This document provides an overview of internet marketing basics through a presentation given to small businesses. It covers three key modules: an overview of internet marketing, basic internet marketing strategies, and an introduction to search engine optimization and marketing. The overview outlines important initial steps like defining goals and audiences, performing competitive analyses, and crafting unique value propositions. It also stresses the importance of writing effective content and including clear calls to action. The basic strategies section focuses on bringing in traffic through tactics like email marketing, blogging, video, social media, and SEO/SEM. It provides best practices for each. The final section introduces keywords, search engine optimization, and how to get started with keyword research.
2. MASSACHUSETTS SBDC NETWORK
• SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS
• UMASS AMHERST SBDC STATE OFFICE
• BERKSHIRE REGIONAL SBDC
• CENTRAL REGIONAL SBDC AT CLARK UNIVERSITY
• NORTHEAST REGIONAL SBDC AT SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY
• SOUTHEAST REGIONAL SBDC
• UMASS BOSTON REGIONAL OFFICE & MINORITY BUSINESS CENTER
• WESTERN REGIONAL SBDC
• SPECIALTY CENTERS
– MINORITY ASSISTANCE
– MASS EXPORT CENTER
– GOV’T PROCUREMENT (PTAC)
3. Salem State University SBDC
Counseling Outreach Sites
Salem (Regional HQ)
Amesbury
Beverly
Billerica
Gloucester
Lawrence
Peabody
4. SBDC CONTACT INFORMATION
• PHONE 978-542-6343
• FAX 978-542-6345
• EMAIL SBDC@SALEMSTATE.EDU
• WEB SITE WWW.SALEMSTATE.EDU/SBDC
– ONLINE CALENDAR OF UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
– REGISTER ONLINE FOR WORKSHOPS
– DIRECTIONS TO SBDC OFFICE & WORKSHOP
LOCATIONS
5. Internet Marketing - The Basics
March 18, 2014
Presented by
Carol Sanger
TheWebDivision.com
For SBDC
7. Questions
To make the most of the time available,
time is available for a
few questions at the end of each module.
More Q&A time is available at the
end of this session as well.
8. Module 1:
Internet Marketing Overview
1. Planning – what is your goal
2. Define your audience – who are they
3. Competitive Analysis– what are you up against
4. USP – describe how are you different
5. Content – write it right
6. Call to Action – what do you want people to do
9. Internet Marketing Goal
To support rather than replace your overall
marketing plan with an approach that
focuses on what your prospects and
customers want.
All Marketers Need a Plan and a Goal.
13. Step 3: Competitive Analysis
• Who are your top 3 competitors?
• Where are they positioned in search results
for your type of business and customers?
• What’s their promotion or pitch?
• What is their site content like?
14. Research and create a list that works for you.
Source: Entreprenuership in a Box
15. Step 4: Define Your USP
• Unique Selling Proposition:
– What makes you different
• What can you do better?
– Explain why it matters
• More than a slogan or tagline.
– Offer a unique, compelling offer
16. Step 5: Write Effective Content
– Clear
– Persuasive
– Benefit Rich
– Compelling Offer
Image Source: How to Make Your Own Website Now
17. 6. Include Your Call-To-Action or CTA
• A Call to Action is a way for customers to
understand what’s next .
19. Call-To-Action Best Practices
Placement Counts:
- In the top area of your page, also known as “above the fold”
- White space around the CTA helps it stand out.
- Using a different eye catching color or image draws attention.
- Should be large enough to capture attention.
- Ideally, it should exist on every page of your site.
22. Bring In The Traffic
• Email Newsletters
• Blogs
• Video
• Other Social Media
• Search Engine Optimization &
Marketing
23. Email Marketing
• Benefits of Email Marketing:
– Top of mind awareness.
– Delivers/pushes your message to people who
asked to hear from you.
– Drives people to your site, your store, your
social media.
– Helps generate those leads.
Image Source: Demand Spring
24. Email Marketing Best Practices
• Strong subject line.
• Personalize messages.
• Relevant and interesting content.
• Quick to read.
• Not just a sales pitch.
• Regular publishing schedule.
• Links back to your site and social media.
25. A Few Great Email Solutions For
Smaller Businesses
26. Build Your List: Capture Names
• Sign up box on your Web site.
• Include link to signup form:
– Email Signature
– Social Media Sites (app available)
• Manual collection.
29. Blogging Best Practices
1. Post often
2. Write Titles and sub titles that are catchy
3. Promote your post
4. Organize
5. Consistency
6. Topics that interest your viewer
7. Don’t try too hard
8. Have fun
Consistent Blogging = More Visibility
Visibility = More Credibility
More Credibility = More Chance to Attain Your Goal
31. Video Marketing
• Youtube is the #2 search engine.
• Frequently searched for “how to” videos.
• Youtube makes it easy to uploaded videos.
• You can create a Youtube channel with your
own videos as well as others.
• Useful for video blogging.
• Slideshare, Vimeo, Metacafe
32. Tracking/Measuring
How Will You Know…
How your web site is performing?
How many people are visiting?
Which pages are more popular?
Which pages aren’t working?
33. Google Analytics
• Add Google Analytics code to your site and
blog.
• It’s free (you need a free Google account).
• It offers a wealth of information about
your site traffic.
• It will help you determine what steps to
take with future content and promotions.
http://www.google.com/analytics
37. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
• Optimization (SEO): The process of preparing a
site for top rankings in search engines. (Also
known as Natural Optimization: No Paid Ads.)
• Marketing (SEM): The process of getting a site
to the top by using online marketing
techniques.
38.
39.
40.
41. Keywords/Keyword Phrases
• 2 to 7 words as a phrase
• Phrases that your customers and prospects
will use to find you and your site.
42. Example of Keyword vs. Keyword Phrase:
Books is a general keyword – achieving top rankings for this term is
difficult at best.
Cook books is a general keyword phrase – better than just “books” and
has more potential, but still highly competitive.
Italian cook books is a more specific term – by adding an additional
targeted keyword the phrase becomes a stronger keyword phrase.
Northern Italian cook books: a much more targeted and therefore more
effective keyword phrase.
43. Getting Started With SEO
1. Define with your target audience.
2. Conduct your competitor research.
3. Create your top 10 keyword phrase list for each page.
4. Write a 25 word description for each page.
44. What to Do with Keywords
Best Practices
• Place them in your content
• headlines and sub headlines
• bullet/numbered lists
• short descriptive paragraphs
• Place them in your site code*
• page titles
• meta tags
• Use them at your social media sites
• in descriptions
• summaries
• article titles
45. SEO/SEM Need to Know
• SEO takes time and patience.
• Be pro-active and use other ways to drive
traffic to you site.
• Blogging and social media are now more
important than ever before.
• Keyword rich content is still king.
47. Check List
Have a plan.
Focus on your target audience.
Create keywords based on how your
prospects search for your product service.
Write relevant, fresh content that your
target audience wants to read.
Craft a compelling offer.
Include a call-to-action.
Analyze results.
48. What You Can Do Now
1. Clarify the goals of your marketing.
2. Define your target audience.
3. Create customer personas.
4. Start a keyword phrase list.
50. Thank You For Attending!
Carol Sanger
The Web Division
978-712-0452
TheWebDivision.com
sanger@thewebdivision.com
HAVE FUN!
Hinweis der Redaktion
Last month, Jeffrey talked with you about brochures and how a brochure should have less text. A Web site can easily accommodate the additional text that people tend to use on the brochure.
The world was created in 7 days - the Internet Marketing Strategy is created in 7 steps.
They don’t need to be local, or the same size.
Inspiration companies
Tell customers what they need to know in a persuasive way and tell them how to take the next step
Tell a compelling story and give people a reason to buy.
Jeffrey spoke a bit about promotion and call to action works hand in hand with that. Include codes, expiration dates with promotions.
Why you need it.
I helps people take the next step even though you may think it’s obvious.
Helps you measure the success of your site content.
It generates leads.
Work with your designers on ways to bring out that call to action.
Once the foundation is in place it’s time to get started and have some productive fun. There are may ways to market your business on the Internet.
There are many ways to market your site and we have time to discuss the most popular and perhaps the easiest.
Show examples of good subject lines
Mad Libs
Informative, non salesy content.
Relatively easy to set up, templates to choose from and usually free. (Blogger.com, WordPress.com)
Some Web site host companies also offer free blogging tools.
Content should be more journalistic. Not pitchy.
Requires a commitment.
Not everyone is ready to be a blogger.
Time
Compression
You can shoot your own but hire an editor for best results.
Better yet, hire out the whole project, particularly if you are going to do testimonials. What is it, is it worth it?
You Tube
You need a hook.
Technology requirements: professional vs. amateur.
Distributing.
It doesn’t matter what you do, if you don’t track it, don’t plan to track it, don’t do it because you won’t succeed in your eyes,
If you don’t track you will not know if your campaign/marketing is giving you the best results for leads and sales.
Create a list of 6 top keywords/phrases. 15 minutes to work on keywords in teams of 2. Did your keywords make sense to your partner?