Ask Aaron Wall who’s taking over the Web and it seems as if he is saying it’s Wal-Mart. He makes some good points in this post, but there was one paragraph that really stood out.
In the meantime, I expect Google to keep increasing search complexity such that it’s prohibitively expensive to make & market a small independent commercial website. That will force many smaller companies to live inside the Google ecosystem, with Google ranking the Google-hosted pages/products/locations for those companies, so that they can serve ads against them and get a bigger slice of the revenues.
If you ask me, I think that’s pretty cynical. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, or that it won’t happen. It’s just cynical.
In Aaron Wall’s world, big companies win because Google let them win. Then small companies have no recourse but to use Google-hosted sites so that Google can monetize them with ads. But as a small business marketing consultant, I’d never encourage you to serve up someone else’s ads on your own website.
When you consider the low cost of web hosting, domain purchases, and do-it-yourself marketing, I can’t see any time when it will be cost prohibitive to own your own standalone website with your domain name hosted outside of the Google ecosystem.
There is one aspect of small business that is generally not promoted often enough online. That aspect? The fact that they are small; they can be personal; and that the person you are talking to is most likely the owner. If it is the owner you are dealing with then you know it’s in their best interest to provide a good service. When it comes to big business, the person you are talking to is a wage earner and their vested interest is in their paycheck each week – not necessarily you.
Small businesses have capitalized on this in the bricks and mortar world for decades. I am somewhat surprised that online businesses are not also promoting their size as being a benefit to customers. Trust is always an issue for many customers and small businesses have access to a tool that can quickly resolve some of these trust issues and that tool is video.
All it takes is a short video in which the small business owner introduces themselves, their products or services and perhaps what their web site has to offer customers. The one thing missing from the online world is that face to face contact. While video is only one way, it certainly provides a means to communicate with customers, and for customers to see and hear who they are dealing with.
Short videos like this can do wonders for an online business’s trust factor. Of course, it is important that you come across in the video as being trusting – but that’s something that you will need to work on. Video marketing doesn’t have to promote a product, it can be used to simply build trust, and for small businesses, it can serve them much better than large businesses.
If you’re like me then you really like to read top 10 (12, 15, 20 100 lists, especially if you’re on them. Well, recently, I found out that I’m on the top 12 small business marketing blogs along with several other high caliber small business marketing pros.
This is a great honor and I’ll tell you why. Just look at who else is on this list:
Jay Ehret at The Marketing Spot
Matt McGee
Search Engine Guide
John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing
Charlie Cook
VerticalResponse Marketing Blog
Small Business Trends
Becky McCray’s Small Biz Survival
AllBusiness.com
Rich Brooks
Small Business Brief
And did you notice who was at No. 1? It pays to be a Maverick.
I’ve never been a big believer in “predictions” for the coming year, can’t say that I’ve ever created any (that I remember). But more and more often lately my clients have been asking me about “where all this is going…” so that started me thinking.
While I don’t claim to have a crystal ball, I do talk frequently (online) with my peers and other folks heavily involved in social media / digital marketing, and I read just about everything I can get my hands on. While I don’t know that “predictions” is exactly right, I’d say this is what I think we’ll see over the coming year:
2010 is the year local small and mid-size business really “get” social media – and start seeing results
In 2009, we moved beyond “if” to: “when” is the right time for small and mid-size businesses to engage in the conversation online – trouble is, not everyone has noticed yet! We’ve reached critical mass with social media to the point where it’s now much more likely that any business person you meet is connected through at least one social site than not.
Large corporations have had a clue for awhile – In 2010, I expect to see a couple of things – one, the technology will continue to expand, making the connections we’re creating all the more valuable; and two: as a result of the sheer numbers of people participating in social media, small and mid-size business owners will begin to look beyond the big 3 sites (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) and “how to use the technology” and will start to get a handle on how to really build an engaged community.
This engagement will have tremendous impact on their revenues and profits in 2010, and it’s why I’m so passionate about social media – coming out of the economic downturn we’ve experienced, social media gives small and mid-size businesses the tools and the level playing field to lead the charge!
Small and mid-size businesses are at the intersection of search and social
A lot of people may not know this, but I didn’t become interested in social media originally to build community. I did get really excited about the search engine optimization connection between search and social – geeks like me have known about this for awhile, and 2010 is the year that this connection is going to go mainstream.
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading Mack Collier’s blog, The Viral Garden, where he talks about Google launching Live Search. He mentions a search he performed on “Tiger Woods” where the results showing up were not last week’s news – but conversations happening right that moment – on Twitter. Known as “Real Time Search” – this is changing the game for how you find new customers online.
Incidentally, I tried the search myself and noticed that the search on “Tiger Woods” worked just as he described. That made me wonder if Google had launched Live Search for other search terms – or mere mortals (like me for instance), so I “Googled” myself and low-and-behold, the first results showing up for me were Live Search results for conversations happening on Twitter within minutes of my search. See below for what showed up.
Think search engine optimization is dead? Think social doesn’t matter? Think again! 2010 is the year that this all starts to come together, and small and mid-size business will begin to figure this out and we’ll start to see them using social media strategically – and profitably – as a result!
Mobile marketing becomes a reality for small and mid-size businesses
If you’ve read my stuff for awhile, you know my background is in wireless marketing. Prior to starting my own company, I worked for AT&T Wireless and Cingular for 16 years. As a result, you’d think I’d be a big advocate of mobile marketing, but up until recently, I’ve said that “mobile marketing is not yet ready for prime time” – at least in terms of small and mid-size businesses getting involved.
In 2010, that changes. With the proliferation of the iPhone and other smartphones like it, and the ability for companies to share their location with potential clients (through sites like FourSquare.com, or Twitter, for instance), 2010 is going to be the year where Mobile Marketing really comes into its own and becomes a viable option for small and mid-size business owners looking to reach their customers when they are ready to purchase.
So those are my predictions. Since it’s my first year of “prognosticating” I’ll stick to just 3 – with just these three, it’s going to be a fantastic year.
But what do you think? Have I missed an important prediction? Call it like you see it below!
Thanks for being such a tremendous blog audience throughout the year – here’s to a terrific 2010!
You’ve created your website, and you’ve even gone to the trouble, and perhaps expense, of creating a video. Your small business is all set to be found on the ‘net.
But nothing’s happening.
You checked your rank, again and again. You’re not gaining ground. Google, or none of the other major search engines seem to be checking you out.
What can you do to establish your presence on the Internet?
One of the best ways to improve your rank is by having inbound links, (also known as backlinks).
When it comes to videos, make sure you’re using a strong site such as YouTube. Google looks at the page rank of the site you are linking to—and determines how important that link is. The higher their page rank is, the higher you’ll (eventually) rank as well.
Your goal is to get that video seen and one of the best ways is simply by asking for links–from people and companies who know you and those you have something in common with.
Type in your keywords and find other similar sites. Visit them, leave a good comment on their blog, and ask them for a reciprocal link. Instead of seeing them as potential competitors, view each other as cohorts–you can exchange links and ideas–and each of your can specialize in your own niche market and still leave plenty of room for the other guy.
Remember on the Internet, broad keywords won’t yield as good of results as finding your audience by what you specialize in. Make your keywords specific–there are still thousands looking for exactly what your small business has to offer. When you narrow the search, you increase your odds of being found.
If you’re going to the trouble to make a video, then be sure to create a press release/news release promoting it. News/press releases are easier than you think. Check out my post on Press Releases to get some pointers and find some great free press/news release sites such as 24-7 PressRelease, ClickPress, and PRLeap. Consider paying to post your news release. Paid sites have good ranks, and they will link people directly to your site.
Don’t wait to be found–submit to those directories and social bookmarking sites yourself.
Be sure to submit to Digg, Technorati, Delicious—and don’t forget that StumbleUpon will allow you to submit your site for links. Don’t forget your social media sites. MySpace, FaceBook, LinkedIn all rank well. When you upload your video there, be sure to let your “friends†know you’ve got a new video.
Webmasters everywhere are looking for content. Your video is content!
Again, start with your keyword search and email some website hosts and introduce yourself, mention your website and that you have a new video—would they like to post it on their site? If you created a good video that’s more than a simple advertisement—meaning, you actually offer content that’s helpful, then they’ll appreciate your video and want to post it.
These helpful tips can help to highlight your small business video on the web.
Make it easy for others to find you by getting those inbound/backlinks you need to rank well.
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Social networking is a growing trend that is changing the face of business.
Invest a few minutes to learn how your small business can benefit from these cutting edge tools.
Caroline Melberg answers your questions about social networking on a new podcast at Entrespect.com. She will help you learn how to develop and leverage online relationships to grow your business. Learn which sites to participate in, develop strategies for building your network, and decide what information to share.
Caroline says, “My new friend Wendy Kram from Entrespect invited me to be a guest on her Podcast show, talking about Social Media–and we had a blast! If you’ve wondered what all the buzz about LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter is all about, check out this Podcast for all the details!”
“Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter…Now what?â€
at Entrespect.com featuring Caroline Melberg of Melberg Marketing
Linkage is no doubt the most important component of building Internet exposure for your small business website. Google, Yahoo!, MSN and other search engines determine the ranking of your site, in large part, based on how many people link to your website.
Launching a linkage campaign means you’re serious about requiring links and you’ve made a plan. There are less than scrupulous ways to achieve links, but there are also methods to acquiring good links–and search engines will take notice.
Small businesses need to focus on building a reputable online presence.
What most people don’t know is that there are many benefits to a linkage campaign that reach far beyond simply gaining links.
The Benefits of a Linkage Campaign:
• You find other similar sites, which lets you know who your competition is.
• You find out what other businesses are doing right–and wrong.
• You are introduced to the web community and can begin online networking.
• You can find and connect with partner programs and other promotional avenues.
• A linkage report is stored as an HTML file and becomes your map to other key sites.
Behind each link is a website, and behind each website is a media contact. Over time, you start to communicate with each other, may even meet each other at a convention, and these connections can alter the course of your career. You never know what may happen in the future, and keeping lines of communication open benefits everyone. Hey, you never know when you might be looking for a job!
Start solid and strive to add 3 new links a week. Send simple emails, appropriately referred to as “link letters,” and compliment their site–and ask to be added as a link and tell them you’ll reciprocate. Create a links page on your website. Then, follow up–no one likes being used. Consider an email update or exchange of an e-newsletter as a courtesy call–remember those? When a sales person would actually stop by and chat? It’s the same principle.
Your linkage campaign is based on consistency. As a small business owner, you give yourself a huge advantage by linking with others and utilizing this great networking tool.
Dr. Ralph Wilson is one of the pioneers in Internet marketing. Here’s a video he recently made with Jim Sterne and Bryan Eisenberg on continuous improvement for small businesses. This is a great video for any small business owner, but there are two things I’d like to point out about it. First, the video:
First bullet point: He’s using YouTube as a marketing tool. Here, Dr. Wilson demonstrates how YouTube can be used to market your business with a professional quality video that targets your niche customer. You can do that too!
Second bullet point: Dr. Wilson, Sterne, and Eisenberg all point out that continuous improvement for small businesses boils down to one thing – do the most important thing first. The bottom line is, you are growing your web business for your site visitors. What can you do to make it better for them? That’s what you should be doing.
In order for continuous improvement to work, you’ve got to set aside some time to evaluate and analyze your business. Time alone. It can be 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour, but you’ve got to put it on your schedule. I like what Jim Sterne said about making a list of the things you did in the last two things and pay someone $10 per hour to do those things that are taking up your time and that anyone can do. Pay them minimum wage, whatever. But clean your plate for the really important things.
I’ve discovered over the years that the one thing that is most important for any business – no matter what industry you are in or how big or small you are – is to build trust among your target market. Regardless of the strategies you use for marketing your business, you’ll never get anywhere if you cannot convince people to trust you. Trust is very important for building relationships and maintaining balance. So how do you build that trust?
The most obvious thing, of course, is to be honest. Nothing builds trust faster than admitting a mistake. And nothing shatters it more than ignoring or denying a mistake that is obvious to everyone else. But aside from that, how else can you build trust as you go about marketing your business?
Articles – Articles are a great way to build trust. By signing your name at the bottom of an article loaded with great (free!) tips about your niche, you are telling people that you are a trustworthy and credible business source.
Blog - A daily blog can go a long way to building trust, but you have to give it time. Success doesn’t happen overnight. The way to build trust through a blog is to be consistent with your posting and to provide valuable information to your target market over time.
Hold promises to a minimum – No need to get all excited about what you promise to your clients. Promise a little and deliver a lot is much better than promising a lot and delivering a little. Set your clients’ expectations low (but not too low) and exceed them. There is hardly any better way to build trust (except to be honest).
Be confident, be competent, and overdeliver – This may be restating what has already been stated, but confident business people like doing business with other confident business people. Be proud of your accomplishments. If you are competent in what you do then that is easy. Oh, and deliver more than you promised!
Building trust is one of the most important things you can do in business. By being consistent in what you promise and deliver, and delivering more than you promise, you can build the trust factor into your business as you build your business from the ground up.
If you’re going to be in Minnesota on June 11, you’ll definitely not want to miss a great event at which I’ve been invited to be a speaker.
Chocolat Celeste in St. Paul, Minnesota will host a seminar and I’ll be discussing how to leverage the power of social media. I’ll cover what Social Media is, how to use sites like LinkedIn and Facebook for business, and a whole lot more.
The seminar costs just $50 and you’ll get a ton of information that you won’t get anywhere else for that price. Over half (56%) of businesses surveyed for Forrester Research’s “Global Enterprise Web 2.0 Market Forecast: 2007 to 2013†have Web 2.0 “on the agenda†for 2008. And spending by large companies on Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, social networks, widgets and RSS will grow rapidly – 43% a year over the next 5 years, according to Forrester’s research. Yet, less than 10% of small and medium-sized businesses have yet to harness the business-building power of Social Media. According to Forrester, “The effect of Web 2.0 will be enormous in terms of success for those companies who leverage it, and a competitive disadvantage for those who don’t.â€Â
There is so much potential in social media that has yet to be tapped and I can’t wait to share with you all the different ways you can use it to boost your business.
The event will take place on June 11 at 5:30-8:00 p.m. at
Chocolat Celeste
2506 University Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55114
To sign up, just click here. Or you may call 952-473-1007. Alternatively, you can call Barb Christensen at 651-644-3823.
