By Rachel Newman
A friend, who just started a small law and mediation
firm, called me last week for marketing advice, specifically online marketing
advice. His website, which has only existed for 6 months, has still not reached
the first page of Google under common search terms, and he was looking for SEO
tricks that would help him achieve that goal.
Here’s what I told him: Barring deceptive and
unreliable black hat techniques, there are no magic tricks to SEO. Let’s not
mince words. The internet is still uncharted territory for all of us (even the
self-proclaimed experts), but one thing is certain: even if the landscape looks
different online, successful marketing strategies haven’t really changed
much.
Build relationships. Get your company name out
there. These are all still goals online
and off.
His quest got me thinking, though, and thus I developed
five New Year’s resolutions that will be critical to your marketing success in
2012:
“I
will seek accreditation by the BBB.” Not only does
accreditation through the BBB validate your company among consumers and other
businesses as a leader in marketplace integrity, it also provides invaluable
marketing opportunities. First and foremost, each BBB Accredited Business has
the opportunity to link their website to and from the BBB website, which
provides an enhanced Google ranking.
“I
will create a unique voice for my company.” While this may not
be a measurable effort, a company with a straightforward message and an
unwavering voice will not only win the allegiance of their customers, but be
far more memorable to new and potential customers.
“I
will finally get my business on
social media platforms.” And most importantly maintain my
presence on whichever social media platforms I choose. Let’s face it: social media is not going
away. It’s not a fluke. Start up your
accounts, do a little light reading and start engaging with your customers and
building relationships with new and potential clients or customers. If you’re accredited, your BBB is here to
help you with any glitches or concerns!
“I
will look for opportunities to guest blog and use article marketing sites.” Improving your Google rankings is as easy as
getting to know the rest of the online community. Do a little research. What website or blogs
could use your input or expertise? You’ll benefit tremendously if they link to
you in one of their blogs or post a blog of your own. This isn’t going to happen instantly though.
Start small by commenting on, and getting to know the owners of the blogs or
websites that you admire and think would be valuable partnerships to forge in
the future.
“I
will measure my efforts effectively and learn from my mistakes.” Measuring the return on investment is not only
important in paring down spending at your company, but can also be an effective
way of measuring what is and isn’t working for your business online. Measuring
your efforts could be the difference between six or 100 new visitors to your
website or social media page.
