Showing posts with label reputation management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reputation management. Show all posts

Monday, June 17, 2013

Local Search Marketing Bypasses the Good Old Boy Networks



One of the challenges small business owners face is finding a foothold in the community. A new enterprise that is looking for customers may need permission from the established storeowners in town before opening up shop. All across the country there are networks of older, established community leaders who block the path for young new startup companies. The "Good Old Boys" impact on the success of new businesses by controlling whether customer loyalty and influencing the buying decisions of a community. Whether a company will survive its first year in business or not may come down to how well-connected the owner is.

Building and managing a reputation for quality service and products can take years of nurturing. But there is a way for small organizations to get around the often troublesome self-appointed local gatekeepers within the community. Using online resources to help them establish a trusted presence on the Internet, a number of small local merchants have been able to penetrate the "Good Old Boy" network. Instead of facing years of struggle to launch and build up a business, technology savvy entrepreneurs are using the Internet to bring customers to their place of business.

A local Internet presence consists of a website development, but it also counts on the search engines to deliver consumers to a brick and mortar location. Optimized maps that pinpoint the location of a business offer online consumers an easy way to attract sales to a new store or professional office. In addition to maps that can be optimized with keywords and product descriptions, a local marketing strategy delivers the social media component that was once exclusively guarded by word of mouth advertising.

People trust the opinions of others, which is how comments posted online support sales for small business owners. Although there are companies that have been around for decades that are adopting local search and social media marketing to promote their company and sell products, there a lot of startups that are finding success through the proper use of Internet marketing.

Where competition was once blocked by the network of established business owners, the Internet allows everyone to have equal access to opportunity and success. By developing a local online marketing strategy that includes website optimization, SEO link building, location mapping and social media, any small business can use the tools available to them to attract consumers to their storefront. A talented and creative marketing strategist can design local Internet marketing campaigns that allow a small business owner to build a reputation for quality through targeted online campaigns.

Whether a business operates exclusively on the Internet or it has a brick and mortar location somewhere inside a city, the Internet has leveled the field of competition by allowing everyone equal access to online marketing tools. A well developed marketing plan that targets local consumers uses social media and search engine optimization for reputation management and SEO link building to drive customers from the Internet to the stores where they can buy whatever they are searching for.

Monday, April 16, 2012

SEO Strategies to Avoid


Last week I met with a man who had some questions about his website marketing. Although he has been paying out $500 a month for PPC (pay-per-click) advertising his business is not gaining from the advertising that is taking place in the search engines. As we chatted he talked about moving his online marketing from PPC to SEO for the organic results that will do more for his business than he is currently gaining from the money that is being invested in AdWords and other online promotions.

As part of the reputation management work that is supplementing the SEO strategies that are in place the company is doing something that I wholeheartedly disagree with. In an effort to gain customers and give the appearance that the organization is a success (although it is still a startup) the owner has authorized the creation of 1,500 email addresses and social media profiles that are in realty a sham. Without realizing the mistake the company is attempting to generate support through likes and comments that are made by their employees who are posing as customers. This practice is considered to be black hat and is not helping the company at all.

The reason that no one is taking notice of the false success of the number of "likes" is that the search engines know that all of the emails and profiles are linked to the same IP address. Even if the reviews are positive and appear to be coming from outside sources there is no fooling the search engines that identify each URL and email address by the senders IP address and location. Geotargeting is engineered to help customers to find businesses in their immediate vicinity, but it also works to provide the analytical information that the search engines provide to website owners to determine unique visitor traffic. So by creating 1,500 new users that are all using the same router and IP address the search engines are not fooled and therefore are not applying the results of the fraud to the page rank or placement of the site.

Even with the same IP address being linked to 1,500 different emails or social media profiles the search engines see only one unique IP address and that is the reason that a business ranking and links are not being recorded and tied into the statistics that build up the legitimacy of a website and add to the PR (Page Rank) of the URL. Even though the company's social media page might appear to have 1,500 "likes" from each of the unique profiles that are attached to the individual email addresses the long reaching effects of the Internet requires that a business conduct their reputation management legitimately.

As I listened to the frustrations of the executive concerning the lack of interest in the website and subsequent failure of their internal social media campaign I recognized that there are a number of things that can be done to review the website and make recommendations to improving the status of the site in the search engines.

Through the tools and techniques that I have discussed in past blogs I can help this organization to build a marketing media strategy that will get it to where it wants to go. But for anyone reading this article and thinking "I can fake some social media likes too," I have to say please do not stoop to black hat practices that will ultimately do nothing for your website and may cause more damage than good. Remember that online reviews and reputation management cannot be faked and success comes from patience and putting in the work that will build long term results. If you need a refresher review my blog about "The Tortoise and the Hare approach to SEO.”

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Strong websites grow from optimized Roots


The difference between social media marketing and search optimization comes down to viewing your website like a tree. If you understand the importance of continually optimizing your website then you will realize that the slow growth of your campaigns are like the roots of a tree that provide a solid foundation in the search engines. Taking time to deliver the page rank that will lead your website to the top of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) requires a long time commitment. For some people the rush to be recognized takes them to the social media sites where they can list their services or products and drive the attention of consumers to move from cleverly produced videos and ads on a social networking page to the landing page of their website.

I see social media as the next generation of online marketing that will be even more powerful than it is today. I see the importance of social networking and establishing a business connection with clients and customers that are engaged in following your posts and comments. I also recognize the importance of developing a strong root system for websites that are building a reputation as an expert within the various search engine directories. The way that I view a website is like a tree that has a solid trunk, strong roots and branches that reach toward the sky. 

The website represents the tree trunk and the ongoing optimization efforts that require constant nourishment are the roots that spread out behind the scenes (or in the case of a tree reach below the visible surface). Establishing the strong foundation for the website optimization takes on different forms that are each equally important to the branding and reputation of the site. Social media marketing (which is openly visible and requires just as much effort as SEO) is like the branches and leaves of a tree. Reaching into the visible world of reputation management the spreading branches of a social media campaign are strengthened by the roots of optimization.

Trees thrive on sunlight and water receiving nutrients from the soil that feed the tree's growth, a tree or a website depend on the work of optimization that is essential to the health of a tree. But without sunlight the tree is unable to grow and will perish. This is why it is important to cultivate equal amounts of social content that can be used in optimizing a website and building the reputation of a brand through social networking. With a solid marketing media strategy that supports both the ongoing work of SEO and the more fluid promotions that connect social media to your site, you can build a strong web presence that can stand tall in the SERPs and be recognized by customers and clients that are following your messages in the social networks.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Does your Social Media Marketing have a goal?


Almost everyone is into social media these days, but without a goal in mind of what you want to accomplish for your business or personal objectives you are just posting information that has little if any meaning. Consider building a reputation management campaign that has a specific goal that you want to reach. It is important to realize that unless you have something that is relevant to your end goal to say in your posts it is not worth saying anything. 

The trouble that most people run into is that they are too busy dumping as much information about their business or them self onto the internet that they do not realize the potential damage they are doing to their own reputation.

With the search engine algorithms recognizing quality in the wording of every scrap of information that is being blogged, tweeted about and posted on the social networks most people do not know that when they are chatting about their cat or how their weekend was with their friends they are effectively reducing their credibility as an expert within their chosen field of business. Not that your hobbies and interests are unimportant, but they carry no weight for anyone that is in business with you.

To circumvent the common mistakes that individuals make in regard to their personal socializing it is best to create two different and accounts for your social standing. If you do want to keep everyone on your friends list informed about what you ate for lunch and what you thought about the last film you watched you can do that, but keep in mind that your clients, vendors and coworkers are more interested in what you can deliver by way of productivity and increased revenue. With separate networking media accounts you can be social with friends and family members while maintaining a professional image for all of your business contacts.
Going back to what I stated before, the best way to plan out a social media strategy is to have an end goal in mind. What are you attempting to do? What is the goal of your work? If you don't have one you will never know if you have reached it. All too often business owners say that they want to increase sales--which is why they are on the web. But that broad statement does not identify their purpose or the function of their social media campaign.

Just as any marketing effort is targeted to an audience and directed at gaining a specified result the work of any and all social media posts, blogs and commentaries has to be aligned with the overall goal of your campaign. So what you say through any social channel should to be relevant to your business, your website and the readers who will be reviewing your dialog.

Before sending out any message it should be filter through your strategy statement and measured to make sure that it is aligned with the goal of your media campaign. Basically a strategy statement is like your mission statement--it is the foundation of what you do, the essence of your business and relates to everything that you are presenting to an audience through your online marketing. A friend of mine and marketing expert, Brian Pope came up with what he calls a Unique Marketing Positioning Statement. Essentially this is what I am calling a strategy Statement. Identifying what you do and why you do it helps to create the vision of your company and is a test for each post and blog you put into cyberspace. If a posting is not in alignment with what you are offering to clients, it does not belong in your social media campaign.

However, if you are posting a blog and then telling others about your work, you can promote a relevant message that you will be happy to link back to your website. The acid test comes down to asking yourself this question. Is the post I am about to send something that I would put on my website to attract new consumers? If the answer is yes then move forward, if it is no then rethink your position and only post what will build you up as an expert in your area of business.

The goal of every marketing media strategy is crucial to the success of your ongoing public relations effort which is building your reputation. Keeping specific goals in mind each time you are tempted to post anything online will help you to decide what to post for the business public and what to send to your network of friends. With a targeted message you can do a greater good for your business than if you just sat down commenting on the things that no one really cares about. 

As you write your posts, ask yourself so what? What do others take away from this message? Is there a call to action if so is it relevant to your work? What is the reader going to do next? If they like the article, blog or post ask them to indicate it by taking action.

So what are you waiting for, click the like button, re-tweet this message to the people that can benefit from it and start following my blog! After all that's one of my social media goals. What are yours?

Friday, September 9, 2011

Managing Online Reputations with Social Media


As I have thought about this blog I have created a list of topics that I am going to be blogging about in the coming weeks. Thinking about how to continue to offer tips or advice to those that working on their own search optimization efforts I realized that I also need to include the trends in social media that are allowing individuals and businesses to gain a stronger web presence. Managing an online reputation is an important piece of the internet marketing puzzle.

After interviewing for a position as a corporate social media manager this morning I sat down to strategize my own approach building a solid reputation as someone who not only uses social media to move my professional profile forward, but also looking at what I can do to help businesses to grow. With link building offering permanent additions to the ranks of search optimized websites, the social portion of internet marketing focuses more on the branding and positive perspectives that a company or individual has online.

For everyone that is not doing anything about managing their online reputation the lack of interest in social network sites is hurting their business. Even with a moderate amount of posting on the networking sites a business or individual can keep a positive vibe circulating about themselves or their work. For myself, the management of a reputation is something that I committing to right now. Although I have been involved in online marketing in one form or another for the past three years I am only now seeing the significance of creating an online identity that can boost my professional interest as an expert content writer. Wanting to add more punch to my resume I am including a healthy dose of social media contacting to my online reputation. The end goal of course is to be at the top of the search engines when someone types in social media networking, online media marketing, or internet marketing consulting. Even though I am a freelance writer who specializes in blog and article content for the web I am expanding my horizons and working to improve my own standing as someone who understands and utilizes social media on a regular basis.

And I am not the only on doing that! Businesses across the internet are invested in the continued improvement of their online reputations. With the ability to post a review about a company in a consumer focused web forum businesses are required to scan the internet for negative press and do all that they can to replace the hurtful dialog with positively reinforced posts and reviews. Through online reviewing sites that allow people to post their feedback about the service and quality that they received from a business, the reputation of that company is established. In some cases the feedback may be perceived as negatively impacting the business which is why it is vital to the organization to ensure that if their name is attached to the results of a web search that comes up as shining the best light on the company. Regardless of whether they are a multinational corporation with tens of thousands of employees or a mom and pop small business that serves the local community the only way to keep a positive light on any business is to promote it positively in as many places as possible.

This is where social media content comes into play. Using the social media networks, consumer reviewing sites and even allowing customer reviews on their own website, businesses can work to continually manage their online reputation and achieve the ranking among the social networks as a company that has integrity and delivers quality to each person they serve. Although it is tempting to keep up on the various activities that taking place in the social networks throughout the day, I recommend keeping the work related posts focused on the business you are in and spending the after work hours connecting to friends and  family members online. With a strategy to promote the positive image of the company, the posts to the social media sites can improve any reputation and lead to more beneficial impact on the search engines that are tracking the reviews and posts entered online.
Until next time...