<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Local Marketing Ideas &#187; information</title>
	<atom:link href="http://localmarketingideas.com/tag/information/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://localmarketingideas.com</link>
	<description>Free Advice to Help You Market Your Local Business</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 14:22:04 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Is Your Small Business Using Online Local Marketing?</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/is-your-small-business-using-online-local-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/is-your-small-business-using-online-local-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:29:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Everything Else]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[link]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[local marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing tactics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business owner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[store visits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1316</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Allan Joseph As a small business owner, if you do not take advantage of the Internet, then you are missing a huge opportunity to promoting your products and services. Using online local Internet marketing tactics can transform your small business marketing into BIG business marketing. Nearly 50% of businesses have taken that first essential [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By Allan Joseph</p>
<p>As a small business owner, if you do not take advantage of the Internet, then you are missing a huge opportunity to promoting your products and services. Using online local Internet marketing tactics can transform your small business marketing into BIG business marketing.</p>
<p>Nearly 50% of businesses have taken that first essential step to getting online: building a web site. That&#8217;s great but, unfortunately, just having that small piece of real estate on the web isn&#8217;t enough. It&#8217;s a start, so let&#8217;s build on that by reviewing some basic things to do with the web site first. The appearance and the content of your web site should be simple and valuable. Whoever visits your site should find it attractive and should be able to clearly understand your company&#8217;s benefits. Try having enough information on the site to answer the most frequent questions that your prospective customer might have. Even more, have information on the site that explains what they SHOULD know, but don&#8217;t know to ask about. Again, just putting up a site on the Internet isn&#8217;t going to be enough to bring more business, but make sure it is done right.</p>
<p>The key to using your web site to drive more traffic to your business, with phone calls, online purchases, or in-store visits, is capture the attention of people searching for your goods and services online. The number of people using search engines, such as Google, to find local businesses like yours is skyrocketing. Recent studies show that many more people are searching the web for local products and services than picking up the &#8220;handy&#8221; yellow page book. Google and its rivals have figured that out and they are investing heavily to designing their search engines to cater to that audience. Therefore, you need to do THREE THINGS right now to benefit from that trend.</p>
<p>1) First, construct your web site to conform with what the search engines want to show their users. Specifically, find out what the online searchers are typing into the search box and write your web site&#8217;s content to accommodate. That is often referred to in the Internet marketing community as on-page search engine optimization (or SEO).</p>
<p>2) Second, promote your web site in as many places as possible (online and offline). &#8220;As many places as possible&#8221; includes, but is not limited to, these activities: finding web pages online where a link to your web site can be placed; adding your business information to online local directories; adding your business information to social media sites; creating content in the form of articles, videos, images, reports, etc. and posting it on a variety of online content sharing web sites; and others! With a little creativity, you will find that there are more opportunities to reference your business and link back to your web site than you&#8217;ll ever be able to do.</p>
<p>3) Third, manage your reputation online. If you do nothing else, you should be monitoring what people online are saying about you, your business, your competitors, your suppliers, and even your customers (if you&#8217;re B2B). Many tools exist to monitor these conversations.</p>
<p>If you want to attract more customers, then take advantage of the Internet by making it easy for people to find your business when they are looking for it. Nowadays, people are using the Internet as their primary source for researching local businesses. If you understand that and implement these three steps, you will be in a great position to attract that audience. If not, your competitors will.</p>
<p>If you are a small business owner that understands the value of the Internet as described in this article, then you&#8217;re ready to take action.</p>
<p>Click this link to find out more about affordable <a target="_blank" href="http://www.opformation.com"  target="_new">local online marketing</a>.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/"  title="http://ezinearticles.com/" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">ezinearticles.com/</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/is-your-small-business-using-online-local-marketing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Affordable Local Marketing Techniques</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/affordable-local-marketing-techniques/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/affordable-local-marketing-techniques/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:46:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Everything Else]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contacting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Creating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[designing a website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Engine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet presence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[local marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine rankings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1284</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Liz T Jones Effective local marketing is necessary to expand a business and increase profits. Business owners do not have to spend a ton of money to lead a successful advertising campaign. Internet presence, social media, and print media are all tools that do not cost a lot. With a few easy techniques, local [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em> By Liz T Jones </em></p>
<p>Effective local marketing is necessary to expand a business and  increase profits. Business owners do not have to spend a ton of money to  lead a successful advertising campaign. Internet presence, social  media, and print media are all tools that do not cost a lot. With a few  easy techniques, local businesses can easily reach hundreds of  customers.</p>
<p>The first step is to create a website. The Internet is a  very powerful marketing tool and its benefits should not be  underestimated. Well-designed websites with high search engine rankings  can reach thousands of people. Establishing a presence on the Internet  is essential for any company to succeed in today&#8217;s technology driven  world. Local business marketing should always include targeting  potential customers through the Internet. Creating a website is easier  and faster than most people think. The key to designing a website that  will attract visitors is making it user-friendly. Include essential  elements such as services or products offered, pricing, and contact  information. A website should be well organized, and people must be able  to find what they need easily. Hire a search engine optimization  expert, so that customers can easily find it when searching for relevant  keywords.</p>
<p>Another aspect of the Internet that can be very useful  is social media. In recent years, social media websites have become very  popular. Millions of people use them every day. Creating an account is  easy and can provide many benefits. It is a great way to get exposure,  advertise, and communicate with clients. The page should be updated  often with any news or specials, and the comment option should be  enabled, so that users can leave valuable feedback.</p>
<p>Print media  can also be a successful marketing tool. Contacting local media can put  the spotlight on a new or existing business and attract more customers  who might not have known about it before. Press releases are another way  to reach out to local residents. Another way to take advantage of media  outlets is putting an advertisement in newspapers and magazines.  Include any details that might get a reader&#8217;s attention such as  discounts or specials.</p>
<p>The Internet is arguably the best way to  promote a business. The number of people that can be reached through  social media and a well-designed website is limitless. Contacting small  media outlets is a great way to target local residents. Take advantage  of local marketing tools that are readily available, create specials,  and always remain professional to gain and keep a loyal following for  many years to come.</p>
<p>Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information about <a target="_blank" href="http://www.local-marketing.com/"  target="_new">local business marketing</a>, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.local-marketing.com/"  target="_new">http://www.local-marketing.com/</a>.</p>
<p>Article Source: 				<a target="_blank" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Liz_T_Jones" >http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_T_Jones</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/affordable-local-marketing-techniques/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Implementing Local Business Internet Marketing</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/implementing-local-business-internet-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/implementing-local-business-internet-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:11:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Local SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accurate profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business profiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google maps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[keyword phrases]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[site]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1245</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by Liz Jones About one-third of people deliberately search for information about local businesses through the internet rather than through the phone book or other traditional media. Ignoring this fact can be detrimental, but those that take advantage of local business internet marketing will see the advantages that are available. There are three basic steps [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>by Liz Jones</p>
<p>About one-third of people deliberately search for  information about local businesses through the internet rather than  through the phone book or other traditional media. Ignoring this fact  can be detrimental, but those that take advantage of local business  internet marketing will see the advantages that are available. There are  three basic steps that a local business can utilize in order to market  itself online. They are not necessarily followed in any particular  order, but they include managing online business profile information,  optimizing web pages for local internet searches, and increasing the  local popularity of the site by dominating the search results.</p>
<p>There  are various sites that provide business profiles, and the most  important ones are those run by the primary search engines. In order to  ensure that the search engines have an accurate profile of a business,  it is necessary to improve and correct profile data through various  online channels. These include data providers such as Amacai, infoUSA,  and Acxiom. The search engines themselves have business profiles as  well. These include Google Maps, Bing Local, Yahoo Local, <a href="http://Local.com"  title="http://Local.com" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">Local.com</a>,  <a href="http://Ask.com"  title="http://Ask.com" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">Ask.com</a> Local, and TrueLocal. The search engines obtain information from  the national data providers, but allow businesses to submit their  information as well. Internet yellow pages such as Switchboard,  <a href="http://YellowPages.com"  title="http://YellowPages.com" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">YellowPages.com</a>, <a href="http://SuperPages.com"  title="http://SuperPages.com" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">SuperPages.com</a>, and Citysearch should also contain  up-to-date information.</p>
<p>The next step is to optimize the primary  website. This means performing keyword research, providing relevant  local information, organizing the site both for users and search engines  to understand, and obtaining links from high quality sites related to  the subject of the business. In addition to these tasks, which are  relevant to all online businesses, a local business marketing strategy will target keyword phrases that reflect local needs, and  information on the site will seem targeted to local traffic rather than a  generic audience. Furthermore, a local phone number and address should  be listed on all prominent pages of the site, or even on every page.  Display a local phone number even if a toll-free number is also  available, as this is helpful for the search engines and people to  determine the location of the business. Driving directions can also be  helpful.</p>
<p>The final step is to dominate the search results for  keywords related to the business. The first two steps contribute to  this. There are three locations that a search engine can display a  website: the general search results, the local listings, and the  advertisements. The first step focuses on a high location in the local  results and the second step focuses on a high rank in the general  results. By taking advantage of pay-per-click opportunities, a business  can advertise next to the search results as well.</p>
<h3>About the Author</h3>
<p>Author is a freelance writer. For more information on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.local-marketing.com/"  target="_new">local business marketing</a>, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.local-marketing.com/"  target="_new">http://www.local-marketing.com/</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/implementing-local-business-internet-marketing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sending Online Coupons Increases Sales And Promotes Your Local Business</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/sending-online-coupons-increases-sales-and-promotes-your-local-business/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/sending-online-coupons-increases-sales-and-promotes-your-local-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:02:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Email Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[auto responder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing campaign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[percent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[place business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[schuman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ways to save money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1213</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By: Jeff Schuman An effective way to promote your local business information and also increase sales at the same time is to include coupons with an email marketing campaign. Those receiving the promotional emails are more likely to open them when discounts for products or services are involved. A recent survey by Experian discovered that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By: Jeff Schuman</p>
<p>An effective way to promote your local business information and also  increase sales at the same time is to include coupons with an email  marketing campaign. Those receiving the promotional emails are more  likely to open them when discounts for products or services are  involved.</p>
<p>A recent survey by Experian discovered that when marketing emails also  included a coupon there was a higher transaction-to-click rate than  those without. The results were the same whether the full list received  the email or if only a segmented group received it.</p>
<p>Before we get ahead of ourselves, it&#8217;s important for all small local  businesses to understand the importance of having an auto-responder and  some type of opt-in subscription form on their website. Once in place,  business can be more efficient and effective with sending marketing  emails.</p>
<p>With most consumers now thinking of ways to save money, businesses need  to be keenly aware of the importance of offering deals. Those that  understand this and meet those demands will be more successful than  those businesses that underestimate the importance of doing so.</p>
<p>In fact, Experian has also found that 66 percent of United States  households now use coupons. It&#8217;s important for businesses to send out   coupons via email because there&#8217;s an increase of nearly 50 percent of  people using coupons from that source since 2007.</p>
<p>The value of email coupons is that they increase interaction or  participation of the readers and can be seen in these statistics:  marketing emails including coupons are opened approximately 25 percent  of the time compared to only about 17 percent if they don&#8217;t include  them. When coupons were redeemed online, there was a 17 percent higher  click-through rate.</p>
<p>There are some best practices that local businesses should consider when  planning an email marketing campaign that includes coupons:</p>
<p>- Make sure the offers you send out match the type of list you&#8217;re targeting.</p>
<p>- To find out what gives you the highest return, test your coupon amount and frequency.</p>
<p>- To make your coupon recipient feel special, use the words &#8220;exclusive&#8221; or &#8220;selected&#8221; on the coupon.</p>
<p>- To create an urgency for people to &#8220;react now&#8221;, it&#8217;s best to mention a time frame or a specific date for it to be used.</p>
<p>- To help get rid of unwanted inventory, time your coupons to your  business cycles by offering deep discounts on products nearing a  season&#8217;s end.</p>
<p>- Add a link to the email that gives the recipient the opportunity to &#8220;share with a friend&#8221; or &#8220;tell your group&#8221;, etc.</p>
<p>Coupons can be a real win-win for everyone. Customers get the deal  they&#8217;re looking for and you get extra sales while clearing out  inventory, and a chance to promote your local business information.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.articlesnatch.com/" >http://www.articlesnatch.com</a></p>
<p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br />
If you enjoyed this article by Jeff Schuman on local business information and emailing coupons please visit our<a target="_blank" href="http://www.localbusinessgroup.com/public/10.cfm" > local business website</a> today. Learn how you can use<a target="_blank" href="http://www.localbusinessgroup.com/public/117.cfm" > local business marketing</a> to rank high on search engines and drive more traffic to your small business website.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/sending-online-coupons-increases-sales-and-promotes-your-local-business/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Allowing Your Expertise to Shine Through: Common Reasons That Keep Entrepreneurs from Moving Forward</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/allowing-your-expertise-to-shine-through-common-reasons-that-keep-entrepreneurs-from-moving-forward/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/allowing-your-expertise-to-shine-through-common-reasons-that-keep-entrepreneurs-from-moving-forward/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Everything Else]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cherney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[detriment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freelancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing strategists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[support]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1157</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by Lisa Cherney In today&#8217;s fast paced world we have access to more information than ever before, be it books, media or opportunities for education. And while it&#8217;s great to have all this information and learning at our fingertips, it can sometimes be a detriment to us. In fact, for some people, it can be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>by Lisa Cherney</p>
<p>In today&#8217;s fast paced world we have access to more information  than ever before, be it books, media or opportunities for education. And  while it&#8217;s great to have all this information and learning at our  fingertips, it can sometimes be a detriment to us. In fact, for some  people, it can be an excuse for them not to move forward in their  business.</p>
<p>Two reasons like this I&#8217;ve heard recently include: &#8220;I&#8217;m just not sure I  can be successful. I know I help people, but I need more experience.&#8221;  And &#8220;I need to get another certification [take another seminar/get  another degree] before I can be an expert and really put myself out  there.&#8221;</p>
<p>My friend and client Michele PW was held back by these specific reasons.  Michele is an example of someone with great expertise &#8211; she is one of  the hottest marketing strategists around, writes copy and creates  campaigns for very well known people that get results  (<a href="http://www.MichelePW.com"  title="http://www.MichelePW.com" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">www.MichelePW.com</a>).</p>
<p>Michele started out as a freelancer, selling services. She got into  infomarketing and had some really big successes, but she always had  trouble doing it for herself. She came up with a couple of products, but  none of them sold as well as what she did for her clients. Her belief  was that the real money would be in copywriting, not her expertise.</p>
<p>&#8220;I knew people could make a lot of money selling products. I knew that  in my head, but I didn&#8217;t believe it for myself. I guess when you&#8217;re  doing copy for people, even though you&#8217;re out there in the spotlight,  you feel like you&#8217;re still the support and behind the scenes,&#8221; Michele  says.</p>
<p>&#8220;The problem for me was that I was the expert who always needed to read  one more book before I could call myself an expert,&#8221; she explains. &#8220;I  was so stuck on that and I think that&#8217;s why I really didn&#8217;t value  selling my knowledge. I had people pushing me to do some sort of  copywriting product and all I could say was, &#8216;There are plenty of good  products out there, what am I going to add to the mix?&#8217; Working with  Lisa pulled me out of that and now I&#8217;ve had some very successful  products. Now I see that I didn&#8217;t value my knowledge. Then I wouldn&#8217;t  have said that was the reason, but looking back I see that now. A big  part of working with Lisa was her support and being able to call her in  my moments of weakness and angst about change. If you don&#8217;t push through  and have a number of people who support you, you&#8217;ll just start spinning  your wheels and never get out of it.&#8221;</p>
<p>There will always be another book or blog to read or another degree or  certification to be earned. There will always be another seminar to take  or conference to attend. But at some point you need to realize that you  ARE an expert in your field and you are holding yourself back &#8211; and not  helping people you could be helping &#8211; by not allowing your expertise to  shine through.</p>
<p>Entrepreneurs fail. It&#8217;s as simple as that. Every single entrepreneur  out there, no matter how successful they look on the outside, has  failed. Yes, they are very successful, but for all those successes, they  also have failures. There were things they tried that didn&#8217;t go  anywhere. But if you don&#8217;t own your expertise and take risks, you&#8217;re  never going to have the big successes. Granted, you&#8217;ll never have  failures, but you&#8217;ll never have success either.</p>
<h1>About the Author</h1>
<p>Lisa Cherney is a Marketing Intuitive and President &amp; Founder  of Conscious Marketing™. For 15 years she worked at Fortune 500  companies and top advertising agencies.</p>
<p>Lisa tells her story in her co-authored book &#8220;Inspiration to  Realization,&#8221; available at <a href="http://www.ConsciousMarketing.com"  title="http://www.ConsciousMarketing.com" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">www.ConsciousMarketing.com</a>. Conscious  Marketing also offers workshops and coaching. Visit her website for more  details or call 887-771-0156.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/allowing-your-expertise-to-shine-through-common-reasons-that-keep-entrepreneurs-from-moving-forward/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Do You &#8220;How To?&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/how-do-you-how-to/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/how-do-you-how-to/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:04:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Article Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Audio & Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chosen topic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information transmission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michelle phan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pot roast recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presenter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Style]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[substantial headway]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1135</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by Enzo F. Cesario &#8220;How to&#8230;&#8221; are two words that end up in search engines quite frequently. The Internet is 100 percent information transmission — someone has something to share, and others have things they want to gain. The how-to phenomenon exemplifies this dynamic like few other events can. People no longer have to go [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>by Enzo F. Cesario</p>
<p>&#8220;How to&#8230;&#8221; are two words that end up in search engines quite  frequently. The Internet is 100 percent information transmission —  someone has something to share, and others have things they want to  gain. The how-to phenomenon exemplifies this dynamic like few other  events can. People no longer have to go out to the store to get a book  on car maintenance or pot roast recipes — they just hop online and grab  the information for free.</p>
<p>Ah, but that&#8217;s not to say there&#8217;s no money in how-tos. How-to celebs  like Kimberly Clayton Blaine and Michelle Phan have made substantial  headway in the world of how-to videos, with their once quiet video sites  gaining major cooperation from organizations like Lancôme and Yahoo! as  a result of their rapidly-growing popularity.</p>
<p>But what exactly makes a good, solid how-to video? What parts need to be  included in a proper series in order to encourage people to keep coming  back for view after view?</p>
<p><strong>Part 1: Choose a Topic People Care About</strong></p>
<p>It might seem like a given, but a lot of marketers seem to forget that  people have emotions and minds of their own, and they can tell when  someone isn&#8217;t giving their all. Someone who is obviously &#8220;phoning in&#8221; a  performance is likely to get dismissed out of hand compared to someone  who obviously is knowledgeable and passionate about their chosen topic.</p>
<p>There are a lot of ways for a presenter to show they care about a topic.  Great how-to artists — and when done well, it truly is an art — like to  diverge from the main discussion to give a very short aside, such as a  recipe specialist sharing an anecdote about mixing up salt and sugar in  an icing recipe. Others might offer tips about how to circumvent  official channels for acquiring supplies and share knowledge about  secondary, less expensive sources. In short, the great ones don&#8217;t just  share the hard details, they also behind-the-scenes information to help  spark their audience&#8217;s interest.</p>
<p><strong>Part 2: Ensure Purity of Purpose</strong></p>
<p>That said, small asides that showcase personal interest in the topic are  good, but the stress must be on &#8220;small&#8221; or short. The average attention  span of most web users is not terrifically long — there&#8217;s so much to  see, do and learn, so a how-to video must capture interest and hold it  without fail for the duration. Thus, make sure that every element  included in the video is absolutely necessary to the message being  conveyed and/or to capturing the audience&#8217;s hearts and minds.</p>
<p>If a small aside illustrates a more personal interest and helps the  viewer connect, great — keep that in. If, on the other hand, it&#8217;s just  kind of funny, nix it. Focus on the details and make sure that  everything in the video is bent to the task of fulfilling the how-to  process. Always remember that the viewer is present for a reason: to  learn what information is available.</p>
<p><strong>Part 3: Allow for Style</strong></p>
<p>Each person has his or her own style, without question. Style is a  complicated thing: It&#8217;s composed of accent, pattern of speaking,  physical mannerisms, personal attire and more. Does the presenter  actually show up in the video, or does the video conceal his or her  face? Is the video shot in real time, edited for sectional content or  does it use a stop-motion process so that the presenter is never visible  throughout?</p>
<p>No one style is appropriate to every venue, and styles can be stretched  to odd degrees. One might find it odd to adopt an exceptionally formal  tone when presenting a how-to on baked beans and cornbread. On the other  hand, this kind of style might be exaggerated for comedic effect, and  this human element of irony might keep the viewers coming back. In  short, don&#8217;t be afraid to experiment with a few different styles,  possibly under alternative accounts, until finding one that works.</p>
<p><strong>Step 4: Take the Time Needed; No More and No Less</strong></p>
<p>YouTube is a popular venue for video how-tos, for obvious reasons. The  default length for most videos is 10 minutes, which provides a  reasonable benchmark for simpler how-to guides. It also has become a  benchmark for video tolerance in general simply because of the sheer  number of users growing accustomed to videos based around this length.  That said, YouTube recently increased its maximum video length to 15  minutes, so be sure to keep an eye on viewers&#8217; habits.</p>
<p>Indeed, the issue of time can be a bit tricky for a how-to. Ideally,  unless the procedure is a particularly long one, the how-to should be  kept to a single video. This may mean taking multiple shoots to see how  various treatment lengths work for the project. On the other hand, don&#8217;t  be afraid to let the video expand to several &#8220;episodes&#8221; if the how-to  in question is large enough. Something as complicated and involved as  building a backyard deck can reasonably be expected to require several  videos to encompass.</p>
<p><strong>Step 5: Cross Promote</strong></p>
<p>The currency of the web is reputation. If people think poorly of a site,  it gets poor views. Having a good attitude and a cooperative spirit is  often the best way to get a good promotion off the ground, and this  includes how-to videos.</p>
<p>For example, a site might consider promoting a fellow though  unaffiliated how-to expert if their videos cover a gap in the site&#8217;s own  knowledge. A cooking site whose patrons ask about a type of cooking  none of the site&#8217;s staff specialize in could refer them to a colleague  who just happens to know what he&#8217;s talking about. Additionally, one  might promote webzines and non-how-to sites that cover similar topics.</p>
<h1>About the Author</h1>
<p>Enzo F. Cesario is an <a target="_blank" href="http://www.brandsplat.com/" >online brand specialist</a> and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat  creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the &#8220;voice&#8221; of our  client&#8217;s brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more  recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to <a href="http://Brandsplat.com"  title="http://Brandsplat.com" class="autohyperlink" target="_blank">Brandsplat.com</a> or  visit our blog at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ibrandcasting.com/" >http://www.ibrandcasting.com</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/how-do-you-how-to/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>6 Business Uses for a Blog</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/6-business-uses-for-a-blog/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/6-business-uses-for-a-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:06:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business client]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[client]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[client spotlight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exact question]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faq entry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faq system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[topic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1118</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by mallton When I mention to a business client that their new website can have a blog (like in Blogging for your Business), I&#8217;m often asked, &#8220;what would I use a blog for?&#8221; Most of us have seen how individuals might use a blog as an online journal of their lives &#8211; a place to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>by mallton</p>
<p>When I mention to a business client that their new website can have a blog (like in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stadiastudio.com/blog/blogging-your-business-06132010" >Blogging for your Business</a>),  I&#8217;m often asked, &#8220;what would I use a blog for?&#8221; Most of us have seen  how individuals might use a blog as an online journal of their lives &#8211; a  place to vent and talk about what&#8217;s important to them &#8211; but how does a  business use a blog to actually benefit the business?</p>
<p>Here, in no particular order, are a variety of ways that a business can make great use of a blog format.</p>
<p><strong>1. Answer Questions</strong></p>
<p>If you ever receive questions about your business or industry, either  direct or implied, you can answer those questions in your blog. You  simply start by posting the question, leaving out who asked it of  course, and then answer it.</p>
<p>This is particularly effective since most people end up asking  themselves the same questions, so it&#8217;s likely that you will be providing  valuable information to many people. In fact, you should fully expect  that eventually people will be using a search engine like Google and  will type in your exact question and your blog post, with the answer,  will come up as a result.</p>
<p>If you have an FAQ system or page, you can discuss the same questions  and topics &#8211; the format of the blog post is simply more casual and  conversational, while an FAQ entry should generally be more formal and  to the point.</p>
<p><strong>2. Client Spotlight</strong></p>
<p>If you just completed a large or interesting project, or simply have  something nice or compelling to say regarding a specific client, use  your blog to share. It&#8217;s a great way to illustrate how you might handle a  specific project or even a challenge. Be sure to get the client&#8217;s  permission before you post your entry.</p>
<p><strong>3. Reviews</strong></p>
<p>If you read an article in the newspaper or some other online source that  you think your customers should read, post a link to it in a blog entry  and explain why you think it&#8217;s relevant to your clients. Conversely,  you could also use this method to respond to negative press your  business or industry may receive online.</p>
<p>You can also review a new product or service.</p>
<p><strong>4. Teach</strong></p>
<p>Regularly take a topic or issue from your industry and teach your  clients all about it. This method involves a little more work on your  part, but is eventually even more rewarding and compelling than others.</p>
<p>First, do your homework. Make sure that everything you state is correct  and verifiable. Use statistics if you can and cite your source</p>
<p>Second, create your blog entry in a Word file and see how long it is.  Break it up into smaller sections if its lengthy and label them Part I,  Part II, and so on. You now have not only several blog posts, but a  series that will entice readers to come back for the next part.</p>
<p><strong>5. Lists</strong></p>
<p>A particularly common technique is to make lists. You can list anything  you want, anything that might be interesting to your clients, and talk  about each list item for a moment before moving on to the next. An easy  topic might be Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s for your clients as I&#8217;m sure nearly every  business has common pitfalls that their clients struggle with, as well  as things every new client should be doing.</p>
<p>Do not feel forced to come up with a specific number, like &#8220;Top Ten&#8221;, as  that will simply frustrate you when you can only think of 8 items. It&#8217;s  your blog, so list 5 or 50 if you want to.</p>
<p><strong>6. Events &amp; Conferences</strong></p>
<p>Use your blog to talk about and announce upcoming events and  conferences, if it&#8217;s something you think some of your clients may want  to attend or be interested in. If it&#8217;s a conference for vendors like  yourself, then talk about it afterward and share some of the things you  learned that might prove valuable to your customers.</p>
<p>Regardless of which method you use, always make sure that you re-read  your entry for correct grammar, spelling, and factual information. Also,  whenever possible, make sure that you&#8217;re using your targeted keywords.  If you can, refer to older blog entries or articles you may have written  and link back to them (that&#8217;s referred to as deep linking).</p>
<p>Of course, the beauty of a blog is that there are no rules or  regulations. Your posts can be as long or as short as you want, and on  any schedule you like (though the more regular you post, the better).  Furthermore, there&#8217;s no reason why you can&#8217;t utilize each and every one  of the techniques above, and anything else you might find or invent.  Your blog doesn&#8217;t have to be the same each and every week, as long as  the overall topic remains the same &#8211; your business and your industry.  Continue to write interesting and helpful information and your blog will  become a great sales tool for you and your website.</p>
<h1>About the Author</h1>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.stadiastudio.com/michael-j-allton" >Michael Allton</a> is the lead web designer and owner at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stadiastudio.com/" >Stadia Studio</a>, a web design firm in St. Louis, and has been helping businesses get online since the 1990&#8242;s.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/6-business-uses-for-a-blog/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Choose Your Customers Wisely</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/how-to-choose-your-customers-wisely/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/how-to-choose-your-customers-wisely/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:44:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Everything Else]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brochure website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lowest common denominator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loyal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loyal customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loyal customers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smart customers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Software]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1111</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by Hamilton Wallace But hey, don&#8217;t customers choose us? Well, the answer is yes and no (spoken like a true consultant!). Yes, they choose us in terms of if and when they buy. No, we choose them in terms of how we approach our marketing. So, choose wisely. We choose our customers by the price [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>by Hamilton Wallace</p>
<p>But hey, don&#8217;t customers choose us? Well, the answer is yes and no (spoken like a true consultant!).</p>
<p>Yes, they choose us in terms of if and when they buy.</p>
<p>No, we choose them in terms of how we approach our marketing.</p>
<p>So, choose wisely.</p>
<p>We choose our customers by the price we charge, our message, how much  information we offer, what our website looks like, how we treat  prospects and everything else that makes up our marketing.</p>
<p>Stupid customers- Stupid customers respond to lowest-common-denominator  and we&#8217;re-the-expert messages. The car that&#8217;s advertised at one-third  the normal price that doesn&#8217;t exist. The arrogant  salesperson/brochure/website who/that talks down to prospects. Stupid customers take more time than smart customers because the aren&#8217;t  really stupid. They can see through your clever offer and resist,  resist, resist. That&#8217;s human nature and that adds up to more of your  time and a lower closing ratio.</p>
<p>Smart customers- Smart customers respond to information and  authenticity. They&#8217;re an easier sale than stupid customers because  they&#8217;re further along the sales cycle when they get to you. They also  feel attracted to you instead of manipulated so, less resistance. And  they give you referrals.</p>
<p>Loyal customers- Loyal customers are customers you&#8217;ve made smart. They  appreciate how you treat them. They tell their friends about you. They  don&#8217;t need huge discounts to buy again. They &#8220;get&#8221; why you&#8217;re better.  Every smart/loyal customer is worth 5-6 one-timer/stupid customers.  Because they buy again and tell their friends. Plus, the friends they  tell tend to also be smart customers.</p>
<p>One-timers- One-timer customers are those who end up buying and feel  manipulated. You won&#8217;t see them again. Or they buy because of your  &#8220;huge, gigantic sale&#8221; and only buy for that reason. There&#8217;s no profit in  them, in case you didn&#8217;t already figure that out. Okay, so clearly, you want smart customers. Customers you don&#8217;t  manipulate. Customers you educate. Don&#8217;t feel I&#8217;m taking away something  from you; your ability to &#8220;sell hard&#8221; in your marketing or get attention  in creative ways. I&#8217;m not. I am, however, taking away the headline or  promise that is/borders on too good to be true or has to have an  asterisk after it. You know:</p>
<p>70% OFF Sale!!*</p>
<p>*Excludes all our good merchandise and is limited to the crap in the back corner of the store nobody wants.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t be lazy. Find out what your customers are interested in, what will  motivate them to act now. Ask them, because now is very different than a  couple years ago when you last asked your customers how they were  doing.</p>
<p>If you know more about your customers you won&#8217;t have to make these dumb offers or write dumb headlines:</p>
<p>Our CRM Software Will Make You the King-Kong of Your Industry</p>
<p>Of course, accompanied by a picture of King-Kong!</p>
<p>Or:</p>
<p>Our CRM Software Helps You Find More Customers in Your Prospect List No picture of King-Kong required.</p>
<p>Make the effort to understand what&#8217;s going on with your target customer so you can choose more wisely.</p>
<h1>About the Author</h1>
<p>Hamilton Wallace is a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingconsultant.com/" >small business marketing consultant</a> in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is an expert in direct response marketing,  including sponsored search, SEO, direct mail, message and story, and in  creating simplified, effective <a target="_blank" href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingconsultant.com/marketing-consulting" >marketing consulting</a> solutions for small businesses.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/how-to-choose-your-customers-wisely/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Making Your Postcards Work Harder for Your  Business</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/making-your-postcards-work-harder-for-your-business/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/making-your-postcards-work-harder-for-your-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 May 2010 13:01:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Offline Promotions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Don]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaitlyn Miller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mail traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[message]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postcard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postcard printing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[printing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self address]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[target audience]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/making-your-postcards-work-harder-for-your-business/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by Kaitlyn Miller Postcards are good at what they do. When sent by mail, they are easy-to-read marketing materials. As magazine inserts, they serve as an ultra easy order form. But it is only when designed well that postcards are great at what they do. Here are some ways that you can easily optimize the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>by Kaitlyn Miller</p>
<p>Postcards are good at what they do. When sent by mail, they are  easy-to-read marketing materials. As magazine inserts, they serve as an  ultra easy order form. But it is only when designed well that postcards  are great at what they do. Here are some ways that you can easily  optimize the effectiveness of your postcard printing, making this  marketing tool work harder for you.</p>
<p>Send your postcards to the right people. Find out who your target  audience is and build a mailing list full of them. If you send out your  postcards only to those who are likely to do business with you, then you  will have a much higher return on investment than if you send out a  general mailing.</p>
<p>Past or current customers should receive postcards. You can send them  out when you have news to deliver, when you have a new product to  introduce, and for special holiday offers or promotions.</p>
<p>Be direct with your message. Because your space is limited with postcard  printing, your reader should understand your message immediately. Take  care to write a headline that is short and full of information, and make  sure your graphics reinforce your message.</p>
<p>Make response easy. For postcards used as order forms, always self  address and stamp. Another option is to make check boxes so that  ordering is fast and easy. If your customers have to wait until they can  look up your address or stop by the post office, they may never get  around to ordering from you.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t try to sell with postcard printing but do include a call to  action. There is not enough space on a postcard to close a sale. The  idea is to make prospects interested in finding out more. Include direct  orders to &#8220;call our toll free number,&#8221; check out my website today,&#8221; and  &#8220;send a request for more information now&#8221; on your postcards. Don&#8217;t  leave your customers wondering what to do next.</p>
<p>Mail your postcards on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mail traffic is lighter in  the middle of the week, so your postcards will have less to compete with  on these days. They will get more attention and you will get more  responses.</p>
<p>The harder your postcard printing works for you, the more responses you  will receive. If you are going to send them out, make sure to get the  most out of them by using some smart marketing and design techniques.</p>
<h1>About the Author</h1>
<p>For more information, you can visit this page on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.printplace.com/printing/postcard-printing.aspx" >postcard  printing</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/making-your-postcards-work-harder-for-your-business/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Correct Way To Market Your Business In Forums</title>
		<link>http://localmarketingideas.com/the-correct-way-to-market-your-business-in-forums/</link>
		<comments>http://localmarketingideas.com/the-correct-way-to-market-your-business-in-forums/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2010 19:35:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>ideaguy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fundamental rules]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales pitches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[topic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[topic question]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[using forum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yeates]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://localmarketingideas.com/?p=1061</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by Elle Yeates Forum Marketing is one of the most powerful way to market your business or website on the internet when it is done correctly, this article will show you the fundamental rules for using forum marketing to promote your business. The first thing you need to understand is that forums are designed to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>by Elle Yeates</p>
<p>Forum Marketing is one of the most powerful way to market your  business or website on the internet when it is done correctly, this  article will show you the fundamental rules for using forum marketing to  promote your business.</p>
<p>The first thing you need to understand is that forums are designed to  allow people to ask questions for experts to find answers to, not for  the purpose of selling products or services. The idea is to become  involved in a discussion in which answer people&#8217;s questions. You can  post your ideas or opinions on a particular topic, question or  statement, or you can start your own thread if the topic is not already  being discussed. So now you can see the benefit of forums to other  people looking for information, but what about the benefits to you and  your business? Well, when you join a forum, you will set up your profile  with a signature that will appear at the bottom of each of your posts.  The only place you should be marketing your website links is the  signature box That link becomes what is called a backlink because it  links back to your site. If you make lots of forum posts to lots of  different forums, your website will rank higher than one that has less  backlinks. So now you know why forum marketing works, read on to find  out how you should post the right way.</p>
<p>The best forums to post in are those relating to your topic but you can  post in forums of different topics as long as your posts relate to that  particular topic. Eg: you shouldn&#8217;t post about your MLM in a gardening  forum. Also, stay on topic with the thread you are posting on. It is  easy to go off in a tangent when the thread is very long, read through  the posts that are already there, see if you can add helpful information  to the thread.</p>
<p>If you are thinking about spamming the forum, don&#8217;t do it. If all you  are posting is sales pitches and links to your page, it won&#8217;t be long  before the administrator catches up with you and boots you out. They  don&#8217;t want spam on their site, they want valuable information and  answers to the questions people ask. The only place you should be posting your links and pitching your  business is the signature box. You will be able to set this up in your  profile and it will automatically be entered under your text every time  you post something to the forum. If your link is quite long such as  affiliate links, it is a good idea to mask the html by hyperlinking a  sentence instead of displaying the entire link. You can find information  about how to do this on each forum.</p>
<p>Some forums allow you to post links and other html if it is directly  relevant to the topic and provides valuable information to readers. You  should check the forum rules and guidelines before you post. That way  you will not breach any rules that may get you blacklisted from the  forum.</p>
<p>So now that you know the basics, get started today, the more posts you  make in the more forums, the more backlinks you can get for your  website.</p>
<h1>About the Author</h1>
<p>Elle has over 5 years experience in MLM. Recently she moved her  business online and has never looked back. She now teaches the  techniques she learned to explode her MLM business online. Check out the complete system I used to get started with internet  marketing with absolutely no experience at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.elleinternational.info/" >http://www.elleinternational.info</a> Or, to learn more about the techniques I use to market MLM online,  please visit my blog at <a target="_blank" href="http://narellepy.wordpress.com/" >http://narellepy.wordpress.com</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://localmarketingideas.com/the-correct-way-to-market-your-business-in-forums/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

