10 Minutes to Market

If you are looking to increase your search engine results in a short period of time without paying someone a whole lot of money to do it, this is the post for you.  All it takes to give yourself a little bump in exposure is a little bit of internet savvy and about 10 minutes. 

1. First do a search (Google, Bing, etc) for your personal name and your business name.  
2. Take a look at the results.
3. Click on all of the links to see why they showed up.  They may be good, bad or ugly.  This is not the time to stick your head in the sand.
4. If you show up on sites like Yelp.com, InsiderPages.com, etc, go ahead and "claim" your listing.  This will allow you a little bit of control over the page.  Typically, registering as the owner will allow you to add pictures and a brief description as well as the ability to respond directly to reviews and inquiries about your business.
5. Once you have claimed all the listings you show up on, start searching your competition and seeing which sites they show up on.  If it is free to list your business on the same site, do it

The goal is to get your business (and name) to show up at the top of the first page of search results.  It doesn't matter which site it is on as long as your name is there.  If someone finds you on Google Maps, for example, they will eventually end up at your website if they are interested in your products or services.  The more sites you are listed on, the more opportunities there are for a search engine to find you.

Hopefully this helps get you started!  We will be putting out more tips and tricks over the next couple of weeks.

Cheers!
The Chicks

Why Blog?

Whenever we talk to people about starting a blog, there are certain questions that always seem to come up.

What is a blog?
The term blog is short for weblog which was coined in the 1990’s to mean a diary or journal maintained on the internet. This doesn’t mean that it has to be personal. Blogs are maintained by everyone from individuals to corporations.

What is the point?
A blog can be used for a variety of reasons. Because it is basically a website that can be updated by anyone, no webmaster is needed! Blogs are a platform for everything from disseminating information, to interacting with an online community. In either case, maintaining a useful blog will foster relationships… and that’s the point, right?

What if I have nothing to say?
First of all, everyone has something to say. What seems like obvious information to you, might be exactly what someone searching the web needs to know. Posts don’t have to be the length of a dissertation. They can be as short as a joke or quote. If you make videos or find one that you like, you can post that as an entry as well. A picture can speak a thousand words, and can be posted for your blog subscribers to see and comment on.

How often do I post?
There is no right answer to this question. Just know that people stumbling upon your blog site will be more likely to subscribe if they see that you put time and effort into it. Twitter is called a microblog because each 140 character post is considered a blog entry. Some people post to Twitter every hour! The frequency with which you post is totally up to you and should be based on what your blog goals are.

Promoting the 'write' way (4 practices to avoid)

HEY EVERYONE!!!! ***READ THIS POST AND GET A FREE GLASS OF WATER!!!!

Did you find that sentence annoying?  Did it feel "spammy" and suspect?  Even if you saw that posted by a trusted friend, you might feel betrayed because this person was taking advantage of your relationship to sell you something... even if they weren't selling anything.  That is because this is an old tactic used in marketing.  Sure it gets your attention, but for all the wrong reasons.  Here is a short list of things not to do when promoting a product or event on social media;

1.  ALL CAPS, MULTIPLE COLORS, AND HUGE FONTS
 "****WANT TO REDUCE YOUR MORTGAGE WITH NO CREDIT CHECK WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY LOSING 50 LBS AND TRANSFERRING A LARGE INHERITANCE FROM AN UNCLE YOU NEVER KNEW IN NIGERIA ????  CALL US TODAY!!!"

2.  Rude, judgmental public posts (keep your disagreements offline.)
Joe Blow:  Man, I can't believe what (insert name here) did yesterday.  What a typical (political affiliation here.)

3.  Over-Posting;  If you are promoting an event or product, space out your posts so that people don't hide, unfriend, or unlike you.
 Joe Blow:  Don't forget our GIANT SALE TODAY!!!
 Joe Blow:  Don't forget our GIANT SALE TODAY!!!
 Joe Blow:  Don't forget our GIANT SALE TODAY!!!
 Joe Blow:  Don't forget our GIANT SALE TODAY!!!

... We only wish we could forget ...

4.  Inappropriate tagging in posts or photos;  Be conservative when deciding whether or not to tag someone.  If a photo or post could come off negative in any way, don't post/tag it.
Before you post anything with yourself (pictures, articles, etc) in it, you make sure it is flattering.  As a good business practice, extend the same courtesy to your friends and clients.  If a picture is taken from a bad angle, or an article contains a quote that was not well thought out, it is best to leave it out of your online campaign.  When you make others look good, they will return the favor. 

It's hard sometimes to tell the difference between getting attention and being effective.  The old adage "Any publicity is good publicity" does not apply to social media.  Negative publicity can quickly kill a company or relationship.

... and NOW THAT YOU HAVE FINISHED READING THIS POST, GRAB THAT FREE GLASS OF WATER WE PROMISED YOU!

CHEERS!

Generational Sales

You may have seen our iMAPS Chicks presentation on Generational Marketing where we break down the general differences in each age group's world views and attitudes.  In this post, we are going to give you some tips for selling to different generations.  Please remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

Mature Generation (Born between 1900-1944)
This generation is also known as the Traditionalist Generation.  They prefer traditional methods of communication, just like the name suggests.  Most of your clients in this generation will be very organized and prefer to deal with details face to face.  Traditionalists do not want to leave a voicemail and may hang up if they do not get a "live" voice when they call your place of business.  If this generation represents a large portion of your clientele, keep this in mind when you arrange your employee structure.  Most Traditionalists prefer print outs or "hard copies" of contracts, proposals, etc

Baby Boomers (1945-1964)
The Baby Boomers are the most extravagant of the four generations featured in this post.  They are accustomed to instant gratification and want results right away.  While they would love to meet in person, their time is extremely valuable and you may have to work around their schedule with a phone call.  Most Boomers have at least a limited knowledge of the internet even though they may not be totally comfortable with the technology.  Return their phone calls right away as they will leave voice messages and expect a quick follow up.  Most of your relationship will be formed over the phone.

Generation X (1965-1979)
Generation Xers are also referred to as "Digital Tourists" as they were not born into this highly technological world, but they have adjusted well.  Gen X will use the phone for talking, but are much more likely to use it for email or Web/Social Media.  This generation actually considers a phone call an intrusion, and will instantly go on the defense if a sales call was not initiated by them.  The best way to open a conversation with a Gen Xer is by email.

Millenials (1980-1993)
While Gen Xers are called "Digital Tourists", Millenials are considered "Digital Citizens."  The technology that drives the world today was developed during their childhood and they grew with it.  If you think it is challenging to get a Generation Xer on the phone, don't even try with a Millenial.  Your best bet for communication is by text or Social Media Platform.  Email even seems archaic for this demographic.


Try to remember that no matter which level of technology you are comfortable with, you must adapt to your client's preferences in order to give good customer service.  For more information on Generational Marketing, contact us!