As a business owner you should encourage all your staff to engage in promoting your products and services on Social Media.

This activity should be daily and performed religiously. These activities should be separated on the type of platform they are using, thusly:

COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS

Blogging (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday):

The company promoters will have to report at the end of each day on all the activities performed and closely monitor spikes in traffic within Google Webmaster Tools. These activities will include making comments on all the blogging websites and/or include your company’s website. Here’s a list of such websites:

• Blogger.com
• Livejournal.com
• OpenDiary.com
• TypePad.com
• ExpressionEngine.com
• Technorati.com
• Blogged.com
• BlogCatalog.com
• Blogarama.com
• PitchEngine.com
• BlogSearchEngine.com
• DMoz.org
• IdeeaMarketers.com
• Ezinearticles.com
• GoArticles.com
• OneMinuteU.com
• ArticlesBase.com
• Authorsden.com

Micro-blogging (every 30 minutes):

Company promoters and professional staff will have access to TweetDeck and continue on promoting the company throughout the day. The following will be used:

• Twitter.com
• Plurk.com
• Tumlbr.com
• Jaiku.com

Social-Networking (every 2 hours):

Every employee will be encouraged to make as many friends possible without affecting the overall performance during the day. The following platforms will be visited every day, after lunch for no more than 30 minutes daily. The marketing promoters will continue to engage others on these platforms throughout the day.

• Bebo.com
• Facebook.com
• LinkedIn.com
• MySpace.com
• Skyrock.com
• Hi5.com
• Ning.com

Social network Aggregation

The company staff will have HootSuite installed on each computer and perform these small marketing tasks on a daily basis.

• FrindFeed.com
• HootSuite.com
• Twitterbadges.com
• Twitterfeed.com

COLLABORATION PLATFORMS

Wikis (update 1 per month):The company marketing staff will be in charge of composing these wikis only after gaining approval.

• Wikipedia.org
• PBWorks.com
• WetPaint.com

Social tagging (Daily):

• Delicious.com
• StumbleUpon.com
• Stumpmedia.com
• CiteUlike.com

Social News (Daily):

• Digg.com
• Reddit.com
• Mixx.com

Opinion Sites(1 per week):

• Epinions.com
• Yelp.com
• MouthShut.com

MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS

PhotoSharing (1 per week):

Company promoters will have access to a company digital camera and will take pictures that will later be uploaded on the following platforms:

• Flickr.com
• Photobucket.com
• SmugMug.com
• Picasa.com

Video (1 per month):

Company promoters will have access to 1 digital video camera and editing software to uopload professional made videos and create buzz on the following platforms.

• YouTube.com
• TubeMogul.com

Livecasting (1 every 3 months):

Podcasting will include interviews with bloggers and industry experts and will be distributed on the company website as well as the following platforms:

• Ustream.tv
• Justin.tv

Here are 10 awesome tips on how you can improve the online presence for your business:

1. Submit Your Business to Local Listings
   Do a local search for your business make sure your listing is up to date and accurate so customers get the right information about your business.
2. List Your Business in the Correct Category
   Very often the owner (or the webmaster creating the website) categorizes the business listing in the wrong category. Include as many relevant categories as possible to your business to attract customers. 
3. Add or verify your business listing with data providers for search engines
   Search engines and local search sites use data providers (e.g. InfoUSA, Localeze, InsiderPages, MerchantCircle, etc.) and it’s very important that you update their listing of your business. 
4. When Possible Include product / service keywords in your local business listing title
   This tactic will help customers find your business more easily on search engines and you will be ranked higher in the process.
5. Check the Accuracy of Your Full Name and address on all search sites and especially your website
   A full and accurate address generates a sense of trust for both customers and for search engines so make sure that wherever you appear on the web, your information is up to date, accurate and consistent throughout.
6. Hire a Professional and Build a Great Website with an Optimized Number of Keywords and Good Content
   Your company website is the image project on the web to the rest of the world. Show the world you care about your image, your business and your customers with a unique, easy to navigate website. Stay away from cheap imitations, standard templates and cookie cutters (one size fits all) websites. If you want to stand out from the crows so should your website/blog.
7. Get your customers to write online reviews and testimonials about your business
   Many customers look for objective reviews before they decide where to spend their money. Online reviews of your business can also contribute to your ranking on search engines as they give credibility to your business and puts your potential customers at ease.
8. Encourage your customers to talk well on and offline about you
   Create more “buzz” around your business. Customer feedback is always good and you an use that to your advantage to improve your business.
9. Understand and use social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Flickr, etc. to stay in touch with customers and attract new ones
   Use these sites to form a community for your business – this is a good way to communicate with existing customers, advertise sales or specials, and a good way to be visible to potential customers. 
10. Create a Blog and be active on others as well
    This is the cheapest way to sort of “toot your own horn” on line. It only takes time to research and write on your blog but very soon you might be able to attract more and more people who enjoy your products and/or services. In addition – your website and thus the company’s brand will rank higher in the search engines. This might not be sufficient unless you also find other blogs within your niche and become an active contributor.

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What All Articles Should Have

The art of writing and publishing articles on the web are paramount to the online success of today’s websites and internet based companies. They dictate a lot in the success and the drive of traffic onto one’s site. This activity has become a key element in making a site work and earning a profit from it.

A website webmaster and/or owner must have the good sense to include articles that address issues and provide solutions to a market niche. Find that niche, push the right buttons and you will have an army of followers. You articles should include lists of benefits that respond to the same old question: “What’s in it for me?”

Articles have been known to be one of the more sophisticated tools behind driving traffic to a website. The simple inclusion and distribution of articles on the web will generate high rankings in page search and become popular with all the search engines, including Google, Yahoo, MSN, AltaVista, etc. The higher a site ranks the bigger the slice of the traffic pie. With an increased volume in traffic flow, there are more profits and more potential for other income generating schemes as well.

A well written article will catch the eyes and interest of your customers and keep them coming back for more.  They would also be able to recommend your site to others. So, how do you get them interested? You cannot just write and publish articles that are stuffed with keywords. You have to bring something new to the table; you have to share experiences and draw conclusions. You need to inform and educate people so they perceive you as an expert in your field.

Here are some tips to help you write a better article and make your site a profit generator while brimming with traffic.

1. Keywords and Keyword Phrases
   An article must always revolve around keywords and keyword phrases. A web searcher usually goes to a search engine and types in the keywords they are looking for. If you don’t have them – the search engine will simply not list you and look for the next article/site that better matches the search string.The important thing is that you have an article that has the keywords that are related to your site.  You cannot sell shoes and write an article about tattoos in New Guinea. Well – you can but don’t expect someone to find your shoe store based on that article. Unless you somehow describe how the indigenous people were so happy when you donated several hundreds of pair of shoes, they all tattooed your name on their forehead. See the connection?There are many tools in the internet that provides service in helping a webmaster out in determining what keywords and keyword phrases are mostly sought out. You can use this tool to determine what keywords to use and write about.  
2. Keyword Density
   Now that you have your keywords and keyword phrases, you must use them fully. An article must have good keyword density for a search engine to “feel” its presence. Keyword density is the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase is used on an article. The number varies depending on the number of words used in an article. An effective article must have a keyword density that is not too high or too low. Articles should at least have ten to fifteen percent of keyword density in their content for search engines to rank a site high in their search results. Getting a high rank is what articles do best for a site.With a very high density, the essence of the article is lost and may turn off a reader as well as the search engines. Also, a low number of keywords may be ignored by the search engines.
3. Good Article Content
   As previously explained, you cannot just stuff an article with keywords. They must also be regarded as good reading materials. Articles must be able to entertain people as well as provide good information and help for their needs. Articles should be written well with correct spelling and good grammar. If you want people to trust you, make your work good and well thought out.People respond well to figures, facts and statistics. Try to get great information and as many facts as you can. A good and well written article will boost your reputation as an expert in your chosen field or topic. As more people believe in you. They will be able to trust you and your products. For instance, did you know that “As of July 2005 there were an estimated 70 million blogs in the world?”
4. Build Good Links
   When submitting articles to ezines and/or contribute your articles to newsletters and other sites, don’t ever forget to include a link to your site. A little resource box with a brief description of your site and you should always be placed right after your articles that you have submitted. If people like your articles, they will most likely click on the link directing them to your site.
5. Lists
   People love bulleted lists. They will be able to copy them, refer to them later on, etc. so do it often and do it well. As a matter of fact – that is the main reason you stopped and read this article – the title promised you a list. 

Creative Ways to Use Your Business Card

You know how important is to carry your business cards with you at all times, but are you using them in a creative way? A way that can boost your brand and recognition?

Don’t just hand them out hoping the client will remember you. They won’t – especially if the competition is fierce and the possible client is shopping around. Make them remember you after the meeting is over. Make them take that business card out and explore it. Put a smile on their face, if possible. Then you become memorable.

Here’s how you can do this:

• Give out two cards at a time – one for your prospect or client, and one for her/him to give away
• Give business card holders as a thank you gift and place your business card in as the first one; or a rolodex and make yours stand out with colors or flair
• During the Holidays give away candy canes in a bag or Valentine’s Day cards with your business cards stapled to them
•  Put them in the product’s shipping before delivery; if you use bags, staple your card to the outside of the bag
• Place them in library books as if you used them as bookmarks. Visit bookstores place them in books related to your business
• Make bookmarks as business cards and give them away. You never know when someone might use them in a school, library, on the bus, or at the park
• Write a compliment about the person you are meeting with; he/she will remember you in the nicest way possible.
• Tack them to bulletin boards at coffee shops, supermarkets, restaurants, retail stores, etc.

Use both sides of the business card. Think of the front of the card as a billboard that people are driving by and only put the most important information on the front.

Here are some ideas to put on the back of your card:

• Map/directions to your office
•  Write a reminder about their next appointment
• Your 30 second introduction
• Print a team’s sports schedule on the back; you can bet sports fans will keep them handy and keep your name in front of them
• Print a special discount offer or coupon on the back
• If you do seminars, print key elements of your presentation on the back. Your attendees will refer to them later and think of you
• Handwrite on the back your “unlisted” number. This adds value to your card, making people keep it longer because they don’t want to lose the special number
• An URL where they can get a free report from your website
• A calendar, a receipe, your favorite book related to their business
• Put pictures of your products

Shorten Your Links

When promoting your site on Twitter you notice immediately that you are limited to 140 characters. If you can say everything you want using 140 characters – Congratulations! You don’t really need to read this.

But if you happen to have a very long URL for your web site (which I would not recommend unless they are main keywords for your website; and even in that case I would keep it to 2 or 3 words separated by a “dash”) I bet those 140 characters are not merely enough for a short and sweet message you want to put out there.

 
What about promoting a particular page from your site? I mean, look at this monster: “http://www.whateveryourbusinessnameisandacoupleofkeywords.com/products/go.php?r=31&i=l4?. That in itself eats up more than half your Twitter word allowance.

People will more readily click on your links if they aren’t long and scary. In fact they might find them quite cute…well – sometimes…

So what to do? Answer – shorten your URL link for your site. There are plenty of sites where you can do this at a drop of a hat.

Here are a few of them:

• http://www.trm.im
• http://www.Bit.ly
• http://www.Tinyurl.com
• http://www.u.nu

Using these sites will shorten your URL and improve your click rate; and that’s what you want, don’t you? Take every opportunity to grab attention and boost your presence on Social Media Sites. I highly recommend you use one of these services for all your digital marketing endeavors!

James Bond Like Marketing Tip

You go through the check list as M asked you back at the HQ. You have the car, the suit and a million dollar dazzling smile, but did you really scope all the vantage points, James?

During the weekend, Q from IT delivered a PowerPoint presentation so peppered with gizmos it would make a Swiss Army knife blush. The question is: Will it hold the audience captive in awe or will they drown in endless bottles of EVIAN? Shaken not stirred.

Prior to adventuring into unknown territories – aka The Big Sales Presentation with the Clients, any agent knows that gathering as much information possible about the target is crucial to his survival.

This includes business needs, strengths & weaknesses, competitive analysis; the target’s likes & dislikes. Only if you could discover some really good information that will give you that unequivocal advantage over all your competitors. The rest of the agents will be so jealous back at the HQ.

Well James – you’re in luck. Today I’ll share with you some information obtained from an old agent guy I used to know. This little gem will make you appear at client meetings as confident as 007 in a room full of bad guys.

Several years ago I was working with a distinguished and polite gentleman – let’s call him – Agent 006. He was the company’s champion, the Quintessential Sales Guru, the Zig Ziegler of the deal closing, the…well – you know what I mean. He was good. He was the best. He not only acquired the most clients in the company but he kept the majority of them even after downsizing, mergers, acquisitions, etc.

I was intrigued, like many others in the office, by his constant success and invited him to lunch hoping he’ll open up and share the secret. I didn’t want to look pushy, so I nudged the conversation little by little towards – “How in the world are you able to build up your portfolio with so many loyal clients?”

Smiling and very nonchalantly he knew were I was going with this and opened up almost immediately:

“The first thing I do when prospecting a new client is to find out who is the decision maker” – he stated.

“OK…makes sense – but that’s what everyone else is doing. What’s so great about that?” – I asked, anxiously wanting to get to the heart of the matter.

“Wait…wait” – he said calmly. “Do you think these people turn their minds off once they walk out of that office? Don’t you think they often share with their wives stuff that’s going on at work? Let me ask you this: What’s the first thing your wife asks you when you sit at the dinner table?”

“Well…she asks how my day was…what’s new at the office…stuff like that” – I replied still not sure what this had to do with anything.

“Exactly!” – he said victoriously. “And doesn’t she always offer some advice; doesn’t she tell you her opinion one way or the other? And don’t you some times take her advice because you trust her judgment? After all she married you, so her thought pattern is not off, is it?”

“Yeah…so?!” – I asked.

“Well – don’t you agree that sometimes the wife can influence the outcome of a sales pitch?” – he concluded folding the napkin.

That was amazing. I never thought of that!

He proceeded to explain that he tries to find out what the clients’ other half likes, what does she enjoy and what are the hot buttons he can push to get to know the client on a personal level; to befriend the client and to sell yourself first before you sell the company’s services or products.

“Maybe I can make a donation to her favorite charity; or buy them dinner at a high class restaurant. I go as far as finding out if their favorite band is in town for a concert and I buy them tickets” – he completed the picture.

Find that hot button and push it intelligently without crossing into non-professional territories, and you got yourself a loyal client who will cherish every phone call you make or any piece of information you send him.

A successful sales or marketing professional will go to the edge to close a deal and if you do your homework, the result will amaze you. Finding the prospect’s need is a talent and requires sometimes a more unorthodox approach, just like the one described above.

Creative marketers will have the keen eye to recognize the need, address it and satisfy it entirely.