Marketing A Niche Product Online

Online marketing is a practice that should be put into use by any company who wants to get ahead with their business. This should come as no surprise to anyone, but it can get a little tricky sometimes when your market isn't exactly in the mainstream.

Niche marketing is aiming for a subset of a larger market of which a product is focusing on. Targeting a specific group of consumers with a product or service because of their lifestyles, interests, or any other criteria that set them apart as that niche is a great way to get sales for your product in that market.

But, what if your product itself is technically a niche? Let's say you're trying to sell an item that has a specific purpose, and is only really in demand for one application. For example, I previously worked on a marketing team that promoted an industrial cable and hose protector for construction and factory use. That product realistically had, at best, a few dozen people looking to purchase. That doesn't mean it wasn't worthy of a marketing campaign, however.

Marketing a niche product online is almost an art. It takes a little creativity and a lot of drive to get the word out there. Most companies already do a bit of niche marketing, focusing a certain product to a certain audience. For example, Coca Cola markets its bottles and cans to homes and retail locations, but also directs its syrup and fountain products to restaurants. Everyone does it, so developing a strategy to market your niche product should benefit by simply adapting already known and accepted strategies.

The key to niche marketing is targeting, and targeting carefully. You need to find a place where no other offers for products similar to yours exist. Target those markets with advertisements, specials, or just general information about your product to generate buzz for it. Identify the gaps in the market where your product fits in, and fill it.

Filling the gap in the market online is a little easier than it sounds. The first step, if not already taken, would be to establish a web presence. Optimizing your website for your niche is essential. Use Google to find out what keywords are being searched for in your market, and optimise your site and headings with those keywords, which will make your site easier to find for your potential customers.

Utilize social media to get the word out about your product. For the cable and hose protector company I worked for, social media was laughable at best before I got there. Who wants to read Tweets from an industrial cable protector company? Some people do.

Finding the right followers for your online presence is your next step online. Participate in industry and market blogs or other social media pages to promote your page. The reason you create a niche product is because at least some people will buy it, so go out and find those people.

Finding them and getting them to follow isn't enough, however. Interaction is essential to social media. Posting daily and not following through is a great way to lose followers. Comment, like, and interact with your customers. They'll see that, and appreciate it. They may even recommend your product to a friend.

Once you master your online presence, focus on marketing as a whole. Your product or service is unique. Sell that idea. Companies who offer more mainstream products don't have to worry too much about the advertising, but you should. People generally don't know what they want until they're told about it. Go out and tell some people!


About The Author: This post was written by Eric Kneff, a marketing specialist for Titan Construction, a New Orleans based Construction Company. He has interests in marketing and business development.

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Five Effortless Things Business Owners Can Do To Boost Their Social Media Presence

These days there are many creative ways to reach your customers, and social media is something you should embrace in order to get your product out there. Social media is remarkable for many reasons, but one of the most interesting aspects of it is that it gives potential customers a glimpse into your personality and personal voice. Here are five ways to easily use social media to your advantage and start attracting new customers today.


1. Maintaining Your Business Social Media Account

Logging in, updating and staying active is key. Merely setting up an account is just the beginning. It isn't worth it if someone goes through the effort to set up social media avenues, only to abandon them and never update with posts. This is a surefire way to kill your social media presence before it even gets off the ground. Too many times "We should have a blog!" or "We need a Facebook fan page!" comes up in meetings, and then nothing ever comes of it because no one is actually assigned the task.


2. If You Need To, Delegate the Task

If you are running a business, maintaining a social media presence might sound like the last thing you want to do, so don't. Depending on your company's size and needs, you can go from having a team of folks doing this, to hiring an intern that can easily update content. The key is to make sure it is designated within someone's job, so it happens. Everyone can help with ideas and updates, but just make sure there is at least one person whose job it is to come up with posts, solicit feedback from the company, and get creative with fresh unique posts that will attract an audience.


3. Make Sure Your Posts Look Interesting

Pictures and graphics can make your social media posts much more inviting and lively. Simply by adding in a few more details, people are more likely to click through your material. Pictures of your product, events or staff on social media posts can really help bring traffic to your site, and it's so easy to do! A wall of text or boring posts without and graphics can be boring. If you have a unique logo, put it as your avatar so that it stands out and does the advertising work for you.


4. Get Creative with Your Updates

If doesn't all have to be directly about your business. If you decide to have a blog on your site, or post to quite a bit to sites such as Facebook, use these avenues to engage with your customers. Linking to articles and news clips relating to your field is a great way to gain customers interest and trust. By actively engaging in updates in your field you will become a part of a larger community and stand out as a possible industry leader.


5. Use Facebook and Twitter for Promotions

This is a great, simple way to gain more of a following. A quick post detailing a sale or new product is easy enough to do and will boost your visibility. By bringing traffic to your social media sites, these can then be linked to your home site that either provides more information on your business or sells your product. Remember, without that link, these are potential customers that you may not have gotten otherwise.

Social media is a great way to easily make new contacts and customers online. Your online presence can reach a vast audience, and starting an account costs you absolutely nothing besides a few minutes of your time. It is well worth it to easily get online and get started having social media work for your business - and it's the future, so don't get left behind!


About The Author: Hailey Harper is a marketing strategist and writer whose work has been featured on over 30 websites. Her primary interests are strategic marketing, social media, SEO, and business management.

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Leverage Infographics To Drive Content Marketing Success

Digital marketing has always been a fast-moving industry, starting as the result of ubiquitous Internet use and evolving amid a perpetually shifting consumer landscape. One of the arenas within modern advertising throughout the past several years that is particularly indicative of this trend has been content marketing, which started as just a simple process of publishing keyword-rich content and blossomed into one of the most popular ways in which companies cement themselves as thought leaders.

The biggest changes have undoubtedly related to quality and targeting, but now content marketing is beginning to converge with visual advertising efforts. Studies consistently find that images, infographics and videos can drive engagement with content, and further improve a firm's brand recognition, as well as its ability to reach new prospects through Internet channels.


Infographics have an impact

Regardless of which channel or method a business is using to enrich its digital marketing strategy, the best practices are fairly consistent. However, the real challenge is ensuring that all efforts work in orchestra toward brand goals and maintain a consistent, educated and unique voice that resonates with readers.

Here are some of the benefits of supporting marketing content with infographics:

• Bite-sized knowledge: The average attention span of adults in the United States and abroad continues to decrease, as one study published by the National Center for Biotechnology found this figure was at 12 seconds in 2000, dropping to 8 seconds in 2013. As such, infographics - when well made - can help capture and retain the attention of target consumers.
  
  
• Readability: The best infographics will always have a distinctive flow that takes the viewer from one information point to another in a structured and rapid fashion. Just as content marketing articles and blogs now must include lists, subheadings and other features that drive the ability to scan, infographics are founded on this ideal outcome.
  
  
• Shareability: As many digital marketers have learned in the past several years, the most successful advertisements will be shared by users autonomously. Twitter has stated that tweets with images are 94 percent more likely to be retweeted, and why not make the pictures themselves entirely informational?

The current trends in content marketing that relate to the popularity of infographics show no signs of slowing, and business leaders would do well to hop aboard this profitable wave.


What to consider when planning infographics

Alignment should always be the highest priority when starting to roll out a new marketing strategy, as the sheer novelty of the methods can quickly hinder brand consistency. The simplest way to ensure infographic efforts are intrinsically tied to the brand voice is to line them up with content marketing efforts, allowing one to support the other.

One might think that an infographic, or video, would simply expunge the need for written content, but this is not the case. Rather, users and consumers are looking for a comprehensive experience that includes a variety of mediums and channels. As such, content marketers should begin putting more focus into the creation and delivery of engaging infographics to accompany their blogs and other writing.


Did you like this article? Do you use infographics as part of your marketing strategy? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments.

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Use The Latest Social Media Marketing Techniques In 2013

A few years ago, social media sites emerged as mediums for sharing special events with friends and family and helped people to stay in touch with each other. In those days, these sites were more like personal sites. But now, the social media sites have undergone a transformation and they have established themselves as the most powerful strategy online business.

The social media sites are constantly expanding with already 850 million users of Facebook per month and 500 million users of Google+. We have reached the last quarter of 2013 now and saw several significant changes in the social media marketing strategies. In the process of trying to keep up with these changes, we have learnt a number of effective social media marketing techniques.

Here are enlisted some of the most effective techniques for social media marketing which should be used in 2013.

• Visual Marketing: Marketing as a whole is heading towards becoming visual increasingly, and you need to incorporate visual elements in your social media marketing techniques. While posting relevant pictures and graphics, make sure that you embed the text as well as your business information. The most widely used way of posting in social sites like Facebook, is pictures. Facebook has around 350 million picture uploads each day. When others are sharing your pictures, you have an opportunity to show them your link of website and other relevant information.
  
  
• Usage of Your Analytics: Your analytics need to be reviewed regularly to check out whether something is working or not. You can also find out if the followers are visiting a particular site greater than the others. You can discover the exact time when your pages get maximum visitors. Observe the results carefully and try to find the reasons behind such phenomena. Utilize the knowledge you gain to get the desired results.
  
  
• Usage of Slideshare: Slideshare is a social site that has been predicted as the fastest growing site in 2013. This site allows you the sharing of your professional presentations with huge number of people irrespective of their industry or location. You can even share videos, PDFs and documents. If you have a hunger for knowledge, visit this site and get inspired from the works of people around the world.
  
  
• Usage of Google+: This year, businesses should be present in Google+. In 2013, Google+ rose above Twitter and became the second largest social network having 343 million users. In spite of the fact that the site lacks a few powers of some other social sites, Google+ is Google's central part and from the perspective of SEO, you should become a part of this site.
  
  
• Usage of Fewer Social Sites: Using more social sites does not always bring the desired results in case of social media marketing. Take some time to research and find out which particular social sites are proper for your company, business or brand. It is always better to focus your efforts of marketing to a few numbers of good social sites. This would result in your message being spread more effectively as compared to when you use too many social sites. Take time to prepare yourself well and then participate successfully in those few social sites. It is vital to create a strong presence on those specific sites that deliver, instead of wasting time while trying to dominate all the sites.

Conclusion

Social media marketing grows with each year. You need to cope with the changing trends to keep up your business with the changes. The year 2013 has seen the above mentioned trends in social media marketing strategies. Following these techniques would help your business to be ahead of your competitors.

Summary: Social media marketing strategies are subjected to many changes with the changing time. It is important for businesses to follow the updated techniques to stand out of the crowd.


About The Author: Myke Thomas is a proficient writer. His articles are highly informative and useful for the readers.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Myke and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
How Facebook And Twitter Can Help Reach Your Target Audience
Traditional Marketing vs. Social Media Marketing For Beginners
5 Tips On Reaching Out To More Social Media Users
How To Expose Your Business With Social Media
Social Media Marketing: Are You Effective Or Obnoxious?
Engaging Consumers Through Social Media
Social Media Day Meet-ups: How Can They Work For You
5 Do's And 5 Don'ts In Social Media
Building Your Business With Social Media
The 10 Basic Rules Of Social Media Marketing
Top 14 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing
How To Use Facebook For Your Small Business
9 Tips For More Effective Facebook Marketing

For more business tips plus helpful articles on marketing your business on social media, use the following links:
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How Non-Profits Can Embrace Social Media To Expand Their Reach And Increase Donations

The financial crises of the last few years have caused a serious blow to many industries and it has affected none as much as it has the non-profit and charity industry. With cuts in all government spending the funding to non-profits has in most cases been drastically reduced. This has meant that non-profits need to maximise all other fundraising possibilities and one of the ways that this can happen is by embracing the possibilities that social media have to offer. It can increase exposure and fundraising potential, but it needs to be used to its maximum potential.

The most popular social media networks, Facebook and Twitter, can be used to wonderful effect if you know how. So here are a few tips on making the most out of social media. Many of these suggestions may seem like common sense, but you would be surprised how much of a difference they can make. At the moment most non-profits are using social media as a simple communications tool, rather than using it as a tool of engagement and leadership.

In order to take advantage of social media and use it as a marketing and mobilising tool it needs to be about more than passive communication between the non-profits and its followers. It is not enough to aim to have a certain number of likes on your page; what you are looking for is actual engagement whether it is in the form of comments or sharing. This kind of interaction actually helps to build a community of active participants, rather than passive followers.

So how do you go about building this community? Firstly, you have to identify exactly who your non-profit and social media page is aimed it. Once this has been decided you can begin to tailor the content of your page to interest and entice participants and donors, and from there begin to encourage action and engagement.

This is achieved by giving the members content that moves them emotionally or entertains them. By giving your members something to talk about and share you are creating active participation, excitement and interest in your non-profit. The questions you should constantly be asking yourself about the content of your page are "what do my members care about?" and "what kinds of posts would they be interested in sharing?". With these simple questions you can keep the content of your page interesting and the participants active.

Don't limit yourself to words, your participants will be eager to watch videos or listen to podcasts if they are interesting and you post them. It can also become tedious to visit a site that only offers written content. Keep your members interested by varying the content types that you post. People's attention spans are limited and you have a short period of time to get their attention, so make sure that every post is deliberate and considered, and be it funny, emotional or informative, it has to be eye catching and worth reading and sharing.

Once you have the kind of members who are commenting on posts, sharing posts and taking about your non-profit it is time to encourage further action in your members and participants by developing outreach projects that your members can get involved in. Take suggestions from your members, you can even put particularly interested donors and participants in charge of aspects of an event or outreach.


About The Author: Richard McMunn is the founder of How2become.com, the UK's leading training and recruitment website for public sector careers. They focus on providing students with knowledge they need to prepare for and pass selection processes for specific careers such as the police and fire service. The website currently offers over 150 different titles. You can also find How2become on Twitter.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Richard and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

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3 Strategies To Maximize Visibility Of Your Small Business Website

If you're trying to get a small business off the ground, the internet is a great place to really get your name out there. Unfortunately, many start-up sites don't get the exposure necessary to turn a profit from their endeavor. Part of their problem is not knowing simple strategies that will make people able to actually see and access your website.

This article will offer three specific strategies to help you get the most traffic, and therefore visibility, to your small business website.


Prepare To Change

Recent studies have suggested that small businesses who change up their website and update it with new information regularly have a lot more traffic (and repeat user traffic) than sites that don't. While this might seem trivial, think of it as though you have a subscription to a magazine. Each week, you get the same exact magazine filled with the same articles and the same photographs. You would stop reading this magazine after a week or so, because it ceased to offer you any new reason to read it. That is how you should approach your website, offering something new for people who are willing to return regularly.


Upgrade Your Site

There's nothing wrong with starting out your venture onto the Web with a free service that helps you design a site easily. However, once you've gotten your feet wet, it's time to get out there and pay for a serious site that you are going to have more freedom and versatility with. Furthermore, many of these free creation sites offer you snazzy looking interfaces, but riddle them with ads for users that don't want to see (and if they do, they probably won't see what you can offer!). Pop ups and excessive ads are an eyesore and a nuisance to the average internet user, and so you should take serious steps to avoid these potential deterrents. You don't want to miss out on traffic or potential profit because people were simply too frustrated with the plethora of ads to see your entire site.


Promote, Promote, Promote

This simply can't be stressed enough. Most people would never go to see a movie that they know absolutely nothing about, so why would they just happen across your website when they weren't necessarily looking for it? This can be easily remedied by working harder to get your name out there. In terms of small business sites, it's probable that a good half of user traffic on popular sites could be attributed to promotion on social media outlets. Take advantage of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr to get your name out there and get people knowing what you're providing for them. These sites are free to sign up for, and you can create them simply to promote the primary website. These media outlets can serve to detail promotions you're offering, sales, give away sweepstakes, and much more. The possibilities of how to get people herded towards your actual site are virtually endless.

These strategies are bound to generate more traffic on your small business website. While these are not the only strategies, using them is a great way to get the ball rolling - once you've got these building blocks under your belt, you can then begin to tailor your approach to match your individual needs.


About The Author: Vanessa Milios writes about lessons she's learned throughout her career in business and online marketing. Her recent work is on the Top Online Business Management Degree Programs.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.

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SEO vs. PPC: What's Better For Your Business?

Search engine optimization is one of the best ways to promote your business and to get more traffic for your site without spending any money. However, pay-per-click advertising can also get you results - sometimes faster. Which one is right for your business?

There are a number of things to consider when you are trying to determine whether you should focus your efforts on SEO or PPC - or whether you should switch from one to the other when faced with a particular set of circumstances. Here are a few things to ask yourself when trying to decide on SEO or PPC for your business:


What's Your Budget?

Pay-per-click advertising can get very expensive. Even if you're fortunate enough to have keywords that don't have a high cost-per-click (CPC), there is still a relatively low average conversion rate for most ads, and so you will need to pay for a lot of clicks before you start seeing sales and e-mail opt-ins. Determine how much you have to spend, and if it's not enough to make it worth it, focus on building your SEO while you save for an appropriate budget for a successful ad campaign.


How Fast Do You Want to Get Results?

Everyone wants their business to be an overnight success, yet that's not going to be possible for most people. Think in more realistic terms and decide how quickly you want to - or need to - get results. SEO is a long-term play, but once you start making gains with it, you will attain a more stable position for your web presence. PPC will achieve faster results, which is useful if you are a small startup, you are introducing a new product or service, or you are trying to turnaround poor quarterly results.

While PPC can get you quicker results, it's not guaranteed. You'll get more prominent exposure for your site, but you may not get the click-through that you need. You have to have a solid campaign behind your budget.


How Much Time Do You Have for Study?

While anyone can learn SEO, not everyone has the time to do it. Casual reading of SEO blogs can help you to understand basic concepts like the need for quality links or how to use keywords appropriately. But how do you get a quality link? How do you know what keywords to target?

You have to devote the time to studying SEO to learn successful strategies and then to implement them. This is especially important since search algorithms are always changing, and you may need to change your strategies quickly to see results. If you don't have the time to devote to learning and staying abreast of successful SEO, it may be worth investing in PPC instead - or hiring someone else to do your SEO for you.


What's Your Competition?

Highly competitive fields may result in two things: The cost-per-click (CPC) of the keywords you want to target for a PPC campaign will be too much for your budget, or if you are trying to use SEO instead, your page will become buried in search results for those keywords. There are a couple of things you can do. Take the slow and steady approach with SEO, or increase your budget for PPC. You can also target more niche keywords that have lower competition to rank your site faster or to manage a PPC campaign that fits your lower budget.

Ultimately, there is no "right" choice when it comes to SEO or PPC. What's right for your business will depend on your budget, your niche, and the results you are trying to achieve. Consider the answers to these questions when trying to make the right choice for your business.

Have you been more successful with SEO or PPC with your business? Share your thoughts in the comments!


About The Author: Chloe Trogden is a seasoned financial aid writer. Her leisure activities include camping, swimming and volunteer work.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Chloe and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
Common Google AdWords Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
How To Set A Budget For Your Business PPC Campaign

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http://www.derekjones.co/search/label/SEO%20Tips
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Until my next post on Wednesday on how to make your business cool and why you'd want to, have a great and productive week ahead!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

How To Use YouTube To Grow Your Business

Running a small business is no easy task. With technology these days, communication and information are more accessible than ever before. There are so many different strategies to digitally market your business; however, using YouTube can really help you jump start your small business. After all, YouTube is the world's largest video-sharing service.

With this guide, you'll be growing your business in no time on YouTube.


Be Creative

Make sure you are creative with your YouTube videos. You want to do something that captures an audience without being a copycat. Generally, you want to stick to funny, weird, informative, or captivating videos. As stated before, make sure you are grabbing your audience's attention.


Share Share Share

You don't want to post your videos strictly to YouTube. Not only do you want to post your videos to your website, but you will also want to post them to every social media platform your business is on. This helps promote your video, which in return helps promote your business.


Good and Creative Headlines

Just like any article or email you write, you want a good strong headline. Your YouTube video should have a creative title that sends out a captivating message to grab the viewer's attention to watch the full content.


Market For A Wider Audience

Because YouTube is the world's largest video-sharing service, there is a large amount of potential to widen your customer base. With YouTube being an international service, you have an opportunity to market your video worldwide. It is also helpful to publish your video in as many languages as possible. This way, you can have a larger international audience, which in return will only help your business.


Quality Over Quantity

It goes without saying that the quality of the video is much more important than the quantity of the video. For instance, a 5-minute video with creative and fun information can be much more effect than a 10 or 15-minute video that seems to just keep dragging. Keep this in mind when you are brainstorming ideas for your next video.


Edit Your Video

Editing doesn't have to be a long and tedious process and it certainly doesn't require a professional. There are many free and user friendly editing tools online and on most computers. Edit your video to look professional and to draw users in.


Make Your Channel/Videos Noticeable

This is certainly the most important tip I can give you. If you don't make your channel and videos noticeable, then your hard work will go unnoticed. Along with the creative title we already talked about, you will want to add a colourful description of your video and keywords that you want to add as tags. You will want to do the same thing for your channel page. Make sure the title of your channel is simple and easy to find, then add your description and tags to your channel. You will also want to make your channel page unique to your business. That means add a business logo, background, and exciting and informative information.


Keep Up With Content

In order to stay in touch with all the users that view your page and videos, you will constantly need to be on the lookout for new comments on your channel page and your video pages. Even if your video is a couple years old, you may come across users who are seeing the video for the first time and they may have questions.

With these few suggestions, your YouTube videos could potentially help your business grow to new heights, and who knows; maybe you will become the next YouTube sensation!


About The Author: This article is provided by gadgetinsurance.ie - the leader in mobile phone and gadget insurance.

Did you find this article helpful? Do you have any tips to share? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.

Related articles:
5 Great YouTube Marketing Tips And Tricks To Engage Your Audience


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© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Have You Tried These Proven Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Blog?

Bloggers often complain that their traffic isn't growing as quickly as they'd like it to. But have you really been doing everything you can to improve your clicks? It's not as simple as reading up on search engine optimization and waiting for the techniques you try to work. If you really want to grow traffic, you have to commit time and effort to the cause.

That means trying some techniques that are a little outside the box. Just as you make a commitment when you join a church, you have to commit to growing your traffic. Here's how.


Interact with Other Bloggers

Bloggers can help grow each other's traffic by posting on each other's sites, sharing links and swapping guest posts. The goal is to expose your blog to people who might not have otherwise found it. Make a commitment to commenting on at least five other sites per day, and make sure to include your blog's URL in your comment.

Don't be pushy or annoying in your comments. Don't demand that people come visit your blog. Contribute a thoughtful and intelligent argument if you have good insight on the topic at hand. This will encourage people to check out what you write on a daily basis.


Gamble a Little

Try experimenting with sites like StumbleUpon, which can bring in a flood of traffic if used correctly. This site invites people to "stumble" upon interesting content that they think others would enjoy. But you have to be careful with the way you use it. If the site thinks you're trying to flag your own content for stumbling, they might ban you from posting.

Depending on what kind of content you publish, consider creating a Pinterest for your blog. Create pictures that capture the essence of your posts or even take a quote from your post and lay it out visually.


Write About Blogging

Want to know a topic that bloggers find irresistible? Themselves. And considering how many bloggers there are, that can add up to a lot of traffic. Write a post about something relevant to blogging, such as where to find topic ideas, how to grow traffic or even something more technical, like which blogging software to use. It's guaranteed that traffic on that post will take off. People love to read something relevant to themselves, and bloggers tend to be the biggest blog readers.

Don't forget to blog in your own niche and family of bloggers. Guest posts are a great way to target the right traffic to your own blog. Offer other bloggers in your vertical a post swap.


Pick an Obscure Topic

Sometimes it doesn't pay to be the 4,567th blogger to write about Kim and Kanye's new baby. Sometimes to stand out you have to try something really different. If you write about an obscure topic that doesn't get a lot of coverage on the internet, you'll draw in people looking for information on said topic. They won't have a lot of resources to choose from, so they may pick yours.


Blogrolls

After you become buddy buddy with some of the other bloggers in your niche, ask them to include your blog in their blogroll. This will become a great way for readers interested in what your write about to find you.

Just like a post swap, offer to put their blog in your blogroll as well. Many times, you'll find a community of bloggers in your niche that interlink to everyone else.

Test out these five ways to increase traffic to your site. Be sure to track your progress in Google Analytics or some other form of analytics for your blog. You'll be amazed at how much traffic you can get with just a little effort.


About The Author: Carl Glasmyre is a freelance writer who writes on a wide selection of topics.

Did you find this article helpful? Do you have any tips to share for increasing blog traffic? Please let Carl and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
Blog Marketing Overview
3 Tips For Increasing Blog Traffic
Top 3 Blogging Tips For Increasing Internet Presence
What's In Store For Bloggers This 2012


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Until my next post on Wednesday on why online marketing is just as important as traditional marketing, have a great week ahead!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Where's Waldo (Enhanced Campaigns) In Google AdWords Updates

Navigating through Google AdWords to create optimized, ROI producing campaigns can be an extensive process. Especially with all the new features, best practices, and changes that the Google brand grows to encompass.

With Google's full transition into "enhanced" campaigns, there are a lot of new features with some interesting benefits to advertisers. The most interesting improved features of this update are within the site link extensions. From general campaign extensions to specific ad group level extensions, there is a lot more data, and room for optimization. For a broader view on the "enhanced" changes check out this article.


Where's Waldo?

In a picture of grayed out tabs with the same type font, size, and coloring, you can find "Waldo" in the Ad Extensions tab in Google AdWords. As a digital media manager, I worry about losing data but thankfully, Google seems to have recognized that and provided an "upgraded" view or "not upgraded" to see the data history of your extensions. The data history view lets me know I can find Waldo on any time frame. This is especially important as your campaigns grow and become more extensive. For basic, limited budget campaigns, simply creating campaign level extensions may be sufficient, however for those decently budget accounts, utilizing the specific ad group level extensions will help you create the most targeted, relevant, and potentially money-making ads; or in other words, a massive version of Where's Waldo.


Red/White Striped Shirt (check), Glasses (check), Jeans (check)...

1. Create more granular extensions at the ad group level, for targeted, direct, and correlated links. Pair complementary shopping items, geographically correlated items, or any other method of grouping to help improve ROI.
   
   
2. Set a schedule for your extensions, use the most profit driven times of the day or days of the week. Segment by day of the week, time of day, monthly, etc. to maximize the most profitable times.
   
   
3. Create mobile specific site-link extensions; speak to mobile users through location text or other mobile targeting terms. Setting different extensions for different devices will maximize your efforts with optimal text.
   
   
4. Each extension is now singular rather than as a group, much easier for reviewing for eligibility and changes across all ad groups that include that site link.
   
   
5. Hold on to you data history for comparisons and optimization. Review data based on all devices, and targeting methods over time to infer which methods will bring the most profitable business.
   
   
6. Optimize on an individual basis for performance, ROI, CTR, etc.

Enhanced site-link extensions allow advertisers to move away from 1 set of site-link extensions per campaign to a much more targeted, in depth strategy. Having the ability to customize at an ad group level and display extensions that have specific, relevant information on each service, function, product, etc. allows for cross selling and potential profit. With any AdWords extension, research, testing, and optimization are the keys to succeeding. It is never a one stop shop but a continual service in need of constant monitoring to achieve the best possible outcome for your paid search tactics.

Now that this upgrade has officially been upgraded, it's very important to customize your account and make sure your ads are the best in your industry. Research your competition and the industry you work in to maximize your efforts. For more optimization information check out this article on generating ROI from your PPC text ads.

Google has also announced several more upgrades that will be coming soon, including Google Maps Ads and updates to the Analytics user-face. So keep an eye out for my next article about how to use these upgrades to your advantage.


Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.

Related articles:
Common Google AdWords Mistakes And How To Avoid Them


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© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Common Google AdWords Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Google AdWords is a great way to target the right audience and drive them to the right sources to generate the most income. Unfortunately, many companies (both large and small) try to use the service with little to no knowledge of how it actually works. Fortunately, here are 5 of the most common mistakes marketers make when using Google AdWords and how to avoid them:


1. Directing the advertisements to your homepage

A major mistake that many companies make is that they direct advertisements back to their homepage. This can be costly since customers will typically leave the site if they do not instantly see what they are looking for. Whenever possible, you need to ensure that the advertisements go to a specific page that is relevant to the customer.

For example, if a customer is looking for "kitchen faucets," you need to ensure that the advertisements direct the customer to a specific page on your website about kitchen faucets. If you direct them to your homepage, it is very likely that the customer will only go straight back to Google to do another search. Unfortunately, such an action means that you will likely lose the customer to your competition.


2. Accepting all of the suggested words

If you accept all of the suggested words supplied by the Google AdWords Keyword Generator, you will run into a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, the list that you receive will have a lot of unrelated and generic terms that will not benefit your business. By accepting all of the keywords, you will not target the right audience that will ensure engagement and sales.

For example, if you are a chef, very generic words such as "cooking" or "chef" may not greatly benefit you. Instead, you should focus on narrower keywords with true buying potential.


3. Not using negative keywords

A good thing about using a Google AdWords campaign is that you are able to choose negative keywords to filter out unwanted clicks. Unfortunately, many people do not use the feature and learn a very expensive lesson the hard way.

For example, if you sell computer equipment or software, you may want to use negative keywords such as "panels" or "treatments" to avoid being confused with the home improvement industry.


4. Not localizing the campaign

If you have a local business, it is crucial that you localize your campaign by setting up specific ads for searchers in a specific area. By providing your zip or area code, you will be able to target people living in your area that will be more likely to visit your business. Unfortunately, a lot of money can be wasted if you do not specify this and instead try to entice people from halfway across the world.


5. Failing to test the advertisements

When you have a campaign in place, it is an absolute must that you test your advertisements to see what works best. You will need to track every aspect of your campaign to determine what is working and what is not. Once you have the information handy, you will be able to tailor your advertisements to generate the most success.

When breaking down your advertisements, just some of the factors you need to consider include:

• Font sizes, styles, and colors
• Wording
• Images
• Overall advertisement composition
• Call to actions
• Offers
• Placement locations
• Prices

As you can see, there are many things to take into consideration when you undergo a Google AdWords campaign. By knowing the common mistakes to avoid, you will better situate yourself to achieve success.


About The Author: Lorraine Gray has spent a lot of time using Adwords in her clients advertising campaigns. She likes to blog about her experiences on various marketing websites.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Monday on Google AdWords Enhanced Site Link Extensions, enjoy the rest of the week and have a fabulous weekend! See you back here on Monday.

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Online Marketing Strategies Small Businesses Can Use

Businesses these days are more fortunate than they were 10-15 years ago, as they have use of the internet to help them. It can be useful for researching aspects of your business, looking at competitors and for advertising the services and products you offer. This can be done in a variety of ways, and the sooner that you learn how to use them, the faster your business will grow!

• Social Media Campaigns - The social media network is a fantastic tool to use, if you know how to do it wisely and safely. It is free to set up Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages, and you can hit your target audience that will buy your products or services. You can upload images and video links to show off your products, or give links to your website, so it will prove an asset to your business. You can also use your social media site to promote interest in your e-book that you currently have on sale. You could give them a taster page to encourage them to look for more!
  
  
• Create an e-book - With so much interest in e-books these days, it would be worth your while to write or dictate a blog, article or several pages on your business products or services to promote interest. You do not have to be an accomplished writer to do this, as there are several sites, such as E-lance or Odesk, that can ghost write your piece for you. You will not make any profit from your e-book, as you want it to be used as an advertising and information link to your website for further information for interested parties. Websites such as Amazon, will allow you to upload it free, taking a percentage of the sales for this service. Set a low price to encourage readers to buy your book, and make the first two or three pages grab their interest, in case they choose to look inside before buying.
  
  
• Pay-Per-Click - It is also sometimes known as Cost Per Click advertising, and will be worth investing in, as the search engine will lead researchers to the paid website links first. It means that your business will appear on the first pages of searches, so people are more likely to select your business and look at your website. If you are not computer literate, then you could use a freelance web consultant/designer to help you to set up your website initially, then your social media and pay-per-click pages afterwards. It may cost initially, but with their expertise, your business will get noticed, and soon start to grow!
  
  
• Special Offers - Supermarkets often use special offers to encourage people to buy more, and you can do the same with your business. Buy One Get One Free, (BOGOF), on products that do not always sell well. Buy 3 for the price of 2, again will help to get rid of slow selling stock. If you offer a service, rather than products, give 10% off their first booking, or if they recommend a friend who needs your business too, you could give them gift vouchers. There are numerous ways to offer something to attract customers, but once you have their custom, make sure they come back for more!
  
  
• Video and Email Use - You can add videos on YouTube, to show prospective customers your products or services. If they see you in action, it instils confidence in people, and they are more likely to use you. If you have email addresses for clients, then send out mail shots to them all to let them know you are available to them. You can find email addresses for other businesses from company websites or business directories, to advertise your services or products to.

Make sure that you have a reliable internet provider and the correct package for your business. If you use an IT consultant, they will advise you on different options available to you. Many people shop online, and search the internet for whatever they need, so to help your small business be a success, you need strategies in place, to market it online. Plan what you want to do, set your targets, then put your strategies in to action, and be prepared for the extra interest you will get for your business!


About The Author: Ericka Bergeson is a writer and small business coach. She advises potential business owners on what type of business would suit them best and how to startup.

Did you find this article helpful? Do you have any online marketing tips to share? Please let Ericka and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

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Until my next post on Monday discussing if content decides your ranking in recent Google Penguin update, have a relaxing and fun-filled weekend! See you back here on Monday!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Ten Tips For Small Businesses Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an often under-utilised social media resource, aimed at businesses and professionals. Yet, it has the capacity to offer a lot of useful features to help an organisation prosper. Here are ten tips that every small business should know about using LinkedIn.


It's more than just a resume site

LinkedIn is more than just a social media site where you can post your resume or company profile. This is just the very basic. Spend time getting to know what LinkedIn can do for you and your business and focus on what you want to achieve from it. Create a complete and informative profile of your business and what you have to offer, with a good quality cover photo.


Keep content updated

Many people begin their LinkedIn relationship with enthusiasm, but then neglect it over time, so that their content becomes outdated and incorrect. If you are a small business using LinkedIn as a networking tool, then make sure you keep your content up to date.


See what your contacts are up to

Small businesses often strive to increase connections with clients and prospects, so it's worthwhile taking your time to keep a check on what your contacts on LinkedIn are up to. Keep in touch with them on a regular basis - you never know when a fruitful opportunity might arise from this.


Use it for SEO

LinkedIn is an invaluable tool to use for search engine optimization prospects, so make the most of it by adapting your content with relevant keywords that will boost your profile up the search rankings.


Use it for advertising

With a global audience of thousands at your fingertips, you might well consider using LinkedIn as a way to advertise your products or services. LinkedIn Ads can prove more cost-effective than other forms of advertising.


Co-ordinate your content

As a small business, you won't have limitless time to devote to social media sites, so why not co-ordinate all your social media content, so that what you post on one site, will automatically appear on the other? You can use web tools to enable you to connect your social media accounts with each other, without needing to post the same content yourself. However, make sure whatever you post on the less formal social media sites isn't going to be detrimental to your image if it appears on LinkedIn.


Request reviews

Testimonials can boost the profile of a business, especially a small one just starting out in establishing a reputation. Politely request customer reviews so that you can add them to your profile on LinkedIn.


Get involved in groups

Take part in group discussions that are relevant to your line of business and make the most of the networking and business opportunities that they might bring. Don't blatantly advertise your products and focus on just a few specific groups rather than join every group going. Groups are also valuable for researching different markets and opinions.


Use LinkedIn Answers

Make the most of this feature, which allows you to answer relevant questions asked by other members. This helps to increase your profile and expertise, as well as being a great networking opportunity.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, LinkedIn Answers is no longer supported. However, there are still many other ways to pose questions and facilitate professional discussions via the LinkedIn Help Center, Community Help Forum and by using the "posting module" on your homepage.


Search for professionals

As a small business, you may not have the manpower, resources or skills to complete all tasks associated with your operations. But you can use LinkedIn to search for specific business services that you may need. Often, these services may be people you are already connected with or contacts of your connections.


About The Author: This article was provided by Amy Elliott on behalf of Automatic Access, supplier of door technology systems to UK companies.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Amy and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
LinkedIn Groups For Marketing: How To Create The Buzz And Get Noticed


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Until my next post on Wednesday on how to use guest blogging to build your online reputation, have a great week ahead!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Adding Real Marketing Value To Brands

With all the buzz on internet marketing, every company seems to be doing it. Their aims? To gain more clients, open up opportunities for revenues, and even step their game up a notch.

Indeed, internet marketing can promise you these favorable circumstances. However with the onslaught of Search Engine Optimization, Link Building, and Content Marketing, the competition's beginning to be tough once more. Not only that, as the giant search engine is making ways to improve their searchability; internet marketing just gets more complicated than ever.

Even if you're a white hat advocate or a black hat enthusiast, there's still that question left unanswered: Are you really doing something for your client's brand?


At A Standstill

Internet marketing has been on the hype recently due to the increased exposure it brings to different products and services all over the globe. It is without a doubt one of the most effective marketing strategies. With online marketing, even startup companies can go with the flow against the giants in their corresponding industry.

Yes we do have different strategies employed to go neck to neck with the competitors of our clients, but we use them all the same. It all boils down into proper execution; the more Google loves your techniques, the more that you'll rank for a certain keyword that you're optimizing. This is where the marketing standstill begins; as you rank higher in the SERPs, you begin to gain more confidence. Thus, this confidence may either make or break your efforts; there is a tendency to neglect or taper down your previous efforts.


Real Marketing, Less Worries

The secret to making online marketing work is the outreach you have for your client. Remember that what you do reflects the vision and mission of the company you work for. Think of online marketing as your own business or company as well. You'd want to be a great company that offers the best of the best. A real business, with a real product or service aimed to deliver only the best to the consumers or target market.

Marketing is simply promoting your product or service in order to gather consumers who are interested to avail or purchase what you offer. They are attracted to what they see, what they hear about your project, and what could they benefit from using your product or by availing your service. It might sound easy, but if you aren't a pioneer in the industry, clawing your way up is a tedious task.

However, because of the digital age, there are innovations in marketing that can be utilized to easily promote our brand in the market; hence, marketing itself is a dynamic cycle that involves factors that greatly contribute to the welfare of one's brand.


The Brand Speaks for Itself

Let's cut down to the chase; the three most important things you need to establish are:

• Presence
  
  An online presence is what that matters. It all starts with a website, a blog, and social bookmarks. Establishing your online presence is a first step in getting yourself ready for the long link battle ahead. It pays to check back Google's Webmaster Guidelines and watch out for Google Webmasters updates on YouTube. Update your blog frequently with relevant and informative content. Do site optimization while considering the user experience of visitors.
  
  
• Authority
  
  Or the so-called off-site optimization, authority is one factor to back up your online presence. You may have an online presence, but you're still among the billions of web pages in the world without a voice. Proper outreach and rubbing shoulders with the influences in your industry can help leverage your status from zero to hero. As you share the fame from their followers, they will begin to follow you, too. It's an incorrigible and effective method to build authority and spread influence far and wide.
  
  
• Crowd Engagement
  
  Of course, if you are influential, you'll have your own set of followers. Followers who will promote your brand even without you saying so. They will be your mini-marketers; word will spread like a disease on outbreak. It's important that while you maintain your influence, you communicate with your audience through your social bookmarks. Hold a contest, share some Tweets, make some viral content; anything just to keep your audience entertained.

Keeping these three in mind and continually running, your efforts can definitely add value since your not just interacting with Google's robots or crawlers; you're dealing with REAL people, who would help you get REAL results in marketing your own brand.

Online marketing is not all about metrics and how many links you have gained; it's about the value you bring to your client and how useful your strategies were to increase their presence, authority, and engagement.

Now, ask yourself; are you adding real marketing value for your client's brand?


About The Author: Alexis Trinidad is the Head of Outreach for SEOteky Philippines and Martin Lindstrom - speaker, author and advisor.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Alexis and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Related articles:
Taking Your Brand Social? Follow These Steps!
What Is A Brand And Why Is It Important
Brand Awareness: The Real Purpose Of SEO


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You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776

Until my next post on Friday on spear phishing on Twitter and how not to become the catch of the day, enjoy the rest of the week!

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