Strategize Your Marketing Content

NFL teams across the nation take the field every week for a month in a large-scale dress rehearsal to see how certain players react in pressure situations—it’s called preseason. While it may not always make for exciting viewing, it’s a necessary part of ensuring that the product is at its peak on week one of the regular season.

Your business copy and marketing can be handled in much the same way. While having professional-looking copy and marketing materials is always important, you can always experiment with the best way to win. Maybe it means testing two different versions of website copy, or not being afraid to try something creative while establishing your business’s “voice.”

If your experiment does not work, that is ok. It is better than not knowing. It’s time to keep going until you find something that does work. Finding the best strategies is the only way to make sure your marketing is at its best. 

Write Content They'll Remember

In nearly all cases, the first exposure someone has to your business will be through words. This could be your website, social media, articles, blogging, or video. It could also be a sales rep, (satisfied or unsatisfied) customer, or some other form of exposure.

In most industries, these words sound just about the same. There’s a rush to the same middle ground. It’s easy to feel pigeon-holed into the place that your business belongs. It's that same place that the companies you compete with shoot for. 

It’s more important than ever to use these words to set your business apart. What can a customer expect in doing business with you? Why are you different? Why do you care? There are more mediums to communicate this message than ever. Shoot for your unique selling point, like number four on this blog list.

You can be professional and different at the same time. Woot, Groupon and countless of other businesses have proven this. There’s more room for your company to thrive on the outside.

This is where your customers will notice you.

Why Your About Page Is Important

The  about page is the second most important page on every website (after the home page). To understand why, think about how you surf the web. Say you and your family are looking for a way to spend your next free night.

You come across a website for a science museum in your town. The home page has you hooked, but you instantly want to know a little more, so you visit the about page. The home page clues you into the fact that it’s a science museum, but the about page tells you about all the hands-on experiments they offer. The about page tells you about the scientists who demo experiments three times a day for the kids.

As a website reader, nothing is more frustrating than a vague and uninteresting home page with no about link on the website. Had the museum made this mistake, you’d have clicked away and found another way to spend your free day with your family. Vague and uninteresting content with no about page is a quick road to disaster.

Writing Your About Page

Who is your audience? Are you trying to increase your business with your blog? Then you need to think from your readers’ perspective. It’s up to you to figure out what exactly they are looking for—and execute.

What is the tone of your business? Are you looking to keep a professional tone and appearance? If you are targeting high-end business professionals with your copy, you probably need copy that reflects that. If you are looking to set yourself apart from your competition by putting your quirkiness and creativity on display, well then your copy should reflect that as well.

A creative page that makes some people laugh may turn some business away, but chances are it may not be the clients you are looking for anyway. Once you pick a path, go with it. There are no right answers. It’s a personal, individual decision each business will need to make.

I’ve written copy in both directions for businesses. The important thing is that the tone of your copy reflect the nature of your company.

Capture the Detail

Your about page gives the true detail, and tells your reader why they want to do business with you. When I write as a journalist, there’s something called the 5 w’s—who, what, when, where, and why. These are all elements that need to be answered in a good story.

They are also crucial material to cover in your about page. Who are you? What is it that you offer? When did you start in your profession? Where are you based? Do you serve customers locally, regionally, nationally or internationally?

Just as with journalism, the why is possibly the most important piece. Why do you do what you do? Why should your readers choose you? What sets you apart from the competition?

These are the elements of a strong about page. They’re crucial questions to answer if you’re looking for your customers to come back.

Answer these questions in an engaging way, and you’ll be far ahead of the

competition. 

Write About Your Company

It used to be that marketing meant grabbing a megaphone and garnering the attention of as many people as possible. It used to mean buying newspaper ads, and placing your business in a prominent spot in the phone book. Clever TV ads meant to reach a wide audience were a necessity. Not anymore.

As a small business owner, you need to be a jack of all trades. You need to be a master of accounting, as well as a master of the arts. You can add one more talent to the list of things that a small business owner must be. Like it or not, you will need to be a proficient writer, or hire one. Social media, websites, and blogging all mean content.

If you are the DIY type, you will need to write about your company—a lot. That’s going to mean a few things for you. For one, you’re going to have to start thinking about the big picture for your business, and how you want to communicate your message.

What’s your business’s story? How can you tell it in an engaging and entertaining way? How can you distinguish your business from your competition? In order to answer these questions you’ll need to be familiar with your competition and what they offer. You’ll need to be consistently reading industry related magazines, books, and blogs to keep a good log of what is going on.

One thing writers always say is to read good writing. I’ll take it an additional step. Read writing that will push your boundaries. Don’t just read business books. Read books about creativity. Read some fiction and non-fiction. Read some books you might disagree with. The important thing is to just read.

From there, it’s time to put your own stamp on the material. Keep a notebook of ideas. Don’t be afraid to tweak your website content. Blog about your business as much as you physically can. And engage with your friends and followers via your social media channels.

When you do these things right, they’re not just good internet marketing, they’re good marketing. So open up your word processing software, brush up on your grammar and dive in. Do things right, and it can pay off to write about your company.

How To Give Your Customers What They Want

The coffee is ready. The inbox is bursting with unanswered emails. There’s two phone calls to return, and the kids need someone to drive them to baseball practice.  Only then, can you begin with today’s official order of business.

It’s no secret that small business owners are defensive of their time. So when marketers are telling them that they need to be utilizing social media and blogging in order to increase their business revenues, their posture is a little understandable.

Your Customers Crave Conversation

            No one wants to be spammed. That’s the bottom line. If all you do is try and sell to them, they will see right through that and walk away.  Instead, they’re looking for a likeable resource.

            If you can continuously prove your worth and your value while being likeable and friendly, in the long run, you’ll win. How do you do this? Provide them with helpful content through your blogging platform and social media. In the long run, they'll thank you for it. 

Find The Time To Blog About Your Business

            It’s possible to come up with a good blog post in about 30 minutes. Sharing an article that you find interesting, or interacting with another’s post only takes a matter of seconds.

            These are the things that will accumulate more business. It may not happen right away, but somewhere down the road, new jobs will start to add up as you meet more people online. Just keep at it.

            I’ve recently picked up a few jobs from LinkedIn and Twitter. It’s about knowing how to use these tools in a social way, and taking full advantage of what’s in front of you.

           

Know What You Want To Do Then Do It

            Remember all those projections you made about your business? It’s the small and daily tasks (like blogging and social media) that add up to your monthly totals. You don’t get there simply by thinking big. You have to produce quality marketing content. Period. 

            It may take waking up a half hour early. There are programs out there that will block your social media and email notifications for a given time, so that you are better able to use that window productively. Shut the office door. Use headphones. But come out with something concrete. You’ll be happier for your efforts. 

How a Copywriter Makes Money For Your Business

So you decided to invest in a website. You had a professional designer build the whole thing and it looks absolutely gorgeous. It’s an exciting time for your marketing and your business.

If the designer built things right, your site should also be highly functional. There should be a well thought out architecture and page structure to your site, making it easy for people to use.

At this point you’re halfway home. Don’t stop here!

You’ve attracted attention to your website. From this point it is up to your copy to sell your product. It does not matter how pretty the design is, if you use the wrong “your/you’re” in a prominent home page headline, people will take note.

You only have a few seconds to grab a customer’s attention. If you do it with a grammar or spelling mistake, they will click away. A good copywriter understands this. A good copywriter has spent time mastering the craft, and will have a portfolio of samples to back it up. 

An engaging, attention-grabbing headline written with action words and mistake-free is your best bet to bring people in. In fact, it’s the only way to turn eyeballs into paying customers. This will turn an average website into a good one, and make a good website great.

Copywriting For People

At any one time, there are thousands of forces vying for people’s attention. Your website viewers are no different. If they don’t find precisely what they are looking for, they’ll move on. With new technology, everybody is fickle.

A good copywriter understands this. A good copywriter looks at your brand, your website, and sees the opportunity to tell a story. It’s through that story, and the engaging copy, that people will interact.  

There is a lot of discussion on the web about SEO copywriting and writing for people. Both are extremely necessary, but it is people who will buy your product. So ask yourself a simple question: If you were surfing the web, would you invest the time to read your own website? Be honest. If the answer is no, it might be time to rethink your website copy.

A good copywriter will know how to tell your story, and also how to get the word out across the web.

Copywriting For The Search Engines (SEO Copywriting)

You’ve got the good story. It used to be that you buy a newspaper or yellow pages ad, and wait for the foot traffic. That’s not how people are finding their information anymore. There’s a reason Google has become a verb.

A good copywriter knows to hone in on the story first. After all it’s people that will buy your product. But if you ignore the search engines, traffic will be difficult to come by. That's where SEO copywriting comes into play.

You have to think of the words and phrases that you want people to find your business by, and find ways to incorporate them into the headlines and the copy on your page. These words and phrases should be backed up by keyword research.

The search engines are continuously changing their ranking algorithms, and what they are seeking in an informative website. Some of these changes have to do with design, but many have to do with copy as well. It’s vital to have a basic understanding of search engine optimization if you want your website and copy to travel well online.

Forget buying a print ad. When people want information on a business, the search engines are where they find it.

Final Copywriting Thoughts…

Writing for people and the search engines at the same time is the perfect storm for bringing in more business. This equates to more sales, or an increased client base for your business. Here’s the bottom line:

Quality copywriting geared toward today’s marketing world = more money in any business owner’s pocket.

I wrote this blog around the website example because a website should be your marketing hub. It’s the place on the web that is totally yours. There are no space limitations, and you can fit everything you want about your business right there, within its confines.

The same principles apply to any form of marketing writing, however. Tell a good story. If we are talking about online writing such as blogs, articles or social media posts, gearing them for the search engines still applies. Brochures should still be peppered with engaging content designed to attract attention.

There are many talented business owner-writers out there. If that is not you, or you are looking for the extra SEO push, do not hesitate to hire a quality copywriter to help your business make money.

Marketing Materials In a Rut? Keep the Pen To The Paper!

If your business is stuck, it may be because you're not writing enough. Many marketers claim that you need to produce one original piece of content per day. Most people’s jaw drops a little bit when they hear that number. I am the first to admit, I don’t come near that goal. I do try to produce as much as I can, however.

There’s no question that the more content you produce, the better position your business is in, with its marketing. Content educates your customer, and gets the word out about your industry. It can also help strengthen your position in the search engines. It keeps your business in the forefront, and can generate you money.

It needs to be good, though. Don’t ever sacrifice quality for quantity. That means spelling and grammar count. Have a strong, original idea, and articulate clearly. Make sure your online marketing content doesn’t suck.

If you’re a small to medium-sized business trying to knock off larger competition, you want to produce as much content as you can. It’s not as overwhelming as you might think.

There are a few ways to get there. A piece of content per day does not always mean 1,000 word articles about the complicated nature of your business. It can mean something as short as a Tweet.

Here are a few writing ideas to help you from large, to small:

eBook Writing

eBooks don’t have to be as intimidating as you might think. You can write a 10-20 page summary of how people benefit from your services in general. A couple things to keep in mind, however: 1) It’s not sales material. Keep it to how they benefit from your industry, not what happens when they buy from your company. They’ll see through that. 2) Make it interesting. Someone who’s agreed to read your eBook is making a large commitment.

Article Marketing:

Article marketing has taken a severe hit after the Panda update from Google. Many of the article websites don’t carry the weight they used to. You can always contribute articles to industry publications, however. Or write a column for your local newspaper about your industry. These things will always help, and score you some free press.

Writing Press Releases:

Press releases can help you score some invaluable free press from any news organizations, or on the Internet. Got a new product, service, idea or location? These are all good reasons to notify the press.

Blog All About It

Blogs are still the easiest way to get the word out. These should not be salesy either. They’re similar to an eBook, except shorter. The main principle should be to educate those interested in your industry.

Facebook Posts or Notes

Don’t quite have enough for a blog? A simple Facebook post, or note can be effective. This addresses your Facebook fans specifically and can be an effective way to get a simple thought out.

Tweet, Tweet

It was Mark Twain who said he’d write less if he had more time. Producing a piece of content in 140 characters or less, can be more complicated than you think. It’s still a good place to put out a few quick industry tips that potential customers may find interest in.

These are just a few ideas if you’re overwhelmed with the idea of putting out frequent content. There are other social networks, and more ways out there to reach your customers than just this. Keep thinking, and experimenting with new ways, and find what works. Make sure you are finding ways to reach out on a regular basis. 

SEO For Blogger

I recently began reading a lot more about SEO for blogs and what some of the best practices are. I was a little disturbed to find out how much better WordPress is for SEO than Blogger, since Blogger is my platform.

I was disturbed to find that Blogger lowers your SEO when you export your blog from Blogger to another platform. The SEO for Blogger should be a lot better, especially considering that this is Google’s blogging platform.

I did find some ways to boost your Blogger SEO that are out there. The Blog Know How blog is extremely informative on this issue and gives some great insight on how to boost your Blogger SEO.

Utilize Heading Tags

Make sure that when you post, you are using the h1 and h2 tags for subheads. If there are keywords in the headings, this also helps.

SEO Friendly Tags

By default, the title’s that appear on your browser for your Blogspot blog give Blogger’s information, before any information about your blog. Blog Know How offers some simple code to plug into your template that will reverse the order on your blog’s titles. If you provide keyword-rich titles, they will now be better optimized and have a stronger impact in the search engines.

Home Page, and Individual Post Meta Tags

Blogger does not have a place to input Meta data the way that WordPress does. This makes for an automatic disadvantage. You can however add some code to your template that will provide Meta data to your home page. There is also code to add to your template for individual post meta. You can’t do every post however, or it will become far too sloppy. It’s best to pick a handful of your strongest blogs and strengthen their SEO pull.

There are a few other modifications that can also be found if you do a simple Google search. It’s disappointing that Google’s platform isn’t a little stronger for SEO. Hopefully some of these changes can help.

Want More Business? Market to the 82 Percent

If you are hanging on to the idea that social media is not for your business, or that it will eventually go away, it is definitely time rethink your conservative stance on this issue.

The stragglers argue that if they do nothing, the entire phenomenon will go the way of Myspace. Social media and mobile marketing right now are stronger than ever. More and more people are using more advanced technologies to do their shopping and their research.

More data is coming out to show the staggering number of social media and mobile users. Website Magazine reported that social networking sites reach 82 percent of the world’s online population, and that they account for 19 percent of all time spent online.

Facebook still takes up a huge chunk of that time spent on social networks. No matter what type of business you run, it’s crucial to meet customers where they already are.

Don’t discount Twitter. The same Website Magazine report stated that Twitter reached one in 10 internet users around the world. It offers a great way to connect you with potential customers in a meaningful way.

It’s crucial to have a website, but social media platforms and a strong overall online presence is the way to drive more traffic to your site. This is done through traditional SEO, and an active social media plan.

If you have a brick and mortar location, give strong consideration to the mobile platforms that allow your customers to check in. These platforms are another great way to get your business name in front of their network.

These sites also do something else. They benefit the mobile customer. According to the same report, 32 percent of the total US mobile population reported accessing a social network site from their phone.

If you are looking to increase your customer base, marketing your business to the 82 percent of us is a good start. Social media and mobile marketing provide great ways to level the playing field between small and large businesses.

Generating Business Leads

I was just going through LinkedIn questions, when I found one asking the best ways for a small business to generate leads. There are many ways to do this. First off, it’s important to understand that the internet has replaced the phone book.

I just watched the movie Searching For Bobbie Fischer again. You know that scene where the kid sits on some phone books to be able to see, when he plays chess with his dad? That’s about the best use for these massive books anymore.

With that in mind, I would direct the majority of your lead-generating effort online. Networking and cold calls are still important, but you want to make sure that what people see 24/7 is the best representation of your business.

Website—This is the best place to start any effort to gain more leads. Make sure you’ve got a current, competitive design. Make sure it looks right on a mobile device. Many designs look dated. Your customers can tell. Make sure it has a solid navigational structure. People should also be able to easily contact you. It should represent your business like an online salesperson.

SEO—Search Engine Optimization is also hugely important. This is the practice of making sure your web site and your business are represented well in the search engines. Quality content, the proper back end tags, strong social media, and link building all come into play here. You can have the most beautiful website in the world. If no one finds it, you won’t have any leads.

Social Media—My first social media lead happened like this. I watched the fireworks for the town I lived in. I tweeted that I was doing so. Somebody else responded to me. A few months later that somebody else needed a web site redesign for their business. They called. Social media leads can take time to formulate. It is crucial for any business to have a network of customers and potential customers to engage with on a regular basis. This will only increase the strength of your brand. You never know who you will find, and where you will find them.

Press Releases—Make sure and try press releases and online press releases. Are you a new business? Are you celebrating an anniversary, or have a newsworthy product release? A press release can help. There are plenty of distribution sites out there that will help get the word out. Don’t forget about your local news agencies. They can still kick up some business for you.

Networking—Old fashioned networking groups still help. Go. Find people in other related businesses, and make connections. Again, they may not need your services for months. But it pays if you are the one they think of when they do need your services.

Cold Calls—I have to admit, not my favorite way to find leads, but it can be effective. If you call the right places, and enough of them, you may be able to find a job or two.

If you have a strong message, and use these strategies effectively, the leads should follow.

Numbers, Now!

Building a web site to increase your small business’s customer base is a smart move. To do it without Google Analytics would be like taking a rowboat out into the ocean. Once you take that rowboat far enough out into the high waves that you no longer see land, you may as well throw your map, or GPS system into the water. You’re lost and you’re guessing.

Anybody maintaining a web site should have a fundamental idea what the main reports in Analytics offer. They can tell you what is working about your web site and what is not. They can tell you specifically what needs changing. They can tell you exactly how to change it.

Analytics provides numbers and a means for measurement in the relatively uncharted territory of Internet marketing. It's what gives small businesses a sense of safety, while taking risk. It's the tie between old world, traditional marketing with print, radio and television, and the new world Internet marketing.

Until now, there was one major drawback getting the numbers. Analytics was a once a day tool. The numbers update at midnight, and at that point, they are right there for you to check. Well in the Google quest for Internet supremacy, that’s the latest thing to change.

Google announced real time numbers will be coming soon for its analytics program. For the Internet nerdy in the culture of now, that makes a lot of sense. Post a blog on your web site and get immediate feedback. Throw up a Facebook post or Tweet a link back and see who is following it.

Now you can see what works immediately and be able to adjust accordingly. This makes this necessary tool more invaluable. In the past I’ve run my sites with other analytics tools in addition to Google simply for the immediate numbers. Now there’s no need.

For the web master this will be as addictive as checking email. It’s validation of your efforts, now. Good move, Google.