Networking in the CloudWebsite and SMO Strategies for the Small to Medium Sized Business

Every Business Owner Wants . . .

More Profit

More Customers

More Contacts

More Orders

Modern Up-to-Date Marketing

More Satisfied Customers

More Business

Bigger Market Share

Push or Pull? Push Marketing = Going to the

Customer Sales Force

Direct Mail

Email

Pull Marketing = Getting the Customer to Come to You Website

Phone Book

Social Media Networking

Why Do I Need a Website?

85% of people agreed the quality of a website is an important factor in earning the consumer’s trust.*

Why do you need a website?

Obtain new customers

Stay ahead of your competition

Build awareness of your business

Serve your existing customers

Maintain a professional online appearance

Keep connected with your customers 24/7

Over 77% of people said they were more likely to make a purchase from an unfamiliar business with a quality website than a poor

website from a known business.*

Why Do I Need a Website?

In 2007, as much as $500 billion in offline purchases were influenced by online research (eMarketer)

89% of consumers making in store purchases in key categories have conducted research online (BIGResearch)

82% of people using local search sites followed up with an offline action like an in-store visit or phone call (TMP Directional Marketing)

What Does My Website Need?

Calls to Action: Buy Now!; Register Today; Call Us Today; For a Short Time Only.

Customer Incentives

Clear and Concise Text

Links to/from Other Websites

Simple Format

Feedback

I Have a Website. Now What?SEO vs PPC for your Website

SEO vs PPC PPC – Pay-per-Click Advertising

Internet advertising in which advertisers pay a fee for every visitor that clicks on their ad. PPC is often used to refer to keyword advertising on search engines and other websites.

SEO vs PPC

SEO – Search Engine Optimization

The process of fine-tuning a website to reflect specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business for which you want to attract visitors to your site who are searching for those words/phrases.

Several Elements Factored: Meta tags, links, page content, etc.

Are you Registered on Google Maps?

Where Online and Offline CollideSocial Media Networking

What is SMO? Social media optimization (SMO) is a set of methods

for generating publicity through social media, online communities and community websites. Methods of SMO include adding RSS feeds, social news buttons, blogging, and incorporating third-party community functionalities like images and videos.

Social media optimization is in many ways connected as a technique to viral marketing where word of mouth is created not through friends or family but through the use of networking in social bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites. In a similar way the engagement with blogs achieves the same by sharing content through the use of RSS in the blogosphere and special blog search engines.

Social Media optimization is considered an integral part of an online reputation management (ORM) or Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) strategy for organizations or individuals who care about their online presence.

Why Use Social Marketing

No Cost or Low Cost For Most Services.

Variety of Service Providers and Resources Make It Relevant for Every Business.

The Impact Potential is Very High.

http://tweetrush.com/

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics#

It is Easily Matched to Other New Media Marketing Activities (web site (se0), email)

Forms of Social Marketing

Networking and Connecting (LinkedIn, Naymz, Plaxo, Merchant Circle, Facebook, etc.)

Blogging (Blogger, Wordpress, etc.)

Micro-Blogging (twitter, Pownce, Tumblr., Jaiku, identi.ca, Flickr, etc.)

Resource Sharing (Del.icio.us, SlideShare, FriendFeed, StumbleUpon, Etc)

Others (Technorati , Alterthingy.com, Skype, Etc.)

SMO Rules Know Who You Want to Know –

Suspect Marketing

Be Original and Creative

Provide Value Before You Expect Value

Give People a Reason to Link to You

Be Active and Participate in Networking Regularly

Make Connecting With You Easy – RSS, public profiles, links, links, links.

Executing Your SMO Strategy

Decide On Your Message – Who Cares?

A Long Term Strategy – Plan on 3 to 6 months of consistency to produce lasting results.

Stay focused – Don’t get caught hanging out with your friends and family.

Use an integrated approach – networking, blogging, micro-blogging, resource sharing.

Content and Design Make Your Message Work

10 Second rule

Titled with care

Focus on Value before Sales

Establish Great Design Rules

Spend the Extra to Have Your Own Domain (no gmail, no yahoo, no msn, etc.)

Use a .Com domain Name

No Hyphens or Numbers in the Domain Name

Avoid Direct Sales or Advertizing on the Social Sites

Keep the Content Fresh and Valuable

Being a Community Member

Share with Your Community

Post often, but post meaningfully

Groups, Groups, Groups

No Spam – EVER

Share Freely and Openly

Don’t Share Just to Be “Out There.”