Archive for June, 2008

So, here's number three of our top 5 secret marketing strategies. 

Truthfully, though, there's really no secret too it. It just sounds really good and has a nice flavor plus doesn't it make your mouth water in anticipation of what's to come?

Ok, enough fluff. Here you go…

Inbound link text should be varied based on the search phrases you are using to optimize a particular page.

For example, let's say we are using the phrases "indie jewelry, eco jewelry and recycled jewelry," on a page. Obviously our page content is written in such a way that these phrases are picked up in the meta information, in the header on the page and in the page content as a whole in a natural (never forced) way. And let's also work on the assumption that you are out there really working hard to solicit links from other sites and blogs that are similar (but not in direct competition) to your own.

Using the search phrase examples from above,you want to be sure to that the keyword/search phrase is being used in the content that is the link back to your site. Here's what I mean using some example text.

"Indie jewelry that is one-of-a-kind and luxurious is being touted as the new must-have for today's modern fashionistas."

The blue text "Indie Jewelry" would be a link directly back to the category page you are optimizing for that search phrase.

So, the idea is to use that phrase and the other search phrases we listed above - eco jewelry and recycled jewelry - in that way on other sites linking back to your category page. Not once, not twice but over and over. You DO, however, (please pay close attention here) want to vary the instances of the sentence or paragraph you are using the search phrase in. You DO NOT want to use the same paragraph over and over again - keep the search phrase but change up the paragraph or sentence that you use the search phrase in.

Make sense? If not, as usual, drop us a line, ping us on IM or leave a comment, The result is a page that will rise in rank in the search engines for those three search phrases.

And yes, we WILL get to the review info in the next strategy…PROMISE! 

Ok so you got number one and got busy using it correct?

If not, you need to and while you are at it, start thinking about how and when you are going to use number two. Remember, what you create begins as nothing more than a thought in your head and you need to do at least one thing each and every day to market your business.

This strategy is so simple yet so overlooked that almost no one does it. The mere act of taking initiative and following up with customers in and of itself can set you apart from your competition and will help your customers remember who you are.

After a sale is made and the product has been received, call the customer, email them - contact them somehow. Ask them how they liked the product, if it arrived in a timely fashion, if it met their expectations. Give them the opportunity to voice their feelings and opinions. If there’s a problem, this is your chance to fix it.

Invite them to provide a review of their product or experience and place it on your web site (we'll talk about reviews in the next strategy). They won’t forget you AND they’ll be very likely to tell their friends, family and co-workers about you.

There’s absolutely no price tag you can put on word-of-mouth!

Yes, it's Monday. The start of a bright, fresh new week.

Ready for some secret strategies to get you off to a roaring start?

My goal is to give you one for each day of the week. So, here's 'numero uno' straight from the online marketing trenches…

Always include inbound links FROM your press releases and articles you are crafting for other blogs or web sites TO your web site. Each and every time your release/content is used in a blog, on a web site, or anywhere online for that matter, it will help to increase your web site ranking in the search engines.

It’s a two-fold SEO trick that works.

The information in the article is pure content, optimized and web-ready. Google and the other search engines LOVE content. So the odds of the information getting indexed quickly are pretty high. Also when your release is used by news organizations, blogs, web sites and individuals you’ve got 100s, possibly 1000s of links coming into your web site.

How cool is that!

Ok, as promised, it's time to get stumbling in the right direction. But before we do, I just want you to know (because several people have asked why the next post didn't come quicker) that I was out of town and alas…no internet connection! I know, I know…gasp! :-) 

Grab your pen and take some notes. Here we go. 

In part 1 we talked about how StumbleUpon can be one of the best traffic sources to your blog or web site and how you want to provide excellent resource information that Stumblers will want to read and pass along. Today, we are talking about how to craft your information so it gets stumbled. Here's a short list of what Stumbers tend to like:

Compelling Headlines - This is a no brainer for any copy writer worth their salt. Headlines are what is seen first and they should always be written to capture the attention of whomever your audience is. Put time and attention and love into those headlines.

First Paragraph - That first paragraph is almost as important as that headline you are working up. It's what pulls people into your article and makes them want to continue.

Images - Stumblers love funny, titillating or unusual images that go along with the article or site content. Istockphoto is my favorite at this moment in time, but there are tons of free resources for images. Just do a Google search and see what comes up.

Design - A clean, fun design that flows with the content contained within a site is important.

Here's what doesn't work for stumblers…

Any Commercialized Content -  Don't (I mean, don't) try to sell to stumblers. Your reputation will be on the downswing right out of the gate. 

Regular Site Pages - Don't submit your home page or product pages to StumbleUpon. It HAS to be something really useful and exceptional for regular site pages to get stumbled.

News - What is news today isn't really a hot topic for Stumblers because of the way the algorithm works. Content in StumbleUpon is shown to new Stumblers based on popularity and can be shown loooooooong after that breaking news story is ancient history.

Short Articles - Stumblers like in-depth, funny, resourceful, informative, cutting edge, researched articles. They don't usually go for short posts or articles.

You should join StumbleUpon BUT don't submit only your own content. It's best to allow your information to be found rather than tooting your own horn. However, if you feel you HAVE to get your information in there, here's what I'd recommend.

Set up your own profile and really get in and start stumbling content you find useful and engaging that you'd pass on to family and friends. Only after you've gotten a feel for how it works and what type of content is out there would I recommend stumbling your own info. When you get to that point, you'll have a good grasp of how it works and hopefully have a group you share information with on StumbleUpon. Still you should intermix and mingle your own information with that of other sites.

Also, just so you know, there is a limit to the number of pages you can submit from one domain. Here's a good rule to follow: for every page you submit from your own site, submit 10-20 from other sites.

Now, here's a smokin' hot tip to remember. When another blog or site talks about you/your site with a link, submit that content to StumbleUpon. Yes, you heard right stumble it! It not only will bring traffic in to your site, you are giving someone a helping hand with their traffic and thus begins a circle of link love that will continue to build.

So, get in there and get stumbling. It's free and can potentially bring you tons of traffic! As always, feel free to share your experiences and if you get stuck, don't hesitate to drop a line or leave a comment. Happy Stumbling!

Check this out.

If you are marketing your business online, you NEED this must-have, gotta see it, top secret information….kidding!

You do need it but there's nothing top secret about it, or if there is, well, we've just unveiled it for you and everyone and their brother and their brother's wife and her family know about it.

It's about press releases…specifically the digital release. Simply put, due to the inter-connective nature of the web, articles and press releases are no longer exclusively viewable by news and press organizations.

Literally, anyone with access to an internet connection, a web browser or an RSS reader potentially has easy access to YOUR information. That, statement alone, dramatically impacts the nature of your press release and the crafting of the content contained within it.

Your audience has been switched up from a few journalists or news organizations to millions of web users. Savvy marketers recognize this unique and invaluable tool for gaining larger and larger shares of the market.

1. You need to target your releases to your buyers not just news organizations and journalists
2. Create content that is optimized for the search engines and rich in searchable phrases your customer would use in locating you
3. Embed links that lead them directly to your web site
4. Offer a link to sign up for a series of tutorials, a white paper or free service your customer might be interested in (This will get them into the buying cycle and you can begin to build a relationship with the customer)
5. Send a press release or article every chance you get. That means send them for all sorts of reasons – new product introductions, new services, improved web site navigational experiences, anything you can think of.
6. Use a press release distribution service simply because it makes the whole process much easier and the chances of getting in online news services like Google and Yahoo are pretty much guaranteed. PRWEb, Business Wire, Market Wire, PRNewswire
7. Create your own RSS feeds of your releases and news stories on your site. You can store them in a press area on your site where customers can get easy access and subscribe to receive your content.

Ok, 7 tips to get you started…Go get 'em!

Content is KING.

We hear it all the time.

I preach it at every opportunity.

It’s very simply one of THE most important aspects to growing your web presence.

But there’s a trick – a trick to making content work for you that a lot of individuals in online marketing won’t talk about.

The so called ‘trick’ is simply to understand HOW it works and WHAT the search engines are looking for in content. You can file this one away and break it out when you need it most and it will take you one step closer to that marketing guru status we are working toward…

Common Misconceptions About Using Content

Taking the content of the page and rewriting it on a regular basis will not boost your web site rankings. In fact, it will more than likely pull your ranking down.

*Please note…content SHOULD be updated/rewritten if it doesn’t contain any of the search phrases you want that particular page to rank for. It should also be reflected in your title tag, description and keyword tags up in the meta info in the head section of your site. (Hopefully you know this already…if you don’t call us ASAP!)

Same goes for streaming an rss feed onto one of your web site pages. It doesn’t impact your ranking. It’s a cool tool and can generate traffic to the feed source but again, does not impact your ranking in the search engines.

What You Need to Know

How a page ranks in the search engines is determined by that particular page’s attributes such as the number and quality of inbound links (inbound links are links coming from other sites and resources on the web), along with on the page factors such as keyword placement in title tags, copy, headers, etc.

Making Content Work for You

On the other hand, adding content in the form of articles, blog postings, resources, buyer’s guides, etc. can boost up your search rank and ultimately your traffic. What you are doing is creating more indexable content for the search engines to crawl (as well as attracting more links).

*Another note to remember – pages with few inbound links tend to slip out of the search rankings so you want to make sure the content is good and that people will want to link TO that content.

Now, just as an aside…there ARE ways to update content on the page to direct the search engine spiders to that page and then plant links to pages you want the spiders to discover. It does speed up the process of getting new pages listed quicker. It won’t impact your ranking but it will be indexed in the search engines quicker so the content is more available. Your best bet, though is to get it right the first time.

Make sense? Any questions? Post them below or toss them over via email. We love to get a good conversation started!

That’s it for today, here’s to you all you fabulous individuals out there who are working hard at your marketing and keepin' it real! Guru status, HERE WE COME!