It’s my firm belief that strategy is critical to business success

Many small business owners approach their online business development the same way we name our pets. We buy them, live with them a while, and then decide on a name that fits the personality.

Contrast that approach to the way we name our children. We learn we are pregnant, then deliberate over family names, popular names, boy names, girl names, trendy names, names in books and come to a decision that makes sense for us.

No matter which “naming” approach we take to online business growth, a strategy that makes sense for our business must be developed and implemented to succeed. A well organized approach helps us:

• Deliver on time
• Stay in budget
• Give users what they need
• Please our clients (and ourselves)
• Rally everyone around a vision
• Build a cohesive experience
• Minimize revisions

What naming model do you follow?

Photo Credit: Alex Osterwalder
The pet/baby naming analogy deserves credit, and yet I failed to save the original post. If you know the author, please comment.

Strategy is Critical to Social Business Success
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via directmarketingobservations.com

Posted via web from Bits of Orange

Web 3.0 Infograph via Marc Meyer
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A well crafted social business model builds readership over time with a well developed strategy.

A web strategy includes five critical components that are inter-connected:

• Technology – hardware, web hosting, web applications, blog software
• Information – web analytics, URL tracking, keyword research, reputation management
• Content – blogs, Facebook Pages, Twitter, multi-media (images, video, audio)
• Community – commenting, interaction, Facebook, Twitter
• Internet Marketing – search engine marketing, landing page optimization, traffic, conversion, testing

The David Armano info-graphic is one of the best representations of “inter-connectedness” I’ve seen.

Crafting a Social Business Strategy
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Image by Hobo! via Flickr

1. Find keywords.  Pick a list of words relevant to your business. Think about which words are most likely to get people to do what you want them to do (convert into leads) and focus on those words.




2. Put keywords in Page Title. The Page Title is one of the most important things that Google and other search engines evaluate to determine what is on a web page.  Put your keyword or phrase in the title, keep it short.




3. Put keywords in Page URL.  Google and other search engines also use the text of the URL of the page to determine the content of the web page.  You should use your keyword or phrase in the URL of the web page.




4. Put keywords in Meta Data.  While the page Meta Data (Page Description and Keywords) are not nearly as important as they used to be, they still count.  Take advantage of them by putting your keyword or phrase there.




5. Put keywords in your H1 text. The H1 to H6 tags are used to define HTML headings. H1 defines the largest heading and H6 defines the smallest heading. There should only be one H1 tag on your site – the name of your business or the name of the page or the name of the article. The following tags are secondary; much like the outline for a class term paper.




6. Use keywords in the page content.  Putting keyword phrases in your page content also signals to search engines that the page is actually about the keyword and should show up in search results.




7. Monitor your rank. Give the search engines some time to do their thing (couple days) and then keep checking your rank to see what happened and track your progress.

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I’m talking about the Real Estate BarCamp in Nashville which was attended by some of the best and brightest agents across the country. Everyone was an active participant and eager to share their experience with others.

Social community business marketing in action.

Take time to find an upcoming social media event near you and mark it on your calendar today!

Sharing What We Know
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THE WAITING GAME!

The well-known Nike commercials have hammered into our heads the phrase “Just do it!” Regardless of how you view their advertising, there is magic in the words “just do it.” The real key to the message is “doing it,” a.k.a. taking action. Anything you have ever desired is available to you if you will it.

Now, consider those who are constantly washed over by the “tide.” Note that the lyrics in Jim Croce’s song say, “I’m WAITING for my ship to come in . . .” and then, “but all that comes in is the tide.” That sounds like a victim’s lament, as in, “Oh poor me, here I am ready and excited, waiting for my ship to come in, and I get dumped on by the sorry tide. Bummer. How unfair.” Duhh! Helloooo!

It’s easy to see that “action” is the opposite of “waiting.” Yet, it’s so easy to do nothing – waiting passively. Action requires energy, enthusiasm, movement, and objectives, while waiting requires not even a thought.

Whether your desire (your “ship”) is a relationship, wealth, a healthy body, or a new car, you must be the captain, not the port – the “master of your fate,” not a tide-washed, sand-covered beach ball. Life is great! On your next trip to the beach, buy a boat, a map, and a compass, and then choose your own port of call. You’ll dine at the Captain’s Table every day!

Have a great week!

Stop Waiting for Your Ship to Come In
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With scarce time resources, users must find a way to find the most pertinent, useful, and perhaps even the most hilarious information they are seeking.

Rohit Barhgava seems to believe a “content curator” is a solution.

A Content Curator is someone who continually finds, groups, organizes and shares the best and most relevant content on a specific issue online.”

Google may have another idea.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlpTjP6h6Ms

h/t Steven Moore

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LOOK BACK TO THE FUTURE!

Life has been described as a path, a direction in which we travel over time – rather than a single event. Each of us gets to choose the direction our path will take us. By making those choices, we also clear the way to achieving the objectives we’ve set for ourselves.

When we fail to choose the path we will travel, that is also a choice. In that case, the path we travel becomes less distinct with more twists and turns than we would have liked. Each side path we encounter tempts us to change direction. Lacking any roadmap of objectives we might have chosen, we often end up somewhere – else.

Regardless of the quality of our choices, we can get a clear understanding of where we are likely to end up – just by turning around. By simply looking back at the path we have been following, much can be learned. For example, is the path behind us straight, or filled with curves and detours taken? Is it paved with solid, masterfully laid stepping-stones, or filled with muddy ruts that zig-zag around every obstacle?

Chances are that, as teenagers, most of our paths seemed to have had many twists and turns. As we matured and learned from our mistakes, however, it is also likely that we began improving the direction and quality of the path we traveled. The more attention we paid to the path, the more enjoyable the journey became.

Want life to be a most pleasant journey? Build your own roadmap – then start paving!

Make this a great week!

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In designing for social participation, Adrian Chan urges us to consider user goals and needs — even interests, features, functionality, and adoption.   Best practices and popular ways of using social media guide us in our decisions.   What is also important to consider users psychological motivations and build that into your strategy.   Here’s his suggestions:

Goals and rewards – Consider the kinds of goals you might set and the rewards that may be earned by users who reach them. These might be personal goals and rewards levels, tasks, challenges, or points. Or social goals and rewards, resulting in status, ranking, visibility, lists, features and spotlighting members.

Moods and feelings – Give expressive users ways in which to communicate their moods and feelings. For example, emoticons and gifts, or icons to be used and exchanged with friends or attached to messages and content. These small gestures, while small, can be curiously compelling.

Knowledge and learning – For users interested in research, information, bookmarking, and more search and browse-related activities, provide ways to share discoveries. Capture those learned moments and make them visible — perhaps surface and validate experts and top contributors.

Giving and receiving – For users who enjoy social transactions provide gifts and a means of passing them around privately and publicly. Gifting is a highly social form of communication, and besides being kind, engages a sense of reciprocity in most of us. So it’s naturally contagious.

Helping and assisting – Some users are just naturally good at paying attention to others, and enjoy helping and assisting those with needs or questions. Design ways to surface these needs and create channels by which helpers can pitch in.

Reviewing, recommending, and rating – Users equipped with opinions and a sense of taste can make valuable reviewers and recommenders. Design ways to capture their contributions as social content. This can be designed then into lists, favorite, trends, news and more.

What do you know about the target audience you are trying to reach with your social media strategy?

Posted via web from Bits of Orange

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THROW AWAY THE BAND-AIDS!

What do Scotch Tape, Post-It Notes, and paper clips have in common? Each apparently has a different function, is made of a different material, and serves its own purpose. Oh sure, you can say they’re all office supplies – and you’d be right – but look a little deeper for their common purpose.

Scotch Tape pieces are placed along the edges and on the ends of holiday gifts – for a short period of time. Post-It Notes are stuck to documents suggesting that a signature is needed, or some action be taken. Once the action is complete, the note is discarded. Paper clips hold two or more things together for a few hours or days, and are then returned to the desk drawer.

Figured it out yet? They are all just a temporary “fix” – a momentary solution to a temporary need. They are used in “reaction” to a short-term need. They are also similar to our daily personal lives. When feelings are hurt and the tears come, we automatically reach for a Kleenex. We might, on the other hand, have taken time to determine the source of those feelings and concentrated on resolving a difference before tears were necessary.

When our children misbehave, we react with a 15-minute (or 3-day) “time-out.” We might have avoided that temporary fix by listening to their concerns and teaching appropriate behavior before the fact. Then, there are all the excuses we make, used like Band-Aids, to temporarily cover the flaws in our own behavior. Wouldn’t a more permanent solution like performing to expectations, learning from past experience, or practicing excellence be more appropriate?

Yes, we live in a very fast-paced world. Quick solutions are the order of the day, yet we must eventually realize that we continually seem to need a fresh supply of Scotch Tape, Kleenex, or paper clips. By taking more time to look ahead, it is possible to eliminate many of the situations that require those one-minute Band-Aids. Avoid future “boo-boos.” Search for, learn, and practice a more permanent and proactive life. That’s right – “No more tears!”

Make this a great week!

Throw Away the Band-Aids
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