How Do You Know?

Often I am working with a client to enhance and broaden their online presence.  In fact, this is an almost daily occurence.  In the course of these conversations it's rather interesting that they will get a call or email from someone out of the area promising to guarantee first position on Google for their website.  Sometimes they even get that call from a local person masquerading as a marketing professional.  Well, here's the advice I give.

• For those who are not local, that is easy.  I tell them if the person cannot walk into your office or meet you out in the public if you don't have an office, tell them to get lost!  Seriously, do you think there isn't someone in your local community or the next closest who cannot help with your online visibility?
• For that local person who can walk in, let's determine their knowlege level with a few simple questions you can ask them such as:
• What is a SERP?
• What determines ranking in Google Places?
• What is a title tag?
• What order does Google read the website?
• What is an alt tag?
• For the local person who can answer all your questions, let's talk about their experience and outcomes:
• How many current clients do you have?
• Do you have written and signed testimonial letters?
• What will you charge me for each change I want  you to make?
• How many of your current client websites rank in first position on the major search engines?
• How many of your current client websites rank on page one or two of the Google search results?
• What level of ongoing support do they offer?

This is just a brief conversation to share with you some of the things you, as a business owner, should be asking anyone who wants to manage your online visibility and presence.  If you have questions or comments, please post here or email me at lisafausey@gmail.com.

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

Who's Watching You?

In today's digital world, many of us have online chatter on various social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google + and more. We recognize and encourage others to see our thoughts, opinions and life events.  However, do we really know who's watching? 

Recently I noticed a posting on Facebook by an acquaintance, someone I don't really know except through the social site, related to a particular topic. I commented in a light-hearted fashion that previously my husband's employer was not on board with this topic but thankfully they had finally joined the 21st century.  I never gave it a thought afterward.

Then, a couple weeks later, one of the secretaries at his employer calls him with a warning that their boss didn't like my comment and that she is watching every thing both of us are saying online!  I have no issue with her watching as I allowed her that permission, but now that permission will be revoked!  I don't work there and refuse to be bullied to clam up!  Besides, what I said was really a kudos for implementing a new system.

I know my own employer watches the online comments of its employees. Recently one of my coworkers made a simple statement online that she's always looking for the next job opportunity.  It didn't take a day for that to make its way through the management levels and a top level manager was out to our office to investigate.  Its great that they value us employees, but do they have to hang on our every word?  I mean, who isn't open to new opportunities?

On a personal note, I once posted to Twitter about something work related and had emails asking how I got that info before our management got it.  It wasn't long after that a corporate policy regarding social media was sent out.

So, do you know who is watching you?

Using Search Marketing to Stay Out of Bankruptcy | ClickZ

Using Search Marketing to Stay Out of Bankruptcy ClickZ

Jami playing and and singing

Ratings and Reviews Contest

Ratings and Reviews Contest

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.