1. It takes time.

You can’t set up a Facebook or Twitter account and expect it to be successful overnight. Sure, this happens every so often – but mostly for huge, established companies like Nike who have a staggering offline presence. You might not even see results within the first week, so you can’t get easily discouraged. However, we’re also referring to the fact that you and your team need to put some working hours toward your online marketing. If you just throw together a landing page in five minutes, that level of effort is going to show.

2. It takes consistency.

If you’re only creating new content once every month or so – or “when I remember” or “whenever I feel like it” – you’re destined for failure. Twitter users send 140 million tweets per day. If you tweet every once and awhile, you’re barely a drop in that vast bucket. As of 2008, there were 1 trillion pages on the Internet (according to Google) – but with the constant content creation that’s happened in the past four years, imagine how that’s grown! If you don’t keep up, you’ll be left in the dust.

3. All factors must be integrated.

The key components of your online marketing strategy (SEO, pay per click, digital PR, and social media) are not separate elements, working independently of one another. All the components of your online marketing strategy complement one another, and should work together to help you achieve your end result. The most basic example? Using SEO keywords in your social media profiles.

4. Testing is key.

How do you know which copy and keywords work best for your intended audience? You test. And then you keep testing. And then you test some more. For PPC campaigns, try split testing your ads to see what works the best. Experiment with your landing pages – what’s the most effective headline? Call to action? If you stick with one, you’ll never know.

5. It’s a lot like baking a cake.

Don’t go running into the kitchen just yet. A cake recipe and an online marketing strategy are similar in some very fundamental aspects. Say you want to bake a cake, but you realize you’re out of eggs. Conventional wisdom says you should just run out to the store and buy some eggs, but your cake is already half done! It’ll probably be fine without eggs, right? Actually, your cake will probably not look or taste very appetizing.

It’s the same with online marketing. If you do digital PR and social media marketing, but don’t bother with SEO and your website is a disaster…that’s one nasty, inedible cake marketing strategy.

What if you’re running late? The cake calls for a 20 minute baking time, but you decide to increase the temperature and bake it for 10 minutes. You’re not going to get a cake – you’re just going to get a hot, possibly burned mess. But not a cake. Your online marketing can’t be rushed either. If you want to do it right, you’ve got to stick to the recipe.

6. Your website is still really important.

Your website should be the hub of your efforts. Everything you do should help eventually direct traffic to your site. Your website is your house. If visitors to your site show up only to find broken links, outdated content, and no graphics, it’s as if you invited them to your house – but it’s a house with no living room furniture and a dirty bathroom. What does this say about you? Nothing good, that’s for sure.

7. It’s not free.

This is where a lot of people get confused. It’s free to sign up for a social media site or a blog. There are many free TOOLS. But strategy, expertise, and implementation come at a price! Once you have people who know what they’re doing, you still need a budget. To see any type of effective return on your investment, you have to (come on, say it with me now) actually invest.

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Put your company’s best face forward.

We’re talking about human faces, but “best” doesn’t necessarily mean “best-looking” or “highest-ranking” in this situation. The person you want in front of the camera might not be in your marketing department, so branch out. Take inventory of the people in your office: who has the smile that brightens up everyone else’s day? Find that naturally outgoing, charming person – they’re your on-camera talent.

Don’t speak in jargon.

Oh, so your company is results-focused? Do you integrate/deliver/synergize/think outside the box? By using a phrase like “think outside the box” you are, by definition, not thinking outside the box. Every company on the planet is results-focused; that is the purpose of a company. If you’re talking to people through video, just talk to them. Let your genuine passion for the subject shine through, and it’ll be way more interesting than anything you say about being a collaborative thought leader (yes, we’re already snoring over here).

Get creative with instructional/informational videos.

For this, let’s turn to the master of creative advertising: Google. After all, they own YouTube so it only makes sense that they would have pretty decent video content. In the past year alone, Google’s come out with a ton of new products. And sure, you can read tech blog after tech blog to figure out what’s going on. Or you can just head on over to YouTube and watch it.

For example, 4 million people have seen Google Chrome’s “Dear Sophie” video. It’s about a man watching his daughter grow up.

It’s also an ad for Google Chrome, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, and Picasa. While watching, you get to see all the cool stuff you can do with Google Chrome – and even have your heart warmed at the same time! There’s also this popular video that demonstrates the effectiveness of Google’s search functionality (and yes, it also tugs at the heart strings – seems they’ve got a knack for that).

Use video to respond to and interact with consumers.

What do we mean? For an outstanding example, take this video by EA Sports featuring Tiger Woods. A player found what he considered to be a glitch in the Tiger Woods video game and posted a video about it to YouTube. According to Tiger Woods and the people at EA, though, he didn’t find a glitch at all.

In the video, Tiger mimics what the original video captured. Sure, making a famous golfer appear to walk on water is probably out of your budget for a single YouTube video – but you can still engage your audience by simply responding to them.

For example, why not have a question and answer session? Let people submit their questions to you via Facebook or Twitter, and you can respond to some with video. “Breaking Bad” actor Giancarlo Esposito recently used this technique to answer questions on Reddit. If you haven’t heard of that, perhaps you’ve heard of the Old Spice video response campaign – even we’ve referenced it before.

Have a YouTube success story?

Do you have a story about successfully using YouTube for online marketing? Drop us a line and tell us all about it!

From Yelp to Google Places and many sites in between, consumers now have a variety of outlets to express their opinions about your establishment. This can be great for your online marketing – if you do everything perfect all the time. What if you messed up? Well, here are some tips for dealing with that unpleasant predicament.

Keep your emotions out of it.

Yeah, we get it. It sucks to put all your effort into something, only to see people trash it on the Internet. For an example from the publishing industry, take independent author Jacqueline Howett, whose defensive replies to a two-star review of her book went viral (although many of her comments have since been removed – probably because she realized in hindsight that responding wasn’t such a great idea to begin with).

People aren’t always going to like what you’ve created as much as you like it. That’s just how it works. If you get too emotional when people offer criticism, you’re probably not the right person to be monitoring what people are saying. Find a level-headed person whose judgment you trust and delegate the responsibility to them.

When people criticize you, don’t call them insane.

In summer 2010, a man named Joel went out for pizza in Scottsdale, Arizona. Then he wrote a one-star review of the experience on Yelp. Then the restaurant owner replied to let him know that their food was great and he was a moron. A little more research reveals that this restaurant owner has a pretty full history of poor Internet etiquette.

The “fake review” the owner refers to actually contained some pretty constructive criticism, had he bothered to pay attention. The reviewer thought the portions were small for the price she paid, and that the service was a little slow and inattentive. Which brings us to…

Do try to fix what’s wrong.

Negative reviews can hurt, especially if they’re anonymous negative reviews – those are the ones where people tend to be more rude, since no identity is attached. But take a step back for a second. Then ask yourself this question: Where’s the truth in what this person is saying?* Does my receptionist have a bad attitude? Does the decor really look that shabby? What’s going on that you may have not noticed? You may be doing something to turn away customers that you didn’t even realize you were doing.

*Note: If someone leaves you a review saying, “I’d rather drink expired milk every day for the rest of my life than go back to (your business),” do not try to find the truth in that. Just leave it alone.

Apologize.

So a person has indicated that they’re really disappointed and absolutely never going to return to your establishment again. Don’t just leave them alone to be angry. Here’s an example of how you could respond:

Hello (name of reviewer),

I am very concerned about your observations/experiences concerning (thing they did not like). We appreciate your feedback and can assure you (thing you did to fix it). I’d like to invite you back for a (discount/free item) so you can see how great we really are! Please email me at (email address) so we can work out the details.

We hope to see you again soon!

(Your name)

Do you have any tips?

How have you previously dealt with negative online reviews? Leave us a comment to let us know!

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Read relevant blogs.

Since you’re reading this blog post right now, you’re already on the right track to keeping up with marketing trends. For those who are serious about continuing their marketing education, it’s essential to stay organized. Once you’ve found more than one or two blogs you want to keep up with, you may want to subscribe via email or RSS feed – for example, using Google Reader.

Follow influential Tweeps.

You may find that many of your favorite marketing bloggers are also using Twitter to exchange ideas and engage in conversations about the constantly evolving nature of online marketing. Although these Tweets are much shorter and simpler than the thoughts laid out in a blog post, they are often posted much more frequently and allow for more one-on-one interaction. If you don’t know where to start, try following:

• Your favorite companies – a Twitter handle should be easy to find on their official websites
• Influential people from those companies – a simple Twitter search can help you find them
• Accounts that influence those people and companies (simply see who they follow and retweet)
• Our CEO Shama Kabani, @Shama on Twitter

If you start following more people than you can keep up with, try downloading one of the many Twitter desktop clients. You can organize your contacts into easily manageable lists, instead of trying to follow all of them in one stream.

Join LinkedIn groups.

Whatever your industry or concern, there’s probably a LinkedIn group addressing it, and it’s full of professionals just like you. Once you join a group, LinkedIn will suggest similar groups that you may also be interested in joining. If you have a question, you can ask it to your group members. Or you can pose it to the LinkedIn community at large using the LinkedIn Answers feature, which you may not have noticed since it’s buried in a submenu.

The Answers feature is a lot like Yahoo! Answers, except the questions are less outlandish and more professionally focused. You can pose your question into a specific category – marketing has its own, with multiple subcategories – and members of the LinkedIn community will answer for you. You can also answer other people’s questions, if you’re so inclined.

Attend a webinar.

There are tons of useful marketing conferences and seminars, but how are you supposed to get to all of them? Unless you have an unlimited budget and a private jet (and if you do, congratulations), you’re probably not going to make it to everything that interests you. The affordable alternative? Attend webinars. They’re generally free, and you can watch and listen from the comfort of your own office. Can’t make the webinar? Presentations are often posted online after the fact, either on the company website or Slideshare. Contact the specific webinar organizer for information.

Talk to an expert.

If you have a very specific question or concern, it may be more useful to contact an online marketing expert one-on-one. Reach out to your current marketing firm, or give The Marketing Zen Group a shout if you don’t have a designated online marketing team.

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What is viral content?

“Going viral” simply means that your content has been shared on a massive scale. Videos are often associated with going viral. For example, you may be one of the 71 million people who’s seen this Free Hugs video since it was uploaded in 2006.

What makes content go viral?

As shown in the Free Hugs video, people are more likely to share content that has made them feel some sort of emotional reaction. Other reasons people are likely to share content include:

It’s funny. Sometimes you need to take a break from the daily grind with a laugh. Think about it – there’s a reason The Simpsons has been on the air since 1989.

It’s useful. It’s nice to help other people, but sharing useful content can also help people seem a little more savvy or in-the-know.

It’s controversial. When something makes your jaw drop, what’s the first thing you usually do? Well, first you pick your jaw back up off the floor, but then you tell other people about it to watch their reactions.

Bonus: It features cute kids or animals. 

Can you give me an example of a successful viral marketing campaign?

Of course! Since we go above and beyond here at Marketing Zen, I’ll even give you two examples of online marketing campaigns gone viral.

1. Blendtec

Blendtec sells blenders. Blendtec also puts unusual objects in their blenders, videotapes the results, and posts these videos to YouTube in a series called “Will It Blend?”. They’ve blended a garden rake, some glow sticks, Justin Bieber (not the actual person), and even an iPad. These videos have racked up a total of almost 200 million views. Why? In an absurd way, the video campaign is pretty funny. There’s also the inherent curiosity involved when you see that a grown man is sticking a pool noodle into a blender.

2. Old Spice

How do you revamp a 72-year-old brand? Easy: hire a funny and good-looking spokesman, shoot a well-received Super Bowl commercial, and then spin that off into a social media campaign that results in your shirtless spokesman recording 183 personalized videos in three days (including one where he proposes to someone’s girlfriend for them). The result was millions upon millions of views and an almost 3000% increase in Twitter followers. How? One tactic employed by the team behind the campaign was to dive further into web communities than just Facebook and Twitter – for example, they took questions from both Digg and Reddit.

How do I make my content go viral?

Have a compelling title. The first thing part of your content that people will see, whether it’s a video, story, or infographic, is the title. Your wording needs to immediately spark interest.

Make sharing easy. The less work people have to do to share your post, the more likely they are to pass it along. Ensure that sharing buttons are prominently placed.

Don’t be long-winded. If you’re making a video, cut yourself off at the two-minute mark. Viewership drops off dramatically after that point. For articles, you want to write enough to be informative, but not so much that the reader feels like they’re staring at a wall of text. Break it up with photos and formatting.

Has any of your content ever gone viral? Tell us about it!

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The biggest mistake when trying to manage your online reputation is to be totally oblivious of what your reputation even is. How do people see you? Are they saying good or bad things? Is there something embarrassing about you from 10 years ago floating around out there? If your answer is “I don’t know” then that’s bad. Go to your search engine of choice. Type in your name. Read everything. Do this regularly. If you find any really potentially harmful information about yourself, like a leaked Social Security number or other content that should be immediately removed, contact the owner of the site. If you do not get a response, a support team from the search engine should be able to help you have the harmful content removed.

Be transparent.

If you’re responding to a negative comment on Yelp on behalf of your business, make it clear that you’re responding on behalf of your business. Don’t try to pass yourself off as a satisfied customer, outraged that someone had a bad experience. You’ll come off looking even worse once people find out you tried to mislead them – and believe me, they’ll find out. If negative comments appear on your own property (for example, your Facebook fan page) carefully consider the consequences before deleting them. Too much deleting can make you look like you have something to hide.

Don’t assume your actions are private.

Although emails, Facebook messages, and Twitter direct messages are more private forms of communication than things like blog posts, status updates, and tweets, they’re not absolute. Take the 2011 case of a U.S. politician who accidentally tweeted the contents of an explicit direct message. You probably heard about it – he was publicly humiliated and had no choice but to resign from office. Even if you’re not a married public servant sending dirty messages on the job, you still need to watch your step. The contents of a slanderous or embarrassing email or Facebook message can easily become public, whether by accident or by direct intent of the other party.

Regularly create fresh content.

If you can’t make the negative disappear completely, you can always try to make it appear lower in search results where people are less likely to see it. “If you can get stuff that you want people to see to outperform the stuff you don’t want them to see, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of harm that that negative or embarrassing content can do to your reputation,” says Google’s guide to protecting your personal information. Google and other search engines favor newer content, so it helps if this content is produced on a regular basis (for example: blog posts, Twitter and Facebook updates, press releases).

Know when it’s out of your hands.

If you feel like your online reputation is beyond your control, don’t lose hope. Online reputation management experts can assist you with damage control and rebuilding your good name. Contact the online marketing experts at Marketing Zen today for more information.

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1. Claim your venue.

Even if you’re not actively participating in Foursquare as a form of social media marketing yet, chances are users are already checking in to your business. If your business isn’t already there, that’s actually kind of a bad sign – any user can create a new venue, so why hasn’t somebody created yours yet? It’s not the end of the world, though, because it also means you can put yourself on Foursquare.

There are varying instructions if you’re a chain with 10+ (or 100+) locations. In any case, Foursquare will verify your ownership by phone or mail and then…well, what does being verified mean? Claiming your venue not only allows you to use Foursquare’s built-in analytics, but it also lets you:

2. Create a Foursquare special.

Verified business owners get free access to Foursquare’s merchant platform, which includes the ability to create a variety of different types of specials and discounts specifically for Foursquare users, which they can “unlock” when they check in to your location. Specials can target new customers (newbie special: get a discount or free item on the first check-in) or existing, loyal customers (loyalty special: a discount or free item every third or fourth check-in). You can even print off a sheet that explains how Foursquare works to your employees to prepare to implement a special.

If you do not have a physical location:

3. Create a Foursquare page.

What can pages do? Pages can have followers – users see your activity on their homepages. Pages can have a giant, customizable banner across the top of the page (it’s all about branding). All you need to create a page is a Twitter account, which you obviously already have. Right? Right. Unlike venues, which are created immediately, pages can take up to about two weeks to be implemented. Once your page is there, you can:

4. Leave tips at venues.

Foursquare describes a tip as “a tweet that’s anchored to a location,” although it’s a little bit more than that. Tips tell Foursquare users what to order, where to sit, if the bathrooms are gross, which exhibits to check out – they’re mini-reviews, but they can also do more than that. The HISTORY Channel page leaves tips with interesting historical facts. Foursquare’s brand platform home page has examples of how leaving tips can work for you no matter your industry, from non-profits to consumer goods to sports.

5. Create a Foursquare Partner Badge.

The previous four tips apply to everyone. This fifth tip applies to a very narrow selection of Foursquare pages. First of all, this is the only suggestion that isn’t free – Foursquare charges a fee to create a Partner Badge. Secondly, they’re very selective when it comes to creating badges. Foursquare receives a lot of submissions for Partner Badges, but has limited capability to make those ideas a reality. However, if you do get approved, you’ll be rewarded with vastly increased followers and a ton of exposure. Foursquare lists some tips to creating a campaign that they will approve.

It’s a Quick Response (QR) code. QR codes are similar to standard barcodes retailers use to track and price goods, except they can hold and share much more data. Believe it or not, these funny looking black and white boxes are revolutionizing mobile marketing.

How QR Codes Work

QR codes are activated when they are scanned or read by a mobile device. The only requirements are a smartphone with a camera and an installed barcode reader. Many free QR and barcode apps exist for both iPhone and Android. When you scan a QR code, you can link to many different types of content, including web, video, email, and IM.

Why Use QR Codes?

1. Generating a QR code is not only easy, it’s free
2. QR codes are convenient for users, who can access your content after a simple scan
3. Many QR codes, such as the ones offered by Google’s URL shortener, come with built-in analytics – so it’s easy to track their effectiveness

How to Use QR Codes in Mobile Marketing Campaigns

So we’ve talked about what QR codes do and the benefits of using them, but there’s still the question of what exactly you should do with them. Here are a few examples of how you might integrate QR codes into your marketing plan:

Placement

1. On posters, brochures, and flyers
2. On your business card or an event nametag
3. On product packaging, restaurant menus, and sales receipts
4. On the front of your business (Google Places offers decals)

Link to…

1. A mobile landing page, exclusive video, or your social media sites
2. A map or directions to your business
3. Exclusive coupons, discounts, or giveaways
4. A customer feedback form

For more QR code resources, check out these sites:

1. Moo.com – Custom business cards with QR codes
2. QR Stuff – Free QR code generator
3. QR Code Reader and Scanner – Exactly what it sounds like, for the iPhone
4. Barcode Scanner – A QR code reader for Android phones
5. 101 Uses for QR Codes – If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, this article is full of examples

* Far too many are yielding to a temptation (yes, let’s face it – out of fear) to PLAY SMALL…”hunkering down,” “treading water,” “pulling back for a while,” or even “waiting this out” (how’s that working so far?) … And, as management expert Tom Peters says:“You can’t SHRINK your way to GREATNESS.”

* Far too many others are “aiming too low” – toiling away at the level of mere TACTICS … chasing the next “shiny object” or tech toy … or even on the latest “hot” business model or “blueprint” … (Often jumping from one, to the next, to the next – with little to no results to show … and feeling increasingly more frustrated and overwhelmed in the process).

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our AIM is too high and we miss it.  Rather, it’s that we aim too low and we reach it.” ~ Michelangelo

* Far too many are failing … simply because they haven’t discovered the secrets – and step-by-step, proven system – to PLAYING BIG, at every level of their life and work … (And we’re going to share it with you, as our GIFT, below)

Perhaps you’ve noticed these signs, too?

It is an essential time to ask the question, don’t you think?

Because it is important for ALL of us to be aware that PLAYING SMALL can sneak up on us in the most stealthy ways.

Top 3 Signs It’s Time to Raise Your Game

1) You’re Not Yet Playing & Profiting at Your Highest Potential

You know you’re not yet playing – or profiting – at the HIGH level you should be (and that you need and deserve to be).

Here’s the TRUTH:

You can only PLAY BIG when you shift fully into your Signature GENIUS at every level – and share YOUR singular constellation of strengths, talents, gifts, expertise, experience, and style.

It is your unique GENIUS that SETS YOU APART … that differentiates you, your work, and your VALUE from ALL others.

[Hint: If your blog or social media content is not vibrant and flowing for you, it's very likely you're not yet clear on your Genius and Value ... for it is from this clarity that your singular, magnetic message will flow.]

What is it that ONLY you and your business can do?

The FIRST Step?

You must be Crystal Clear about your Signature Genius and Unmatched Value.  AND, if you’re not yet receiving the INCOME you deserve, from a loyal tribe of ideal clients, here’s another TRUTH:

You have already-existing, unique value and Singular STRENGTHS, and they are ready to be tapped, and matched directly with MULTIPLE streams of income right now.

*  Would you like for your clients to recognize the distinct value you offer immediately? …

*  Would you like to get paid at the level you’re truly worth … (Yes, even in challenging times)

*  Would you like to be in such demand that people are waiting in line to access what only you can provide?

If you’re not clear on your Signature GENIUS and true VALUE – it’s definitely time to RAISE YOUR GAME.

(We’ll help you get that clarity – see Master Class GIFT below)

* You’re in the Loop, Instead of the Leap

You keep running into the same issues and obstacles, and fighting the same fire drills – expending lots of energy, but without seeing real progress … Or you’re stuck and spinning around at the starting gate:

“I’ve got to ‘create a brand’ [whether it represents your GENIUS or not] …
I’ve got to ‘identify a niche’ [whether these are your "people" or not] …

I need to get into the latest marketing training [or other "hot" program]‘ …
I must first have this [latest gadget or software] before I move ahead …”

Not that each of these may not be valid – yes, even powerful – in the right context.

Yet, FIRST, you must have a clear, aligned Success Trajectory – so you move with ease and confidence into action – each day (both you and your team) – guided by a clear Success Plan.

If you’re stuck, stalled or overwhelmed, there’s a cure for that.

It’s time to RAISE YOUR GAME.

* You Realize the Global Game Has Changed

There is NO QUESTION this is a pivotal time – for you, and for your business.  Everywhere, individuals at the highest levels of success are investing this PIVOTAL TIME to reorient to, realign with, and expand their highest conceptions of success – to invest in building their value and in powerfully communicating their clear, compelling identity.

They know that NOW is the most crucial time to position themselves to offer their Signature GENIUS and Value on a level never before seen or experienced.

Slowly, but surely, the global marketspace is being shaken awake, in large part, by our collective, creative power. It is a new world – and opportunities abound.

The TRUE STARS are not only poised to ride the rising wave … they are the creators and catalysts DRIVING the wave.

Now is the time to step up and PLAY BIG, as you KNOW you are meant to, ALWAYS.

Now is the time to RAISE YOUR GAME.

This is about stepping into YOUR GREATNESS … and it will TRANSFORM the quality of your life and work, forever …

Because, when you fully share YOUR Greatness – your Singular GENIUS – it will set you apart.

The world will recognize it – and REWARD it.

Your Innovation, Creativity – and Business ROI (Profitability!) – will soar.

If you’re ready to step up, and forever leave behind you any lack of focus, procrastination, or wasted, lost time
wondering if you’re headed in the right direction, or if your efforts are going to pay off  …

If any of these Top 3 Signs It’s Time to Raise Your Game resonated with you – and you know there’s much more success awaiting you, when you play at your highest level …

You owe it to yourself to hear and see exactly how to RAISE YOUR GAME now (simply access my Master Class GIFT to you, through the link below)!

Global Innovation Expert Julie Ann Turner will show you EXACTLY how to RAISE YOUR GAME – through her ground-breaking, rave-reviewed “RAISE YOUR GAME” Master Class, through the exact proven, step-by-step system that aligns with your own GENIUS, and visually guides you as you shift up to PLAYING BIG at every level of your life and work.  Julie Ann, Founder/CEO of CreatorsGuide.com, is an author, executive mentor, social entrepreneur, and world expert on the creative process, and is a powerful guide to greatness for leaders across the globe.

INVALUABLE MASTER CLASS! (BUT NO CHARGE FOR YOU!)

Available now to you for exclusive download access for a limited time: RAISE YOUR GAME! Why It’s Essential for You to Play (& Profit) at Full Power NOW

>>> Click here now to access your Master Class: http://is.gd/qfy7K2

Note from Shama: Pssst!  Just a note to let you know there is a VALUABLE BONUS offered at the end of the Master Class -
which Julie Ann has extended to all of you, as my guests – so don’t miss out on your chance (hint: you might even get the chance for complimentary
One-on-One Mentoring directly with Julie Ann, on the areas of life and work most important for you!)

>>> RAVE REVIEWS on Julie Ann’s RAISE YOUR GAME! Webinar:

Thank you for the MOST POWERFUL WEBINAR I have ever seen!  Julie Ann Turner is a wonderful speaker. I feel blessed to have had the chance to listen to her powerful truths.  The discovery that I have unlimited power and abilities has rocked my world! …  Thank you so much for showing me the light! ~ Laura Baddeley

I have re-played and re-played and replayed the Webinar and I want to sincerely say THANK YOU.  It has profoundly changed me; I have experienced a shift and I feel empowered for awhile.It is difficult to break old 50 year old habits.Actually I would just like to talk to you about you, I found you very inspiring.  It would be an honor to talk to someone like you that gives so much to so many. Love,  Sylvia Martinez / Goodrich Interiors / Technical Writer

Hi Julie Ann, I was on your call last week with Kevin Nations and I have to sat it was FANTASTIC!  This is about the only call I’ve been on where there was actually VERY useful information.  So many calls these days are just infomercials…not yours!  You have information that can be applied immediately. The call was a breath of fresh air.  Thanks so much! Gregg Swanson; CPT, CMSC, CLSC, CLFC / Mental Strength Coach / “Thoughts, Actions, Results”

Hi Julie Ann, I very much enjoyed the Webinar!  You explained POWER in a systematic way which works for me from the beginning.  I found that using a person we can all identify with very useful, because of where Arnold did come from to where he is today.  With any kind of limitations, we should all be able to accomplish or reach our goals if we have the desire to do the steps to get there, and the imagination to create or be open to any imaginable possibilities.  To access the vision of the arcs on my computer screen made it more real for me also.  When I review my notes I made from the webinar, I can see how my mind was being influenced to think outside of the box and to reach higher, that more POTENTIAL is available. I thank you. ~Leah Knight

Thank you so much for that AMAZING call.  You OPENED MY EYES to things I hadn’t thought of before. ~Barbara Reynolds

Thank you for a WONDERFUL webinar!  I enjoyed seeing how you present what I experience as basic truths about creating.  My experience personally and with clients is that a key to sustaining the kinds of shifts you speak about is to create practices that support embodying them — most of our bodies being in the ‘habit’ of operating differently (with lots of support from our culture) — and to put in place support systems such as coaching that keep us on track when we want to retreat to our old ways.      I LOVED your graphic presentation, your pacing, and the passion that you bring to this subject (gentle, not overpowering, but clear and present).  I appreciated you sharing that while the concept is ‘simple’ making the shift is not always easy.  With gratitude.  ~Cindy Reinhardt

The very FIRST PRIORITY and MOST IMPORTANT TOOL in your toolbox when marketing online is your website. Just “having” a website is not good enough. You must have a well-engaging, well-converting website. You have to remember that when it all boils down to it, one of the main reasons we market on various online networks is to DRIVE TRAFFIC TO OUR WEBSITE. So it is imperative that when people get there, that the site engages them to convert in some form or fashion. We don’t want all of our efforts in driving people to our website to result in them just hitting the back button. What good does that do?

Let’s first address what a conversion is. A conversion is when a visitor takes a call to action. They essentially take a step to consume your information. Conversions could be:

• Subscribing to your blog RSS.
• Downloading free report/signing up for your newsletter.
• Following you on Twitter
• “Liking” you on Facebook
• Connecting with you on LinkedIn
• Emailing you
• Calling you
• Purchasing something online

When we drive people to our websites, we want people to CONVERT. All of the above conversions are valuable…not just the “purchase something online”. 65% of people do not “buy” the first time they visit a website. Generally they are just consuming information first, or researching. That’s why it’s so important to give people options on how to receive this information. Many times we have to build trust and credibility with our visitors before they “buy”.

So, what makes a WELL ENGAGING, WELL CONVERTING website? There are five things I always look for in a website.

• Does it look professional, or does it look like my 14-year old nephew made it? Many times, our website is our first impression online. So it’s extremely important that if you’re doing business online that you have a professional appearance (meaning a professional-looking website). You wouldn’t show up to visit a new prospect in a T-shirt and shorts, right? Same idea goes for your website.

• Does it have a blog? A blog is ESSENTIAL to a good online campaign for several reasons:

• A blog is your education component. Again, the goal is to establish trust and credibility…that YOU are the industry expert. Show you are up with the latest-and-greatest, and you care enough to share these resources and tips with your visitors. Obviously don’t give away any proprietary information.

• A blog feeds into your social media outlets and syndicates out to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn…again getting your great information out to the masses, building trust and credibility.

• A blog is essential for a good Search Engine Optimization campaign. Content is key to the search engines. Google LOVES new content…relevant content. By providing new content consistently on your site that is relevant to your keywords, you are going a long way to increase your search engine rankings. Keep in mind, this is not the ONLY thing you have to do…there are over 200 items that go into optimizing a website for search rankings, but fresh, relevant content is essential.

• Does it have a free giveaway to entice them to sign up for our newsletter? People get so many emails in their inboxes these days…no one in their right mind is going to sign up for another newsletter. HOWEVER, by providing a great free report in exchange for their name and email address, we can capture leads. Generally a “Top 10 List of…”, “7 Secrets to…” or a “How to….” are great giveaways that people will want to download. If they download the report, obviously they are a hot lead that you can now continue to market to through your email marketing campaign.

• Is it integrated with your social media outlets? Can people easily follow you on Twitter, “Like” you on Facebook, see your YouTube videos or connect with you on LinkedIn? Can people easily share or “Like” content on your site? This is essential to help spread the word and great content you are producing with the masses.

So, all of the above is to say, BEFORE you jump on the social media bandwagon, take minute to make sure your website is a true MARKETING TOOL that is working to engage and convert the visitors that come to your site. If your website does not do this, NO AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC TO YOUR SITE WILL GET YOU BUSINESS if your site doesn’t convert!