By now most smart business owners have embraced that fact that they NEED a website for their business.  Having a website will put you on the map in cyberworld, if properly built and optimized.

In order for your website to do its job, you first have to do yours.Building a website and throwing it up on the Internet is not enough to get you found.  “Free” website building tools might get you a free 3 or 4 page site, but getting your site to show in search takes much more effort than that.  Generally “free” website builders will charge for any add-ons which are necessary to enable your site to get found in search and for adding photo galleries, social media, blogs, etc. Professionally written content that includes keywords and phrases naturally throughout the web pages, social media, and link building are the ONLY way to get your site to show in search.  “But isn’t that a lot of work”?  You bet it is, but what good is a website if it can’t be found?

Content is an important factor in ranking on search engines.Search engines are now heavily factoring in the content on your webpages. Content being keywords and phrases that quickly identify 

We all want more of something-  more money, more food, more wine, more stuff, me..I like more coffee…yes indeed, in the case of blogging, less is not best.   The data is really no surprise, the more you blog, the more leads you will generate.  

If done correctly, blogging will increase traffic to your website which in turn will increase your lead generation opportunities and increase sales.

Hubspot, an Industry leader in lead generation software conducted their State of Inbound Marketing Report and here’s what they found out about blogging:

• Blog frequency impacts customer acquisition. 92% of companies who blogged multiple times a day acquired a customer through their blog. (HubSpot State of Inbound Marketing, 2012)
• The global population of blog readers keeps growing. (eMarketer, August 2010)
• 81% of marketers rated their blog as useful or better. (HubSpot State of Inbound Marketing, 2012)
• There are 31% more bloggers today than there were three years ago. (eMarketer, August 2010)
• 46% of people read blogs more than once a day. (HubSpot Science of Blogging 2010)
• Most people read 5-10 blogs. (HubSpot Science of Blogging, 2010)
• Nearly 40% of US companies use blogs for marketing purposes. (eMarketer, August 2010)

So how does a small business accomplish a consistent blogging schedule?  Tips to get it done!

You need both a business website and business blog and this is why.

Your website and blog are both designed to convert traffic, that is, convert prospects to customers.  Conversions rates will depend on where your prospect is in the buying cycle, not everyone who views your website or reads your blog posts are ready to buy.  So what do you do to increase conversion rates? You use both a website and blog differently to achieve maximum conversions.

What your website is designed to do:
Your website can be viewed as your digital store, it is designed to convert interest into a sale.  With an emphasis on social media marketing, the process towards conversion is now different.  The process starts with information and education, make certain your website makes clear (within seconds) what you do, where you do it, and why someone should choose you over the competition.  The second component is trust and stability; this can be clearly achieved by your social media platforms and your blog.  Social media platforms show the viewer you are a stable business interested in customer service. By keeping your social platforms interesting, attractive, and updated regularly you are providing a stability factor for your business. A blog can show the viewer you are a knowledgeable problem solver who in turn can solve their particular problems, whether that is products or services.

As you may have heard, several months ago Facebook changed its algorithm for business pages making it less likely your posts will show in your fans newsfeed.  There has been a lot of chatter about businesses abandoning the social site, and many had done so initially. Though now many are back and working harder than ever to get their content in front of their target audience.  Why? Because Facebook is still the #1 social media site.

The goal for Facebook was to increase monetization of the site by forcing the hands of business owners into their paid ads and boosted post platforms.  This left business owners with little or no budget scrambling for ways to provide content that would reach their fans.  Some strategies include posting more often, changing up the type of posts, and spending more time studying the analytical data to give their fans content that would cause increased engagement.

Top reasons to maintain a business page on Facebook:

•  Facebook is the largest social site with over 1 billion active users worldwide.
• Facebook provides the largest opportunities for communicating with your consumers.  Whether through organic means, targeted ads, boosted posts, or fan sharing.
• Facebook users share 2.5 billion pieces of content each day.

Keys to social media success:

• Provide information that is helpful to your audience and sharable.
• Entertain your audience with off topic posts; something funny, inspirational quotes, business tips, etc.
• Use your platforms to drive traffic to your website or other social sites.
• Grow your email marketing list, so next time the algorithms change you will still have a way to connect with your audience.
• Keep in mind the 80/20 rule.  80% of your posts should be valuable to your audience and only 20% should be all about you, your specials, or product offerings.

My personal experience with my current social media sites is that most of my business has come from Facebook.  It has not come quickly, and has required some strategic work on my part.  I have invested time “liking” and engaging with other business pages that I have chosen to forge a relationship with.  My three most recent clients have come from online relationships that have extended over 1 year. 

While social media platforms are free, social media marketing is not really a free form of advertising.  It will take an investment in time and money by you, your employees, or outsourced help to grow your platforms and help improve SEO of your business name and website.

A lot of people use social media for business the same as they do their personal social profiles,  that can quickly become a killer for your brand. 

Social media marketing for business is about providing valuable information for your audience through education, entertainment, and periodic special offers/promotions just for followers.

Most people who follow or like a business page on social media will do so for: 1) to be part of future exclusive promotions that may save them time/money, 2) to become informed and educated on topics that are relevant to them about your business type, and 3) to be entertained.

5 deadly sins of social media marketing that will have your fans running to your competitors!

1. Sloppy, unattractive platforms– Keep your platforms attractive by using quality images and proper use of grammar and spelling.  By being aware of how your platforms look and operate you are conveying to your audience you are detailed oriented and care about your business and in turn about your customers/clients. Be eye candy!

Marketing today is fast paced with new online platforms and technologies appearing every day.  You need to invest in a professional who can spend her day keeping up with the latest.  The learning curve is steep and a good marketer will spend many hours reviewing and researching strategies to fit your industry.  Today’s marketers must possess excellent computer skills; building websites and opening social media accounts requires people who know their way around various programs and the Internet.  Communication skills are important as well in order to be the “voice” of your company on social media and connecting with current and potential customers.

The job of a marketing consultant is to analyze your business and develop a plan that will increase your visibility online and in the community, grow your lead base, and stay connected with your current customer base.   Gone are the days when a company’s marketing consisted of a few print ads in local newspapers, the phone book, or an occasional direct mail campaign (outbound marketing).   Marketing today has gone “social” (inbound marketing).  Inbound marketing consists of social media, blogging, website creation, and search engine optimization.

There is a growing trend among companies to spend more of their marketing and advertising budget on inbound channels.  The main reason is because marketing today is about relationships.  People want to learn about your company on the Internet and keep connected on the social media platforms they are using.  Another reason is social media platforms and blogging are free.  You only need to hire someone to do it.  Website creation costs vary greatly, so shop around.  Once you have your website up and running, the only additional costs are having someone maintain it and update content.  Use your website as an online brochure to direct customers to.  People want to know about you before their first meeting, and having a website with social media links will give them a glimpse of your company’s skills and credibility.

Maybe outsourcing your marketing plan to a consultant is just the boost your company needs to grow its presence online and within the community.  We can quickly implement the necessary strategies that will boost awareness of your company on the Internet and locally, create engagement with current and potential customers, and set your company apart as a leader within your industry. 

Four Top Reasons to Hire a Marketing Consultant

1.    Knowledge – Professional marketers know things you don’t.  No matter your business skills or years in business, you need to invest in a professional marketer who you can trust and consult with to help you improve your current marketing plan or develop a new one.

2.   Time – A marketing consultant will save you time to do what you do best: work in your business.  The small business owners I have spoken with simply do not have the hours needed to implement today’s marketing strategies.

3.   Flexibility – Marketing consultants are flexible and immediately available to take on assignments.  A marketing consultant can set up and maintain your marketing strategy or provide instruction for your office staff to do so.

4.  Savings – If your business does not need a full time in-house marketer, a consultant will save you money.  Many consultants charge based on the task.  Therefore, you pay a flat fee no matter how long it may take them to accomplish the task.  Also, unlike employees, your company will not be paying benefits.

This is my list of 4 top qualities a marketing consultant should possess.

1.  Knowledge and experience – A good marketing consultant will have knowledge of today’s latest marketing channels.  Experience and the ability to show work done for other client’s is a plus, though don’t discount a young start-up…remember you were one too!

2.  Excellent communication skills and an outgoing personality – A good marketer should be able to communicate both with you, your employees, vendors, and customers.  If you are looking for someone to blog for your website, make sure this person can show you some of their written works.  Most marketers are enthusiastic and energetic; make sure your personality type will mesh with theirs.  This is a relationship that will require frequent discussions, so the ability to communicate what you want and listen to their recommendations is an important component to your success.

3.  Interest in your industry – A good marketing professional can market most any business successfully, but a great marketer will become almost as passionate about your business as you are.  That’s when you know you’ve found the right person to work on your account.

4.   A team of professionals– Your marketing professional should have a network of people readily available to help implement any task.  From graphics artists, to print shops, to photographers, and the local press– these are the additional people it may take to effectively implement your plan.

This blog was originally a contribution post on the Blogging Painters website, April 2012.

By: Tim Grubbs, Owner, Quality Assurance Painting, Inc. and 
Barbara Walsh, Marketing Consultant, Walsh One Marketing,

How does a busy, driven, type A painting contractor and an equally driven, type A marketing consultant work together to develop and implement a marketing plan that works? It takes patience, perseverance, and a mutual passion for growing a business. Like any relationship, including business, it can take time to successfully blend different personalities and work styles together. It’s not always easy, but we did it, and you can too! Let us explain, from our points of view, the pros and cons of the client/consultant business relationship and how we make it work.

Barbara says,
Cons: Let’s start here and move toward the positive!From working in advertising and marketing most of my career, I can tell you that working with a contractor has been a different experience for me. Marketing and advertising can be somewhat exciting and glamorous fields filled with many client business meetings taking place at high end restaurants, over drinks, or at the very least over a Starbucks!

Discussions with my painting contractor are generally infrequent, rushed, and discussed over static-filled cell phone calls. My lengthy reports via email are answered in few words. The painting contractor I work with is completely comfortable discussing business over the static-filled cell phone calls, this is where I have needed to learn to adapt. Over the past year, I have learned patience and perseverance with my fellow colleague. Instead of thinking that everything I’m working on is urgent and demands a quick response, I have learned to wait until he is available to discuss the items at hand (patience). I communicate now in shorter emails or text messages and ask him to contact me when available. I try to keep a list of items I need to discuss by the phone so when I get a phone call I can quickly address my list. Sometimes I have many items from my list pending for several weeks, but I keep at it (perseverance). In the end, the projects get worked on and completed. After all, that’s the goal.

Pros: I implement this company’s social media strategies, create and maintain their website, and advise on traditional marketing avenues. It has been exciting for me to take a young company with virtually no online presence to the place it is now, showing up high (Page 1) in Google searches under various key words. Additionally, each month we add components to our strategy to reach potential and existing customers and grow the company’s presence within the industry, on the Internet, and within the community. That’s where the passion to help someone grow their business lies.

The most rewarding aspect for me as a marketing consultant is that my busy painting contractor allows me the freedom to create and take control of the marketing projects. Yes, he wants to be informed and consulted, but he’s not interested in micro-managing — he’s too busy doing the daily work of his business. He just wants to know someone is doing the work we initially outlined.

I have come to realize that my skills and expertise can be most useful to this company by taking the initiative with their marketing plan and finding ways to save them time.