Internet Marketing Tips, Tools and Strategies

Have you been thinking about writing an ebook and using it as an offer on your website? Maybe you are an avid ebook reader yourself, or you just want to have an additional tool to capture leads on your website. Whatever the case might be, an ebook is a valuable tool to leverage as a company, as well as being a valuable resource for your users.

So, what are some of the things you should be considering when attempting to write your very own company ebook?:

It isn’t all about you. Despite what you may think, an ebook is not another way to sell your services and/or product. Write for your audience, not for your sales team.

Address a pain point. This goes in line with not writing it as a sales tool only. You want to think about who is going to be reading this ebook and what will cause them to need to read it.

• What is the problem?
• What causes the problem?
• How can you fix the problem?
• Are there other alternatives?

And to really drive home the point – know who your audience is. Make sure you are really doing the research surrounding your ebook topic - ask questions of current customers and what issues led them to seek your business, review past questions from clients or potential clients, do as much virtual and physical research to understand the issue you are going to be discussing. Knowing what you are going to be writing about in your ebook from every point of view (customer, service provider, etc.) ensures you are writing as an expert.

Developing an ebook to use as a value marketing offer can increase traffic and leads for your business. As always, if you aren’t comfortable developing your own content marketing strategy – whether that is an ebook, website content, social media content, etc., there are Online Marketing Experts who can help.  

  

I find that there are two scenarios when it comes to businesses utilizing press releases online:

Scenario A. Press releases? What are those?
A press release is another way to not only get your company name out there on the web, but also can lead to valuable backlinks, increased web traffic, increased conversions, and establishment of your company as an expert in your field.

Scenario B. We publish a press release every day!
Okay, maybe that is a bit of an excessive example, but press releases can lose value if you are overusing them. You want to be sure you are putting enough press releases out there, but not over-saturating the market.

Finding the balance to press releases is only half the battle unfortunately. To really get the most benefit out of each press release make sure you are doing the following:

1. Make your press releases informative - not just a sales pitch! Users aren’t going to want to read your press releases if they don’t offer them any value, keep that in mind when you are writing.
2. Include hyperlinks back to your website - bonus points if you are linking relevant keywords.
3. Publishing the press release on your site - this goes for all of your press releases, news articles, etc. You want Google to index these pages to boost your organic search traffic.
4. Submit your press release to various distribution services - the five biggest are PRWeb, PrimeNewswire, Business Wire, Marketwire, and PR Newswire

Remember to keep a healthy balance between press release scenario A and B, plus really take full advantage of all the benefits a press release has to offer. If you do that, press releases will prove to be a valuable resource for your company’s online marketing efforts.

You might also want to consider bringing in an Online Marketing Expert. They can help you not only draft a press release (or multiple releases), but ensure that your press release is hitting the maximum amount of audience you want to target.

Creating valuable content online, while one of the most important things you should be doing, isn’t always the easiest objective. Clear and concise content that addresses your audience’s pain points is the foundation for any effective marketing strategy.

Let’s look at the various types of content you could or should be creating online:

Website. Your website is your online persona. It not only pushes your brand image, but it also gives potential and current clients the information they need to make a decision on your product and/or service. While you want to keep your website clean and streamlined it is important that you are creating content that addresses the following areas:

• Education on pain points – let them know what issues they could be experiencing, even if they aren’t aware of them yet.
• Education on the solution – just how are you going to fix the issue for them?
• Education on your product and/or services – this doesn’t just mean pricing, really educate the user on your process and what they can expect once they buy from you.
• Information about your company – Where have you been? What have you done? You want your clients to feel a connection with your business as it helps them not only make a decision about you now, but it also makes them want to return for future needs and refer you to others.
• Contact information – well this is a no brainer right? Make sure the potential or current client has easy access to you: phone number, address, contact form, online order form, etc. Don’t forget to specifically state the areas you sell to or service.

Blog. This type of content isn’t just another way to not only win brownie points in search engine results, but it also provides a valuable resource for current or potential clients. A successful blog should not only educate the audience, but also entertain them.

What does that mean exactly?

No one wants to sit down and read an encyclopedia from front to back (well, most people anyways), because frankly that is just boring. Make sure your blog posts are getting the information across, but in an easy to read and short way.  

Social Media. This is often the shortest, but most effective form of content you will be creating. The magic of social media content is resonance. You want content that is not only drawing users in to read it, but resonating with them to the point where they want to turn around and share your content with their networks. Tailoring your content to the short-and-sweet space of 140 characters is tricky at first, but once mastered can be your ultimate content weapon.

Content creation, while the foundation to any marketing strategy, is not always the easiest activity to be successful at – fortunately there are plenty of online content creation experts out there that can help. You might want to consider collaborating with one of these content writers for your own online needs.   

Did you know that using keywords in blog posts can increase your website/blog’s traffic? Here are a few tips to help you use keywords when blogging:

• Focus on one keyword per post. If you already have a list of keywords for your site, then this should be easy! Just pick one particular keyword and write a blog post based on it.
  
  
• Use the keyword early and often. Once you pick your own keyword or keyword phrase, be sure to use it right away – if you can manage it in the first sentence of the post (naturally of course). Also, use that keyword multiple times throughout the posts’ content – try a minimum of once per paragraph.


• Link the keyword to other blog posts and other sections of your website whenever possible.
  
  
• Use the keyword in your blog post title and url.


• Use keywords in tags and categories. Tags and categories are not only used for organizing content, but are also keywords themselves.


• Now, remember when I said put your keyword everywhere? Well, don't overdo it! Yes use your keyword in your blog title, url, and throughout the blog post, but be sure to not keyword stuff.

When writing a blog post, remember to use these keyword tips and you’ll increase your blog traffic in no time! Don’t have any targeted keywords? WSI can help you identify what keywords you should be targeting and how you can use them in your Online Marketing efforts.  

 

Video marketing is a great way to connect with your customers (or audience) and is playing a huge part in where the Internet Marketing industry is headed. Users are more inclined to watch videos now - they are easier, more dynamic, more entertaining, and more personable. Also, it doesn’t take much to get started with Video Marketing - you don’t need fancy equipment, a big production budget, or a super star in front of the camera.

Here are a few tips to create successful videos that promote your company:

What is your video going to be about? Think about that before starting to record. Target some keywords and not only use that in the title and description (more about this later) of your video, but be sure to actually discuss that topic (and keywords) in the video! Also, create an outline of your key points to help you cover all the items you want to discuss. Mentioning some of your keywords in your video is going to be more and more important as video search engines become more sophisticated and will continue to scan the content in your videos.  

An outline can also help you hook users in with content. I suggest “front loading” your marketing video by telling the viewer what they are going to get from this video in the first 10-45 seconds. You want them to watch the whole video and feel like they are being rewarded (or getting something) for watching the entire video.

Share your video and I don’t just mean on YouTube. Oh and by the way, you absolutely need to be on YouTube! Be sure to link to your video on all your social platforms – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. YouTube even makes this easy by allowing you to link to these and other social sites (orkut, tumblr, Blogger, Myspace, hi5, Bebo, and StumbleUpon) by clicking a link located under the video’s share tab. You should also consider creating a podcast feed for your videos.

Another great social trick to get more video views is to post your marketing video in the comment section of appropriate (for your industry) and popular Myspace pages. Example: sharing a cake baking how-to video on Martha Stewart’s Myspace page.   

Optimize your marketing video for search. When writing your video’s title, description and tags be sure to include your target keywords. Be sure to also include a link to your website within the description – hint: format your link like this - http://yourwebsite.com/, to make it clickable on YouTube.

Include a call-to-action at the end of your marketing video. You always want to direct your viewer to an action at the end of your video. YouTube allows you to add comments over the top of your video or you could always add a static page at the end of your video. No matter how you chose to do it, the point is to drive traffic back to your website for a sign-up, download, etc.

The last thing I want to share with you is this - Keep it short. Be yourself. Be energetic. Be comfortable.

Now get out there and start shooting your video!

Find It Hard To Focus On Web Content Writing?
These 6 Tips Will Help You Stay On Task.

When you write a blog for your business you are performing a crucial asset building role in your organization and it's extremely important that you deliver high value, good quality content. Web content writing is valuable because it sets your business apart from competitors and helps you build your expertise in your industry. It also aids in SEO or Organic Marketing while improving your search engine ranking.

For even the most devoted blogger there comes a time when you feel you can't focus or organize the ideas that are swimming around in your head. Here are 6 tips to get you into a productive article writing state of mind and environment.

1. Go Elsewhere - Find a spot in your office home or anywhere nearby where you have no other options but to write when you go there.

2. Turn Off The TV - Sometimes writers believe they can get their writing done while enjoying your favorite programs. Writing requires focus and concentration. Save TV watching for multi-tasking like folding laundry or exercising.

3. Close Your Email - Maybe your email makes a dinging noise when you receive a new email or a little box pops up in the bottom corner with the senders name and subject line. Whatever happens knowing your email inbox is waiting for you can be a distraction. Check your email so you know what's there and then close it out. Keep it closed until you're done writing content.

4. Exit Social Media - Twitter and Facebook can be an obsession for some of us. Checking into these sites while you're trying to do your web content writing can be problematic. You can get sucked into these sites and before you know it you're out of time to work on this project.

5. Turn Off Your Phone - We all have our cell phone on us at all times. The problem with this is that many cell phones are also access points for social media and email. You may also get a phone call while you're in the middle of writing an article that interrupts you. Return calls when you are finished writing.

6. Leave Technology Behind - If you do your writing at a computer it may be too tempting to have social media and email just a click away. Consider using a good old pen and paper or even a typewriter to organize the words for your article marketing.

Following these tips will help you create the perfect writing environment. Once you're there you'll be able to better organize your thoughts and produce excellent content for your website.

Everyone gets writers block. Even if your article marketing focuses on the things you are most passionate about, there will still come a day when you simply cannot think of anything to write.

Believe it or not there are brilliant content ideas all over. You just need to know where to look.

1. Blog Comments

Have your followers asked questions on your blog posts before? Expressed confusion over a certain topic? If your writing has sparked feedback it might be time to capitalize on a previous discussion. Spin a blog comment into a post and answer a question that may be top of mind for a lot of your customers.

2. Look Back At Email Campaigns

A big benefit of email marketing is that you can monitor results of each campaign. Look at past campaigns and find one that performed particularly well. Re-purpose the content in that email into a blog post. If the content interested email subscribers then it is likely to be a popular blo post.

3. Steal Ideas from Your Own Website

Your company website is full of ideas for blog posts. For example, look at your frequently asked questions section. There might be a question and answer that could be expanded upon and turned into an entire post or article. Additionally, if you have any videos posted on your site watch them and try to turn those into a blog post.

4. Read Other Blogs

A writer's best inspiration may come from another writer's blog. This doesn't mean that you should steal someone's post word for word, that would be plagiarism, but let yourself be inspired. In fact, it's the tone of the writing that could inspire. A great post from a mommy blogger might inspire a great article or blog for a CEO of a successful business.

5. Think about Yourself 

What do you want to learn about your industry? What headlines make you turn your head. If you would read it, chances are someone else is looking for that information too. If there's something you've been wondering about research it share the information.

6. Think about Your Audience

What questions come up first when you meet with a new client? What do they need to know before they feel comfortable doing business? Take these questions and turn them into blog posts giving you audience the information they've been looking for.

When writers block is getting you down just remember, a great article marketing idea is within your reach. Think outside of the box and produce some excellent web content writing.

Want to know how your content stacks up against the competition? Try our revamped WSI WebScan Tool and see how your site content is working for you!

Blogging is a well loved form of internet marketing and social media. It allows you to share your ideas and expertise with your target audience while building credibility for your business. It also help you increase the content available though your website and allows other to easily share that content online.

The biggest fear of business owners is that their social media marketing will be met with negative comments targeted at their product or services. Internet marketing consultants will tell you not to fear a negative comment. Embrace it.

The first thing to remember after you receive a negative comment is that these are real opinions from your audience. Even if the statement is unfounded you still need to handle the situation with care. Step away from your personal emotions and try to understand what exactly the commenter is saying and where they are coming from.

If a comment is inappropriate you should feel comfortable deleting it but if the feelings are real and honest it might be necessary to reply.

The most important thing to remember when responding to a comment is that you are the author of a blog that shares content with your audience. Make sure that you comment is thoughtful and well written. Avoid being overly emotional or argumentative.

If applicable consider replying in a way that launches a dialog between you and the commenter. Something really good could come out of it.

Keep in mind that you receive a negative comment there is also a lot of good behind it. For one thing, this person is reading and talking about your blog. And they are giving you the opportunity to make it right or you can possibly change their mind about the negative opinion. Take into consideration these comments and see how you can learn from them. They may have just shared something that changes your business for the better.

Website content that utilizes your keywords and provides valuable information that your consumers are looking for is a valuable addition to your website.

Keyword rich content can improve your SEO but it can work even more successfully when paired with social media marketing.

Building strong social media profiles allows you to nurture relationships with your target audience. They can follow you and engage in conversation about your company or product.

When you write new content for your website you can share it with your followers through your social media profiles. This extends the reach of your content while also improving your social media marketing.

The more internet marketing tactics you utilize the more they overlap. Taking the time to link all of your marketing campaigns together will make them all work harder and be more successful for your business.

It has been said repeatedly that content on your website is the best way to improve your Google rank.

This is still very true but there are a few things you need to do to your copy in order to make it work for you once it is on your website.

1. Review your content and incorporate keywords

Before writing and posting your copy you should have done significant keyword research. Once you have these keywords you need to make sure they are being used correctly. You should be highlighting key words in your title, subtitles, link copy, URL and tags.

You also want to make sure keywords are being used correctly with attention to grammar and spelling. This attention to keyword detail will benefit your search engine optimization efforts. It will improve Google's rank of your website for those keyword search results.

2. Improve the quality of your external links

The second major factor in the way that Google evaluates your search engine optimization is dependent on your external links. By definition these are links to your website from outside sources. Examples of this may be another blog linking to a post of yours or a media outlet who wrote an article about you linking back to your site. Due to the integrity of these links it is not as easy to control as keyword usage within your copy.

The goal of these links should be utilizing your keywords in the links from other people's sites. The quality of the site that is recommending you will also improve the value of that link. A form of links called "deep linking" happens when a number of their website pages link to several of yours is also beneficial. Even links to your site from others social media pages will improve your Google rank.

The best way to monitor the links to your site is to make yourself aware of your referring sites and market yourself in a way that entices bloggers and webpage owners to send their visitors to your site.