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Wondering what to do with all your free time? Consider these website marketing strategies. Many companies may never reach their full potential because they just can't get past the top ten on this list. How does your company rate? Need marketing help? 1. Most would top their list with SEO, but that’s putting the cart before the horse. You only get one opportunity to make a great first impression, so even before SEO I perform a website usability analysis that examines graphic design, navigation, and whether the marketing copy is filled with the right kind of content to be effective. 2. Interesting, useful content that refreshes sufficiently to keep attracting return visits. 3. SEO and then submissions to search engines 4. Including URL and any sort of (newsworthy) offer or service in a press release; create separate social media version and video news release 5. Disseminating the press release using wires and online distribution services (this can often generate multiple pass-along postings) 6. Cross-promoting the (newsworthy) offer & URL via pitches to traditional media: TV, radio, wire services, newspapers, consumer magazines, trade pubs–and their associated websites 7. Mass-media advertising that includes the URL, especially billboards & buses 8. Getting listed in expert-source directories for journalists 9. Setting up link exchanges with as many allied sites as possible 10. Securing listings on portals such as MSN and Craigslist 11. Securing listings in directories such as Yahoo, DMOZ, About.com 12. Placements in websites of local
I use these guidelines to keep me on track balancing keyword density with search engine optimization and readability. There are writers who go to extremes, and I see this often online. At one end of the spectrum, we have the keyword stuffer. This person will use the term so many times that the content becomes unreadable and difficult to follow. On the other side of the equation, you have the writer who seems to be totally unaware he or she should even be including keywords. Writing for fun is great, but it will not garner results. So, where is the balance? Here are some of my keyword density rules for SEO: Include it in the title tag Include it once in the h1 header tag Use the keyword three times in the body of the page Bold it once in the body text Use the keyword in an alt tag on an image Use it in the URL slug Include the keyword once in the meta description Do not use the keyword to link to another page. Keep in mind that these are just rules of thumb. The internet is not going to explode if you use the term four times in the body or do not include an alt tag! Have fun writing...or, you could just Hire Maureen!
Establishing a distributor network is often the first order of business among manufacturers launching new products or product lines. Setting up this network can be a daunting challenge; however, by simply following these four steps, this network can be effectively created. 1. Outline Your Plan 2. Find Distributors 3. Close the Deal 4. Keep Them Happy Outline Your Plan When you seek out distributors you must be ready to explain the features and benefits of your product(s) and make sure you can provide the tools the new distributors will need to be successful. Don't put the car before the horse. Before you start recruiting new distributors, you need to do some leg work and ask yourself some hard questions: * Is your product truly ready to go to market now? * Do you have a fulfillment plan in place and can you meet the expected service levels required? * Do you have a distributor agreement with commission structures and legal issues resolved? * Do you have a new distributor packet of instructional and promotional materials, camera ready flyers or brochures, samples, order forms and whatever else would be needed to enable your new distributors to be successful? * Do you have a touch campaign outlined for future follow up with distributors? Find Distributors Once you're satisfied that you've thoroughly outlined your plan, here are some suggestions on ways to find distributors: * Go to industry trade shows and talk to people as appropriate trade shows will draw the distributors. * Advertise the availability of
If you want to use your social networking profile to get hired or -- or at least not get fired -- here are three basic rules to keep in mind: 1. Don't announce interviews, raises or new jobs Don't talk about any of these sensitive topics on your social networking site is key. If you're unemployed, writing "Interview today -- wish me luck!" would be OK, or if you got a job, something along the lines of "So excited about my new job!" is totally acceptable. If you're currently employed, however, I don't think your boss would be too happy to see something like, "Trying to con my boss into giving me a $5K raise. SUCKA!" 2. Don't badmouth your current or previous employer Just like in an interview, keep your rants about your boss or company to yourself. If hiring managers see that you're willing to trash a colleague online they assume you'll do it to them, too. Plus, there's always the possibility of getting fired if someone sees your negative comments. 3. Don't mention your job search if you're still employed If your boss knows you're on the lookout for a new job, feel free to advertise it in your status. If you're keeping your search below the radar, however, don't publish anything, anywhere. Even if you aren't connected to your boss online, somebody can get the information back to him or her.
Should I focus on job boards or networking? If you're answer is job boards, unfortunately, you're incorrect and it could hurt your chances of landing that new job. New reports show that on any 'typical' job board, like CareerBuilder or Monster, less than 4% of the open positions, at any given company, are filled via that method. Job boards have partnered with the media companies and provide them with much needed advertising dollars. So, while you may see their company logos everywhere, the success stories aren't as numerous. Media companies, like the already failing newspapers, are reluctant to report the true findings and lose those much needed advertising dollars. While job boards shouldn't be completely ignored. Spending 10-20% of your time on these searches is probably the maximum amount of time you'd want to dedicate. And, while you're there - you might as well follow some basic tips to 'do it right.' * Have an up to date resume filled with searchable key terms that relate to your skill-set. * Refresh it weekly - change something, even if it's the title. Many searches are done by date and the newest are viewed first. * Name your resume with your first name, last name, and the position you're seeking. * Don't put a date in the name of your resume - it can show how long you've been out of work. * Use aggregators like Indeed.com where all the jobs can be found on one site. Be
Twitter Acronyms
When you start using Twitter, many of us long winded people find it a challenge to condense our thoughts into 140 characters. But, what a great challenge --it's like writing a headline for a press release... I always think back to what an old college professor used to say, 'It needs to be like a woman's skirt, short enough to be interesting but, long enough to cover the subject.' This was, of course, before sexual harassment lawsuits became popular. Shortening words is no longer a sign of laziness, unless of course you're writing your resume. I've been told, never abbreviate anything as employers will see it as you being lazy. (Whatev) But, for Twitter, acronyms are necessary to cram as much in as possible. Unless you've perfected the art of text messaging, it's likely that you have no idea what all of the acronyms mean that are constantly in use on Twitter. Using an acronym is a great way to free up some space when you tweet, but it is very important not to use so many that your tweet looks like a secret code. It is also not a great idea to use acronyms that aren't universally known -- your tweet might be important but most people do not have time to de-code what you are saying. Here are some of the acronyms used most frequently on Twitter: RT – Re tweeting/forwarding the original tweet. DM – Direct Message. This is a
1. "hate my job!! i want to tell my bosses how dumb they are and how meaningless this job is, then quit, and be happy!" 2. "So my job was to test all the food at the new restaurant, can I just say, ughew. I'm going to taco bell then twistee treat." 3. "Workin... This job sucks worse then the economy!" 4. "I'm going to work! Walmart! Must find better job! I hate it when chicks there have a deeper voice than me!" 5. "Also I'm really bummed that I'm working today, i asked off so i could study but my boss is a ******* **** ***** ***** who can't read." 6. "Coworker smuggled out a chair for me. Currently being paid to SIT around and listen to John Barrowman on my iPod. I don't hate my job today!" 7. "having sex dreams of people you work with makes for an awkward day." 8. "smoking weed at work is so @#$!% great :)" 9. "It's bad when you overhear the programmer say "I used to work at McDonalds with him" and you wonder if he is talking about the CEO..." 10. "Huh, with my boss on twitter, maaaybe I should take down that sexy picture of her... but her reaction will be priceless!" Maureen McHale is a web marketing consultant specializing in website development, article marketing, public relations, social media and search engine optimization.
