Eight Business industries that continue to do well in spite of the recession. If your business is struggling, or you're thinking of starting something new for 2011, this report can give you ideas to implement TODAY!
By now most everyone has heard about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), but what a lot of people don’t know is what it is, why it’s important and how to get it. Honestly, there are a lot pretty smart people who only think they know these answers, but Google keeps the “hows” under lock and key.
For purposes of this post, I’m going to give you the layman’s version of what it is, why you want it, and how to get it.
What is it?
Search Engine Optimization is the method of increasing a website’s value and in turn improving the website’s visibility to the search engines. In short, the higher your site’s value, the higher up in the search engine rankings your site will be. The higher the site is ranked, the more often it will appear in the top few pages of the search engines search pages. The thinking is that the higher you are in the rankings, the more traffic you get, the more Read the rest of this entry »
A recent study found inbound lead generation to be far more cost-efficient than outbound marketing strategies. The study was completed by 167 professionals involved in their business’ marketing strategy. They consisted of business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and sales people in businesses of all sizes. Almost ¾ of the companies were involved in the business-to-business sector and were involved in business or professional services.
Respondents spent about 37% of their lead generating budgets on inbound marketing techniques and about 30% of the budges on outbound techniques – such as direct mail, trade shows and telemarketing.
The findings indicate that companies spent about $84/per lead using the inbound marketing techniques and a whopping $220/per lead using outbound marketing techniques.
The average lead generation budget spending is illustrated in the following example:
The inbound marketing cost per lead advantage held true across businesses of all different sizes (small, medium and large) and types (professional services, technology, etc.) Dollars spent on trade shows were the least effective, where dollars spent on social media – especially blogs – Read the rest of this entry »
If you are a student of marketing – and you should be if you have your own business and you want more customers – you have no doubt heard of inbound and outbound marketing. In fact, you’ve probably focused most of your efforts and dollars on outbound marketing.
Examples of outbound marketing are direct mail pieces, newspaper advertising, radio and tv, your brochure, and even most forms of email marketing. Outbound marketing essentially “pushes” your marketing message “out” to the customer. The message is buy, buy, buy — your audience views these messages as interruptions and they feel like they are being “sold” something.
On the other hand, inbound marketing is a set of marketing strategies and techniques focused on “pulling” or “attracting” relevant prospects and customers toward your business. Inbound marketing more closely matches with the way buyers are making purchasing decisions today.
Inbound marketing is all about offering useful information, tools and resources to attract Read the rest of this entry »
Believe it or not, there are still people who either don’t have a website, or have an outdated website that makes them look like they are still doing business in the last decade or so. Make no mistake, if you don’t have a website, that you are proud of, you are missing the best opportunity to grow your business.
Your website must be the heart of your marketing strategy. All of your marketing efforts should be pointed at your website. Notice I didn’t say some – I said ALL. The following preceding diagram illustrates this principle.
Your website is the extension of you. It is open 24/7 365 and should be your best sales tool. It should have your Read the rest of this entry »
Could we ever all dance together? Seems pretty unlikely in these crazy times…unless…
While I included this post because I love it, it is also an example of what we call “viral marketing”. Matt and his girlfriend were traveling around the world, making these goofy movie clips with their Flip cam. They put it to music, and almost 30 million viewers have enjoyed the time Matt shared with us.
Also, if you Google just the word “Matt”, he comes up in positions 1-4 in the Search Engines! Totally amazing!
So believe me when I say, online marketing can rock your world!
With hundreds of millions of people on the Internet every minute of every day, (browsing, searching for information, networking, conducting business, etc.), the opportunities online are endless.
Whether you want to reach people locally, nationally or globally, where better to market your business than online?
However, just because you have built a website, does not mean that people will come to visit? In fact, with so many millions of websites online, if you don’t have a clear marketing strategy to get the word out, it is likely your website will have Read the rest of this entry »
By now most everyone has heard about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), but what a lot of people don’t know is what it is, why it’s important and how to get it. Honestly, there are a lot pretty smart people who only think they know these answers, but Google keeps the “hows” under lock and key.
