Step 1.) Need to get the top current search terms that are driving traffic to your site- You can use Google Analyics or if you can afford it Hitwise.

Step 2.) Use Google Insights for Search and get Derivatives for those terms.

Step 3.) Isolate those terms and use Google External Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator to get Estimated CPC’s, Global and Local anticipated traffic estimates.

Step 4.) Use SeoMoz Keyword Difficulty Tool-You can input five keywords at time to see how difficult it would be to optimize those keywords for Google Search.(a percentage is given and keywords with a value 60% or more are good     candidates for Pay-Per-Click.

Step 5.) Use a “Pricing Range” for the “Value CPC”. (0.05 to $5.00-PPC Keyword) and ($5.00 to $10.00-SEO Keyword)

Step 6.) Group keywords into ad groups by customer behavior intent.

Step 7.) Fund your chosen PPC Platform Account

Step8.) Turn on Campaigns

Now, you can do some research and see when your chosen online target market converts, days and hours. This is helpful for Ad Scheduling and can save you money.

The data may not mean what you think it means.

Government representatives ache daily for good news to present to their constituents. Banks and stakeholders yearn for fresh sources of revenue, as well as streamlined regulation. More and more ordinary citizens pine after better jobs, or any job at all.

Unemployment skyrocketed into high double digits years ago. Real estate and stock values have tumbled like Rapunzel’s hair. Elected official approval ratings hover in the jaw-droppingly low realm of a professional hockey score.

These numbers add up to one fact: Ripe opportunities exist for a skillfully tailored approach to community investment.

The gravy train has run off the rails, and everyone is searching for better options than settling for less and accepting table scraps.

Local governments have learned to do more with fewer resources. Companies looking to take full advantage of a sideways market must follow suit. Firms driving toward an elevated bottom line, and a more appealing corporate image, find themselves with a rare chance to offer services in ways that few contemplated during the period of easy money real estate speculation.

Any optimized business model must effectively leverage the resources of its target community.

It isn’t easy to know whether a venture will appeal to a certain population. Numerous roadblocks stand in the way of a successful launch. Social costs are often hidden, and governments squeeze or expand margins with taxes and other regulatory incentives.

One need look no further than the electoral process itself to determine that external factors play a huge role in executing a business plan.

Understanding these factors allows a proactive company to fill its coffers, while simultaneously fulfilling an unmet desire in the community. A well-positioned shop might benefit from existing legislation, enjoy substantial patronage from surrounding interest groups, and alleviate crime or other forms of blight.

Mere dreaming and contrivance will not suffice to realize the toe-tingling profit of a successful business strategy, however. Bogeymen abound. In stark contrast to upside potential, conceivable pitfalls of a less-than-ideal business plan stand naked at the feet of the casual observer.

The veritable hornet nest awaiting the careless principal includes undue entanglement with agencies, ire of citizen coalitions, wasted time, money, and energy, and general overwhelming frustration.

Meticulously cultivating community potential opens new paths to success. Firms that achieve heightened awareness and comfort in the community serve the interests of everyone. Nailing down the make-up of your client base provides you with tools to navigate a tricky market, permitting your concept to establish roots and fit into the rhythm of the moving parts.

Where conditions previously seemed too tough to support viable business, thoughtful firms can create real and lasting growth.

Based in part on our work last August with the Federal Reserve Bank and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency we have been invited to host a table at the upcoming Urban Marketplace this March.

Michael Banner, CEO of the Los Angeles, LDC, a community development financial institution, first introduced us to the Urban Land Institute of Los Angeles. Michael is a Trustee of ULI Los Angeles and past chair of their governance committee.

We will host a number of experts on Enterprise Zones including; Blake Christian, CPA, Tax Partner with HCVT, Inc. and Craig Johnson, Enterprise Zone Manager, with the City of Long Beach and President of the California Association of Enterprise Zones.

Steven B. Paige, Chief Operating Officer and I from Empowered Banking will be there to share how business lenders, zone communities, and business owners can leverage zone benefits to stimulate lending, business growth, and hiring.

On the one hand, small business owners are being heralded as the cornerstone of the American economic recovery, yet business might be slower than you’d like and money is still tight. On the other hand, if you are looking into borrowing opportunities, you might not feel you’re getting a very warm welcome from banks. You might even get the feeling your business is no longer welcome because you’re too small to serve.

The Small Business Loan Fund, a $30 billion federal program to support community banks’ small business lending, is a step in the right direction. A significant number of financial institutions plan to apply. The Small Business Administration, one of the few government agencies that seems to be running on at least six of eight cylinders, has also been trying to support lending to small businesses.

What may come as a surprise to small business owners is that in almost every market, there is at least one bank fighting for the opportunity to provide services, products and loans to businesses that might be considered too small to serve by the largest national and regional banks. This isn’t a criticism of bigger banks. It’s just the reality of working a business model. For instance, the other day, I needed a certain kind of grout for some kitchen tiles I was installing. The big box store didn’t have it, but a local tile store did, because it specialized in tile!

A real positive for small businesses is that they don’t have to settle for less by working with a bank that doesn’t advertise on national TV. Many well-capitalized, well-managed community banks offer the leading-edge conveniences and capabilities business customers want – lockboxing, Internet banking, cash management services, and remote deposit capture. They value relationships, and frequently are willing to negotiate pricing for loyal customers. One of the services we at Empowered Banking provide is the consulting and analysis to help banks provide these important capabilities as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, enabling banks to reduce their costs and offer the best pricing to customers.

A lot of banks got badly burned in the real estate lending exuberance, and hundreds have been shut down. Many of the survivors, however, are emerging from the chaos in pretty good financial shape. They’re dying to build new customer relationships and, yes, lend money.

Imagine that.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Does anyone remember what VisiCalc is or what it does?  Those of you, like me, who use Microsoft’s Excel, owe a great debt to Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston.  Dan conceived it and Bob refined it, but according to a PBS documentary, Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires (1996), they did not register the program with the US Patent office.  It soon became the basis of Lotus 1-2-3, which was then supplanted by Excel.  VisiCalc is known as the first killer app; however, this concept is not new to business.  We can look back to a great many inventions that for their time were the killer apps of their day.  The Real McCoy refers to an automatic lubricator for oiling the steam engine of locomotives and boats invented by Elijah McCoy.  Because there were so many poor copies of his invention, engineers wanted the real thing.  Coming out of World War II, the United States saw a great many changes that changed the status quo in America, the Interstate highway system, affordable cars and television.  One of the other recent things that falls into my killer app category would have to be the smart phone (BlackBerry) were you can receive your emails without being at your desk in your office.

Killer apps can also be the way something is done.  Improvement of a current process can also be something that changes the status quo.  Mr. Ford changed the way automobiles were built by perfecting the production line. Or Mr. Kroc who took Mr. Ford’s production line to the restaurant business and reinvented how franchises were used in America and throughout the world.

I say all of this as a preamble to ask you about your business.  What is your killer app?  Your business has an advantage over your competition.  Is it your customer service? Is it your process?  Is it your pricing?  Is it your location?  Or is it all of the above or some combination of the above?  Either way, how are you making sure that you are keeping that killer app sharp for your customer/clients?

Why do investors commit to ownership? To participate in growth and profit opportunity. While lingering economic uncertainty and a lack of visibility make it difficult to confidently lay out a three- or five-year strategy, sharing with investors even a modest game plan for the coming year or two can instill confidence among existing shareholders and generate interest.

Even with the market recovery of 2010, many companies’ valuations are at or below their intrinsic value. This represents investment opportunity. By communicating to investors realistic goals for margins, growth, and market share opportunities, you set measureable performance benchmarks and give yourself a head start in the intense competition for investor dollars as more money flows back into the equity markets.

Managing Your Bank’s Reputation

There was once a time, in the not-so-distant past, when banks of all sizes didn’t have to worry about their reputation in the community, let alone the nation.  However, with the continuing and increasing use of the Internet and social networking sites to gather information and feedback from consumers, managing your bank’s reputation is a little trickier and the reality is that not enough banks are utilizing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, nor are they building CRM projects into their marketing budgets.  This could prove to be a costly mistake.

In today’s climate, the ethical standards by which a bank conducts itself (governance) is as important, if not more important, than its products and services offerings.  According to a Reputation Analysis conducted by the Reputation Institute, “how a company behaves with respect to ethics and transparency in its business dealings is the most influential factor in a bank’s reputation, accounting for 15.9% of the overall score, edging out products and services, at 15.7%.”[1] This, of course, comes after the recent bailouts and economic crises this country has faced.

One way to manage your bank’s reputation is to appeal to your audience in new and distinct ways.  Offering “green” products for instance, may have been enough to change the mind of consumers in the past, but in today’s climate, banks need to offer these products and promote them in such a way as to appeal to the beliefs and values of its consumers.  And right now, people want to hear about corporate citizenship, perceived workplace environment, leadership within the community, as well as the innovative products and services that are being offered.[2] Banks need to combine the story of their bank and how it is reaching out to their community, while simultaneously offering new and innovative products and services.  Even more so, banks need to apply marketing dollars to tracking customer feedback, whether it appears on their own website, on social networking sites, or on blogs.  Knowing what is being said, where it is being said, and who it is being said by, can help banks increase their perceived reputation and aid in controlling what is being said about the institution.  In other words, banks need to be in command of the conversation, rather than reactors to it.  Being ahead of the trends, genuinely listening to and responding to customer feedback, and quickly employing new marketing tactics and messaging can help a bank overcome the reputation obstacles they are facing in both online and offline communities.

Why is this important?  The reputation of banks and financial firms has dropped considerably since 2009.  “Less than a third of Americans surveyed at the end of last year said they trusted banks to “do what is right,” down from 36 percent a year earlier.”[3] And as employment rates continue to rise into the new year, bank reputations may continue to decrease in the eyes of the consumer if proactive measures aren’t taken.

2. Ibid

3. Crowley, Kevin.  “Banks’ Reputation Declines Last Year, Edelman Survey Shows.” Bloomberg Businessweek. 17 December 2010. Web.

Define your objective

What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to cross-sell services to existing customers? Or, do you want to encourage existing customers to bring in their friends and family members to open new accounts? These are two separate objectives, accomplished via two separate strategies. Defining your objectives upfront helps you reach goals more efficiently, and helps you establish a mechanism to measure the program’s success.

Set your price

It is a mistake to believe that any customer acquisition or sales growth program can be free. At a minimum, you need to direct time and/or labor towards implementing email collection tools, writing content and distributing your newsletter. Determine what you are willing to pay, both upfront and on an ongoing basis, to develop and implement the newsletter program.

Know the laws

Overlooking SPAM laws will alienate your customers and damage your brand. Get in the know by reading the FTC overview of the CAN-SPAM Act. Next, find a reputable third-party distribution service such as MailChimp. A third-party provider will make sure you are in compliance and minimize the likelihood that you’ll get banned.

Define mechanisms for email address collection

The largest obstacle to any successful email marketing campaign is building a list of people to receive those emails. Contrary to popular belief, list-building is tough work. Generally, you have to bribe people to subscribe. You can do this by giving away a coupon, an e-book, a free online course, an entry to a contest, etc. Make sure you promote your giveaway/bribe everywhere you possibly can: prominently on your Web site, Facebook page, Twitter, and blog, plus in your branches, and in ads where applicable. Be clear about what your audience will get in return for subscribing, and remember to deliver the goods.

Map your content

You can churn out your newsletter content more efficiently when you have a formula. For example, you might decide that each newsletter will contain the following:

• One offer
• Two FAQs
• One informative article
• One customer testimonial

Keep at it

Lastly, you need to make a commitment to stick with your email marketing program for at least 12 months. Since you have already defined your objectives, you can assess your results quarterly. If necessary, refine your tactics along the way — just don’t scrap the whole program without giving it a chance to be successful.