In 2007, the mention of content marketing brought as many blank stares from small business owners as the mention of a website did 10 years before. In fact, in 1997 when we started our small business magazine in Southwest Florida, few owners had websites, let alone an online marketing strategy. In 2009, most small businesses do have websites and the term, ‘content marketing,’ has gone from obscure to fashionable. How to go from clueless to compelling to transform prospects into buyers When I say fashionable, I mean that the usage of the phrase has skyrocketed in

That’s the blog powered website of Chris Griffith, a realtor with Downing Frye real estate. It’s worth noting that, although Downing Frye is a successful, well-established local realtor, their company website doesn’t show up until page 3 of the listings. As she tells it, a typical first-time phone caller will refer directly to houses they have seen via her website or to information that she has conveyed. Effective content marketing online drives LifeinBonitaSprings.com to number four on search rankings. You might think that Realtor.com, Yahoo real estate,

When your customers come to your website, they are similarly looking to you to solve their problems. Put the answers to those critical questions up on your website. Tags: Content Marketing Knowledge Center News Online Tips & Mini-Guides website Think of yourself as the ultimate knowledge resource like those concierges serving fine hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton or the Four Seasons—But Available 24/7. When you find yourself in a new town but are blessed to be staying in a hotel with a knowledgeable and caring concierge, you’ve got it made.

5 Reasons an eBook Should be a Core Component of Your Content Marketing Strategy Of course, I’m assuming that you already have a website and are probably doing some business blogging. Six Steps to a Successful Small Business Content Marketing Strategy How to go from clueless to compelling to transform prospects into buyers In 2007, the mention of content marketing brought as many blank stares from small business owners as the mention of a website did 10 years before. It’s been a very good year for content marketing. In fact, visitors searching our site for

have written before about the many differences between a traditional website and a blog. Your website typically provides timeless information, while your blog provides timely information. It boils down to the fundamental difference between the purpose of your website and of your blog. Influence them with information well before they are ready to buy from you. I

If you are a big corporation, you may have plenty of in-house talent or can afford to spend a lot of money to outsource the rebuilding of your website. Even so, you may not get what you need: A website chock-full of relevant and compelling content. How will you go about determining what vital content belongs on our website? If you don’t get good answers, keep looking. Even if you are a small organization with a limited budget, there are lengthy of technically and graphically talented folks who would love to work with you.

Of course you need a website. Your website is a primary location for product and service information for which your customers are searching. That is, your website must reflect an understanding of what’s most important to your customers in the way that you present content about who you are, what you sell, and why your visitors should care. An effective website is necessary But, you need a lot more to succeed. Moreover, it should follow the content marketing mandate of customer centricity.

This week Jim and I will be holding a webinar on Websites and Blogging at 5:00pm Pacific Time on Wednesday September 16th. We’ve We’ve created a brief video to give you a taste of what we’ll cover in-depth in the full one hour webinar. Blogging Blogging can be a powerful tool to establish your credibility, develop relationships and create [...] ...Tags:

I’m offering 2 THINGS this month that will help you take action on your website.  HAVE YOUR WEBSITE REVIEWED! Many speakers complain that their websites don’t get the job done for them, they don’t close the business. offer an introductory 30 minute coaching session (just $97) that can be used for a website review. Larry the Cable Guy may not be the most profound person you know, but his catch phrase git-r-done is meaningful. Translated…

SEO is not about creating a website sausage overstuffed with key words and phrases. But, it is still poorly understood by many marketers and SEO practitioners who swear that cramming a ton of “search engine friendly” words and phrases deemed into every nook and cranny of your website will place you high on the results page. Tags: Blogging Content Marketing Knowledge Center Marketing Basics News Online Tips & Mini-Guides websites Heather Lloyd-Martin online marketing search engine marketing That’s the key word from veteran SEO expert Heather Lloyd-Martin It’s