Ricky Bobbi is a great driver -
but he’s an even better Internet Marketer!
Why?
Simple! He understands the power of being first.
So in honor of this weekends Indie 500 race, I’d like to talk about “being first”. First organic link of search, first paid position, first IYP listing, first maps listing, first mobile search result… you get the point. “If you’re not first, you’re last“!
The facts are clear: 53% of organic clicks are from the first link, and 59% of paid clicks come from the top paid ad (Kantar Media, 2011). Furthermore – according to the 2012 Google/Nielsen research more than 50% of local mobile searchers take action within one hour. So shouldn’t every local businesses’s goal include being on or close to to the top search result?
Ideally, yes. First position, page, and rank increases local visibility and overall traffic and conversions – but they’re significant challenges and considerations to address as well (many of which I covered here last year). These include, and are not limited to, the return-on-investment of a paid search campaign, local listings fragmentation and having a mobile-friendly website.
With the goal of keeping this concept as simple as possible, I’ve come up with five “F.I.R.S.T.” steps to local online success; a simple strategy for local business owners (thanks, Mike for your creativity on this!)…
F – You business website is the foundation for everything you do, both on and offline. It’s a “marketing tool”, and has a specific job to do; generate leads. It needs to be search engine “friendly”, optimized for mobile and properly designed. And a properly embedded video can be a great call-to-action statement.
I – Identify your businesses goals & objectives. What are your primary products and services? What do you want to promote? What type of clients do you want more of? What are your “profit centers”?
R – After the goals are defined, you are ready to actively reach new customers and generate new sales. This includes SEM, SEO, Online Display advertising, local listing optimization, IYP, etc.
S – Get social! Increasingly, social media participation will help engage, retain and attract new clients. There are also specific optimization (SEO) benefits, especially from Facebook, Twitter and Google+ Local pages.
T – Tracking provides full transparency and accountability, and will ensure ongoing success. This includes the standard analytics from your site, call tracking from PPC efforts, and/or other R.O.I based data. There should never be any doubt in your mind as to how effective your online marketing is performing!
The advantage to truly being local is you can effectively compete against the big guys – but it does take work.
I know Ricky Bobbi wouldn’t agree, but in this case being first is not a destination – it’s an ongoing journey. Start with these “FIRST” steps, get help when needed, and get your business into the pole position to compete!
Tweet6 Ways SMBs Can Turn Social Media Fans Into Actual Customers
Stephanie Miles, an associate editor at Street Fight, recently brought together six straightforward ways you can turn social media “fans” into real customers – something many local business owners have been struggling with lately.
Local merchants are flocking to social networks like Facebook and Twitter, utilizing free marketing tools to acquire new customers and build brand awareness. On an average week, local business Facebook pages get more than 645 million views and 13 million comments, and a countless number of social marketing firms have popped up to help companies get more likes, fans, and followers online. Still, most small business owners remain unsure of how to convert their social media followers into actual, paying customers.
Although 36% of SMBs have said acquiring and engaging new customers was their primary goal in using social media, according to a recent Manta survey, only 39% said they were seeing ROI from their online activities. In an effort to solve the mystery and find out how merchants can turn online followers into customers, we consulted with the experts. Here are five straightforward ways that local businesses can turn Facebook “likes” and Twitter followers into actual revenue.
1. Inspire new ideas with in-store products.
Social media accounts should be used for more than just promoting deals and sales. Ideally, businesses should be giving out practical, inspirational ideas about how to put the products they sell to use. These types of inspirational posts will provide utility for customers, while also raising awareness of where the products they need to purchase can be obtained. (Jordan Slabaugh, Spredfast)
2. Pro-actively reach out to people nearby.
Using tools like Main Street Hub’s HubTargeter, businesses can proactively reach out to people who are tweeting about relevant topics nearby their places of business. For example, an auto repair shop could reach out to someone who just tweeted about his car breaking down with something like, “Sorry to hear it! We’d be happy to take a look!” The best way to approach people through social media without freaking them out is by using humor, asking questions, offering sympathy, and doing the necessary background research before sending any tweets. (David Kreitzer, Main Street Hub)
3. Offer exclusive in-store deals.
Many consumers follow their favorite companies to gain access to exclusive offers and discounts. Offering a deal is a great way for businesses to show their appreciation to customers, and to give them an incentive to drop by their stores for a visit. Merchants should share daily or weekly specials with online followers, and post links to coupons that online followers can show in-store to redeem those deals. Notifying fans of special offers via social media is beneficial because it encourages social sharing, further amplifying a merchant’s reach and potential for new business. (Diana Chow, HootSuite)
4. Become a local authority.
Each store experience is slightly different. Creating a local presence for retail stores with multiple locations on social media channels creates an opportunity for those stores to become local authorities on geography, audience needs, and local interests. The personalized experience can create an affinity for the brand and it can help make customers loyal to a specific store location. (Jim Rudden, Spredfast)
5. Show restraint when using social media.
Businesses with social media accounts should post in moderation, and with discretion. Consumers should never feel like they’re being spammed or that they’re reading something irrelevant to the business. By scheduling posts at appropriate times (like tweeting a daily lunch special just before noon), businesses can ensure that their messages are relevant to their followers at that particular moment. Geo-locating posts also ensures that the content of a social media message is applicable to users in their current location. (Diana Chow, HootSuite)
6. Send followers to a mobile website.
All SMBs should have a website that is optimized for mobile. Mobile search will soon outpace other types of searching, but only 14% of businesses have a mobile-optimized website. Including a link to a mobile site on all social media profiles (including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ Local, and Yelp) is a great way to enable customers who are searching for a business on their smartphones. Features like “click-to-call” buttons make it easy for those customers to reach the business with any additional questions. (David Kreitzer, Main Street Hub)
The “King of Sales” loves our Client!
I met one of our SEM Clients this past week, Wacky Buttons, Inc. Wacky Buttons sells customized buttons (what else?) Nationally. It’s a great company, with a fantastic success story – started almost by “accident” by a recent software engineer graduate who had just moved to his new wife’s hometown of Rochester NY. They recently fulfilled an order from one of the “rock stars” of sales consulting, Jeffrey Gittomer – I thought that was pretty cool.
Jeffrey Gittomer is the author of The New York Times best sellers The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Black Book of Connections, and The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. All of his books have been number one best sellers on Amazon.com, including Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Patterson Principles of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching!, The Little Teal Book of Trust, Social BOOM!, and The Little Book of Leadership. Jeffrey’s books have appeared on best-seller lists more than 850 times and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He knows his stuff – and appreciates good customer service!
As detailed on his blog, Mr. Gittomer was searching for some buttons for an upcoming book launch. Thanks to our SEM campaign he found WackyButtons.com on Google very quickly. As he dug deeper, did some comparison shopping, made some calls, and eventually purchased from Wacky Buttons. Why? Their premier customer service and ability to say “yes”!
It’s a good lesson for any business:
“Go to your website right now and try to place a $1000 order. Can you do it? If I need to talk to you, how easy is it to access a phone number or email address that goes directly to a person? Is your phone answered by a live human being? Or are you, “trying to serve me better by selecting from the following nine options, which have recently changed”? Your business is dependent on the Internet. Your customers need you. They’re counting on you and looking for you online. How available are you? How ready are you? How easy is it to access you? And how willing are you to accept their money? Or is their business going to go to your competitor? Mine did.”
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