from the exposure.

Image source: Pixabay

6 Marketing Platforms to Add to Your Toolset in 2018

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Beginning of the year is great time that we should start going through our business resolutions. Updating your marketing tool list with newer, more up-to-date platforms that can bring your business to a new level is the first step to take. Here’s my top picks of marketing platforms to try in 2018:

1. DirJournal: Get Listed

Are you into local business or do you have a verifiable location where your customers come to visit? If so, you need to verify your business with Google but not only that! Get listed in other high-quality directories to build citations and targeted traffic.

dirjournal

DirJournal is a great place to start because it’s one of the highest-quality directories I’ve ever seen. It also serves both local and global businesses, so you may want to apply to get listed right away.

2. Salesmate: Organize Your Leads

Have you been doing your homework when it comes to verifying and organizing your leads? 2018 is your year to start doing that!

Salesmate

Salesmate is a great platform that organizes your new prospects, gives you a customized library of templates for better email pitches, finds the sources for sales targets, books appointments, and a ton more. All from a single tool that integrates in plenty more apps including Gmail, WordPress, Shopify and more.

3. Topvisor: Research and Organize Your Keywords

Topvisor doesn’t bother with the majority of data it could be mining. Instead, it goes right to the good stuff from the very first step. Using the top ten search results, Topvisor then creates keyword clusters within those results to offer you the most powerful, direct clusters possible for each page of your website.

It works by automating search queries, taking all the keywords from the top ten results and forming groups that are related to one another for each page on your site. You can customize each search, such as how many keywords are needed in the return for it to create a cluster and begin gathering key phrases to use.

They have a free version, with paid versions beginning at $29 per month. It isn’t a very feature heavy tool but it doesn’t have to be. It does exactly what it says and goes from there.

Colorlib has a great list of more SEO tools to look into if you are looking for more affordable options.

4. LSI Graph: Up Your Keyword Game

How are you Latent Semantic Indexing Keywords? Is your SEO suffering because you haven’t done enough LSI focused research?

lsigraph

The LSI Graph will do it for you. Just put in your keywords and it will generate LSI’s on your behalf. Not only will it give you a fairly exhaustive list for free, but it will provide you with an ebook that teaches you how to properly use these keywords.

5. SpyFu: Research Your Competitors

Your competitors are doing something right if they are taking all your customers away. Their content strategy is likely a part of that and you can bet they are keeping their keywords a part of the process.

While you shouldn’t copy their keywords (your own strengths will be in what works for your brand, not theirs) you can get an idea of what they are doing and learn from it. This can help you to discover gaps they aren’t filling, which provides you an opportunity to fill it instead. See? It is sneaky!

Spyfu

There are quite a few tools that help with this. My personal favorite right now is Spyfu, which lets you search and download all of the competitor data you could want. LXR also has a great free tool that isn’t as thorough but still helpful, especially if you are on a budget.

6. Ahrefs: Audit Your Site

Finally, we have your own website. Looking back over your content over time, your social media posts and your emails and feedback from visitors, what is it that people are bringing up over and over again? Patterns from a website audit, especially of your blog, is a great way to see what your already existing audience is reacting to.

An example would be a blog post that got more attention than the others. What was it about? Did other related posts also do well?

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a nice tool that provides a thorough website audit report and runs its tools on a monthly basis to offer you a regular update.

Are there other SEO platforms you are using? Please share them with me by tweeting to @jessytroy