Misconception One: Having a website instantly gives me more business.

Having a web presence is super important. Most people don’t even know where their phonebook is right now, but Google is just a few keystrokes away. Having a spectacular looking site is great, but if you can’t search and find your own website, then how do you expect anybody else to find it?

This is what we in the industry call SEO or Search Engine Optimization. It’s optimizing your website so that search engines can find it. If you are unable to use Google to find your website, you might want to look into overhauling your SEO.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when creating your website or fixing it is “How would somebody looking for my services search on Google?”

If you sell turnips and live in Lansing Mich., then your customers would search “turnips Lansing” or something similar. If your turnip site says nothing about Lansing or Michigan anywhere on the site, when somebody is looking for your site, they either have to know your company name, or try to sift through the 5,070,000 results Google gives for turnips.

Recap: Look into increasing SEO, start by thinking like your cliental and how they search on Google. Make sure you also look at the analytics of your site to see how people are getting there.

Misconception Two: [Insert site here] is the best in my business. My site needs to look like theirs!

It is pretty easy in most cases to tell the difference between high-dollar, larger corporation websites, and a website of a small business. Naturally you want your site to be like the best in your industry. “Their site is great, their business is great, I just need their website.”

That mentality is fine, great even! It really helps the design process of a website by finding similar sites that you wish to idolize. Print off, or direct your web people to the site and let them take a look. Just remember, you are not going to copy a site exactly.

It’s important, however, not to stick with the idea that your site needs to look like the example that was set fourth. Most of the time your site isn’t your designer’s first rodeo. They know what it takes to make a good site and limiting them to a certain design may cause unneeded changes to be made and time wasted.

Recap: Idolizing other sites is fine, just don’t get too attached to it, let your designer design!

Misconception Three: If I have Facebook, I don’t need a website / If I have a website, I don’t need Facebook!

Facebook is a wonderful tool for businesses. Probably one of the best things about it is that it is free. I am going to tackle this issue from both sides, those with Facebook and those without.

I have a website, I don’t need Facebook!
Two quick things. First, Facebook gives you the opportunity to reach out to people using a medium they already use. Second, it’s free, so why not?

Why do you check news sites, or sport sites? Well, to check what’s new! The problem is, with most small businesses, there is not a real reason for people to constantly check the website, they just pull it up when they are in need of the same services again. That’s what Facebook does for you: It gives you a place to constantly update people who have used, or are in need of your services.

With Facebook, you do run into the dilemma of keeping it updated as much as you can. Try to post as much interesting and relevant content as you can as often as you can. Letting your ‘likers’ in on some exclusive deals, giveaways or contests really helps drive interest to your Facebook, and ultimately, to your business. You can set it up so several people can be an administrator and post on your page, so feel free to get some family – or better yet an agency like M3 – in on helping with the Facebook Page.

I have a Facebook, I don’t need a website.
Having hundreds of “likes” on Facebook is great! But where do you send them for constant information? Facebook is pretty bland as far as design is concerned, and there isn’t much space for your own, unique content. You might be able to fit business hours and a phone number on the information page, but that isn’t enough.

You need a website to A: Go in depth about your services, and direct Facebook users to your site instead of forcing them to call you to find out more. B: To be found anywhere that is not Facebook. Sure people can use the search box on Facebook to find your page, but what about Google? How do you talk to somebody and direct them to your site by mouth? What about people without Facebook?

Also, because you don’t have an actual website, you don’t have your own URL, which gives the illusion that you may not be legitimate to outsiders.

Recap: They both have their perks, but you need a website and Facebook.

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That’s the power of search engines. It knows what you are looking for and takes you to it – no pit stops along the way.

Businesses should see this as an opportunity to lead online searchers to their website. Creating an optimized website and writing keyword-focused blog articles drives more organic traffic to a website.

What is Organic Traffic?

Organic traffic is, by definition, visits coming from unpaid, natural rankings determined by search engine algorithms.

When I searched, “height of field goal post cross-bar”, Google presented me with multiple links leading to sites that had the knowledge I lacked. How did Google know which sites to provide me? And how can businesses be sure that searches relevant to their company are leading to their website? The answer isn’t luck, it’s optimizing.

How to Increase Organic Traffic

Three main factors on your website to focus on when trying to drive more organic traffic to your website are, meta description, meta tags and keywords.

Meta Description
This is what is displayed below the page link on the Google search results page. Users read this description and if they see the keywords that they searched for, the click through rate will be greater than a poorly written (or unwritten) description. If you avoid filling out the meta description, Google will display the first few lines of content on that page, which might not benefit the searcher.

Meta Tags
These are the main words that your page is about. When deciding what tags to use for each page, think about what words people will type into Google that the page will be relevant to.

Keywords in Content
Each page on your website should have a primary keyword. That keyword should then be used throughout your page as often as possible, without forcing the keyword in the content.

How to Measure Results

If you spend hard work and valuable time optimizing your website, you except to see some results.

Google analytics provides you with a free way of tracking how much traffic is coming from organic searches. It also can break down which words are leading people to your website, giving you a clear understanding of what pages are optimized correctly and which pages need more work.

Ten feet, by the way, is the answer to the question that lost me a free plate of honey buffalo wings. Ten feet.

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Keeping a positive attitude is a great way to get things done and improve your quality of life. With a defeatist attitude, you’ve already lost the will to finish that project or keep on a diet. Keeping a goal and staying on it and positive about it is the best way to achieve it. Thinking of a goal, writing it down and telling friends makes the goal more real in your mind. It will also keep you happy with yourself, positive and more willing to do more work which perpetuates itself.

Since staying positive is so important, I’ve come up with seven tips to help you stay that way. So, here you have it.

7 ways to stay positive:

• Reach out and help someone: It helps your self-esteem and helps those around you be positive, too.
• Remember that “Things Get Better:” Nothing lasts forever, even negative thoughts and feelings.
• Make plans: If you make plans to do something you love, that keeps your mind in a better place.
• Surround yourself with positive people: It’s hard to stay positive when surrounded by the negative.
• Create a mental list of awesomeness: Just make a list of all the awesome things you do for yourself or for people around you, or make a list of things you can do and make a note to do them.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself: There’s a difference between being critical of yourself and being really hard on yourself.
• Reward yourself: If you do something good and positive, reward yourself with something you love.

Those are my thoughts on being positive. It helps me in my work, in my social life and in life generally.

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For example, a video of a kid getting his finger bit by his baby brother is the number one most viewed YouTube video of all time. And the reason that the video was even uploaded in the first place – to show the child’s godfather, who lived in Colorado, the funny moment that was captured on film.

Another popular trend as of recent years is internet memes. Some of the most viral memes, whether you know what it means or not, that you have most likely heard of are Tebowing, Planking and Draping.

Each of these terms represent a specific pose that the world (or at least the World Wide Web) has fallen in love with.

Tebowing:
Definition – To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.
Creator – Tim Tebow (unintentionally)

Planking:
Definition – To lay horizontally in a strange or unusual place.
Creator – Many claim to have invented Planking.  A few of the first were Tom Green, Gary Clarkson and Tom Meltzer.

Draping:
Definition – Seated in a chair with your back to the camera and right arm extending out to the side.
Creator – Don Draper (character from popular tv series Mad Men)

Thousands of people all over the world are busting out their cameras, snapping a picture and posting their pose with an appropriate hashtag to the world wide web.

M3 wanted to join in the fun – and since our agency employs many Mad Men fans – we all decided to lean back and Drape.

Enjoy!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Video filmed and edited by Thomas Shaver

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Now some of you are out there nodding your head thinking “that sounds like A. fun or B. a good way to cut the interview process down,” but what happens if the guy who gets off the horse is a complete bonehead who just caught a lucky break?

There is value to building a connection. Social media, resumes and face-to-face interviews have their place, but each can only give you a glimpse of a person. I mean one would assume even the most neurotic person can hold it together for 20 minutes, right?

But what most companies long for (or should) is the chance to find that diamond in the rough. The chance to really get a feel for what a person is capable of before making the commitment. That’s where I come in, the intern, or former intern.

As I sit writing my first blog for Motion Marketing & Media (M3) as an intern-turned-part-time-event-planning prodigy, turned-full-time-Cruise Director, I can’t help but think “what if I was just a piece of paper?” Would they have known I could write and design, would they have known who I was, quirky 1950s personality and all? How would they know how coupon savvy I am? They wouldn’t. They would know me as an Michigan State University (MSU) graduate pursuing advertising with experience that reaches from here to Timbuktu.

The point is, there is value in test-driving before you buy. You would never buy a car without finding out everything you needed to know before signing that dotted line. So, why should it be any different with your employees? And while we are using the car analogy, bringing on an intern who has potential, who can grow and change as you need them to in your company, is like buying a car with all the bells and whistles; it’s comfortable, and never ceases to impress.

So, employers keep that in mind the next time you’re looking for young talent. You can go in blind and hope for the best, or give someone a shot to show you what they’re made of, and maybe just maybe find that diamond in the rough.

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3 p.m. EST Wednesday, May 9, 2012, we will take part in a live webinar along with the four other Earnies award winners.

We will be providing insight on our award-winning campaign, but we also want to hear from you.

Join the Conversation
We want to take the time to answer any questions you may have about our campaign.

How?
Through the power of social media, we can have a two-way conversation.

Four Simple Steps

• Register free for the live webinar here.
• Login to your Twitter account during the live webinar.
• Ask a question or provide a comment within a tweet.
• Include the hashtag (#) #MeetMichigan within that tweet.

We will do our best to answer each question in the provided time that we have. Any questions left unanswered during the webinar will receive a response through Twitter.

Free Tee!
We like having conversations with our fans. In fact, we like it so much that we will send a #MeetMichigan t-shirt to the first 10 people who chalk up some conversation using the #MeetMichigan hashtag (during the webinar). We will direct message the 10 winners for a ship-to address and t-shirt size.

See you on the screen!

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This week for me it was, what shall I write about for this blog?

I have been thinking about writing this blog for more than two weeks. I was having a terrible time deciding what topic to choose, and then I decided since I couldn’t decide what to write on, I would write about making decisions!

Have you ever had trouble making decisions? I know some people who can make one on a dime, and I know others who take an eternity to decide if they want a chai tea or a latte. A right decision or wrong decision can be life changing.

What basis do you use to make decisions? Is it your knowledge, your emotions, your mood at the moment? Maybe your finances make the decisions for you. Many are made from experience and some with just plain ol’ common sense.

My husband and I had three kids in five years. I made the decision I would read parenting books by Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Kevin Leman so my husband and I would raise our kids the right way. One of my favorite books by Dr. Kevin Leman was Making Children Mind without Losing Yours. I was determined to have the knowledge I needed to make the right decisions when it came to raising responsible, well-adjusted kids.

My husband would laugh at me while I would be buried in one of my books. The laughing would quickly subside when the kids got totally out of control and then he would ask “now what did that book say we should do?” Raising kids, just like many other tasks, allows you to learn as you go, use common sense and when in doubt turn to the professionals.

When you knock on the door at 614 Seymour (and the building next door) you will find Motion Marketing & Media (M3). At this address you will find talented, knowledgeable, hard-working professionals. These same professionals can help you make the important decisions that will move your business forward and set you apart from the competition. Whether you need branding, advertising, marketing, media buying or public relations, you’ve made the right decision by knocking on our door.

M3’s Chief Conversation Starter and President Tiffany Dowling, is also the publisher of Lansing’s very own Capital Area Women’s LifeStyle Magazine. I love working for a magazine that is top notch and celebrates women who reside in the Lansing Area. From cover-to-cover you will enjoy relevant topics that will keep you turning the pages. One decision I know you will be glad you made is picking up a copy of the upcoming May issue!

Oh, one more thing, by making the decision to read parenting books my husband and I have succeeded in raising three responsible, well-adjusted kids with our minds in tact!

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With so much going on in the M3 and Capital Area Women’s Lifestyle Magazine (CAWLM) office, it is nice to have some extra talented hands helping with various projects.

Each college semester, M3 brings in a few new faces, giving students an opportunity for some real world agency experience.

Having two very respected colleges nearby, Michigan State University and Lansing Community College, gives us the chance to find some of the most talented and ambitious students to fill our intern positions.

M3 provides a wide range of roles for interns to fill. Over the years, interns have had the responsibility of at least one of the following areas:

• Graphic design
• Writing/publishing
• Sales
• Event planning
• Social media
• Web design

With the winter semester coming to an end, sadly it is time to say good-bye to our awesome interns. But before they head off to their next great adventure, we sat down and asked them a few questions about their experience here at M3.

Enjoy!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Video filmed and edited by Thomas Shaver

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My 9-year-old self hard at work on a sales pitch.

Why? Because for one brief season (cookie season) it was appropriate for my 7-year-old self to canvas the neighborhood going door-to-door with a sweet smile and a drive to close the deal. And while I was never a top seller, I thoroughly enjoyed the work involved in selling those treats.

For anyone who has worked in sales you know why I loved it so much. Sure, my dad is a salesman (chances are I know more about Dale Carnegie classes than your average gal) so some of it might be genetic, but the thrill of closing a sale is unlike any other.

I worked many a year in retail during high school and college and the thrill never died. From cookies to capri pants I really had a knack for making people say “yes.”

But never in my future did I see myself doing sales long-term. Because my father is a salesman, I know what a life in sales in like. It’s tough. You hear “no” more than you hear “yes,” and the truth is, without a green uniform, I just didn’t think I could make a living at it.

Long ago, because it also runs in my blood, I chose a career in journalism. Something I love with all of my heart, but when I took the job at M3 something wonderful happened. I wasn’t just a journalist anymore. I was a public relations and social media expert, an event planner and a leader, plus I still got to do what I loved – write.

The list of reasons I love my job is long, but one of the reasons is because of how diverse so many people in our company are – and I like to think I fit right in.

With that in mind, I realized recently that there’s no reason I can’t be working to bring in new clients. Truth be told, in a medium-sized agency that should really be everyone’s job.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have no plans to compete with the big dogs here – our account executives know what they are doing and you don’t mess with perfection.

But where I can be, I’m on the look-out

So, watch out world. I’m armed with a license to sell … and maybe a few boxes of Thin Mints.

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Good news. There are four major ways to draw traffic to your website, as discussed in “How to Get Stuck in Traffic.” One of those major ways is to drive visitors to a page on your website is through a paid campaign.

Two great methods of paid campaigns are email blasts and Google AdWords; both can be very successful in driving traffic to your website as they both reach an interested audience.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of each.

Email Blasts

There are great tools out there to create an email blast campaign that can measure results, such as Constant Contact and MailChimp. Both require email opt-ins, which simply means that everyone on your email list has given you permission to include them in any email campaign that you create.

This is a perfect way to know that your campaign will reach an audience that is interested in you and your product/service.

Google AdWords

Google is the most-used search engine in the world, making it a very beneficial campaign strategy.

How Google AdWords works is that you choose keywords that relate to your business. Once someone searches for those keywords, your ad may appear at the top of the search results page.

Once again, assuring that you are reaching an interested audience.

If you would like help or further advice on creating a successful and trackable campaign, give us a shout!

Photo by: healthchocolate

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