Author Archive
Internet Marketing for Small Business: 48 Traffic Tips Series
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re looking for a way to improve internet marketing for your small business, there are three things you must have:
- Traffic – in order to get traffic, you must first answer the question, “who would buy this”? That is actually the most important question in your marketing equation. As a former yellow page sales professional, my priority was not understanding the needs of my customers market. My priority was knowing how to convince them that advertising with my company was in their best interest.
- Conversion – what can we say to persuade them to opt-in or to buy? The two biggest priorities of any website ought to be list-building and sales. If you provide enough value and craft a compelling enough message, you can get site visitors to convert.
- Economics – can you reach your audience and sell to them at a profit? Another way to say that is, “what does it cost you to acquire a customer”?
Today, I’m starting a series of 48 traffic tips that will give you a road map to create all of the traffic you could ever want.
The first three traffic tips are 1) do your keyword research; 2) Write your articles for the reader — and the search engines; and 3) Submit your article to the proper article directories. Read More→
Should You Increase Small Business Marketing in a Recession?
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Does it make sense to invest in marketing in a recession?
The title of this post is a reasonable question that a good number of people are asking themselves right now.
Let me share with you some very interesting content I found while researching this issue a few weeks ago. Grant it…I’m a marketing professional, so I think marketing is a year round sport. (Ok…I got that out of the way 
). Now…never mind what I think. It’s more important to take an objective look at the pros and cons of increasing your marketing spend in the current economic climate.
This post is going to summarize a research paper that was published back in 2005. The paper deals with how to turning adversity into advantage in a down economy.
In the abstract (a.k.a. executive summary), the writers state that some businesses see recessions as opportunities to invest aggressively and establish their advantage over weaker competitors, whereas others cut back, waiting for the recession to pass. How do you think most business owners view the recession? How do you view it? Are you cutting back, or investing wisely in order to take the lead? Read More→
Two Skills You MUST Master in 2010
Posted by: | CommentsNow that we’ve gotten past the first week of the new year, I know that you’re starting to get back into the swing of things in your business. If you want to put more cash into your pockets…here are two of the most critical things you need to focus on in your small business marketing strategy in 2010:
- One way of generating leads
- One way of converting leads
If you master those two things, you will get new customers and increase sales and revenue in 2010.
Now I have a question for you. What are you currently doing to generate leads in your business? What specific actions are you taking to cause a suspect to become a prospect?
I define a suspect as someone who doesn’t know you, like you, or trust you. They may want or need what you’re selling, but if they don’t know that you’re alive and breathing…it ain’t happening.
Once they know you’re alive, you have to tell them why they ought to do business with you instead of any other option that’s available to them.
Just last week, I went out and invested some time in talking with other business owners as I focus on developing joint-venture relationships and strategic alliances. In the process, I saw more empty storefronts than I have in a long time. One gentleman had just sold his customer database to a former competitor whom he was now going to work for. Yes…you heard me right…he’s going to work for the person who used to be his competitor. His exact words to me were, “as a country, we’re in survival mode”.
Grant it…numbers are down in many industries. Because sales are down, small business marketing budgets are being cut (by those who don’t know how to make their marketing work).
Here’s a tip: THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO CUT YOUR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING (unless you are testing and tracking what’s working and what’s not in order to know what deserves to be cut). Read More→
Small Business Marketing Tips for 2010: BUILDING TRUST IS PRIORITY ONE
Posted by: | CommentsA new year brings with it the opportunity to start fresh. Everyone who’s ambitious and goal oriented can appreciate having the slate wiped clean from the challenges of 2009. Bleeding-edge small business marketing will continue to be one of the core elements of the successful entrepreneur in 2010 .
In starting anew, I want to make sure I’m keeping first things first. Here are a couple of quotes on success that I find noteworthy:
Success is knowing my purpose in life, sowing seeds to benefit others, and maximizing my potential. –John C. Maxwell
I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles. –Zig Ziglar
I love both of those quotes because real success involves making worthwhile contributions that touch the lives of other people and elevate them into a better place. I believe that success becomes significance when the impact of what we do extends beyond our lifetime.
The Christmas season is a time we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ because His death, burial and resurrection over 2,000 years ago still impacts us today. January is the month we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because of his stand for civil rights and equality of all mankind.
In life and business, there is one thing that will strengthen all of our efforts toward success and significance in this new year. That one thing is found in the answer to the question, “How trustworthy am I?” If we examine that question, and make any necessary adjustments, we are sure to create more success and significance in 2010 and beyond. Read More→
Only 123 Days Left in 2009…Are You Going to Finish Strong with Nick Vujicic???
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I just read an email from a dear friend recommending this video. So often, I ask people how they are doing (on Mondays), and I get the common response, “It’s Monday 
”. It’s almost like Mondays are not supposed to be good days. One thing is for sure, we all have challenges from time to time.
I’m not sure where you are in your life, or what goals are yet unaccomplished on day # 242 out of the 365 we have been allotted for 2009.
This is one of the MOST INSPIRATIONAL messages I have ever seen.
Everyone gets tired now and again.
We all make excuses from time to time when life gets tough.
This may relate to your marketing strategy, and it may not. One thing is for sure, we can all use a dose of hope and encouragement every now and again.
Make it a great Monday and leave a comment if this encouraged you. THANKS!
Free Adwords Coaching Anybody?
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Driving Targeted Traffic Starts with Keyword Selection
Yes…you read it right. FREE Google Adwords Coaching from one of the best online marketing consultants out there. Dr. Glenn Livingston is giving away 17 cheatsheets, and a bunch of mp3s that will equip you to profit from pay-per-click marketing better than most.
In case you aren’t aware, Glenn has started a very successful full-service online marketing agency known as Rocket Clicks. He’s partnering with Jeff Hughes, former attorney, and they offer a full suite of services for the small-to-mid sized business owner who is looking to increase their revenue share by attracting more online buyers. Rocket Clicks handles Adwords Management, SEO, copywriting, and a host of other services. Read More→
Marketing Strategy 101: How to Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
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Stand Out with a Unique Selling Proposition
Marketing is one of the most important priorities in your business. This is not something you can afford to delegate. Why? Because marketing is the voice of your business.
No one else can speak for you.
No one can communicate your passion or integrity.
There are certain things that you and you alone can bring to life for other people.
The most fundamental and critical part of your marketing strategy lies in the development of your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). There is no bigger priority when it comes to moving your business forward. Today’s competition is real, and this economy is presenting new challenges to remaining profitable.
Developing a USP requires you to identify several things:
- Your values, dreams, and passions
- Your skills, talents, and abilities
- Your preferred working styles based on your personality tendencies
Your USP is like your fingerprint. It’s a one-of-a-kind. I don’t care how many people are in the industry you work in. You might be a relationship coach, a graphic designer, an attorney, or an educator. Others may have the same professional skill, but NO ONE smells like you. The blending of your character, personality, and life experience is completely unique. That translates into your business as well. No one brings the exact same assets to the table as you.
When you combine your unique skills, your values and passions, your experiences, and your personality tendencies — you are an original. A MASTERPIECE. Who you are and what you do cannot be duplicated.
Your business is an extension of who you are.
Marketing (in the minds of some people) has gotten a bad name because of the numbers of people who use their ability to persuade as a means to manipulate the truth. REAL marketing is the use of communication to help your prospect or customer to become aware of the value you deliver, and to make a decision that is in their best interest. Read More→
Marketing Strategy…Are You Connecting the Dots?
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A Great Marketing Strategy Leads Prospects to Connect the Dots
If there is one thing I’ve seen consistently over the last 4 ½ years of working with small-to-mid sized business owners, it’s the absence of a real marketing strategy. There is often no real plan of attack. From one week to the next, it’s one random activity after another. Small business owners hope this approach will lead to more clients, but end up dissappointed. Sales are up one week and down the next.
Putting a winning marketing strategy together should give the prospect an experience similar to playing Connect the Dots.
What do I mean?
When a child follows the ordered sequence of connecting the dots, they end up looking at a picture that has two characteristics. One, the finished product is usually something they recognize. (I trust that you can see the banana in the current unfinished example to your left). Any school age child who is old enough to follow the numbered dots and complete the drawing would immediately recognize a banana upon completion.
The second thing is…they helped complete the picture. The actual process they went through involved some thinking and active participation. Active participation is important because it increases the learning. The active participation needs to have meaning from the perspective of the prospect. Great marketing speaks to the conversation that’s already going on inside the mind of your prospect.
That’s what good marketing does. It requires the prospect to get involved in the process. A good marketing strategy will often cause the prospect to ask themselves questions and make evaluations that guides their thinking process. One thing I want to make clear. Ethical marketing is about guiding the thinking process – NOT manipulating it. Read More→
Search Engine Marketing Questions Answered by Fortune 500 Marketing Guru
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Dr. Glenn Livingston will answer questions about small business marketing.
Imagine this. It’s the day after 911, and you’ve just made the BIGGEST business blunder of your entire career. You loose $2 million (that you don’t really have), and go into debt for $750,000.00. What would you do if you were in that hotseat?
Well…Dr. Glenn Livingston (and his wife Sharon) lived through that ordeal. They specialized in doing market research Fortune 500 companies like AT & T, American Express, Bausch & Lomb, Burger King, Chase, Citibank, Hallmark, Exxon, Kodak, Kraft, Mastercard, and Nextel (just to name a few).
After reinventing themselves, Glenn and Sharon have emerged from that situation debt free (as of November 2008), and are now running a search engine marketing agency that often-times has a waiting list of new clients because of their impressive track record.
I have followed the Livingstons for the last 2 1/2 – 3 years and I find them to be people of integrity who do not oversell or hype their products and services at all. Read More→
Small Business Advertising…How to Make it Work
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Small Business Advertising Secrets Offer Big Payday
Has your small business advertising failed to pay off? Do you get that funny feeling in your stomach when writing out that renewal check to your yellow page rep (who only comes by once a year)? Are you seeing a questionable return from your newspaper advertising?
Maybe you’re an independent professional, a coach, or a consultant who hasn’t figured out the marketing piece of your business. You might even be an author who wants to sell more copies of your book and get more speaking engagements, but getting cash-paying customers to your website has not been easy.
I’m going to give you three tips that will wipe out your frustration, provide you with a blueprint, and help you to put more money into the bank.
1. Increase Traffic with a Winning Value Proposition – In today’s economy, many small business owners are rattled by fear. They lie awake at night wondering if their business is going to survive this recession. Fair question. Big business bailouts in addition to the housing crisis have everyone thinking twice.
However, the rules of business have not changed. The law of supply and demand still exists. The question is, are you selling something that has a demand in the marketplace? If so, what problem are you solving for your customer base?
People buy solutions that solve their problems. When you position yourself as a problem solver and give advice that is truly helpful and rare, you will capture people’s attention. That is the first rule of marketing. Get their attention.
Beyond that, what is your competitive advantage when compared to any of your competitors? If people are buying the product or service that you are selling (from any other company) what reason are you giving them to buy from you? Your value proposition is what causes your market to stop and listen to your pitch when they have other things to do. They will come into your storefront (web store front or brick and mortar) if your offer is compelling enough.
Assuming you have something that people truly want to buy, you have to get your value proposition in front of more people. If you need help creating a winning value proposition that captures the attention of your market, you will want to be on my next teleseminar where I will give exact steps on how to create a value proposition that will allow you to outsell your competitors. Read More→