Still, a popular survey question on so many forms and questionnaires is, "how did you hear about us?" I want to make it clear that the reason for this blog post is to convince you to stop asking that question. The data you receive has been studied and proven to be inaccurate. Research shows that typical responses to this question will simply align with the popularity of the choices.

For example, if you only advertise on WENY-TV for 6 months, and WENY has a 35% market share while WETM-TV has a 65% market share, your survey response will likely show that 35% of your customers heard about you on WENY and 65% heard about you on WETM... even though you never ran a single ad on WETM. Customers will name the station to which they're more loyal.

There are 2 reasons for this: the first is that most people simply don't remember exactly where they heard about your business. Imagine McDonald's asking its customers where they first heard about McDonald's... it's impossible to tell. The second reason is that your customers don't really care about answering this question accurately because it doesn't serve them.

David Hamill, a blogger and usability specialist from the UK, wrote a similar post about this survey question. He makes some similar points and adds a few comments about potentially losing conversions by asking, "how did you heard about us?" Read his post here.

That said, when we don't pay attention to our own needs or we associate ourselves with the wrong crowd, our personality starts to become diluted. It can sometimes even be entirely dictated by the preferences of others, virtually erasing the individuality and identity that makes us who we are.

"Brands" are simply personalities that belong to businesses. They can be seen in the design of a logo, the colors and fonts on a website, the products in a store, or the quality of customer service - and even if your business is not the most popular building on the street or the one that has a hundred TV commercials, sticking to your brand is the best way to show why you're passionate about what you do and who might benefit from your products or services.

That said, when we don't pay attention or we're inconsistent with our brand, it can become entirely dictated by the opinions of others. Critics can easily say they wish Nike made dress shoes or McDonald's had healthier menu options, but the truth is that Nike's brand is all about athleticism and McDonald's brand is all about fast, cheap, and easy.

Listen too closely to your critics, run with the wrong crowd, or lose focus on your own passions and soon you'll lose control of your own personality. "Brands" are simply personalities that belong to businesses. So, like it or not, your business has a brand. Remember to focus inward sometimes and pay attention to it - because if you're not paying attention to your own brand, who will?

Each year, mostly as a marketing stunt, PANTONE® releases its "Color of the Year," and for design nerds like me, it's always fun to see how they arrived at this selection. The company released this statement as a description for how they choose the color each year:

The color of the year selection requires careful consideration and, to arrive at the selection, Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

Here's hoping you find some inspiration in this year's PANTONE® Color of the Year!

So, I run a marketing agency... why am I talking to you about "should"? Well, for one, it's something that I think is really important for people to hear and understand, just in general. I see people every day who are doing things they think they should be doing rather than doing the things they really LOVE and WANT to do. My friends say things like, "I should go to the gym," or "I should really eat healthier," or "I should not sleep in until noon on the weekends any more." And even though those may be great decisions for their health and well-being, "should" means that someone else is telling them what to do. In my opinion, it would be more powerful and self-evident for my friends to say things like, "I want to go to the gym," or "I am going to eat healthier," or "I will not sleep in past 10, even on the weekends, because I see that my sleep schedule is interfering with my social calendar." See the difference?

Anyways, as I mentioned before, I run a marketing agency. I'm not a therapist. Please don't ask questions about your mental health in my comment section. That said, I think it's great practice for business owners, marketing professionals, and the like to consider how they want or need to communicate with their customers - based on their own feelings, assumptions, hunches, research, and expertise - rather than how they feel they should communicate with their customers.

For example, a company might say something like, "we should run more newspaper ads in 2014," but what they may actually be saying is, "newspaper ads are not extremely effective for us, but many of our competitors appear in the business section so let's do what our competition is doing rather than what we think is best for our business." Conversely, there may be hundreds of articles out there about the power of social media and blogging and email campaigns, but it's most important to know how and why your company may use these tactics rather than simply saying, "we should try some new forms of advertising."

So this year, it might be helpful to approach your marketing plans and aspirations - and everything else - with whatever it is you WANT and LOVE and DESIRE instead of what the world is telling you you should do. You have so much to offer, I can't wait to see it!

That's right - for all the consulting and suggestions I make for other companies to take great care of their blog, the CreAgent Marketing blog has been practically inactive. So with that said, I've made a commitment to write a new post each day for the rest of January; 30 Days of Blogging, to be exact. Here are a few reasons why I know it will be a valuable practice:

30-Day Trials Help Create Life-Long Habits
According to Matt Cutts in his TED Talk, "Try Something New for 30 Days," a great way to set and achieve goals is to simply try something new for 30 days. Since I haven't been very consistent in blogging, but I know I want to be, I'm going to use his suggestion as an avenue for getting back into it. Watch his talk below for more ideas on how you can set and achieve your own goals this year!

Blogging is an Extremely Effective Business Tool
I always tell my clients that if they want more traffic to their website and more leads online, they should try blogging more often. And now I'm heeding my own advice, which has been proven by industry leaders like HubSpot and almost every Internet Marketing agency. Blogging does all the things that search engines love; it helps create more pages on your website with the right headlines and meta data, it gives you an opportunity to provide unique content, and it keeps your website fresh and updated.

Blogging is an Extremely Effective Personal Tool
As I continue to hone my own craft and my passion for marketing, I'm excited about the prospect of blogging as a way to help me research and connect with other writers and marketing professionals around the world. I know I'll have to put a lot of thought and sometimes a lot of research into my topics, so it's going to help me get better at my job and open a more efficient line of communication. So even if no one reads this, I know I'll help myself to grow and learn throughout the process.

That said, if any of my articles are particularly inspiring or infuriating, I hope to hear from you! I'll always leave the comment section open and I'll try to respond whenever I can. If you don't feel the urge to write back or if I'm just simply not interesting, that's ok, too. And if you're doing your own 30-day blogging challenge, I'd love to hear how that's going.

All the best on your challenges, your successes, and your growth in 2014!

Here's a link to the PDF press release.

Cheers!

This post is intended as a checklist to make sure you're being taken seriously online. If you're not familiar with the nuances of Facebook or Twitter, you might fall victim to some of these points without even realizing it. Take a couple minutes to assess your web presence; it could mean the difference between getting a laugh or getting a lead.

10) Your website template looks like a website template.

With thousands of Wordpress themes and website templates in all formats, make sure you test and find the one that works best for your needs. If you can't afford a custom design or you want to get online right away, it will be worth a bit of extra research to avoid looking like a cookie-cutter operation. Too many "businesses" online are popping up overnight - set yourself apart from them by finding a template that matches your personality and professionalism.

9) Stock photos are taking over your content.

There are a lot of great photographs out there because it's easy to be a great photographer. Smart phones have higher resolution and more features than a traditional point-and-shoot digital camera, and they certainly produce better resolution than you'll ever need online. But if you absolutely MUST use a stock photo, please search long and hard for the right one. If your customers have seen it before, you're not providing anything worthwhile to them.

8) You have a Facebook profile instead of a Facebook page.

Don't know the difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page? Your customers probably do. And you don't want to come across as being 'social media illiterate' when you're trying to use the medium to build a reputation. The biggest difference is that profiles are for individuals and pages are for businesses, celebrities or politicians, and organizations. In fact, if you are using a personal profile to represent your business, you're in violation of the Facebook Terms of Service. Here's a great blog post from HubSpot on how to create a business page on Facebook.

7) You haven't Tweeted in months.

Perhaps, in a fit of motivation or blind determination, you finally set up a Twitter account. For a few days or even a full week, you were committed to Tweeting and following and listening and joining the conversation. But it didn't last long because you didn't have a real plan. So now, everyone who checks out your profile on Twitter can see that you didn't follow through; not a great reputation to have. But before you rush to post your next Tweet, jot down a plan of attack... or it might be better to just delete your profile.

6) No one can find your website.

Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that can take months or years for optimum results, but there are ways to show up in some searches without the long timeline. The easiest is to rank for local searches first; create a profile on Yelp, Google Places, and Yahoo Local Listings and you'll be well on your way.

5) Your "blog" is one post deep.

Similar to number 7; if you set up a blog, wrote one post, and left it for dead, you might risk the perception of lacking follow through. But unlike Twitter, blog posts can take a lot of time to plan and write. So rather than spending lots of hours or lots of money trying to populate it with more articles, a simpler option is to rename the blog page to reflect the one or two articles that are already there. Of course, it's always best to write more articles, but this could help you maintain your reputation in the meantime.

4) "Contact Us" is more like "Fill out this form."

Too many websites have a contact page without a simple way for the visitor to contact them. A form is a nice option to have, but don't forget to also list your phone number, business address, and email address. Simply asking for some contact information and adding a field for questions or comments is a good way to show you're not really interested in hearing from your visitors.

3) You ignore or delete negative comments.

If your customers are willing to take the time to provide feedback, consider yourself lucky. With any negative comment, no matter how public or outrageous, you have an opportunity to respond. Ignoring or deleting negative posts is only going to show other visitors that you don't care about customer service. Use the public forums online to show your dedication to quality; you can't please everyone, but you can show you're trying.

2) You're not aware of conversations about your brand.

You have hundreds or thousands of opportunities each day to join conversations about your industry. But how do you know what people are talking about? Take a few minutes to set up Google Alerts; you'll receive an email every time a specified word or phrase appears on a public web page. Use Alerts especially for monitoring conversations that include your name and your business name. You might be pleasantly surprised about what people are saying, but you can't use it unless you're aware of it!

1) Nothing about your business is original.

The online world is vast, but there's always a need for new content. Web pages become outdated and trends change; search results typically show websites that have recent updates first. There's never an excuse for copying someone else's work without crediting them, and there shouldn't be excuses for using online tools the way everyone else uses them. Be unique, show your personality, decorate your social media profiles, and tell people why they should spend money with you and not one of the thousands of other options they have online. If you had a building on a street with 100 other businesses, why would someone stop into yours?

The bottom line: your reputation takes maintenance, even on the Internet. Just like you wouldn't let dust and grime build up in your store, don't leave a bunch of dusty cobwebs laying around the net. Put in some elbow grease and you can step back and watch it shine.

Click to download this FREE whitepaper today from CreAgent Marketing and Marc Rubin Associates.

"Seven Statistics that Prove your Business Should be on Facebook."

1) Write a Blog. If you don't know what your message is, start writing it out. Let other people see how you struggled with different directions and new ideas, why you chose to focus on particular goals over others, and what your true voice is. Eventually, the message will write itself.

2) Read a Blog. Or better yet, read lots of them. And they don't have to be about marketing. Try something likeSteve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog if you need an inspirational change of pace.

3) Watch a Documentary. Lots of marketers are audio and visual learners - if you're one of them, it might be more helpful to watch something like Art & Copy by Doug Pray than to read several different blogs or filter through YouTube videos.

4) Forgive Yourself. We've all had our share of marketing blunders... times we thought we had the next huge idea or promised an ROI we couldn't deliver. Rather than keeping that mistake in the back of your head and letting it turn you into a middle-of-the-road, run-of-the-mill marketing professional, give yourself credit for trying and don't let it keep you from trying again. It's hard to be the best on the first attempt, so if at first you don't succeed....

5) Find the Right Setting. Sometimes our talents don't line up with our passions. So if you're sure marketing is right for you, find the place that will bring out your best. It might be a nonprofit, a small retail shop, a law firm, a corporate powerhouse, or your own consultancy.

6) Join a New Community. There are lots of social media sites out there, sites where you can share interests and give (or get) feedback. If you're caught up in the most popular like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it might be time to try some new venues. Check out niche communities like dailymile.com for runners and coastr.com for beer drinkers. Here's a full list of niche social networking sites.

7) Share Something Valuable. A blog is a great way to share content, but eBooks and whitepapers can provide more in-depth information for your potential clients. For example, CreAgent Marketing offers this free whitepaper on Facebook statistics in exchange for your email address. It's a great way to grow your list of contacts!

8) Make it a Story. Every business has some history, maybe a few lucky breaks and turning points. Share the story of your business or a particular product you developed. When people can personally relate, they're more likely to become a customer.

9) Have Fun. People having fun attracts people who want to have fun. Just take it from those fish market people in Seattle; they could have been another seafood stand in Pike Place, but they decided to have fun at work. As a result, you can watch a live web cam as crowds of tourists surround the world-famous fish market every day.

10) Watch Less TV. It may sound counter-intuitive for a marketing professional to ignore what's happening in the television world. But you're good at what you do and you don't have to get all your ideas from one medium. If you really need inspiration, watch some YouTube videos instead.

11) Remember Your Purpose. Every marketer has a role to play. It's easy to get caught up in side-jobs and menial tasks, but don't let them drag you down. You're there to do something creative, so take a step back and look at the big picture; that should be a nice reminder about why you were hired in the first place.

12) Take a Hike. Literally. Don't sit in front of a blank computer screen trying to brainstorm the next big idea. Get away from your desk with a specific idea in mind. Talk about it with co-workers or let it simmer in your own brain while you do something more active.

13) Join a Meetup Group. I'm part of a group of business folks who meet one morning every month to talk about marketing trends and ideas. Meetup.com is a great website for finding similar groups in your area - and these groups are invaluable for networking and new ideas.

14) Take a Free Marketing Class Online. The Cheap Revolution has a great list of 99 free online classes on business and entrepreneurship. Pick one that relates to marketing and get started!

15) Know Your Energy. Everyone brings a natural energy to their job (and life in general). This is especially important in marketing because of the way our profession requires us to work with all different people. Figure out your marketing energy and you'll be able to identify strengths and weaknesses in your approach.

16) Speak Up. Whenever you're the one in front of the room, others listen. So look for opportunities at local volunteer group meetings (Rotary, Lions Club) and Chamber of Commerce events. You might have to get over your fear of public speaking... so it's a good way to kill two birds with one stone.

17) Learn How to Analyze Statistics. Everywhere online, we're inundated with statistics. Your Facebook page, YouTube video, website, and e-newsletter automatically generate stats that can tell some pretty valuable stories. Spend some time with these numbers and you'll have a much better chance at increasing your visits and views.

18) Use Your Pen. There's something magical about putting ink on a piece of paper. Of course, all the best ideas are written on napkins while people are drinking coffee or beer. But seriously, instead of restraining yourself by the limited layout capabilities in word processors, pull out a blank sheet of paper and start doodling. Your mind will be free to work more naturally and visually.

19) Travel Wisely. If you're like me, you spend a lot of time in the car. Instead of turning on the radio in the hopes you'll hear something that doesn't remind you of a boy-band artist gone solo, download some podcasts on marketing or business trends and listen to them during your commute.

20) Trust Your Instincts. You have more marketing experience than the person across the table. You're the one who went to school for this stuff, or at least took some online courses and spent countless hours reading articles like this one... but everyone has an opinion, especially when it comes to marketing: "the logo should be bigger," "the headlines should be bolder," "the music should be louder." Entertain their perspectives and then make your own decision. Your instincts are probably pretty accurate, so don't let someone's misguided opinion persuade you to do something that's not good for business.

21) Call Yourself a Marketer. Don't kid yourself, you're good at this stuff. So feel free to admit it! Don't hide your marketing aspirations.

22) Create Your Own Success. Even if you're working in an organization that isn't known for creativity or efficiency, that doesn't mean you can't be creative or efficient. Don't get caught up in the politics around you, be good at what you do and you'll get noticed for sure.

23) Use Someone Else's Big Idea. Just because someone already invented it doesn't mean you can't use it for your own organization. Some national marketing campaigns can be adapted and recycled for local use. In these instances, you don't have to explain the concept, you just have to pull it off a little differently.

24) Use Your Own Big Idea. Yeah... the one you stashed away several years ago. Or the one you used for your senior thesis or your last major internship. Go back into your personal archives and reignite the passion you had for marketing in your early years. Remind yourself why you got into this in the first place and you just might find your second wind.

25) Step Away from it All. Take a vacation, or a virtual vacation, or a stay-cation, or whatever it takes to rest your brain for a while. When you lift weights, you have to take rest days in order to get stronger. Your muscles rebuild during the time off. Remember that your brain is a muscle that can become fatigued or strained, and a few extra rest days can make you smarter and stronger.

Thanks for reading - please add to this list by commenting below!

Click to download this FREE whitepaper today from CreAgent Marketing and Marc Rubin Associates.

"Seven Statistics that Prove your Business Should be on Facebook."

The internet is a place where businesses can be transparent and individuals can be anonymous. That's a dangerous combination if you're thinking about the marketing implications. For example, you can create a business profile on Yelp! where customers can share their honest reviews of your products and services... and suddenly, a forum is created for one disgruntled employee or misinformed client to sound off. It's a scary prospect for many businesses, but it's a risk worth taking.

A lot of websites have a feedback page where they list filtered comments about how great the business is. It's nice to have, but most visitors recognize that these reviews are hand-selected; you're not going to paste a negative review into your website content. But services like Yelp! and Google Local are not as easy to filter. Unless there are swear words or offensive jabs, your reviewers can say whatever they want about your business. At that point, it's up to you to respond efficiently and professionally.

That's how negative feedback can build a positive reputation.

If someone complains about coffee grounds in their favorite drink, you can explain that there was an equipment malfunction and none of the workers caught the mistake in time... that you're sorry and you're happy to give them a free drink if it makes up for the blunder. If a client complains about poor customer service, you can respond by asking for more specific information and promise to sit down with your staff to review the company policies.

Your business isn't perfect, no matter how hard you try. But you can respond to your imperfections if you give people an opportunity to voice their opinions publicly. They'll feel empowered and respected, and you'll feel like you can keep improving on your weaknesses instead of ignoring they exist.

It's always been a dream of mine to work for myself, but I never really knew what that would look like. So maybe I was naive when I told my friends that I owned a business and really was just doing some side-work for extra money. But whether it was naive or not, it made me think carefully about what I was really doing. People asked, "What does your business do," and I'd answer with something general like, "Mostly copywriting, but I'd like to do more design work." My answers were always true, but often I made my 'business' seem bigger than it was.

Looking back, that was probably one of the biggest steps in truly owning my own marketing business. By telling people what I was doing, I forced myself to back it up. My vague, general descriptions became more precise when I realized I was just confusing people. My copywriting turned to website design and internet marketing when I realized I was much more excited about those services. And eventually, my freelance work transitioned into truly owning my own business.

I realize I have a lot of work left to do; there are a lot of steps to take, clients to land, processes to learn, employees to hire, and stumbles to endure. Today, though, when people ask how I was able to start my own business, I tell them I put all my energy toward that goal. I explain that putting energy toward a goal does not mean spending every waking hour tweaking logo ideas and writing business plans. Instead, it means talking about my ideas and telling people that I'm a business owner.

There are plenty of other examples of how this kind of energy can change your mindset. Maybe you're in a similar situation; you're bartending or working in a coffee shop, but your real dream is to be a writer... so don't just tell people that you're a bartender or a barista, tell them you're a writer. They may ask what you've written or what you're working on, how you get paid for your work, whether you've ever been published - the questions you need to be able to answer as a writer. 

Maybe you go out for a jog once in a while, but you can't really picture yourself running a marathon. Start telling people you're a runner, share your ultimate dream of running a marathon and maybe you'll get some tips and stories from athletes who are after the same goal.

There are plenty of things you do every day without real energy. You mow the lawn, but you're not a "landscaper;" you make dinner, but you're not a "cook;" you pick out your clothes in the morning, but you're not a "stylist." So what does it take to embody the definition of these terms? How do you go from "someone who writes" to being a "writer?"

Share your dreams, tell people what you do and what you hope to do, put some real energy towards your goals. You might be the last person to believe what you're saying, but by then, you'll already have the energy and support from everyone else.

...actually, before I start the story, I have to give a little background. I know, I'm that storytelling guy. Sorry. Bear with me.

Soul Full Cup is the place in Corning where everyone stops for coffee. They have a neat atmosphere, perfect location, and awesome staff - and you're bound to run into someone you know if you've lived here long enough. Their coffee is good enough, but ironically, I wouldn't say that's the reason I come here. It's the other things listed above that I love about Soul Full.

With that said, I came in for a caramel americano today - it was way too sweet but it did the job. After getting a little work done, I overheard a woman talking about her recent move to Corning. She apparently asked some friends or coworkers where the best place was to get a cup of coffee. They told her that Soul Full Cup had the best coffee, hands down, and that's where she needed to go.

Minutes later, a tourist walked in (Corning is the third most popular tourist city in New York State). She sat outside with her coffee for a bit before walking back in to take several pictures of the inside of Soul Full Cup. I don't want to assume, but I'd be surprised if she didn't run home telling her friends about how amazing this place was.

And she'd be right - except that it's not because of the coffee. The newcomer's advice was also correct - that she needed to go to Soul Full Cup - although not because of the coffee.

So I learned a good marketing lesson today as I sipped my too-sweet americano: people are influenced more by atmosphere and experience than by the product. That's not always true, I know, but it usually is. And when a company can contrive a perfect atmosphere for its product, we can be brainwashed into thinking we need their product whenever we're in that atmosphere:

• If you're on the beach and you want a beer, drink Corona.
• If you're an intense athlete and you're thirsty in the middle of a game, drink Gatorade.
• If you're at a ball game and need some refreshment, drink Coke.
• If you're home and you only want water... at least run it through the Brita Filter first!

And of course, if you're in Corning and you need a cup of coffee, you better go to Soul Full Cup.

(Personal opinion disclaimer: If you're in Corning and you need a damn good cup of coffee, go to Heavenly Cup!)

For example, you may see a smaller amount of traffic from your social media pages as from direct traffic or search results; but it may not be immediately clear that social media traffic actually generates more quality for your site. Statistics have shown that website visitors who are referred from social media pages generally spend more time and are more likely to fill out forms or become "leads."

Specifically on social media pages like Facebook, you can track impressions, clicks, and shares. Sometimes, a post will get lots of impressions without a lot of shares. According to internet statistics, there are only two days out of the week that people share content at an above average rate - Tuesday and Saturday. Check out the chart below:

Google analytics gives you the option to track specific goals. You can choose a single web page - ideally a page where a visitor can become a lead (conversion form, enewsletter signup, etc.) - and track how many visits get funneled to that particular page. Even though it's difficult with Google analytics to actually see the conversion rates, it's still good to direct people to a certain landing page - and to see how affective your website currently is at that metric.

The moral of the story: make sure your website is actually working... and I don't mean deleting your "under construction" text. Make sure the site is generating quality visitors that can become leads... not just a high number of visitors that look at and leave the site.

Inbound links can give your website a lot of "Google juice," which means they can really improve your search engine ranking. But not all inbound links are created the same. For example, if your logo is placed on someone else's "sponsor page" with no content other than more logos and links, Google and other search engines will not offer much of a boost to your website rank. However, if someone writes a blog post referring to the type of business you offer and includes a text link with highly specialized keywords, your website will start its climb up the ranks.

Google's algorithm for ranking websites is built on several different factors, and inbound links are key. Basically, search engines use a combination of keywords and numbers to rank your site. So the more websites that link to yours, the more "juice" you get - but the quality of those links is extremely important, as well. Blog posts, like I mentioned above, use original content with their own set of keywords. If the words in a particular post are favorable towards the keywords you also use on your site, having an inbound link in that post will help your website rank.

When you ask for a link to your website from a blog post or other page with original, specialized content, ask for a text link that includes some of your best keywords. For example, in a sentence that says, "click here for inbound marketing tips," it would not be very helpful to hyperlink the words "click here." That's because those words have nothing to do with the website they're linking to. Hyperlinking the words "inbound marketing tips" would be much more valuable to the linked website.

So next time you need a simple favor from an organization where you volunteer or a business where you donate some work from time to time, be sure to know how to ask for it. The quality of the link-back could make a big difference!

Too many colleges in the northeast try to ignore the long drives and snowy winters that could potentially deter students; Cornell sees their location in the southern tier as a market differentiator. They tell candidates that they're "centrally isolated." It means there isn't much in the immediate vicinity, but that a 4-hour drive could take you to several world-class cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Albany, and more. If you're looking to get away from those busy hubs without leaving the east coast - or even the northeast - Cornell is the place for you.

In the marketing business, there's a tendency to ignore market differentiators and try to be know-it-all's. I used to offer graphic design, logo development, media relations, branding campaigns, video production, and photography. Now, I offer web design and inbound marketing. I still have those other skills, but they're all focused around a more centralized service. If I'm working with a client who has more specialized needs (i.e. a well-produced, HD YouTube video), I can turn to my creative partners who have also become more focused.

If you're spinning your wheels and not getting the projects you want, consider whether you're accurately representing your strengths. Are your services "centrally isolated," or are you trying to be in the middle of everything and losing yourself (and your potential clients)?

With that said, there are definitely ways to jump start your efforts or make bigger leaps in the process. These tactics still cost money, but they don't require long term contracts and can often be chosen as "a la carte" products from inbound marketing agencies.

Here are the top 5 ways to provide a nice boost for your website visits and leads:

1. Write 8 Blog Posts (Average cost: $800) - For one month, post twice a week on your company blog. Pay attention to key words in your titles and images or videos in your content. The amount of content generated from this will lay a nice foundation for future posts, even if they are less consistent.
2. Fully Optimize 10 Pages on your Website (Average cost: $400) - Make sure that every ounce of search engine juice is squeezed from the 10 most popular pages on your website. Page titles and H1 headlines should contain popular keywords, meta data should be included in the content and behind your images, and the search engine descriptions should be concise and accurate.
3. Create a landing page (Average cost: $150) - If your email campaigns and social media posts are only pointing to one spot on your website, like your home page, it's time to add a new funnel to collect potential leads. Landing pages are more specific portals to targeted content and contain calls to action that allow you to collect leads and potential customers.
4. Develop a piece of Premium Content (Average cost: $350) - You don't have to give your products away in order to sell online, but you usually have to give something away. If you create an ebook, whitepaper, press release, or one-time webinar to educate and engage your customers, you're well on your way to turning leads into sales. These can be recorded or reproduced to be given away free in exchange for email addresses and contact information.
5. Pay-Per-Click Campaign (Average cost: $400) - Set up a pay-per-click campaign to capture leads and engage new social media followers. This can give you access to a new audience, but you have to carefully craft the text to reflect your popular keywords and drive traffic to optimized pages on your site.

It's important to remember that the best inbound marketing technique is consistency. These strategies can provide a boost or kick start your efforts, but they won't produce long-term results on their own. Monthly inbound marketing packages usually start around $500 and incorporate these techniques over time with other on- and off-page SEO tactics.

What has been most helpful for your website?

Click to download this FREE whitepaper today from CreAgent Marketing and Marc Rubin Associates.

"Seven Statistics that Prove your Business Should be on Facebook."

When you're meeting with a designer or developer, though, it's important to make sure they understand the power of lead generation and how to incorporate it into your website. From the site map to the call to action (CTA) buttons, every step in web design can increase or decrease the potential for your website to be a lead generator for your business.

Over the next several weeks, follow my blog to see some very specific examples of how web design can be more than a facelift for your business; it can be an effective part of your sales staff. Happy Friday!

Throughout July, CreAgent Marketing is developing social media pages for FREE.

Click here to request your own Facebook or Twitter business profile with no cost or obligation.

Here are some marketing lessons to take from our Independence Day fireworks tradition:

• Don't disturb the neighborhood.  Lighting firecrackers at 1 in the morning without telling anyone could upset your neighbors. Planning a safe performance at a reasonable time can be fun and entertaining. Don't just "bomb" your customers with random sales and disconnected updates; tell them what to expect and follow through on your promises.
• Practice variety.  Some people like the quick flashes with a loud bang. Others like the 'weeping willow'affect as it lights up the sky. Different colors and shapes appeal to different spectators, but no one likes the same thing all the time. Keep your messages interesting by providing a variety of content.
• Find the right setting.  You wouldn't watch a fireworks display if they were hidden by buildings or mountains. It would be tough to enjoy the show if there were too many other lights and sounds in the area. So be sure to choose the right medium for your message - if you can't find a way to make your television commercial stand out from the rest, try radio or newspaper ads.
• Leave with something memorable.  The "grand finale" should be something that keeps people talking long after the display has ended. As the smoke fades away and the lawn chairs get packed up, what will the audience be talking about? If you can deliver (and exceed expectations) on your calls to action with quality products and services, your customers will be talking long after the final interaction.

I hope you have a safe and wonderful Independence Day weekend... and enjoy the fireworks!

Just because your organization is one thing doesn't mean it has to reflect on you personally.

Fans of the Tampa Bay Rays can say, "Our team lost a lot of talent in the offseason, but I still love going to see Evan Longoria play ball." Can fans of your organization say the same? They might be able to say, "I never liked their coffee, but I love the wait staff," or "They always take an extra couple days, but their service is worth it."

If you are always a product of the business you work for, get into a business that works exceptionally well. If you are able to represent yourself positively and independently, despite some negative external factors, you'll get noticed... by your clients, your colleagues, and your potential future employers.

I know, I sound like Seth Godin (I kinda hope so, actually). I just feel passionately that people can create their own work environments, their own success, and their own reputation, even if the reputation of their organization precedes them. 

Don't you agree?

Before you waste a few hours or a few hundred dollars, consider what you want and what your business needs. It's very simple to bribe anyone under 25 to simply add a Facebook or Twitter account with your business name. The creation of the profile is the most basic step.

What's important is how you should use that account once it's set up. Do you have someone that can create a plan for your business? Do you know how to effectively use your social media pages to drive visitors and leads to your website? Can you hire a copywriter to deliver your brand in a strong, consistent manner?

To make an analogy with traditional media, it's easy to call a television station and ask them to set aside several 30-second slots. But what you do with those time slots is what will ultimately grow your business.

Throughout July, CreAgent Marketing will set up a business page on Facebook or profile on Twitter for FREE. Fill out this form to get started today!

Below are short, generic descriptions of each work style. I want to share them because I think there are parallels between the way we work and the way we market ourselves and our businesses. None of the styles are more important or significant than the others, and they all have advantages and disadvantages. But it's important to identify what our strengths are and where we have opportunities to grow.

Driver - Direct, challenging, loves to win, stays on point
Marketing 'drivers' have messages that are consistent and relentless. They use all of the platforms they can get their hands on and they won't sugar-coat what they want from their customers. However, drivers have to be careful that they aren't too pushy and that they are willing to break from the plan occasionally for the sake of their customers. If you are a marketing driver, especially on social media, make sure that you listen to the responses in addition to creating the messages.

Organizer - steady, disciplined, does the right thing, one step at a time
Organizing your messages and delivery is extremely important, especially when considering the possible interactions or responses that come with social media. Marketing 'organizers' will follow a plan very closely and strategically, but can sometimes come across as being rigid or predictable. If you're an organizer, schedule in some room for random or unscripted posts; comment on the day or talk about something that recently inspired you. Your customers will appreciate the change of pace.

Collaborator - engaging, enthusiastic, people-person, fun-loving
Collaborators like to have fun and see the intrinsic value in truly "social" media. Marketing like a collaborator means having real conversations with your customers, connecting with other bloggers, and using feedback as an integral part of moving the business forward. However, too much collaboration makes it look like you don't have your own strategy; that you're just doing whatever your customers say you should do. Marketing 'collaborators' can take a cue from the 'drivers' and be sure to have a clear plan so they don't get bounced around by outside influences.

Visionary - big thinker, outside the box, open to new ideas, able to let go
Marketing 'visionaries' have big ideas and are often inspirational in their tactics and messages. They're willing to take risks by trying new mediums and deviating from traditional marketing plans and approaches. Being too much of a visionary, though, can cause a business to appear unpredictable or unreliable, sometimes lacking the immediate follow-through that's required to implement their big ideas. Try to inspire your customers with a combination of imagination and pragmatism.

These are very basic descriptions; the full FEBI assessment is fun, interesting, and can be a way to become more balanced in our work life (and marketing). Contact Rhonda Morton if you're intrigued and you want to find out where you fall and how to develop your weaker energies. And have a great Tuesday!

Local media outlets, especially in small towns (if you haven't noticed) are starving for stories. And even if there's a lot going on in a particular day or week, they like to keep some human interest stories on the back-burner for a slow day. The time is always ripe to get into the queue!

Here are 8 tips on putting together a press kit that will get attention:

1. Be sure to include all the important details on your business: how long you've been around, how many employees you have, where you're located, what your mission or purpose is, who your target audience might be, and how you're involved in the community.
2. Send some pictures, videos, sound bytes, and any relevant multimedia on a CD or thumb drive.
3. Give them several options for using your content; send an email, send a package, and follow up with a phone call to see if there's anything else they need.
4. Include a list of quotes as part of a well-written press release.
5. Let them know the best and easiest way to contact you with follow-up questions.
6. Bribe them with some home-made or locally-made cookies, coffee, or other pick-me-ups.
7. Drop off the printed press kit in person; call ahead and leave a message with the circulation desk or news team to let them know you're coming.
8. Don't be afraid to show your personality by including a list of your hobbies, pets, favorite songs, or anything else that's important to you.

If you have other ideas to get the attention of your local media outlets, please share!

The blog post I referenced asks the following question: "Which national events, popular TV shows or movies can you use as inspiration for your next marketing event or promotion?"

Taking it one step further, I think it's a great opportunity for businesses with new concepts to describe what they do by referencing larger companies. For example, "BlocDeals is like 'Living Social' for our small town," or "Integrated Office Services is similar to 'Regus,' but we're more personal and customized because we are part of the Binghamton community."

Don't turn the big-box stores into your competition. Small businesses have inherent advantages over the national chains, but they'll never be able to compete financially. So take advantage of the synergy by describing how you're different from an already recognizable brand.

I'd go see a band if they told me their original music was inspired by Billy Joel. However, I wouldn't see a cover band and I'd probably ignore a group that described themselves as "contemporary folk rock." Just sayin'...

The staff at Heavenly Cup Coffee Roasters is more disappointed if they give someone a poor cup of coffee than if that customer chooses a different cafe altogether (unless it's because of the coffee). Walmart doesn't care if you go somewhere for better quality, but you certainly won't shop anywhere else if you're looking for the lowest price.

Some people refer to this as the "business purpose" or "mission." Others think it's just an accident when a certain restaurant has better service than its competition. Still others aren't even sure why they choose one business over another... "I just like it better," they say. But it's impossible to ignore when a business is dedicated to something - as consumers, we feel it. It's in the essence of their product or service or it's just part of their aura. And it's what makes them successful.

An example of the power of dedication: 

In Elmira, NY, a donut shop opened several years ago. It was a small-town small business; people dropped in because they knew the owner or the employees or it was on their way to work. The donut shop spent what it had and cut corners when it needed. There were no decorations and the ingredients were cheap and after the "honeymoon" phase wore off, it went under. Another family purchased the property and thought they knew where the previous owners went wrong. They thought they needed a larger selection of products... but the same old quality and same old building brought the same old results. They were closed within their first year. This happened one more time until a Dunkin' Donuts franchise stepped in.

When the local donut shop was bought by a Dunkin' Donuts franchise owner, he leveled the building. The new facility was erected in the same location as the previously unsuccessful shops. The major difference was that when Dunkin’ Donuts founder Bill Rosenberg opened the first Dunkin’ Donuts in 1950, he had a simple philosophy: “Make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores.”

Dunkin' Donuts' dedication to that philosophy led to its nation-wide success and was the reason for its success in Elmira when all the others failed. Heavenly Cup Coffee probably won't be as successful across the nation, but the locally-owned shop in Corning is dedicated to serving the best cup of coffee with the most friendly, personalized service they can manage. They're managing well and the dedication is clear... which is why I can happily type this post from their shop.

Happy Thursday!

If you watched the video in my previous post, you would have learned a little about Jared Campbell's 'Blue Project,' where he encourages students to metaphorically look for streaks of blue when the sky seems perpetually gray. Today is a day where it's impossible to miss the blue.

For the past couple days, I've been presenting to artists and business leaders on the importance of inbound marketing. I noticed at times that they were searching for those streaks of blue to latch onto; the ideas they could wrap their minds around. But the big truth is that they were really trying to understand the technology and language behind the commonly-used social media sites (facebook, twitter, youtube, and linkedin). As I watched them frantically jot down the definition of a "hash tag" and make notes on the differences between personal facebook pages and fan pages, I realized that there was too much emphasis on the technology.

I'm a huge proponent of content - and so are the search engines. I do not believe that the 'medium is the message.' Social media, especially, is just a way to deliver the message. So I stopped my presentation to calm everyone's nerves by stressing the importance of their content, which came easy to them.

It's easy to hire someone who can build you a fan page and manage your Twitter account. It's hard to find a marketing expert to incorporate your overall brand into an online strategy. Make sure you know which one you need.

"The Blue Project" is a school assembly that's been put together by a talented musician and friend, Jared Campbell. His songs are inspirational and carry a message that's important for people, especially students, to hear. In a time where bullying and suicide is more common than we'd like to think, his messages are strong and clear: don't do it.

But how does he get to share those messages with a broader audience? Students talk to other students and teachers talk to other teachers, but it's hard to spread the word across district and state boundaries. That's where creative filmmaking comes in.

Beau Kester is another talented friend and owner of Round 1 Productions. He believes in the power of his videos. When he started working with Jared, he knew there was an opportunity to use that power positively.

If you are a teacher or school administrator looking for an opportunity to send a real message to your students, "The Blue Project" can do that. And if you're a marketing professional trying to figure out how to use videos to spread your messages, watch this example of how it's done.

Blue Project Promo Video 2011 from Round 1 Productions on Vimeo.

Collaborating creatively can make a real difference.

But when I'm walking down the street of Corning (street is singular on purpose), I forget how "touristy"it actually is. I forget to notice how carefully pruned the trees are, and that the windows and store fronts have been meticulously decorated or "staged," and that people are actually interested in the mercantile and antique shops.

My definition of a tourist is someone who is in an unfamiliar state of mind. Sometimes it's fun to be a tourist in your own city, so a tourist is not always someone in an unfamiliar location. It's just the state of mind. Instead of being frugal and careful with spending money, tourists live out of their wallets. Rather than having a mission or an agenda for the day, tourists are wide-eyed and open to new experiences. They are easy to influence and easy to sell to.

Usually, our businesses are not designed around selling to tourists. We have to work hard to convince customers or clients that our products and services are useful, worthwhile, and valuable. We have to break in, establish relationships, stay consistent, and make a good first impression. Decide who your audience is and work hard to earn their business. If they are tourists, congratulations. If not, good luck.

Too many businesses are doing the former, not the latter. They decide that social media is cool and necessary because everyone else is doing it. So, with nothing remarkable to share, they take to the 'twittersphere' and start typing. There's no overall strategy and very little thought put into the individual posts.

Even though it's free and easy to update, spend some extra time before blasting your next message. Would it be different if you had to pay for it? Pretend your YouTube videos are as valuable as Superbowl ads; your blog posts are Huffington Post articles; your social media updates are billboards in New York City. If you are generating content worthy of these venues, it's very likely that fans and friends are going to be talking about it and sharing it. If you're not sure that you can generate content this good, consider hiring a freelance writer or marketing professional. Because even though the medium is free, you can't afford to waste it.

First and foremost, there's the whole package. You can get a custom-designed website with custom development options, which will require meetings with a couple different consultants or one web design business that you're willing to work with. This process is the longest and most expensive, but will ideally nail down exactly what you (and your potential customers) want. It's important to at least research this option, especially if you want to establish or maintain a strong brand that's recognizable and simple to interact with.

If you take a step down from the "whole package," you'll have to begin to choose whether design or development is more important. You can have a custom design that will match your existing look and feel, but will use a pre-established content management system (CMS) to make development and content changes to the site. Some CMS options are very extensive and will still meet most, if not all, of your needs. Similarly, if you choose that custom development is more important than design, there are still pre-designed template options that can give you a professional look and feel with the interface you need.

One level below is an option that allows you or a consultant to work within a structure like Wordpress or Joomla to apply some custom design elements or widgets to a pre-existing structure. An even more basic option is to simply drop your own pictures and content into a free template that works on one of those platforms.

The most basic web presence you can create is through a social media site like Facebook or with a free website creation software online. Even with these options, you can customize the URL and find some free resources that can help you stand out from the competition.

No matter what option you choose, having a web presence is important for businesses and entrepreneurs, and the most important element of that presence is its content. If you're using a free blogging platform, be sure to contribute photos and YouTube videos as part of your posts and be consistent with your topics and keywords. If your Facebook Fan Page is the only place where potential customers can find you online, make sure it's an accurate representation of your products or services by providing pictures and descriptions.

If you're not sure what you need, find a website designer or inbound marketing consultant who can assess your situation and provide some options that fit within your budget.

It made me think about referral marketing in general and how important it is. When we hear or share stories about our interactions with businesses or brands, that's the referral process in action. Bigger brands like Coke or Pepsi have interesting stories from their company's past that people love to use as teaching moments or inspiration. Small businesses will often go the proverbial "extra mile" so that local clients and customers will talk about their services and products. It's a big part of our decision-making when it's time to make a purchase.

Consider this anecdote: For one month, a dry cleaning company put a hand-written note on a small scrap of paper in their customers' pockets. When the clothes were picked up and worn for the first time, the customers would pull out the paper and read, "you look great today." They told all their friends what the dry cleaner had done because it was remarkable and uplifting. Without spending any money and very little time, their customer base grew as a result of this referral marketing "campaign." Much more effective than a month of radio advertising, if you ask me.

Sometimes, it really is easy to lose a few pounds. The weather gets nice and there are fresh vegetables in the garden. At other times it seems impossible, and that's when the weight loss companies jump in with a solution to make it easy again. The problem with being inconsistent is that we eventually fall prey to outside influences because we realize that our own plans aren't working.

So what would happen to a marketing message if there's no dedication to keeping it consistent? The same thing that happens to inconsistent dieters: lots of money spent, no results. It's hard to measure the effectiveness of a long-term goal in the first week or month, but that's often the time when we give up and move onto something else. However, if we believe in our message and we're consistent in how it's delivered, the results over time will be astonishing.

Remember, weight loss companies don't want us to stick with anything for very long because then we might actually see some results and won't need their products anymore. So as long as our diets are inconsistent and their marketing is steadfast and strong, we'll become a customer at some point. Just don't blame the company when their product doesn't work in the first month. They're the ones being consistent... and they've already cashed your check.

The way to do that in the marketing industry is to be more like the guys in Mad Men... and I don't mean smoking Lucky's and finishing a bottle of whiskey before lunch. 

Those guys really thought about the content of their marketing messages - the way they addressed the perceived needs of consumers with artistic and creative precision. Now that's refreshing.

What if more Facebook pages were created with that level of crafted messaging? After all, it's easy to access the statistics of our visitors - their age and interests, the time of day they tend to interact most often - so it seems like it would be easy to craft a message that's aimed at them. And what about consistent messages? The generally accepted rule in advertising is that consumers need to see or hear a message three times before it starts to catch on. Three touches used to cost thousands of dollars, but Facebook allows us to impress our customers three times in one week... for free.

One of the great websites for design inspiration is vandelaydesign.com - check out their blog here. On the right side of the page, you'll notice a list of lists; several posts dedicated to highlighting quality designs in different categories like nonprofits, ecommerce, and color profiles (dark, light, colorful, etc.). I like to check out VandelayDesign.com when I'm reeling for inspiration.

When you're looking for inspiration for your own website, make sure to research what others are doing within your industry. What are the standard calls to action? How many levels of navigation are acceptable? Where should your contact information and other landing pages show up? But always remember - a successful website is about collecting leads and making sales. So no matter how beautiful the design, if it's not generating numbers for your business, it might be a waste of virtual space.

Happy grilling!

Today is the kind of day where we desperately try to pull energy from each other and from within ourselves because it's not coming in the form of sunlight and spring. It's the kind of day where I have to remember that marketing is about sharing interesting and passionate stories in a fun way - not about desperately clawing for new ideas from my facebook and social media friends and fans.

As an inbound marketing consultant and website designer living in upstate New York, it's sometimes draining to think about long stretches of gloomy days and un-energetic coffee shop atmospheres. So that makes it even more important to remember that marketing is about creating a recognizable brand, staying true to its purpose, and delivering consistent messages - whether they're on TV or Twitter.

The Internet has changed a lot of things, not the least of which is how to market your business. There are seemingly an infinite amount of resources, mostly cheap or free, to help spread the word. The question is how to sort through everything that's available, and how to use the resources most effectively.

The new PR professional should be able to help. Instead of writing press releases (hoping the content shows up on local news stations and in relevant newspapers) blogs, websites, and social media pages allow for quick and easy dissemination of information. And there's no "middle-man" to edit the message - your content goes straight to the intended audience the way it's supposed to.

It's easy to defend spending money on a new employee who will get you on the local morning show, so why is it still difficult to justify spending money on someone who will effectively spread your message to a much larger, more relevant audience online? With an effective website design that's focused on search engine optimization and social media integration, your return on investment will no doubt exceed that from traditional media exposure.