But what now? How can you work to grow that site before your product or service has even been launched? How can the site serve as a spur to your business without costing you too much money in the early going?

To answer these questions, here’s a basic step-by-step process for insuring that you put out an appropriate site and start driving people to it, thus leaving you room to worry about the many other issues that probably sit on your plate.

Step 1: Insure Quality
When your website first goes online, it probably isn’t fully developed or as extensive as you’d like it to eventually be. That’s okay. Just make sure that your website accomplishes two objectives: that it is informative and that it is professional. As people hear about your start-up and become interested in learning more, they will likely turn to the website for information both broad and specific. Make sure that this information is provided clearly and directly, without requiring any work on the viewer’s part.

As for professionalism, the establishment of your website is likely the first action that confers your business’s legitimacy to the general public. You want to insure that it confers credibility, as well.

Step 2: Start Marketing
You don’t need a full-fledged internet campaign to market your site at this point; you shouldn’t feel obligated to bury yourself in SEO tactics or consider expensive advertising opportunities. However, you do want to put some marketing gears into place, specifically by taking advantage of the free advertising offered through social media. Create a Facebook page that links back to your site. Start a Twitter feed. Get friends, relatives, and colleagues to help you spread the word. Work to amass a mailing address. Simply put, it’s always best to explore your free marketing avenues as early as possible.

Step 3: Be Ready To Analyze
Although your site and your business both are still small, you want to insure that the apparatus is in place for analyzing consumer data as customers begin to build. To this end, you may want to install an analytics program that can track, synthesize, and analyze data that is generated by traffic to your site. Such programs include Omniture’s analytics offerings, specifically Omniture’s website optimization plan.

After you’ve completed these steps, you can sit back and wait until your business is more mature before developing your site further. To be sure, you’re going to want at some point to further consider site design, features, and advertising, but before you grow your site too much it’s important to spend some time growing your business.

Networking
Facebook and Twitter aren’t just for Fans, they are also a great way for you to find others in the business and connect with them. Look for press members or reviewers who would be interested in your type of business and then follow them. If you remain active online, they will eventually take notice of you and possibly give you a few write ups in the local paper or magazine to help get your name out there.

Establishing Your Authority
Another part of social media is blogging, and through a blog you can help establish yourself as an authority over your industry. People like to buy from those who know their business and do it well so having a highly informative and trustworthy blog will make people more inclined to shop with you.

Creating Hype
In addition to using your social networking accounts to network with press and industry related individuals, you should also be using them to keep your prospective customers interested and engaged. Keep them waiting and wanting. Post updates about your opening, the new products or services you are adding to your line, and what you are doing to bring it all together. By keeping everyone involved you will have them eager to support you, and dying to get in when you open your doors.

Businesses today won’t survive if they don’t start incorporating social media sites into their every day operations. Shoppers today no longer simply want to buy their goods from an unknown business; they want an experience and want to feel as though they are connecting with a community when they offer a business their patronage. Give them what they want and create a strong following by signing up and staying active on social media sites and on your blog.

A recent nationwide survey I conducted revealed that 78-percent of young adults between 21 and 25, known as Millennials, preferred to have an experience where personal engagement played a more prominent role. Instead of standing in line and receiving free samples, Millennials prefer the opportunity to ask questions and receive a coherent explanation about the product from a knowledgeable representative where an actual face-to-face conversation about the product or a demonstration takes place.

In the survey, Millennials stated that they think more of companies that take the time to discuss a product or service in person and they are more likely persuaded towards trial and discussion. Most importantly, after this engagement most Millennials would actually refer a friend to try the product after a good consumer engagement and promotional experience.

One of the most sought after things Millennials are seeking in consumer engagements are knowledge and information about a product and the company behind it. Essentially, it comes down to a personalized engagement where a product representative takes an interest and is able to offer knowledgeable information on their product, the competitor’s products and answer other various questions that may arise. This will help ensure a more memorable and successful consumer engagement.

Personal Engagement Creates Credibility and Trust

This type of engagement is important and valued among Millennials because, by definition, they are still young and learning. When a Millennial is engaged in a face-to-face conversation with a product representative who takes the time to teach them about the product, the educational process lends a significant amount of credibility for the company. This credibility translates into consumer trust, which means the Millennial is much more likely to try that product and stay loyal to it. Additionally, after learning about the product, the Millennial can speak more intelligently about it to their friends – an added bonus.

As a result, Millennials will think more highly of companies that take the time to demonstrate and discuss products, show how they work or why they are better than competitors during a marketing promotion or consumer engagement. For the marketers that are taking the time in consumer engagements to talk with Millennials to elaborate and demonstrate why their products are better, faster, safer, smarter, or tastier than competitor products, all while making it engaging and fun, the odds increase significantly that more trial, discussion and potential conversion will occur.

Finally, the survey also revealed that consumer engagement “experience” could lead to not only trial and consideration, but also increased loyalty and word of mouth promotion by Millennial consumers. It is not just about having a product representative at the promotion or activity, it is about what that company representative and the engagement have to offer in the way of conversation, knowledge and what is different, better, unique and centered on the consumer’s needs and wants.

Surprisingly in this age of Facebook and Twitter, the younger they are, the more they want face-to-face, informational engagements. Therefore, it can be discerned that if a company wants to attract younger people to its brand and build a longer relationship, that face-to-face engagement with knowledgeable people for the product must be part of any experiential and promotional campaign. Failure to include this can have a devastating effect on an organization’s long-term strategy. Unfortunately, most marketers are not getting the message and are missing out on a golden opportunity to help their clients create a long term relationship with a potential customer, which will in-turn lead to a long-term relationship with the client. In short, take the time to talk to the customer because the numbers do not lie. It is what they want.

About the Author:
Kevin Meany is the CMO of BFG Communications, based in Bluffton, South Carolina.

If you’ve hired a graphic designer lately, you know that you could be looking at spending several hundred dollars just to get a mini site, header and purchase button — and that may not even include the Photoshop source files.

What if you wanted to add in a PowerPoint Background, 3D ecover graphic and a 3D rendering of your website to add visual interest to your sales letter? Well, you can almost hear the cash register go “Ka-Ching,” now can’t you?

I’m here to tell you that there is a better way — and you don’t have to offer up your first born or a kidney to pay for it.

My friend Max has been doing graphic design for over 7 years, and I make a point in snapping up just about everything he offers. When he told me this newest collection of over 250 megabytes of headers, mini site templates, headlines, fonts, 3D ecover action scripts and sales letter graphics were being offered for under $11, I thought he needed his head examined.

Oh, and did I mention that he’s including the Photoshop source files for EVERYTHING in the package?

You can get all the details here — and I would strongly suggest that you do. Max can’t afford to offer this deal forever.

Businesses optimize their websites and online marketing campaigns for search, trying to get as many customers as possible to their “front door” online. Today, the real challenge is all about how to improve the performance of this traffic rather than getting more of it.

Key findings prove that “Click-to-Action” add-ons are amongst the most powerful conversion enhancers, helping advertisers to engage in conversation quickly and more often with prospects and customers, translating into more business from their online presence and advertising campaigns.

Given the current landscape, getting a full suite of these tools implies signing multiple costly contracts with multiple vendors, deploying multiple solutions, dealing with constraining minimum monthly commitments as well as complex data integration for reporting purposes. Agendize’s new self-serve resolves these business and operational challenges.

Agencies, Publishers and Advertisers can deploy the suite of “Click-to-Action” buttons by simply pasting a short line of code into any website, emailing, banner ad, video, social or business profile page. Agendize’s fully integrated white-label reporting console provides detailed analytics on engagement actions – calls, appointments, chats, etc.- with the possibility of linking to keywords and website data to prove campaign efficiency, while greatly improving the “Trusted Advisor” relationship with advertisers.

Agendize’s self-serve pricing is based on a “Pay-per-Action” model with no contract or minimum spend commitment. No actions, no conversations, no cost.

Features can be deployed on-demand, optionally limited by a daily budget cap determined by each client. Billing begins when the action begins and stops when the actions stops.

For more information, visit http://www.agendize.com/.

]]> http://esbjournal.com/2010/11/agendize-click-to-action-platform-turns-traffic-into-conversations/feed/ 0 http://esbjournal.com/2010/09/castle-ink-makes-their-mark-with-youtube-promo-videos/ http://esbjournal.com/2010/09/castle-ink-makes-their-mark-with-youtube-promo-videos/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:45:59 +0000 admin http://esbjournal.com/?p=4634 “Let’s face it, some products are not sexy. There is nothing particularly fun, interesting or entertaining about ink cartridges,” says Lauren Elward, Castle Ink’s CEO. So how can a small business with a dull product suite effectively leverage social media to drive interest and sales? They can start by checking out Castle Ink’s new video series, “Will It Print?” Castle Ink is an ink cartridge retailer based in New York, that according to Elward, was looking for a unique new way to generate awareness around refilled ink cartridges.

Castle Ink recently released a series of videos on YouTube that have some pundits questioning their knowledge of advertising (Check out the videos at Castle Ink’s Channel). Injecting wine, mustard, and blueberries into empty printer ink cartridges and then installing them in a brand new printer is a counterintuitive concept, some would say it makes no sense. But sense has never been a firm requirement for great ideas. In fact Elward says the fact that it doesn’t make any sense at all is why the videos have become so popular, so quickly.

The ‘Will It Print?” videos explicitly reference another popular series of commercials about blenders (“Will It Blend?”). But the “Will It Blend?” commercials make conventional sense because they seek to show the durability of the product which they are trying to sell, carried out in sensationalistic fashion. This explains why they are popular, but some would posit that it is also why they are limited and eventually will grow stale.

The “Will It Print?” videos satirize those “Will it Blend?” videos by making direct reference to them, but with the ultimate purpose of selling ink cartridges containing actual ink. There is no logical correlation between the two products, or even the concepts, with the exception of the “lab experiment” angle. Furthermore, the “Will It Print?” videos do not feature any ink, the actual product, but instead use unusual “substitutes.”

The videos make one completely rethink advertising. “Thinking out of the box is one of our strengths,” says Elward, “It’s the only way for company as small as Castle Ink to compete in a billion dollar industry.” Elward says that most forms of conventional advertising, such as search engine marketing and display advertising are just too expensive and competitive for smaller companies.

The Castle Ink videos have appeal, if not for the entertainment value, then for the original advertising model. It will be particularly interesting to see how Castle Ink takes this concept even further, and applies it to a larger range of contexts, beyond food and liquids. One thing is for sure, the “Will It Print?” videos are cohesive in terms of both the tone and concept, and if nothing else, have created a buzz.

Visit Castle Ink online at http://www.castleink.com/.

Stress balls: Hand exercises with the help of a stress baseball can help relieve stress. Giving one to customers can help keep your company name on their minds.

Golf balls and tees: From golf course meetings to tournaments, the green is a great place to get your message out, with a logo on everything from golf balls to clubs, bags, markers and even shoes.

Water bottles: Custom-im-printed bottles now come in a wide choice of sizes, colors and styles. Polycarbonate bottles are even available with their no-taste, no-smell composition to make water and drinks taste better. Sports bottles with corporate logos can be great for sporting events and company picnics.

First-aid kits: Keep your workers, students and families prepared with custom first-aid kits.

Gardening supplies: You can give just about anything from branded gardening kits to seed packets, according to leading online promotional items vendor Branders.com. For more ideas and information, visit http://www.branders.com or call (877) 272-6337.

The most difficult thing about being a public relations professional is correcting a client’s perceptions about the field of PR itself.

PR people are depicted in the movies as “spin doctors,” stretching the truth or lying outright to present their clients in the best possible light.

That characterization couldn’t be further from the truth, and not because the portrayals are exaggerated and phony, but rather, because they proceed from the false assumption that a PR agent’s work is just about “selling” his client. The truth is, public relations is a marketing tool that is most effective when it isn’t trying to sell anything. At the heart and soul of any good PR effort is the desire to provide the news media with a story worth telling, plain and simple.

The hard truth that a PR agency has to help clients understand is that journalists and host don’t care about selling your book, your product, your story or your messages.

What they do care about is serving their viewers, listeners and readers with information and entertainment that keep them tuned in and paying attention. The more eyes and ears that are focused on their shows and publications means more advertising dollars for those organizations. And that is the “bottom line” in those industries.

Keeping that reality in mind, the best way to have successful interviews is to forget you’re selling something and work your marketing efforts around the goal of being the perfect radio guest. The key tactics to this strategy are:

Don’t position yourself as an author or executive. Instead, position yourself as an expert in your topic or your industry. Don’t try to sell anything other than your depth of knowledge and your ability to help answer key questions about some aspect of your topic that may have been in the news recently. For instance, a realtor can talk about escaping foreclosures. A stockbroker can talk about how to manage your own portfolio. Experts on just about any topic can look to the newspaper and find stories related to their expertise. Find that news story and shape your interview pitch around it, and include the fact that you have expertise in the field.

Make the host your friend. Talk candidly and openly about your topic in relationship to the current events surrounding it, and engage the host. In a recent interview, Lee Habeeb, co-creator of The Laura Ingraham Show and media coach to many of today’s top talk radio hosts, said, “The most important audience is the host. If you can engage the host, you will have engaged his audience. For example, the only reason most people gather around “The Savage Nation” is because they’re interested in what Michael Savage has to say and what he is interested in. So by proxy, you don’t have to worry about entertaining Michael’s audience; you simply have to engage and entertain Michael.”

Don’t sell. Stay on topic during the interview, and when appropriate, mention the free material on your web site that could benefit the host’s listeners. If you engage the host, give a great interview and offer helpful information, you don’t have to worry about selling anything. The host will do it for you. He’ll make sure his audience knows you’re an expert, he’ll give out your web site, he’ll mention the name of your book or he’ll talk about the value of your product. He’ll do the promotion for you.

Have a web site that does more than sell your product. If you are an author, provide free “tips articles” that explain your topic or your viewpoint in an informational manner. If you’re selling a product, create free reports or articles for your site that lay out the problem your product solves, again, in an educational tone.

How does this help you promote your book or your products?

Simple – one of the primary points of sale for almost every industry today is the Internet. Your web site is your virtual storefront or sales team, and companies pay big money for search engine marketing ads that are designed to drive traffic to your site. With your free report, you can drive radio listeners to your site in a non-commercial way that doesn’t lead them to believe you are selling anything. All it does is make you look smart. The host, tired of people using their shows to promote themselves, appreciates you not sounding like an infomercial and even urges his loyal audience to visit your site. If you’re really good, the host may even ask you back another time.

And you achieved all this simply by resisting the instinct to “sell,” and instead re-focusing your efforts toward helping the radio host offer listeners a good show!

About the Author:

Marsha Friedman is a 20-year veteran of the public relations industry. She is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations http://www.emsincorporated.com, a national firm that provides PR strategy and publicity services to corporations, entertainers, authors and professional firms. She also hosts a national weekly radio talk show, The Family Round Table, and is author of the book, Celebritize Yourself

It is with this thought in mind that Jim Mueller and his partners launched Propadoo.

Propadoo puts your testimonials & referral requests on auto-pilot. Here’s how it works:

• Streams Real-Time Testimonials on your website — increasing your conversions
• Generates Leads with referrals from happy customers
• Boosts SEO with user generated content & search-engine friendly Propadoo profile

Yesterday I had the chance to sit down with Jim to discuss how he got started, why folks should use Propadoo, and how this service can fit into your overall marketing strategy. In this twenty minute audio, you’ll quickly discover why Propadoo should be in every small business arsenal.

]]> http://esbjournal.com/2010/03/giving-credit-where-credits-due-traci-sits-down-with-propadoo/feed/ 0 http://esbjournal.com/2010/02/local-business-listings-consumer-reviews-and-public-relations-concerns-for-the-local-business/ http://esbjournal.com/2010/02/local-business-listings-consumer-reviews-and-public-relations-concerns-for-the-local-business/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:45:06 +0000 admin http://esbjournal.com/?p=3365 by: Melih Oztalay, CEO of SmartFinds Internet Marketing

If your business is dependent upon the local consumer for revenue then you will need to start paying attention to your local business listing.

You, also, need to know that paying attention to your local business listing is not about one location. There are over 60 different local listing websites and search engines in four different categories. Most allow the local consumer to post their experience about your business, products and services without your knowledge or involvement. While this has more importance for B2C companies, it does indeed apply to B2B companies as well.

One way of describing local business listings is to call them the interactive internet yellow pages. I say “interactive” because it is a two way street. Local business listings are a convergence of search, social media and mobile marketing. More importantly they have evolved to be an excellent marketing tool for the local business. Local business listings show up in search results on the first page and on mobile searches when the local consumer is around town.

Local businesses are defined as large local businesses, franchises, restaurants, banks, professional services, and small business. Pretty much any business that is dependent upon the local consumer for their revenue.

The business can do more with local listings then they ever could with the traditional yellow pages. Aside from the basic business information, you can add photos, videos, coupons, and events to showcase your business, your products and services. More importantly you can update them 24×7×365.

The consumer also is interactive in this case. They get to post their review of your business, their experience with you, your products and services. What is interesting is that the business does not have to be engaged in local business listings in order for consumers to post their reviews. Websites like Angie’s List, Yelp, Google, Yahoo, Bing, City Search and more are a good example how consumers have been very engaged in posting their commentary about a business (good or bad).

If you think that “getting listed” inexpensively is the solution then you need to reconsider what you know about local business listings. The trick is to claim your listing at multiple local listing websites in order to update them with your marketing material and manage them on a regular basis. It is estimated that less than 15% of all local business listings are claimed, therefore there is large number of local businesses that neglect this as a marketing tool and their reputation.

These local business listings represent your company’s brand and your customers feel about their experience with you. Isolated negative reviews are not to be taken lightly because your prospective customers that don’t know you and can only make a decision based on what they read. Any negative review will reduce the perception about your brand and consumers will think twice where to spend their money. These online reviews of your business are a powerful first impression of your brand credibility as well as a sense of security for new customers. They need to know they can trust you.

Consumers are tuning out the commercial messages that bombard them everywhere at all the times. Any opinion coming from another customer gives confidence with prospective customers. The opinion given from an existing customer with no economic interest helps to facilitate a foundation of trust.

If you’re wondering how a business utilizes this marketing tool effectively at all these locations with limited time resources, then the answer lies in local business listing management services that support the business to take care of this at multiple local listing websites. The only thing you have to be careful here is that most of the companies out there are about “getting listed”, which is not really what the business needs since most businesses, unless they are new, are already listed. What you need is someone who will help you setup an account, claim your listings, update, manage and maintain them for you.

Local business listing management services are provided by SmartFinds Internet Marketing. You will find this to be of great benefit to your time resources and the low cost service may eliminate your yellow page ad costs. Let the experts of over 15 years Internet marketing experience help you use this local business marketing tool properly.

About the Author:
SmartFinds Internet Marketing provides Local Business Listing Management Services and can not only help you claim your local business listing, but also, manage the ongoing maintenance at multiple local listing websites. Not only to help you update the listings with your information, but also with promotions, coupons, QR-Codes, offers, videos and photos. SmartFinds Internet Marketing – http://www.smartfindsmarketing.com, and http://www.smartfindslocallisting.com.