online marketing 101 - southwestern consulting

ONLINE MARKETING 101 © Southwestern Coaching, a division of Southwestern Consulting - Do Not Redistribute

TOP PRODUCER’S EDGEA Southwestern Coaching TPE Module

ONLINEMARKETING 101

ONLINE MARKE TING 101

1ONLINE MARKETING 101 © Southwestern Coaching, a division of Southwestern Consulting - Do Not Redistribute

DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS

• Do you have an online presence?

• What social media networks do you currently use and how do you use them for business?

• Do you have online testimonials?

• Do you post regular content to your blog or social media accounts?

• Do you know how to improve your search engine optimization (SEO)?

PRINCIPLES

• Strengths and weaknesses of popular social networking sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter)

• Building your list and creating an email newsletter or a blog

• Know where to go to create websites and blogs.


ONLINE MARKETING

In this day and age, if you don’t exist online, you don’t exist. The average consumer uses the internet to research a product or service before they buy. Top Producers know they have to have a professional and credible online presence.

There are a variety of ways to create an online presence. To begin, you need to figureout which resources will work the best for you and your business. You might need yourown website to explain your product or service. You may want a blog to serve as aresource for those seeking information about your industry. You could incorporate acouple social media accounts to help build your audience and make it possible formore people to find your business.

LinkedIn is a social network specifically for professionals and one of the few placesonline that can actually help you generate qualified leads. It’s important to have anactive presence on LinkedIn.

The purpose of having an online presence is so that prospects and clients can search for and easily find you. In order to make sure you show up in people’s online searches, you’ll need a basic understanding of search engine optimization, also called SEO. Using the right keywords on your site and social media accounts can determine whether your website shows in the first ten results of an online search or the last ten.

Each of these platforms has its own pros and cons. Mostly, it comes down to personalpreference and what you can commit to keep updated. The only thing worse than noonline presence is a drastically outdated one.


ONLINE PLATFORMS

There are several different platforms from which to choose for your online presence. Some will work for you and some won’t. The important thing is that you have at least one or two places where your prospects can learn more about you and your product or service. The most popular options are listed below.

WEBSITEA website contains a page about you and your products or services. It might also contain testimonials and ways to contact you. A professional website is necessary for all salespeople.

BLOGIf you’re someone who people use as an industry resource and expert, a blog could be a useful way to reach your prospects and clients. Blogging regularly can help you develop an audience and credibility.

SPLASH PAGEFor those working in industries where your company already has a corporate site, this is the best tool. If you have a page hosted on the company’s site, you can personalize your splash page to serve as a resource for your clients and prospects. For more information on what a splash page is, turn to page 8.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTSMost consumers today expect the businesses they work with to have some sort of social media presence. This is a way prospects and clients can interact with you and learn more about your product or service.

The top social media sites include:

• LinkedIn• Facebook• YouTube• Instagram• Pinterest• Twitter

If you do make the commitment to use any of these platforms, the most important thing you can do is keep them up to date. You do not need to have all of these online tools, but one or two could boost your business presence and credibility. Take the time to figure out which ones will work best for you.


Regardless of your other marketing methods, having an online presence is one of themost important resources you can use to build your business. It’s a place where you can offer additional information about your product or service that will show up in web searches when your prospects and clients look for you. Think of your website as an extension of your business card or print marketing materials.

CUSTOMIZED SERVICES

All of the services listed below can be customized and used in a variety of ways,including blogging, eCommerce, monitoring site traffic, and more. The functionality ofyour site can be as simple or as in-depth as you desire. It really comes down to personal preference and the purpose of your website.

Most of the services listed also offer free hosting, but it is usually worth paying for some sort of subscription. This allows you to customize your domain name and remove the web-building service’s own branding, making your site more credible for your consumers. Be sure to research the subscriptions offered for each service.You don’t necessarily need a lot of knowledge about technology to build your ownwebsite. The three services listed below are the top resources for building your ownwebsite from scratch, no coding required.

SQUARESPACEwww.squarespace.com

Squarespace walks you through registering a domain name, which saves you fromhaving to go through a third-party registrar such as GoDaddy or pairNIC. Squarespace also provides design templates that restrict you from making certain changes. If design isn’t your strength, this can be a tool to make sure that your site looks professional.

Once your site is designed, Squarespace makes sure that your site translates well on mobile devices. They also include services that help boost your search engine optimization (SEO) and offer 24/7 support.

WEBSITES


WEEBLYwww.weebly.com

Weebly has most of the same features that Squarespace offers. You can register andmanage your domain name, use design templates, get a mobile version, and boostyour SEO. They keep their support line open seven days a week, but not 24/7. Somepeople find the Weebly platform a little more user-friendly than Squarespace, so it is your personal preference.

SHOPIFYwww.shopify.com

Shopify specializes in those who want to sell their products online. If you already have a retail store, Shopify can be integrated to help you manage your inventory and keep track of your products. Just like Squarespace, they also offer 24/7 support. In addition, Shopify partners with MailChimp, an email marketing platform, to help build your audience through email newsletters and marketing.

WEBSITES continued


BLOGS

If you want to post regular content online to help create an audience and build yourcredibility as an industry expert, a blog is the best choice for you. The three website-building services listed on the previous page also offer blogging services, but there are some services that are tailored specifically to blogs that might be a better fit for you.

BLOG-SPECIFIC SERVICES

WORDPRESSwww.wordpress.com

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform for businesses. There are multipletemplates to choose from and WordPress takes care of everything needed behind the scenes. It gives you the ability to write blogs in advance and schedule them to be published when you choose. Multiple users can easily publish and edit. It’s also gearedtoward building an online audience.

TYPEPADwww.typepad.com

Typepad is for people who just want a blog without all the bells and whistles. While there are design templates available, Typepad gives the users most of the control. Everything is customizable. It’s incredibly easy to use and publish, and incorporates Google Analytics to easily track your blog’s traffic. Typepad also offers access to a blogger community that can be extremely helpful if you’re a first-time blogger.


BLOGGERwww.blogger.com

Blogger is Google’s blogging service and you can get started immediately once youhave a Google account. This service is free and probably the most basic one you’ll find. Once you set up a simple blog, Google Domains can help you secure a domain name. You can customize your template, create pages, and track your traffic. This service is best if you want a basic blog to serve as a landing page for your product or service. If you want to grow an audience or offer other features, one of the other website-building services is a better choice.

BUILDING CONSISTENT READERSHIP

Blogging builds a consistent readership of people who keep coming back to yoursite, and it gives you a chance to put out incredible content that people can link towhen they are citing you as an industry expert. Since the purpose of a blog is to publish new content regularly, they have three benefits that help you reach a larger audience:

1. You can regularly use your SEO keyword terms. (covered in the section on page 14)

2. You can develop increased and regular traffic.

3. You increase the odds that your website will be linked to by someone else.

BLOGS continued


If you work for a company that already has a corporate website but offers you apage to customize as your own, that site is called a splash page. There are probablyguidelines as to what you should and should not include on your splash page, and it’simportant to review your company policies before you edit your site.

CONTENT SUGGESTIONS

How you log in and edit will vary depending on how your company’s website is hosted, so it’s best to check with your IT department on the specifics. Once you’ve logged in and figured out how update your splash page, the following content suggestions are good to keep in mind:

1. Keep it simple. You don’t want a page that is too busy.

2. Post a short bio and headshot. Include a little information about yourself, specifically any experience that makes you a credible resource in your field.

3. Include testimonials. This is a great place to show off your recent testimonials from satisfied clients.

4. List your contact information. Once your prospects have found your site, there is a good chance they will want to reach out to you directly. Include your email and direct phone number.

5. Link to your social media accounts. If you use any of your social media accounts to help promote your product or service, link to them here. The more information your prospect can find about you, the better.

Keeping your splash page up to date is important. Being part of your company’s larger site automatically gives you credibility and a higher likelihood of being found through a web search. If your prospects find your page and there isn’t anything listed or what is listed is out of date, you automatically lose some trustworthiness and dependability in the mind of that prospect.

SPLASH PAGES


Social media is a great resource for your prospects and clients. There are several social media account options and each of them serve a different purpose. If you post valuable information, your audience will be more likely to reach out to you with a question or problem. It also further establishes your credibility in your industry. The most popular social media platforms used for business are listed with descriptions below.

POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

LINKEDINwww.linkedin.com

LinkedIn is the most popular social media site for professionals. This community isspecifically geared toward business. If you don’t have an account set up yet, you should. This is one of the few social media sites that can actively be used to pursue qualified leads (covered in the Prospecting and Lead Generation module). You can gain credibility by sharing business-related articles and resources through posts to your network.

FACEBOOKwww.facebook.com

Facebook is a more casual social media community where members join for personaluse and business. You can create a business page and there are a variety of tools to help you reach your desired audience through ads and sponsored posts. If you already have a personal presence on Facebook, you can help use your connections to get your business page up and running. It’s appropriate to share on Facebook daily, but sharing more than a couple times a day might cause your audience to tune you out or unfollow you.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS


YOUTUBEwww.youtube.com

YouTube is a platform based solely on video content and can be a powerful sales tool. It allows you to upload your own videos or share others’ videos anywhere on the internet. You can also create your own YouTube channel, and your followers can subscribe so they won’t miss out on your updates. You can post client testimonials, and you may find creating short, informative videos is easier than blogging. YouTube is also a good place to find content if you need more ideas for what to share on your other social media platforms.

INSTAGRAMwww.instagram.com

Instagram is a great platform for someone who is constantly on the go. Even though you can log in to Instagram from the browser on your computer, it is meant to be used from your phone. Giving your followers an idea of what your day-to-day looks like can be a great way to connect with your audience. Instagram is very image- and video-focused and also allows you to post captions. For example, it would be a great place to post a picture with a satisfied client and a testimonial. Hashtags can be used to boost your profile’s visibility within the Instagram community.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS continued


PINTERESTwww.pinterest.com

Pinterest is a very popular platform for those in direct sales. It focuses on creating boards and pinning links to resources from around the web. It visually organizes your links to different sites and useful content. If you sell products online, you can benefit from a presence on Pinterest. Followers can subscribe to your different boards and be notified when you post updates. If you are publishing image-rich content on your website or blog, it’s a good way to promote your website, products, infographics, and any other resources you have to offer.

TWITTERwww.twitter.com

Twitter is one of the most fast-paced social media platforms, and it is appropriate to publish content several times a day. It’s easy to automate updates from other social media accounts and your blog. Because Twitter moves so quickly, it can also be a valuable resource. If you follow relevant industry leaders, you could use Twitter to stay up to date on the most recent news in your field, which can help you find content to post in any of your social media channels. The direct message and tagging features can also help you connect with people who may otherwise be out of your reach.

The best thing you can do is to explore each of these communities, take note of whatcontent you find, and determine which ones might be the best for promoting your product or service. For example, if you offer consulting services, YouTube might be the best way to give your prospects an idea of what working with you would be like. If there are a lot of articles and information about your business available and you could serve as a resource, LinkedIn might be the best way to share those with your followers. If you’re on the go a lot, Instagram may be a great way to show others what your day-to-day is like.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS continued


While all the social media networks can be useful, LinkedIn is a particularly great tool for salespeople. You can automatically connect with anyone you have done business with, which in return can give you access to their contact lists. (The Prospecting and Lead Generation module covers how to use LinkedIn for qualified leads.)

Having a professional presence on LinkedIn is extremely important in making sure your connections view you as a credible resource and someone with whom they would like to do business. There are many features on LinkedIn you should utilize.

PROFILEYour profile serves as your online résumé. Your connections can immediately access everything from your work history, to any awards you’ve received, and what skills you have. It’s extremely important to make sure your profile is completely filled out.

RECOMMENDATIONSThe best way to get recommendations is to give recommendations. Once you’ve recommended someone publicly on their profile, LinkedIn will automatically prompt them to leave a recommendation in return. Getting a recommendation is like having a reference letter listed right there on your profile and extremely valuable when prospects find you on LinkedIn.

CONTACTSUnlike other social media platforms where you can follow and connect with anyone, LinkedIn is only for connecting with people you actually know. If you request to connect with a ton of people you don’t actually know, it’s possible to get temporarily blocked from the site. In order to connect with people you don’t know, you have to have a common connection introduce you. This is a useful feature because you know that everyone who is connected could be a viable lead.

NEWSFEEDEveryone sees their newsfeed when they first log in to LinkedIn. You can post content that will appear on your connections’ newsfeeds. This is great place to post when you update your blog or find an article relevant to your field. You want to serve as a resource for your connections.

LINKEDIN


PUBLISHINGLinkedIn has its own long-form publishing feature, which is similar to blogging. You can embed images, videos, and presentations, and customize the formatting of your post. Also like a blogging service, it’s possible to save multiple drafts to be published at later dates. You can find this feature on LinkedIn by clicking “Write an article” from your home page.

LinkedIn offers multiple articles about how to get started in long-form posts. An overview can be accessed here.

LinkedIn allows you to instantly connect with a network of contacts you may otherwise not have known existed. If you utilize all the features listed above, you will be able to use LinkedIn to actively pursue leads and generate new business.

LINKEDIN continued


SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the theory behind getting your website to show up in users’ internet searches. There is no exact science behind how this is done, but there are some simple ideas you can keep in mind as you design your website or blog.

Showing up as one of the first few sites on Google or any other search engine is a function of two things: relevance and authority. Google’s algorithm for scoring is complicated and constantly changing, but it primarily uses these two things to determine which sites show up at the top of any user’s Google search.

Relevance is a compilation of several items that basically measures how relevant aparticular website is to a user’s entered set of keywords. In any given topic ,there arecertain keywords that are searched for more than others. Knowing what those keywords are for your industry is extremely important for your website’s SEO. There are some resources online that track which terms are searched for the most often.

ONLINE RESOURCES

WORDTRACKERwww.wordtracker.com

Wordtracker offers 5 free searches for SEO terms. The results let you know which related words are searched for the most often, which are also the ones you’ll want to include on your website. It lets you know how many sites exist that are already using those keywords so you can assess the competition.

WORDSTREAMwordstream.com/keywords

WordStream offers 30 free searches for SEO terms. It will return a list of related termsorganized by the keywords that are searched for the most. If the terms are at the top of the list, you’ll want to make sure to use those words on your website.

SEO MADE SIMPLE


GOOGLE TRENDStrends.google.com/trends/

Google Trends assesses topic trends over a period of time ranging from years to thepast hour. It includes lists of related topics and queries as well as what parts of the world are researching your topic the most. While this doesn’t marrow down your industry to keywords, it can be useful to make sure you’ve considered all new trends and options within your industry.

GOOGLE SCORING: RELEVANCEHere are some of the things that Google is known to score related to relevance:

DOMAIN NAMEThe words in your domain name (e.g., www. southwesternconsulting.com) are read and scored as keywords. In this case, the words southwestern and consulting. Southwestern has more weight because it appears first.

PAGE TITLE TAGThese are the words that are located across the very top browser tab of the website. You can edit these words through your website-building service and they contribute to your relevance score.

THE META TAGThese are the words that show up in the paragraph describing your web page in a Google list of search results. Often, you’ll see your website in big, bold lettersand underneath there are a few sentences describing that page, which is the metatag. The words are usually the first headers and body text from your website. This is the description that users will see when evaluating whether or not to go to your page, so it’s important that it contain your keywords.

SEO MADE SIMPLE continued


PAGE CONTENT

• Headers The headers on your website receive higher weight than the body text. Be sure to have headers that include your target keywords.

• Image Tags Google can’t read what your pictures/images actually say, but it can read what names the files are saved as or what the images’ tags are. You have control over these tags through your website-building service.

• Video Tags Similar to images above, you should make sure to use video filenames and create tags that include your target keywords.

• Body Text The body text on your website is used in consideration for relevance so you want to include your keyword terms as often as possible. Be cautious of “keyword stuffing” though, which is overusing certain terms.


In the space below, make a list of what keywords you think your prospects and clients would use when searching for your business’ products or services. Then check them against one of the SEO search tools listed on the previous page and incorporate those terms appropriately into the various places on your website listed above.


GOOGLE SCORING: AUTHORITYThe second and more powerful way that Google scores sites is based on authority. Authority is basically a measure of how many people have cited that page as credible as it relates to certain keyword terms. The primary way that a site earns authority is based on the number of incoming links it has from other websites. Think of it the same way an author cites his/her sources of information when writing a research report. When someone links to your site, they are stating that it is credible as it relates to the topic of discussion.

In other words, links are the currency of SEO. There are a few other authority driversas well:

QUANTITY OF LINKSHow many people are redirecting traffic to your site? As that number goes up, so does your credibility and authority. That’s why getting people commenting on a blog that you are writing (tied to your website) is so valuable because each comment has a trackback to another blogger. In essence, it’s a link from their site to yours.

QUANTITY OF TRAFFICObviously, the more people visiting your site, the more credible it appears. This is also why it’s important to have a site that gives people a reason to come back—because it increases your regular flow of traffic. Blogs bring your audience back because there is new value-added information added regularly.

HISTORICAL EXISTENCEThe longer your website has been around, the more credible it is seen as by search engines ( just like a company that was “established in 1855”).

SITE UPDATE FREQUENCYWebsites that are updated regularly get more points than sites that were created long ago and just sit unused and unchanged. Google (and people) assume that a site that is regularly updated with cutting-edge information and insights is a trusted source.

ANCHOR TEXT OF THE LINKS The anchor text is words that are used to create a hyperlink. For example, if someone links to your site with the words “click here,” that will associate your website with those terms, which isn’t much help. If someone links the words “established business expert,” then those are the keywords that will be associated with your site.



LINK VALUE All links are not created equal. Some links are more valuable than others. The better SEO rank the website has that links to your own site, the more it will help your own SEO rank.

• The authority of the page that is linking to you is highly considered in how many SEO points you receive for that link. Obviously, if nytimes.com links to your site, it’s going to contribute to a higher rank than a a blog with a small following.

• The more links on the page that is linking to you, the lesser the value of each of those links. If you are 1 of 100 preferred vendors on a realtor’s website, it won’t be as valuable as if you were the only preferred vendor.

This is a very basic overview of SEO. If you want to know more, there are a variety of services out there that offer SEO expertise and improvement. Each of the website-building and blogging services we suggested in this module also offer SEO guidance and support.


What are some creative ways you can start getting your website or blog noticed? Maybe you could write a guest post on a relevant blog or start an email newsletter. List some ideas that might help boost your website’s authority below. Use your coach as a resource.


ACTION ITEMS

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ACTION ITEMS

CREATE

• Create your website, blog, YouTube channel, or splash page. • Share the link with your coach.

LINKEDIN

Complete your LinkedIn profile and connect with your coach.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Create a profile on your choice of two social media platforms and invite 20 friends. • Connect with Southwestern Coaching and your coach.

KEYWORD SEARCH TERMS

• Using the suggested tools, figure out the best keyword search terms, and incorporate them into your site and any relevant blogs or posts.

online marketing 101 - southwestern consulting

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