You can get a site ranked because of incredible link building efforts but when the visitor gets to the site and the content doesn’t match the ranking expectation (in other words most people think a top ranked site by Google should be a good well written and well thought out site) then all that effort is for naught.

When I talk with companies that are considered SMB’s (small and medium business) and SME’s (small and medium enterprises) I know exactly how to make them wish they had never decided to talk to me. All I have to do is mention content creation.

Nothing makes the color drain out of a marketing executive’s face more than the realization that they need to generate strong, high quality content consistently in all online channels in order to truly success in today’s online marketing environment.

While this may sound overly simplified I tell you it really isn’t. You see you really only need to do three things on a regular (not even daily basis) to succeed in the online marketing and social media marketing world.

• Create new web pages – Regardless of how “boring” you claim your product is there is always something else you can say about it. You can tell about different applications of it. You can tell of customer success stories. What you need to do is keep building your website’s depth and breadth of content. Why? The search engines like it and your customers will to.

• Blog – The age old mantra of “We don’t need a blog” is now an age old and it is worn very thin. To have a blog that is part of your website is actually an excellent way to keep your site updated and fresh for your visitors and the search engines. What’s that? You can’t write? You don’t have the staff for it? Then outsource it. I’d be happy to tell you how this can all be created and managed for much less than the cost of a full time employee and with a high level of professionalism.

• Listen – I have said this before and will say it until the day I die, you need to have your corporate ear to the ground to identify trends, troubles, triumphs and tricksters. Use a tool like Trackur (full disclosure; I am a representative for Trackur and the link IS NOT an affiliate link) to monitor your online reputation and overall online condition for less than $7 a day.

There are more options like social media but for now you just need to know that sitting back and doing nothing will help you to lose everything. There are many unemployed and hungry marketers who would take your place in a heartbeat if you sat on your hands and watched the new marketing world order roll by without any action.

Is it difficult to generate good content? Sometimes. Is it difficult to do it consistently? Only if you haven’t planned ahead. Is it wise to just let it go? No. Are there options for you including full time help or outsource options? Yes.

The thing is, content can only be king in your company if you give it the crown. Otherwise you may end up playing the court jester in executive committee meetings because the competition will be cleaning up royally in the marketplace while you wait for this Internet thing to go away.

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I have been putting some thought into this and I keep bumping up against the local business listing every time. I am finally starting to understand just how valuable and underutilized the local listing is especially in the B2B market.

For years this local listing has been something that is relegated to the restaurants, plumbers, electricians and other genuine local businesses. I say genuine in that there has been little consideration given by larger companies to this search factor. I think those days are over because if you are a large business with local offices around a region, country or whatever and you have not completely optimized your local listings in the major engines you may be leaving money on the table.

So should IBM, Cisco or any other large company really care about these listings? ABSOLUTELY! Here’s why.

• Social means local – While everyone is excited about how social media allows for contact between the little ol’ customer and the big ol’ company it is still not what seals a deal. After the contact is made and everyone gets their happy social media face on those ‘feel good’ moments could easily be fumbled once the lead is put into the machine of the big company. Now, if that big company has a local presence that could be the contact point for that lead (especially when they do a search for the company locally) the social aspect gets even stronger. Why? Because there are people that could possibly shake hands with the prospect. Today that is more powerful than ever.

• Local implies trust – This is a classic ‘perception is reality’ situation but it is powerful. People like to deal with someone on a local basis even if it is a representative of a Fortune 500 company. It’s how humans work and that will not change much in the foreseeable future.

• Local is a surprise – Have you ever done a search and in the Google Maps 10 pak you see a big company listed? There is a measure of surprise there and it is usually followed by “I didn’t know that” or “Wow, that’s neat.” If you are familiar with that big company and you do that search and they are not there it doesn’t really matter, right? Wrong? The companies that ARE there now move up in the pecking order and the big guy? Well, he’s still big but he’s not local.

What other aspects of local do you feel all businesses can benefit from? Should big guys even care about their local listing?

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The author makes three points that the show can provide for marketing your business.

• Add Some Personality to Your Marketing Mix
• Be A Little Controversial
• Capitalize on Buzz Worthy Conversations

On many levels, all of these suggestions have merit. That is if you are a social media professional or in the entertainment world or in some business where controversy is a positive. Most SMB’s, however, are not so you need to exercise extreme caution when seeing these advice posts anywhere in the realm of social media ‘experts’ including here at Frank Thinking About Internet Marketing.

Why? Well, if you are a local plumber (a classic SMB) and your interest is to get new business, what is your opportunity to add personality to your marketing mix? Well, if you want to be a front-facing owner or have some form of a personality there is great opportunity. However, once you commit to this line of thinking it is hard to back out of it down the line. This needs to be done with a great deal of forethought and planning because there is a level of commitment that many SMB’s may not be prepared for. So what sounds good may end up being something different.

Plumbers, by nature, like to avoid controversy because that usually means someone is ticked off at their service etc. In other words, being controversial in many real business scenarios (not promoting a brain dead reality show) is very bad advice. In fact, you want to just be conversational rather than controversial. Drumming up business by saying something negative or by creating a controversy for the sake of exposure has much more inherent risk than upside. Honestly, if you decide to be the ‘personality’ of your company, you now need to be on the straight and narrow because controversy can sometimes instantly kill an image that has been earned by blood, sweat and tears over the long haul. Is that worth the risk?

As for capitalizing on “buzz-worthy” conversations? Let’s face it……most businesses are not very “sexy” and the amount of buzz worthy conversations will be limited at best.

So my suggestion? Read all the social media advice you want but make sure you are reading it through the filter of your business and situation. While you may WANT the same principles of marketing that apply to a “hip” TV show to apply to you, they more often than not won’t.

So be careful about which advice you take because much of it in the social media realm simply won’t apply to you and that’s not a bad thing.

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• You don’t know exactly how much you are spending on Internet marketing
• You haven’t worked out the ROI (return on investment) numbers of your efforts
• You are frustrated with your Internet marketing service provider
• You get several calls a week with people saying they will get you top 10 results
• You plan on spending the same amount of money in the Yellow Pages when your contract is up
• You are interested in social media but don’t ‘get it’ and think it looks like a lot of work
• You are spread thin with your marketing money and marketing talent

You should really act like someone who is on fire. You should stop, drop and roll with regard to Internet marketing. In other words, you should really stop to assess what you are doing, why you are doing it and what you should be doing next.If not you may get burned.

Right now is not a great time to spend because you hear that you can make money on the Internet. While you certainly can it is just as possible that you can lose money due to poor or non-existent research and planning.

Slow down, take a breath and look around. Are you in the right place and doing the right things that will give you best chance for success? If yes, good for you. If no, what’s next?

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Most local businesses, especially those that utilize their local chamber, tend to focus on the local aspect of their business exclusively. For some it makes great sense because their business truly is local. They have a store or a practice that has a specific geographic radius that generates the vast majority of their revenue. There are others, however, that need to expand their horizons because they can.

Do you provide consulting services in any business discipline? Does your offering ‘cross state lines’ meaning can you provide your expertise anywhere without restriction of licensing etc? My services for Internet marketing can happen anywhere in the world just as easily as in my backyard here in the Triangle area of North Carolina.

Have you considered what opportunities may be elsewhere for you and your business? Have you considered that the Internet isn’t just helping locals know more about you? Do you realize that even though you are a local business you still have a worldwide audience?

While this will seem very basic to many there are many more who have just been too busy to even look up and consider this option. In addition, whenever they consider Internet marketing it seems daunting because there is so much to know. I agree there is a lot to know but there is so much more to miss if you don’t get in.

FT Takeaway: Local businesses serve local communities but have worldwide exposure on the Internet. If your business can be more than local then start thinking that way. The world is just a click away.

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Considering Internet marketing in all of its forms including search (organic and paid), blogging, social media, local etc, etc makes the best business folks look at their marketing as a whole. This is a great exercise and can yield incredible value for the business owner or marketer. Even if they don’t use my services I think more often than not people walk away with a new perspective. Sometimes that’s all that is required for change and the success it can create.

Some areas that are ‘enlightened’:

• Wasted marketing dollars identified. When an SMB owner can see the potential that is available online they often cast a more critical eye on how they currently spend valuable marketing dollars. Oftentimes that newspaper ad they have run forever or Yellow Pages money they spend year after year comes under real scrutiny. After being put under a microscope rather than being ‘grandfathered’ into marketing budgets year in and year out the true performers are allowed to continue and the others are eliminated.

• New marketing money found. As a direct result of cutting non performing marketing efforts the SMB can now see how that money can be used in new ways. So the idea of new money is a tad misleading. It is really taking the idea of injecting new life into that existing marketing spend. With all the talk of steroids I need to resist the concept of ‘pumping up your marketing dollar’ but it’s not easy.

• New energy generated. It’s amazing how someone can light up over things that they have known for years. Many business people I talk to about blogging suddenly realize that they are experts in their field and there is so much to put out in the marketplace. The fear of what do I write about is replaced by the thrill of breathing new life into their business.

• Hope is rekindled. It’s no secret that times are tough. It’s also no secret that it is easy to fall into a rut and be dragged down by the constant pounding of bad news. By having the opportunity to see their business in a new light there is a spark of hope and optimism that can be generated. We all need that and many times it requires an outsider to bring a fresh set of eyes to help them see opportunity rather than bleakness.

So is working with me some kind of great awakening? I am chuckling just at the fact that I had the nerve to write that last question. The simple answer is no, it is not. SMB’s, though, live a very cloistered life because of the great responsibility they shoulder daily so anyone that can be of assistance to get them to come up for air can help them see these things. Most SMB’s are passionate people and they just need a little shove in the right direction to get going again. If you work with SMB’s encourage them to keep fighting and they will appreciate the sentiment.
FT Takeaway: Looking seriously at Internet marketing almost always creates a renewing of the mind for small and medium business people. It’s this new angle on their business that can oftentimes be enough to get through some of the rough patches. New thoughts. New energy. New hope. New outlook. All lead to new opportunity.

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“Most of us grew up knowing that once you agree to something, you don’t back out of it”, says small business consultant Bill Bartmann of Bill Bartmann Enterprises in Tulsa, OK. “That rule doesn’t apply anymore.”

Hard to read, yes, but a reality of the new world order. I have a suggestion for all businesses as it relates to their internet marketing efforts. If you are going out to renegotiate these other deals you should two things that will help you grow (yup, grow).

• Take some of that savings and apply it to the most measurable and therefore effective marketing arena which is the internet

• Stop spending completely on marketing that is not working.

As a result of the second suggestion you now have even more money THAT YOU HAD ALREADY BUDGETED to apply to internet marketing techniques that can be measured and controlled. Now you are taking valuable marketing dollars and apply it to the development of SEO campaigns, pay per click (PPC) campaigns and the development of social media opportunities to promote and support your business. Now you can take business from the competition and position yourself better for when things get better, which they will eventually.

That’s it. What else should be said? Don’t waste money on bad marketing options. If you have always done it a certain then it’s probably time to change. If you spend ridiculous amounts of money with some Yellow Page provider stop and reapply it somewhere that actually works and can be measured.

FT Takeaway: Small business is in survival mode and part of that is to stop wasting money on bad advertising. If you are not in the internet marketing game it’s time. Reassign bad marketing spend to good marketing opportunities.

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Once these concepts have been presented in a way that removes the mystery and mysticism that we internet marketers like to portray (note to internet marketers: Stop doing that! It’s ridiculous) they almost always have the same response: “A-HA!”

It’s a business epiphany of sorts for these folks and the level of excitement is almost always very high. Trouble is that the initial enthusiasm fades pretty quickly when the reality sets in that this all requires real work. It’s like a business energy drink of sorts. These SMB marketers drink it in and get a huge rush then the crash happens that leaves them drained.

So how do you get past the “A-HA!” into the real world? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Get educated – Invest the time and resources to obtain at the least a decent foundational understanding of internet marketing including search (organic and paid), social media, local opportunities etc.
2. Assess the opportunity – Internet marketing and social media almost always sounds interesting and exciting but not every technique applies to every business. Quickly assess how much can actually be done based on the type of business and the clients among other factors.
3. Make a plan – Once you determine what areas are worth your time (local search, paid search, SEO, social) according to your business and industry take the time to plan your efforts. Internet marketing can spin you circles if you do not have a road map of sorts to follow.
4. Be flexible – Internet marketing is always a work in progress. Change and experimentation are the words of the day in this area and the SMB marketer who is new to this will have to just relax and go with it.
   Assign resources – This means people and money. Doesn’t take much of either really but it will take commitment and passion to make it work.

So get in and stay in the game after the “A-HA!” moment. Commit yourself to success using the internet to generate business. What else are you going to do? Wait for the government to bail you out, Mr. / Mrs. SMB? Now that would be a HUGE “A-HA!” wouldn’t it?

SMB Takeaway: The initial excitement of the SMB regarding the potential that internet marketing and social media offers is exhilarating but the reality can seem daunting. Well, it’s not as long you go about it in a way that makes sense and leads to success rather than frustration.

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Before I get going here I want to disclose one thing and warn about another. First, the disclosure: I am a lifelong sales professional and I am actually proud of it because I firmly believe that, when done correctly, sales is a helping profession that can serve people. Now for the warning: What you are about to read is part rant, part experience, part anger, part disgust, and all honesty. You see, I am passionate about search marketing. I am also passionate about professional and ethical sales practices. My problem is that I am not sure that these two areas have ever been formally introduced.

Prey

Traditionally, what I have seen of the marriage of the search marketing space and the level of sales professionalism has been limited at best. For the first decade of its existence search marketing sales efforts have been predatory on a good day and just disgusting on a bad day.

Even though we search marketers think that the rest of the business world understands search marketing and its many nuances, that is simply not true. Most SMB (small and medium business) owners and marketers don’t even realize that the top results of a SERP (search engine result page) is usually held by paying advertisers. Go ahead and laugh. It’s until the industry understands this, though, that sales people will continue to prey on these people who are just trying to do good business but are ignorant of how search works.

So I don’t get long winded here, just listen to these simple words of warning for SMB’s:

• If your search marketing sales person is trying to give you some kind of time-related discount, or an ultimatum about signing up for their services, just turn and run. That’s an old-fashioned closing technique that has no room in real business at any level in our modern world.
• If your sales person dodges your question, and uses spin and redirection to avoid answering it directly, then turn and run. Demand that your sales person knows what he or she is selling. PROTECT YOURSELF.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it absolutely is, and if the word guarantee occurs anywhere in the conversation other than the statement “We cannot guarantee anything,” then run.

Pray

As an SMB owner or marketing professional who has little or limited knowledge of the intricacies of search marketing, please consider hitting your knees in prayer before embarking on finding a partner in the space. This is not your only defense against the sales predators that are trying to close you to meet quota, but it’s a darn good place to start. Also, take a look at these few quick pointers to protect yourself as you go out into the wild world of search. Oh, and for those of you who have already been burned by my industry? My apologies and a suggestion that you look at this list and get back to basic blocking and tackling yourself. That’s how you win against this nemesis known as the search marketing sales person.

• Do your homework. There are hundreds of free online resources that can give you a basic understanding of the good, the bad, and the ugly of search marketing. Do a Google search to find them. Read them please, I implore you! If you go out there looking for someone to “guide you through the process” then expect to be guided right to their version of the solution which might not fit your needs at all.
• Ask questions. Then ask a few more questions. Then ask some more. Make sure your sales people know their stuff. Check them for consistency. Are they saying anything to get you to say yes? Do they occasionally say, “No we can’t do that?” If they say that, then you might want to listen more closely, because they could actually be telling you the truth!
• Don’t “Go to bid.” What do I mean? If you think that any respectable sales person wants to hear that the opportunity is being put “out to bid,” then you are only inviting the worst of the worst to participate. By putting something out to bid, the likelihood of getting a customized service that actually meets your needs diminishes significantly. Most good sales people will pass this opportunity along because they know that it will likely end in disaster.

So there. I said some of it. Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I personally believe that in this era of change there needs to be significant reform of the sales of search marketing services. Until now, it has been sloppy at best and downright dishonest and predatory at worst. Unfortunately, with the economic times being what they are, there is a chance that it could get worse as desperation sets in. Don’t get caught! Do your homework. Oh, and if you have any questions give me a call. I’ll give you the straight shoot unless it’s the end of the month and I haven’t reached quota yet.

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Change in the search industry, and particularly as it relates to the SMB market should be widespread and wide ranging. I suspect that overall it may not be a good thing. I feel that way because there will be a lot of people who will be looking for an opportunity to make money and may simply hang their shingle out as a search marketing or internet marketing expert. This industry already has plenty of shady practitioners and even the best and the brightest ‘experts’ will have their horror stories of clients and relationships that have gone south. For the best providers those stories are the exception and not the rule. Probably more than ever before there will be gaps in the level of service, quality and integrity because of the general malaise that the economy is slipping into.

I can offer you just a few pointers to best protect yourself.

1. Demand that your provider do a complete assessment of your current situation before there is any offering of some schedule of services. Because a real strong assessment should take many hours and should include business insight and not just search marketing jargon and mumbo jumbo you should expect to pay for this service. This is how I work. No longer can I just tell someone that the ‘usual’ search and internet marketing services apply to all. Every situation is completely different and requires a custom approach. Look at this investment as insurance of sorts. You should walk away with a complete assessment and action plan moving forward that can be used whether you use this provider or not. Good providers won’t work for free and you should not expect them to.

2. Don’t do long term contracts. I have talked about this before. A good search marketer will prove their worth regularly and you will see the return on investment that should compel you to continue working with them to achieve even greater success.

3. Understand that there is a cost involved but you owe it to yourself to find the money to support search marketing through cuts in bad marketing spend. Examples may include Yellow Page ads, newspaper ads, directories and associations that don’t produce. Anything that you can’t measure its success should be examined for its true value to your business’ bottom line.

More than ever you need to do search marketing. As an SMB (small medium business) you must step up and make the best choices that produce results. Take market share from your competition who is doing the same thing they always have or are actually pulling back on their efforts. Game on!

SMB Takeaway: Use extreme caution when choosing your search / internet marketing provider. The market will be filled with wanna bes. Make sure you consider three main ideas when looking at bringing on search help.

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