Inbound Marketing For Australian SMBs

The number one request I get as an inbound marketing consultant is to help companies rank higher in search results to drive more traffic to their site. So the question begs; “how do we do this the right way?” Thankfully Google is committed to returning search results that are highly relevant to searchers’ requests. They do this by updating their search algorithm, the way they rank web pages and return results to the searcher, to penalize sites that use tactics that cheat the system, known as ‘black hat’, ‘keyword stuffing’ and ‘webspam’. 
"The key takeaway is that Google is changing it’s algorithm to reward quality sites – so stay focused on publishing quality content."

This article has been written for small business owners and marketers who want to understand enough about SEO to get results but not to qualify for a Masters in SEO. Use this article as your quick guide to finding the right keywords and knowing what to do with them.

 

How was your first quarter of 2012? Did you achieve your lead, customer and revenue goals? Did you get through all your tasks?

It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the changes to the internet, social media and specifically Facebook. Especially when you're trying to run your business and just keeping up with technology is a job in itself.  

We keep hearing it from the "experts" blog, blog, blog. But why? When I talk to business owners this seems to be the hardest task for many. But why?

As a marketer or business owner if you knew that blogging would help you grow your business would you find the time?

If one of your problems with blog writing is the planning and scheduling, you're not alone! I see questions on forums and LinkedIn groups around these topics all the time.

Blogging is one of the best inbound marketing tactics. It helps with search marketing – helping you get found, and it helps with lead generation – helping you get leads and customers. But for many, knowing what to write or how to write is just a task that seems overwhelming. The truth is you know your product (or service) and customers better than anyone. You have the knowledge, it’s just a matter of learning how to turn a phone conversation, email or networking discussion into a blog article.

The purpose of this article is to show you how to turn what you already know into effective blog articles.

Once a month or quarter set aside 1-2 hours and sit down with your sales and/or management team (or yourself if you are the management team) and write down the answers to the following questions:

• Why do people need your product or service?
• What is their problem, need or pain point?
• Why should they buy from you?
• What are the problems if they buy the wrong product or service?
• What should they know before making a purchasing decision?
• What questions do customers ask before buying?
• What questions or reservations do people who don’t buy ask?
• Why don’t people buy from you?
• What do people want to know about your company before buying?

Answers to these questions are all blog topics or even a series of blogs.

One of the key steps in marketing on the internet and social media is to use the right words – keywords - in your marketing content and communication.

Understanding your target audience is one the first things to do when developing an Inbound Marketing Plan – its marketing 101. It’s where I start with all my clients so I can provide marketing tactics that align with their target audience values and needs, and business objectives. To understand your target audience, you MUST know your Buyer Persona.

As you start a new year full of motivation and drive determined to achieve your revenue targets 2012, the key to success is to break it down into achievable tasks with an actionable timeline.

The purpose of this blog is to help you determine your goals and tasks for Q1 2012 and get organized with a plan and timeline.