by Nevin on April 30, 2012
Have your heard of these 5 “local” search engines?
Many “local” businesses tend to focus on getting listed on Google Maps and Google Places, simply because it’s relatively easy to get listed on these sites and doing so usually produces results. However, there are other local search engines you should know about in order to reach your customers: Twitter Search, Facebook Search, FourSquare Search, LinkedIn Company Search, and Pinterest. Read more here to get more details about each.
Why your email subscribers are your most loyal customers
According to one marketing writer, of all the customers you have, people who subscribe to your email list are probably your best customer. Why is this? Generally speaking, email marketing is “permission-based”; your customers have indicated that they want you contact them with offers (along with highly valuable and relevant information). Email subscribers also tend to open and click on links, which is important when you;re trying to sell a product or a service. To learn more about why email subscribers make loyal customers, read more here. Bonus link: 7 clever email campaigns that get customers buying again
How to turn your business into a referral-generating machine
For local businesses, why can referrals seem so hard to generate? According to the Globe and Mail, there’s an art to generating referrals: you need to be systematic in your approach. Here’s a step-by-step process to follow each week. Read more here. Bonus link: Ten simple ways to generate leads on Twitter
Google’s Mobile Playbook Aims To Educate, Simplify Mobile For “Busy Executives”
Something that should be of great interest to local business: earlier this week Google launched its “Mobile Playbook,” a simple but comprehensive guide that explains what ”mobile” is and why anyone hoping to sell anything to anybody needs to embrace the channel asap. Google’s document is full of data and case studies that illustrate why it’s so important to have a mobile strategy, website and/or app. Read more here.
Content strategist Nevin Thompson “curates” a weekly collection of online marketing links for JumpStart Web, a Victoria online marketing agency specializing in local search marketing.
by Nevin on September 7, 2011
Summer is over, school has started, and it’s a time for new beginnings. So, we’re launching a new regular series of blog posts featuring useful online marketing links that can help you get ahead of the competition by bringing more traffic to your website and your business.
Is your business mobile ready?
According to Pew Research, nearly 60% of smartphone users use “geosocial” and location-based services to help make purchasing decisions. This could be using Google Maps on a smartphone (typically an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android device) to find a nearby business location, or checking out online reviews of a business before making a purchasing decision. Google’s own research suggests a far higher number: Google previously found, via survey data, that 90 percent of smartphone owners conduct local searches or local business lookups and an astounding 87 percent thereafter took action.
So, as smartphone adoption increases, it’s becoming more and more important for businesses to be “mobile ready.” Bonus link: Retailers, are you reaching one of your biggest opportunities – mobile users? Yet another bonus link: Google: 44 Percent Of Searches For Last-Minute Holiday Gifts Will Be Mobile
Use Twitter strategically to promote your business
Whenever its name comes up, micro-blogging service Twitter tends to provoke strong (and more often than not, negative) reactions. While the jargon (tweeting?) can seem cute, and all the hashtags and RT’s somewhat impenetrable, when used effectively and strategically, Twitter can be a great way funnel “traffic” and customers to your site. Research suggests that nearly 90% Of Twitter users follow brands, and just a small minority (10.9%) of these folks find “promoted Tweets” to be annoying. In layman’s terms, more and more businesses are using Twitter to connect with potential clients, customers and consumers. However, like anything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Bonus link (for the more technically minded): Yes, You Really Can Build Links With Twitter
LinkedIn is good for connecting with customers, too
LinkedIn, a social networking site for professionals, can also be a great way for businesses to connect with potential customers. Have you filled out a LinkedIn profile of your company? It’s a guaranteed way to show up on the front page of Google results (and in front of customers). Are you answering questions on LinkedIn? It’s a great way to establish yourself as an authority in your market. You can also post slideshow presentations showcasing your business or your product, or post discounts and package deals. Here are 33 ways to use LinkedIn for business. Bonus link: How to use LinkedIn to improve organic visibility
- Nevin Thompson helps develop and implement Jumpstart Web content strategy for clients.
by admin on October 4, 2010
What a success Paul and Chris had with yesterday’s Social Media Camp. Had the pleasure of moderating Clayton Stark’s talk and speaking on the Social Media and Tourism panel with Helen Welch and Jeff Ciecko. Check out the buzz on Twitter.
