• Full name, good photo – It may seem obvious, but include a first and last name along with a good picture. Simply putting “John D.” won’t cut it and neither will a haphazard, “shoot’em at dawn against a brick wall” smartphone mugshot. Remember, profiles with pictures get more views and you don’t want people checking out your LinkedIn page to guffaw at an embarrassing photo.

• Good headline – A good newspaper editor will tell you that it’s the headline that gets readers hooked. It’s the same on LinkedIn. Make your headline a strong one, usually something that incorporates your job description such as “CEO of Widgets, Inc.” Also, make sure your summary section is sharp and describes you or your firm’s abilities and client list. Use key words to help you stand out from the crowd.

• Concise history – List your most recent positions under your work history. Don’t go into nauseating historical detail and also avoid lists of clubs and organizations unless they clearly speak to your strengths and potential. Instead, emphasize your professional accomplishments with attention grabbing specifics like how you boosted 4th quarter sales by 35%.

• Get referrals – Without a doubt, this is one of the most attractive and powerful features of LinkedIn. Each contact can open the door to dozens more and requesting referrals from contacts is as easy as sending a message. If you can, try to get authentic referrals (actually composed by the referrer) rather than the built-in ones provided by LinkedIn; they’re much more powerful.

• Complete a company page – If this applies, create a page to promote your firm but remember that it must exude professionalism and polish. Using LinkedIn’s tools, be sure to include basic information about your company, post job openings (under careers), include your products and, under Admintools, you can even advertise your company via a LinkedIn ad campaign.

written by SCOTT WIGTON

By now you’ve probably noticed them, the quirky looking little squares made up of seemingly random blips of even smaller black and white squares.
 
These objects, resembling the blocky looking dot matrix patterns of old, are popping up in a variety of places lately, from product packaging and various print media to roadside billboards.

What are they? They’re called quick response codes, or QR codes for short, and they’re gradually gaining traction as a marketing tool throughout the United States and beyond. Although they seem to have abruptly appeared on the scene, the truth is that QR codes are not really that new. In fact, they were invented in Japan back in the mid 1990s to help automobile manufacturers, using scanning devices, track the movement of parts in their supply chains. Then someone came up with the bright idea of using these codes for wider applications, including marketing.
 
QR Codes and Smart Phones
Until fairly recently, QR codes weren’t making much headway into American markets, but the concept has received a huge boost due to the power of web enabled smart phone technology and the expansion of powerful wireless networks that deliver content on demand. Now, an ever growing number of users can access the Internet at high speed from virtually anywhere. As it turns out, QR codes and smart phones (enabled by the appropriate code reading app) go hand in hand. App-enabled smart phones can instantly scan and decode the 2 - dimensional QR code images, and, unlike standard barcodes, each QR code is capable of conveying a surprisingly large amount of information.
 
So what can a QR code do? Basically, these magical little matrices store information that is useful to end users that gives them the opportunity to acquire product information, learn about time sensitive deals and coupons, visit websites, purchase tickets and otherwise become engaged in the web of marketing promotions.
 
Various Uses of QR Codes
Because QR codes store information, including Internet URLs, about products and services, they’re gradually emerging as a legitimate vehicle that directs traffic to websites where, as you know, transactions can occur. In an age where technology both satisfies the need for instant gratification and intensifies competition, the QR code allows handheld device users (in particular, smart phone users) to more quickly access information and, hopefully, make faster purchasing decisions based on that information.
 
So let’s run down what QR codes can be used for:

• Product or event registration

• Product and parts tracking

• Promotional coupons/special offer information

• Products and services information

• Contact information

• Direct link to websites

• Link friends and customers to your social networking pages

• Mobile ticketing for entertainment and transportation

QR Codes Are Low Cost, Paper-Based ‘Hyperlink’
From a marketing perspective, QR codes are used to link conventional advertising (through various print media) to online sites and promotions. For example, in your magazine ad or coupon, you may include a QR code that when scanned opens up your website on their smart phone and potentially results in a purchase. This practice of linking physical objects such as paper promotional material directly to online resources is called hardlinking. In effect, a print ad with a QR code on it becomes a paper-based hyperlink.
 
Maybe your QR code contains information about an important new product or has a time sensitive offer or inducement to draw potential customers to your online presence. Some businesses now include QR codes on employee business cards, providing more information about the company and the services it offers.
 
Another attractive feature of QR codes is that you can make your own, for free, through any number of web-based services (just Google “Create QR code"). Not only that,QR codes are not restricted by any licensing requirements. As awareness of QR codes continues to grow and with more and more people utilizing smart phone technology and mobile applications, QR codes can become a significant, and relatively low cost, part of your overall marketing efforts.

written by SCOTT WIGTON

YES, YOU ARE AN EXPERT

7 tips to boost your business through ARTICLE MARKETING

Remember that “stuck-up” kid in school? You know, the one who thought she had the real “wow!” factor going on and considered herself to be the coolest thing in the universe (and therefore beloved (and envied by all).
 
There was just one little problem. Nobody really loved her and few wanted to be friends with her. It’s hard to love a snob, isn’t it?
 
Well, this is just the sort of problem many websites have. Too often they’re bloated monuments to the self-importance of their owners and creators. It’s as if they’re shouting “Hey, look at me, aren’t I cool? Aren’t I smart? Aren’t I clever and cute?”
 
To which most website visitors respond: “Um, no, you’re actually pretty lame. See you later.” And who can blame them? You’re saying you’re great when...you’re so obviously not.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T DO THIS

It’s frequently obvious in the copy, the lifeblood of every website. Funny thing is, so much web writing is so very bad. Take, for example, this little gem pinched from a florist’s website describing a flower on offer: “Pinkly pulchritudinous and amazingly delightful, infinitely charming and sensationally fascinating. Ugh. Would that entice you to purchase that flower, or, more likely, induce a fit of eye rolling exasperation?
 
Words matter. If your web copy is oozing adjectives, clogged with shop talk (words and terms understood only by business/industry insiders) or heavily seasoned with $10 dollar words (that’s you lawyers!) that would require readers to consult a dictionary, then you’ve definitely crossed the line.

Even worse is to clumsily tout yourself, especially if you’re in a crowded and competitive e-marketplace. Consider this all too common variation of website self-appreciation: “Why choose us when you have a million choices? The answer is simple. Because we are the best! Best in quality, best in service...” etc.
 
Yeah, right! If that doesn’t sound like that stuck-up kid from school (“I’m the best!”) then nothing does! Websites that do this are essentially saying “We’re great because we say so!” (Can’t you just hear Dr. Phil asking, “How’s that line workin’ for ya?”)
 
Have you committed these website sins (among others)? Chances are you probably have and don’t even realize it. Don’t worry, though, the good news is that you can repent and change your ways!
 
It all begins with an honest appraisal, or audit, of your content. This can be personally and professionally painful, especially if you are the content creator, as is the case with many small businesses.

WHO IS THIS ABOUT ANYWAY?

The most important lesson in this process is: It’s not about you! It’s about your audience. Too many companies of all sizes inundate website customers with information about themselves and how wonderful they are. Who cares!
 
Every word and image must be geared toward meeting THEIR needs, not yours, and helping take an action or make a decision. Therefore, content rule number one is to know who your audience is, what interests them and how to meet their specific desires. Fail to heed this overriding rule and you might as well forgo a web strategy.
 
If, however, you do observe this rule, then a careful analysis of your existing or planned content is in order. The following will be helpful in guiding you through a content appraisal.
are you saying what you think you're saying?

Are the graphics, words, video and audio elements on your web pages conveying the information, the feel and the ability to take action that your audience desires? Carefully look at your content to make sure it is saying precisely what you intend it to. Better yet, have someone else (who didn’t create the content) take a look at it. Being removed from the creation process, they’re much more likely to be able to determine if your message is hitting the mark.

1. are you saying what you think you're saying?
   Are the graphics, words, video and audio elements on your web pages conveying the information, the feel and the ability to take action that your audience desires? Carefully look at your content to make sure it is saying precisely what you intend it to. Better yet, have someone else (who didn’t create the content) take a look at it. Being removed from the creation process, they’re much more likely to be able to determine if your message is hitting the mark.
   
   
2. up-to-date and accurate
   Seriously, you’ve got to keep things fresh. Info that is weeks, months or even years old is inexcusable if you expect to get anything out of your web marketing strategy (i.e. more business!). Are your links dead ends? Are your logos, copyrights and trademarks current? How about your stats? Inaccurate and old information undermines your credibility.
   
   
3. getting things done
   This is about your website visitor’s ability to get done what he or she wants to accomplish. Do you make it easy to do so? If you’re selling, is it easy to buy from you? If you’re receiving donations, do you make it easy and secure for people to give? If you’re offering information to help people make decisions, is that information accurate, concise and well presented? Again, is it actionable information or stale and useless? Remember, you must be ruthless when auditing your information!
   
   
4. go ahead and get help—IT'S WORTH IT!
   Finally, unless you are an adept copywriter or trained graphic artist and web designer, it’s best to farm out your web content to professionals. You’d be surprised how many small to medium business websites rely on unskilled, in-house content creators with results that range from the merely embarrassing to the legally suspect. Here again, however, be discriminating and don’t allow your writers and designers to make another cardinal error — that of making your website a showcase of them and their wonderful talents rather than your bottom line!

Remember, your credibility comes from helping your customers accomplish what they want when they visit your website. It doesn’t come from saying how great you are! Leave that to the stuck-up kids at school.
 

written by Scott Wigton

1. The types of content (articles, data, graphics, video, etc.) required to meet end users’ needs (and thus meet  your primary objective) and, secondly,  who is responsible for creating that content.
   
   
2. How all web content is to comply with your brand and messaging.
   
   
3. How the content is to be organized (information architecture) on the website.
   
   
4. A workflow process, cooperating with other people and departments if necessary, to ensure content delivery to the site.
   
   
5. A process (and an editorial leader) for content maintenance and updating once the site is up and running.

 
Next month, we’ll look at the qualities that make web content good and how to improve yours!


written by Scott Wigton

Unfortunately, this frequently isn’t the case.

Let’s Be Honest

Too often, websites resemble a confused amalgam of half-baked ideas and incoherent packaging that probably arose from an equally confused and possibly politically compromised development process.

Go see for yourself. Visit a few sites. Did they really meet YOUR needs? Or are they little more than quivering heaps of low grade cyber schlock that leave much to be desired?

Some people (read customers) have simply resigned themselves to wading through the cyber schlock. Those who won’t, however, will simply take their business elsewhere. After all, a better site may only be a single click away.

Now consider your own website. Be honest. Think from the perspective of a potential customer. Your  foremost thoughts should be: 1) Does this website actually meet my customer’s needs, by helping them take an action?  2) Does it support our specific business objectives?

If you can’t answer these questions with a definitive (and honest) yes!, then you’ve got a problem.

Content Is King
In real estate, the enduring mantra is: Location! Location! Location! For websites it’s: Content! Content! Content!

Content is the driving force behind all successful online efforts. Good content boosts sales, boosts credibility and boosts loyalty. Good content gets things done. But don’t all websites have content? Yes. It’s just that most of it is poorly conceived and frequently irrelevant and too often useless.

One  problem is that content is treated as a low priority in the web development process. Why? Because creating good content takes time, discipline and forethought. Thus, it can seem vague and daunting at the outset of a web project. Remember, quality content always provides value to your audience while simultaneously delivering on your business goals.

Another problem is many people mistakenly view content as a cheap commodity, something to just “fill out the pages”  and of relatively little importance. Thus, it becomes almost an afterthought and a breeding ground for mediocrity or worse.

Finally, if your company has multiple stakeholders, then everyone is going to have their ideas and demands about what qualifies as essential content. Meetings will be held, surveys taken and lists created. And then the real fun begins as these same stakeholders battle it out for their slice of the pie.

A Few Helpful Guidelines
So, if you want better content for your website,  it’s helpful to keep a few critical points in mind:

1. Ask the all important question — Simply asking “Why?” focuses minds on exactly what it is you hope to accomplish through your website and the central role that content plays. As the process unfolds, this question forces a stricter examination and, hopefully, a higher standard of content.
   
   
2. Don’t tune out — There probably are several stakeholders in your business with an interest in delivering web content. Listen to them, be open to their ideas, but don’t rubberstamp them in the interests of simply getting along. Their ideas and content must align with the overall objectives to be realized.
   
   
3. Bigger is not better — dial back on quantity of content. Too many sites unleash a virtual avalanche of material, most of it useless to the end user. Be brutal when it comes to deciding what is important, and what accomplishes defined objectives.
   
   
4. Designate a content czar — A website project with a content czar is like a chicken without a head. This doesn’t mean that no one else contributes content. A content czar is simply empowered to ensure that all content, from whatever source, meets the litmus test of 1) meeting end users’ needs and 2) achieving clear business objectives.

Next month, we’ll take a look at how to develop a strategy for better content. 

written by Scott Wigton

Four thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians began hanging up papyrus scrolls that advertised everything from cornmeal to camels. Suddenly, a new marketing medium was born and business would never be the same. Shopkeepers and traders now had a cheaper, more efficient way to market their products (imagine the benefits of not having to chisel your sales pitch into stone!).

Obviously, the art and science of marketing has come a long way since that dramatic innovation of so long ago. In the last century, we’ve seen the addition of other marketing game changers in the forms of radio and television, with each demanding its own strategy. And, in the last 15 years, another revolutionary platform has emerged (you guessed it, the Internet) and with it has arisen yet another form of marketing — e-marketing.

WHAT IS IT? SIMPLY PUT, E-MARKETING IS THE PROCESS OF MARKETING A BRAND USING ELECTRONIC MEANS, PARTICULARLY THE INTERNET

This happens through websites, emails, banner ads, blogs, social media and search engine optimization among others. For most businesses today, e-marketing is, or should be, part of their overall marketing strategy.

E-marketing (also often called online or Internet marketing) aims to attract new business, retain current customers and strengthen brand identity and loyalty. 

however, unlike other more “traditional” forms of marketing, e-marketing enjoys the pronounced benefit of yielding a much higher return on investment (ROI)

Just as with other forms of marketing, the key to success with e-marketing is designing a clear strategy and then creating the means (website, email, online ads, etc.) to execute that strategy.

that’s why it’s always wise to consult with experts who can help you develop an e-marketing strategy from scratch or overhaul an existing one that needs refinement or replacement

SETTING YOUR E-MARKETING GOALS

When developing an e-marketing plan, it’s vital to keep the following objectives in mind (before having a website or other online tangibles created) to achieve the best results:

1. increase sales —This should be the primary purpose of your e-marketing strategy, even if you aren’t operating an e-commerce site that actually sells products online. The fact is you are always building your brand and reinforcing customer confidence, interest and loyalty. Today’s customers often go online for information before making a buying decision. So, while you may not receive direct online revenue, you could see significant increases in revenue because of buying decisions directly influenced by your e-marketing efforts.
   
   
2. decrease costs — As mentioned earlier, the costs associated with e-marketing are substantially less over the long run compared to other forms of marketing including print, radio and television. Money, time and resources are saved and costs per transaction are significantly less than over the phone or in person. Customers like online transactions because, if done right, they are quick, easy and cost them less time and effort.
   
   
3. build the brand — Careful thought must be given to how your e-marketing efforts will impact and build your brand. Brands are critical to increasing recognition, trust and strengthening relationships between you and your customers. Your website, online ads, email campaigns, e-newsletters, blogs and social media efforts all should integrate to make your brand stronger.
   
   
4. increase value to customers — When customers visit your website or encounter any of your electronic communications, they should have an exemplary experience that makes it easy and pleasant for them to get information or conduct transactions. They should be given reasons to visit again and a chance to offer feedback on your products, services and presentation. Importantly, online customer requests/feedback ought to be handled quickly to further enhance your reputation and validate your e-marketing efforts.
   
   
5. build relationships — It may seem counterintuitive since the Internet isn’t an interpersonal medium, at least in the traditional sense, but e-marketing can help you create and reinforce relationships with your customers.  Various tools can allow you to track your customers’ online behavior so you can respond better to their needs.  Also, it is an inexpensive way to collect data, query your customers and respond to their input and queries. This fosters a kind of dialogue that if handled promptly and carefully, will only serve to bolster your relationship with them. 

written by Scott Wigton

1. Maintain a strong, even aggressive marketing posture — Becoming a shrinking violet during times of recession or very slow growth (as we’re experiencing now) is a temptation that’s easy to give in to. After all, we’re inundated with negative news on a daily basis. But most of that news has little to do with you or your business. Chances are, however, many of your competitors have caved in and are pulling back. What does this mean for you? It means that as they pull back, you can expand into new territory. Customers crave stability and confidence and if you project these qualities you will only enhance your market position. So, keep your visibility strong and market presence consistent.
   
   
2. Don’t eviscerate your marketing — Yet another “slow times” trap that’s easy to fall into. If you do cut your marketing, you are essentially guaranteeing slower business, not only now, but also when the economy turns around and consumers come back in force. Too often, business operators rationalize that they’ll cut today and ramp up when things get better. The problem with that is by the time they ramp up marketing, they will be at a disadvantage to competitors who maintained or increased their marketing efforts through tough times. Again, studies of business behaviors during previous recessions bear this out.
   
   
3. Dare to increase your marketing budget — even by adding staff. All right, this may seem like a radical idea, at least on the surface, but if you can do it, you should strongly consider it. The question you must ask yourself is, “How much opportunity am I willing to sacrifice by playing it safe?”
   
   
4. See marketing as a profit — Many business operators have to overcome the attitude of seeing their marketing, branding and advertising efforts as pure costs. While they certainly involve costs, they drive revenues, assuming you provide quality products and services. A simple change in attitude about marketing will not only help you avoid shrinking revenues today, but will open up huge opportunities in the future.
   
   
5. Build relationships, deliver quality — Remember, marketing is not just providing information; it’s about creating lasting bonds between customers and brands. This is even more important during slow times when customer loyalty can be tested by forces outside your control. Every relationship must, however be founded upon quality. Recessions and slowdowns are not the time to go cheap on your products and services — or taking the cheap route on your marketing and branding. In the end, you’ll only be compromising your reputation and losing hard won ground. Going cheap may feel good at first, but like a severe case of heartburn after that big cheeseburger, you’ll pay for it later.
   
   
6. Sharpen your focus — This is vital in your existing and well-established markets. This not only gives your current customers comfort and builds loyalty, it gives you a springboard to expand your presence and revenue growth as things turn around.

 written by Scott Wigton