Webinar: Common Local Search Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

On 03.05.10, In direct marketing, local search, relationship marketing, By jennifer

Started off yesterday morning with a local search webinar with Gregg Stewart of 15miles. First off, I really like how they came up with their name – which happens to be a great tidbit about local search.

More Useful Factoids

  • The name “15 miles” refers to the fact that roughly 80% of consumer purchases to happen within 15 miles of their home.
  • Local search grew 46% this last year while general searches grew at 31%
  • After searching, consumer activity breaks down to look like this: 46% contacted business via phone, 37% visited the location, 11% used online contact


    • What Kind of Local Strategy?
    Another strong point that Gregg brought up that was many businesses don’t have a comprehensive view of their online marketing strategy. As he put it, it’s not an either/or but an and strategy. This includes efforts in paid search, organic search, internet yellow pages, social media and mobile content. Just because you’re doing well in one segment doesn’t mean that you should scale back or ignore the other ones. The most successful businesses will realize the benefit of having a wide-ranging plan of attack to stand out against their competitors.

    Resources for Local Search

    If you haven’t already, there are many resources that you can take advantage of in starting your local search campaign. Gregg recommends: internet yellow pages, major search engines, Angie’s list, local search sites (Citysearch/Yelp), industry related blogs (including your local chamber of commerce) and more. Here’s a handy list of tools from Duct Tape Marketing.

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    Maintaining a Healthy Social Media Balance

    On 03.02.10, In Search Engine Optimization (SEO), By jennifer

    “If Speaking is Silver, then Listening is Gold”
    In order to have a successful social media plan, you need to find equilibrium. If you spend more time talking then listening, it’s time to reevaluate your methods. We’ve covered inspiration before but what about the other important aspects? Your social media plan won’t be successful if you don’t devote enough time and effort to carry out your campaign.

    Get Educated
    Sometimes, a little education can go a long way when you’re trying to engage your audience. There are free webinars and seminars every day, so find a topic that interests you. PRWeb often sponsors webinars that are beneficial for small business owners, bloggers, and more. You can do some live blogging, or participate in real-time discussion via hash tags on Twitter. Search Engine Watch always features interesting topics with great speakers.

    Staying in the Loop
    Webinars are a good way to get your social media news, but it also helps to stay more current. Like any other news room, it can be too cluttered to really stay focused. This is where newsletters and weekly wrap-ups can come in handy. Marketing Profs has a free daily newsletter which will help you stay in the loop and stay inspired. Remember, it’s easy to get distracted, but stay on the watch for credible sources for your social media news.

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    Relationship Marketing

    On 07.16.09, In Uncategorized, relationship marketing, By jennifer

    You may have heard of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, which states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes. When applied to business and marketing, this can mean several different things:

    • 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers
    • 80% of your profit comes from 20% of your products
    • 80% of your company’s output comes from 20% of your employees

    This principle shows that inputs and outputs of your efforts are rarely balanced. So how do you make the best and reap the maximum rewards? One of the keys to success is to maintain and build lasting relationships with your customers. Relationship marketing focuses on communication and efforts to retain customer loyalty in order to build a mutually beneficial relationship. Many businesses forgo this approach in exchange for quick profits in the short run. In the long run, keeping customers happy will help you retain a loyal base of customers.

    Rather than constantly looking for new customers, it’s important to keep existing ones happy. This can be easier said that done, especially for large companies who tend to focus on getting more new sales. It’s time to forget the phrase, “If you build it, they will come” and emphasize the point that “The customer is king”. Customers have plenty of choices and can easily choose one of your competitors if they are not treated well.

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