Peter, Author at Peter Grandstaff

How to Laser Target Your Message to Hook Perfect Customers

In crafting all your marketing materials tune your message to your ideal audience. Whether it’s an ad on Google or a sign out front, you want the ideal prospects to feel like it was written just for them. So, why not write it just for them?

First, you’ll have to figure out who “they” are. For example, let’s say your making a sign to draw college students into your store. Imagine your favorite student customers, or what perfect student customers might be like. Then, narrow it down and imagine a single ideal student customer. Give this ideal a name, an age, and some hobbies. What are they like? What interests them? What gets under their skin? Who do they vote for? Do they have any pets?

Create your own Avatar, as local marketing guru Howie Jacobson calls it. (He took a group of us through this exercise for Google Adwords a few weeks back.) So, you have this three-dimensional idea of your ideal prospect. Now, imagine they’re about to read your sign. What’s going through their head? Maybe they have just walked in your store and are making up their mind. What are they concerned with as they see your sign?

Grab a sheet of paper and write for three minutes. Write their internal “diary” as they are about to look at your new sign. Taking a few minutes to put the words on paper can help you really flesh things out. Think about what brought them in, what they want, and what they don’t want. Then write a short stream of consciousness diary for them.

Now you have your target. Write your sign or other marketing message to appeal directly to your diary author. Use your copy to help them get what they want faster and wash away their worries. If they’re thinking about options when they come in, then give them a handy guide to their choices on your sign. If they’re worried about their purchase holding up, then show off your guarantee. If they have a specific price point in mind, then pump your low sale price. You get the picture.

A little imagination can go a long way, so don’t forget to explore things from the perspective of your ideal prospect. You can make a few avatars to cover the different kinds of ideal prospects you have. You can use this technique for any of your marketing message, from in-store signage to e-mail newsletters.

This post first appeared in my Small Business Email Newsletter

Common Sense SEO For Beginners

I want to share with you 3 common sense lessons about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that you can put to work immediately to help your website rank better and bring in more traffic. The fact is, SEO can get very complicated and overwhelming when you get deep into it. But, that doesn’t mean you’re helpless. Just start small, and keep it simple to start.

Common Sense SEO For Beginners

Put these 3 quick lessons to work and you’ll be moving in the right direction.

Lesson 1: Keyword Research is Mandatory, Always
Lesson 2: Put Your Keywords Where It Counts
Lesson 3: The Deal With Links

Lesson 1: Keyword Research is Mandatory, Always

Always do your keyword research. This can not be emphasized enough. People are searching for what you offer. They’re using some keywords more than others. You need to know the high traffic keywords for your market.

To get started, I suggest two tools that are free and pretty easy to use.

Google Insights for Search — This lets you see nice comparative graphs of search traffic for your keywords. It’s perfect for identifying seasonal trends and comparing different keywords. If you scroll down on the page you’ll also see info on various trends, including geographical data.
Keep an eye on the geographic region you’re targeting to be sure the data is relevant. For example the keyword [kosher deli] gets lots and lots of traffic in the US, but 95% of it is from New York.
Google Adwords Keyword Tool — Here’s where you’ll really flesh out your keyword list. This tool will spit out a lot of data, and come up with related keywords you might not have thought of.
Don’t get overwhelmed. The only column you need to worry about is titled Local Monthly Searches. That will give you an approximate number of searches per month in your country and language. If you’re targeting international markets, look at the Global column.
The Competition column tells you how many people are advertising on that keyword using Google Adwords. This can be a good indicator of how profitable a keyword is.

Spend some time brainstorming all the phrases that someone might type into Google to find your site. Then use the above tools to figure out where the big numbers are.

Lesson 2: Put Your Keywords Where It Matters

Now that you know what keywords pull the most traffic it’s time to put them to use. Use these keywords on your website. Put them in paragraph text, headlines, and page titles. Stick them in your footer. Just don’t repeat them without reason. Spammers are known for putting huge lists of keywords at the bottom of their pages in little tiny text. Search engines know this and will take you right out of the listings if they catch you “keyword stuffing.”

Keep your text geared to the user. Your content is for the user first, and search engines second. Don’t get hung up with your “keyword density” — the amount your keyword is repeated. Just try to use those high volume keywords more often. You’ll want to use them with links to your site too.

Lesson 3: The Deal With Links

Links are vital. I’m talking about links from other websites to your site, and specific pages of your site. Every time a search engine finds a link to your website they count it like a vote of confidence in your site. More links makes your site more authoritative, bringing you more traffic.

Remember your keywords? Use them in the link text, or near it. This tells search engines you’re more relevant for those keywords.

Now there are links that don’t pass SEO juice like this. They are marked to tell search engines not to count them. They have been marked as “NoFollow” links. For example, every link you post on twitter is a “NoFollow” link. The same goes for links in most blog comments.

Obviously these “NoFollow” links can still drive traffic to your site even if they don’t count for SEO. They don’t count as a vote of confidence, but they are natural. If you don’t have any links that have been “NoFollowed” then you’re probably a spammer.

So, if you’re just starting out don’t worry too much about it and just get links. Look for directories related to your site, forums and blogs on your topic. Don’t go posting a ton of links and nothing else, but contribute a meaningful comment or insight and link where it seems reasonable.

For best results, spend some time every week building links. Fresh links are like fresh buzz for your site, and Google will reward you for staying fresh.

Doing a little SEO yourself can be very rewarding. Just remember to do your keyword research and target the words that really matter. Keep all your efforts focused on helping the user and you’ll avoid spam penalties. It could take a few months, but you should be able to move up a few spots in the rankings and boost your traffic just by using the right keywords and building some links.

Engage Your Audience with Online Video

There are hundreds of places to share your video online. Click above to search for them.

Video is huge. It’s all over the web these days. There’s nothing new about that, but what I see is a lot of small businesses that still aren’t using it. It wasn’t that long ago when having video play right on your website was a difficult and expensive task. Today, there’s simply no excuse: video sites handle the technical side for you and affordable HD cameras can make you look like a pro.

In the average US home, a television is turned on for over 6 hours a day. No matter how familiar someone is with the web you can be sure they’re used to video. No matter how complicated your website is, video is simple. It takes a click to play it, and then your visitor can just sit back and consume your message.

There are a variety of ways you can put video to use effectively.

Welcome Videos — These are really good at getting the visitor’s attention and making sure they feel like they’re in the right place. Ideally the video will show a person talking, but it could also just be a slide-show with voice over.
Product Videos — If you’re doing eCommerce then product videos can really boost your conversions. Looking at pictures and reading about a product can only make it so real for us. When we see it in motion, with a real person using it and talking about it, a product becomes much more real.
Virtual Tour Videos — Show off your facilities and offerings with a video tour of your business. Be sure to highlight things that make your shop unique and get someone passionate to narrate the tour.
Sales Videos — Use video on a sales page to drive home the benefits and wash away the objections of your prospect.

You can pick up a pocket sized HD video camera for less than $150 plus the cost of a memory card. I got a Kodak Zi8 for my birthday this past week, and I think that’s the best option out there, right now, for web video.

If you’re camera shopping, make sure it has a microphone jack so you can upgrade your audio equipment as your budget allows.

You can edit your video in iMovie or Movie Maker then just upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, and tons of other sites. Then, just look for the “embed” link and send that code to your webmaster or paste it into your site. Don’t forget to post links to your video on your social media sites as well.

So, when you’re out doing your weekend shopping why not pick up a cheap camera and start playing around with video. Your website will become instantly more engaging for users and you’ll benefit from the increases in visit depth, time on site, and conversions.

This post first appeared in my small business e-mail newsletter.

How To and Why You Should Issue Press Releases

You should be issuing press releases regularly for two reasons.

To get increased media visibility and coverage, giving you better brand recognition, trust and authority.
For increased traffic and links for your website, giving you more sign-ups and revenue.

Now, media visibility is a very different ballgame from 15 years ago. Back then, press releases were just for the press. Hardly anyone outside the media and PR firms ever read them. Now that everything is online, press releases show up in people’s search results, in Google News and Yahoo News, and on industry websites.

So, I say it’s okay to depart from the traditional style of release. I’m in favor of adding more background info and color to releases. Now, that doesn’t mean you should think of it as sales copy. Oh no. Keep it objective, but interesting.

If your release can stand on its own as a well written article then it’s more likely to make a splash. An editor may decide to run it with only minor edits to fill some space. Consumers who find your release online will be more likely to read through, and then click through to your website. News websites and blogs may syndicate your release.

I’m not going to teach you the format for releases, but when you’re ready just google [how to write a press release] and you’ll find plenty of sites to tell you the proper formatting rules. Stick to the standard format.

Spend plenty of time on your headline. That’s what will make or break your release. Remember that reporters and editors will respond to headlines differently than general readers. You can tailor your headline for pick-up by established media, or for general readership. Ideally you’ll write a headline that appeals to all of your audiences.

Write it about anything new: new products, new services, new facilities, new charitable efforts, new management… you get the picture. Your release needs to be newsworthy. It does not have to be ground breaking or amazing, just fresh.

Once you have your release, and compelling headline, it’s time to actually distribute it. If possible, post it on your website first. That way search engines know you had the content first.

Then you can e-mail it to all relevant media outlets. (Visit their websites and look for the “Newsroom” link.) You can send your release in email format – no attachments! – to the main Editors’ address, but it’s even better to hit the specific departments and reporters that cover the subject of your release.

Finally, you’ll want some form of online distribution. This is what will get you into Google News and relevant websites. Reporters and editors also comb the feeds from online distribution, so it’s a double whammy combined with your e-mail to them.

There’s a great and free press release distribution website, PRLog. I suggest you start there, as the paid distribution options can get expensive quickly. PRLog will let you set up a company profile with full contact info and logo. Your release can include a photo and up to three links, depending on its length. One of my favorite features is you can schedule your release. So, set up your online release ahead of time.

You should try to send your release out on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Mondays are too busy. People are just trying to finish the week on Fridays. Releases are often released first thing in the morning, but you might have fewer competitors during lunch time.

You might get a call from the media for more details and such, so be prepared. Have some good pictures at high resolution on hand to send upon request.

Now the fun part: you can sit back and watch. Search Google for your headline or random sentences from your release to see where it shows up! Your distribution service should also provide some data on how many viewers you had there.

Hopefully someone will come in holding a newspaper with your picture and story in it. That’s what happened to J & J’s Deli after the release I wrote went out. Here’s the article.

Get those releases out. Do it every few months. Don’t have time? Hire me. Call 919-636-0953 or e-mail me.

Videos for Your Lazy Memorial Day

It’s a lazy day around here with Memorial Day. We’re having a block party later on, and I’m guessing you’re probably not terribly focused on work either. So, this month I’m not going to write a long, original article. Instead I have some videos for you to check out if you have some time to kill and want some good business brain food.

First, a video of Seth Godin talking about standing out. Some of you might remember a previous newsletter on this topic. Well, I don’t think I ever included this video. It’s worth watching just to find out how Silk brand soy milk tripled its sales. Running time: 17 minutes Seth Godin on Sliced Bread & Soy Milk

This next one is a bit off topic. It’s an interview with Richard Stallman. Never heard of him? I’m not surprised. He’s sort of an underground hero. You see, when he was a student at Harvard and working in the MIT artificial intelligence lab, he started creating free software so that academics could freely modify it to suit their needs. What he started back then, in 1983, was called the GNU project. You’re probably familiar with it. Most people just call it Linux. The correct title is GNU/Linux, as it’s a combination of Stallman’s work and a kernel by Linus Torvalds. Anyhow, Stallman recently gave an interview to Mashable that I think should be required viewing. Running time 3 minutes Stallman on Software Freedom

Finally, for you copywriting geeks out there, here’s a video presentation by Drayton Bird, who, according to David Ogilvy, “knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world.” In it he breaks down and analyses four advertisements — two by him, one by David Ogilvy and one by Claude Hopkins. If you’re a student of the persuasive power of language then you’ll love this one. The link is to a summary, just click through to watch the video. They won’t try to sell you anything. Running time 50 minutes Drayton Bird’s Ad Crunch

Sorry, I can’t embed this last one, and I don’t think it will be available forever. It seems kind of hypocritical to post this non-free video after Richard Stallman, but hey – I’m not perfect.

Conversion Tracking You Can Do Yourself, Cheap

This is a follow-up to Is your business converting as well as it could?.

To figure out your conversion rate you need two numbers. You need to know how many total times you had the opportunity to make a conversion – e.g. website visitors, phone calls, or walk-in customers. I’ll refer to this number as impressions for the sake of clarity. You also need to know the number of successful conversions.

Note: Be sure to measure these over the same time period!

Then there’s a little math. Don’t worry, I’m a professional. Whip out your calculator and key in:

Conversions [divided by] Impressions [equals]
That will give you your conversion rate. Bump the decimal place to the right two spaces and you’ll have it as a percentage.

Example: Your website got 328 visits and you made 16 sales. 16 divided by 328 equals 0.04878. Bump the decimal over and you have a 4.878% conversion rate.

Okay, that’s the math. What about getting those numbers? Obviously, if you have an ecommerce site it’s pretty easy to figure out the number of visitors and the number of sales. It’s a little trickier if customers visit your website, then call in an order or visit the store.

The answer here is training. Train your staff to ask callers how they found you. Train your clerks to ask while they ring someone up. You can keep a clipboard by the register and the phone where your staff can mark down the answers. Heck, you could even use a fancy spreadsheet.

Spend some time figuring out how to phrase your question. Be specific. You probably don’t want to ask your regulars “How did you hear about us?” You’ll do better with “How did you find us today?”

If you’re tracking phone conversions be sure to tally how many total calls there were in addition to the number of sales made on the phone and how people found your number.

Another option is to get an 800 number that forwards to your main line. Then put that number on your website instead of your regular number. Now you can track the number of calls that came from your website. Of course, that’s another monthly expense.

Now, on the web there are a lot of ways to track conversions. For instance, you can define goals and funnels in Google Analytics or use Google Conversion Tracking. There are great click-tracking systems you can install like Crazy Egg or ClickTale. That’s a separate article though.

This post first appeared in my e-mail newsletter.

« Previous Page