Still Don't Have a Google+ Page for Your Business?

I work with hundreds of small business owners or their representatives/managers.  Throughout our various meetings during the year, we discuss their digital presence, or where they "rank" on Google.  There is so much confusion for the small business owner and they really don't have the time to constantly study and stay up to date on the changing landscape of the internet.  So, they rely heavily upon my experience, knowledge and assistance to make sure they have their bases covered online.

One thing I have identified for the majority of my clients is that they have not claimed their Google+ page.  I know, you are thinking, "What is that?"  Right?  Well, Google entered into the social media game and over the past year and a half or so Google+ has morphed into a primary player in the social media game.  Also, since it's owned by Google, it is becoming more and more critical to a small business that they have and manage their Google+ page as it is affecting the rank of their website in the organic listings and ads on the Google SERP.

So, what are the benefits to the small business owner?  Here are just a few:

• Ratings & Reviews are all linked back to a page that the business owner can manage, approve or disapprove. Any business owner will tell you that the ability to manage and respond to reviews is critical.
• Coupons & Offers can be posted and shared directly through Google and in the Google local listings through the Carousel feature.
• When searching a local business, the consumer can link directly to the Google+ page and see all those reviews and offers.
• Although Google says that having a Google+ page bears no weight in the SERP results, when logged into my Google account I see more and more Google+ posts in the SERP rankings.

So, hopefully you, as a small business owner see the benefit of claiming and managing your Google+ page.  I'm here to help and assist.  I don't profess to know everything, but I have great resources and can get answers to any questions you may like answered via this blog.

Thanks!

Successful SEM Management - What does it really take?

So, today I'm sitting here wanting to write something on my blog but not knowing what topic is most relevant nor where I should begin when out of the blue one of my clients calls me. It's Saturday and sometimes I'll answer client calls on a Saturday but sometimes not. This time though I chose to pick up the cell and see what's going on. Boy was I glad I did!! My client is a local home improvement business and in managing his internet marketing and website we are in a constant flux so that we manage his budget to maximize results. Just before Thanksgiving we'd met for a few hours and gone over some analysis and trending data so that we could increase his calls which had really been dismal of late. Trending said to focus on other things so we built our strategy and went to our analyst and asked her to make some changes. Well, the call today was a huge thank you! What a pleasant surprise to hear from a client whom I've worked with for about 5-6 years and hear that with the few simple changes made by his analyst, his phone is ringing again! In fact, he received two calls just today!! After getting the second one, he called to thank me and say that whatever I did, it worked!! I'm so excited for my clients when the strategies I build and implement for them pay off. My ultimate goal is to help a business owner maximize their marketing investments and reap the rewards financially. This is truly plain out fun!! What did I do that caused such a positive outcome for my client? I simply researched trends for his services, those that are most used this time of year and throughout the coming winter months. With that analysis we could see what people are more likely to search pertinent to his business and we adapted his online marketing strategies accordingly. The pay off for the client is more phone calls as a direct result of his online marketing campaign. So, the lesson here is two-fold: First, when a client calls, think positive and pick up the phone! Two, a well-managed online marketing strategy is imperative to success into today's fragmented marketplace.

Spring Planning

Doesn't this beautiful warmer than normal weather make you want to get outside?  I know it makes me want to plant seeds, cultivate the soil, and then watch it grow.  Well, the same can be said for your business.

Let's apply the spring planting concept to business.

Farmers have been sitting for the winter, anxiously awaiting the spring thaw so they can "get back to work".  Now, that's not to say that farmers don't work year round as they certainly do.  Coming from a farm family background, I know a farmer's work is never done.  However, there is something to be said for that early March time frame when things begin to warm up and crocuses start to pop up out of the ground and bloom. 

In business, there are many industries that are sitting right now just waiting on that spring thaw for their business.  Landscape contractors, home improvement guys, deck builders, paving companies, and so many more rely on the warm months of the year to build up their winter storehouse of funds to sustain themselves through yet another winter.  So, what are you doing to prepare for Spring in 2012?

Here are a few suggestions for business owners waiting out the winter:

• Set up a schedule for your marketing and advertising now!  Do not wait until March as the phone will start ringing from your past efforts and clients and you then won't have time to spend trying to build a new customer base.  Now is the time to secure and schedule your direct mail campaign.  Now is the time to design and purchase flyers, business cards, yard signs, etc. 
• Now is the time to work with your webmaster to update your website.  Work with a reliable optimization and online marketing expert to be sure you are on page one of all the major search engines.  It can be done! If you don't have a website, contact me or someone who has built thousands of sites so you can use their expertise.  Please don't make the mistake of thinking  you can do it yourself or enlist your cousin's brother's sister's friend to do it.  It just doesn't work!!
• Now is the time to perform preventative maintenance on all your business equipment such as mowers, trucks, sprayers, power tools, etc.  Change the oil, rotate tires, and be ready to get out on the road when the customer calls.
• If you require some sort of inventory for your business such as chemicals for a pest control business, seeds, oil, small tools, etc., now is the time to purchase those and store for the busy season.  Later, you won't have to come home at 9pm and go online and place orders when you are exhausted and want to spend time with your family.
• Now is the time to go out and secure spring/summer contracts.  At the beginning of the year homeowners and business owners alike are thinking about where they will get their services this spring/summer/fall.  If you rely on such agreements, you must solicit them now via direct mail and in person. 

So, hopefully you have some ideas for your time as we wait out the rest of the winter months.  Before long Spring will be here and you will be busy.  Plan now and if you need personal assistance, feel free to contact Lisa Fausey at Lisa.Fausey@yellglobal.com for personal assistance for all your marketing, advertising and business solutions needs.

Lisa Brooks Fausey, Business Solutions Consultant

Marketing a Local Event for Free!

Last year a pair of local business owners in our community decided they would begin a contest to see who was the best at making a one of America’s favorite foods, a hamburger. This idea began as the brain child of local entrepreneur Selina Meehleib. Selina’s husband is a local butcher who is half owner of a local butcher shop, Mountain State Meats and Catering. Selina runs the business and in particular the catering portion of the business. Having a background of being an expert in the meat industry gave Selina and her husband Ryan the validity in founding this local competiton. But, Selina needed to have other support in starting this and actually pulling it off and her funds were limited.
Selina approached local business owner Jason Roach of Sunfire Hearth Patio & Spa. Not only does Jason’s business specialize in outdoor patio furniture, spa and hot tubs, indoor/outdoor fireplaces, woodstoves, pellet stoves, etc. They also specialize in gas and pellet grills. How do most American’s prefer their burgers? Grilled! When Jason and Selina put their collective ideas together, the Big Bad Burger Contest was born!
Ok, so they had a great idea but again the funds were limited with which they would be able to market their idea of the contest and then there were prizes and press so here is how they pulled it off, all things anyone can use to market their big idea with small funds.
First, both Selina and Jason began talking to everyone about their idea. Selina knows hundreds of local business men and women and she talked up the contest to everyone seeking support in prizes as well as free marketing. Jason likewise knows hundreds of local business men and women and also spoke to many of them looking for support and particiation as contestants. Their goal was to have 50 contestants but they would be content with 20. Early on the local newspaper, The Journal, jumped in with support in print as did a local radio station owned by Prettyman Broadcasting. It wasn’t long before other sponsors and supporters jumped in to make the contest successful.
Finding judges was important because they had to be local yet someone who was experienced. Selina was able to secure West Virginia State Senator John Unger, II as the celebrity judge. This was very helpful as Senator Unger has experience judging in other local food competitions such as the Chili Cook-off and is a Kansas City BBQ judge. With Senator Unger’s participation this created validity for the competition and entrants began to come in quickly.
Selina also employed the knowledge of yours truly to create an online buzz through Twitter, Facebook and various blogs. As word got out and others jumped on this buzz was expanded by Around the Panhandle Magazine, The Buyer’s Guide, Hospice of the Panhandle, Inthepanhandle.com, and others in local media. It wasn’t long before they reached 20 entries in the two categories, beef and alternative burgers.
Jason and Selina were able with a very limited budget to build this event to actually be the largest first year event in Martinsburg, WV. Other than the cost to print full color fliers, and the time involved, they were able to market this event successfully with their own efforts. This coming year when they host the event, social media will be a large part of their marketing effort as well be the concerted efforts of the organizers to speak to as many local business owners, supporters and participants as they can reach personally. Who knows, maybe TV stations from the DC area will come out to feature the event or if they are lucky somone from the Food Network will sit up and take notice and attend as well.