The more Fans the better – right?

What about Twitter? Oh yeah, you can get 10,000 Twitter followers too.

Oh, and not over a looooong period of time…say 6 months of extensive, exhaustive attempts to know the people and engage them in conversation. Oh no! This can get accomplished in 3 days! Yes, 3 days! or sometimes 2, and other times 4.

How?

And why would you?

To answer the How, it’s quite simple. Sign up to a service that rewards you for Liking other peoples’ pages and following them on Twitter. By signing up to the service you also share your own Page and Twitter ID. So, in turn, these people will Like your page and follow your Twitter ID in exchange for coins. The more coins you get the more followers and Likes. Get it?

Why would you do this?

Darned if I know.

Let’s say you now have 15,000 Fans on your business page. You’ve been posting status updates regularly. Now you’re ready to really sell your product or service. So, you post a sales related status update. Out of 15,000 Fans surely there is a buyer? Yay! You sold something. Oops, only once. Oh wait, that’s okay. Because you’ll send another sales message – cast a net – to the Fans and catch another buyer next time. Oh boy, two buyers! And you’ll do this again, and again, and again. And on and on and on. Why? Because you’re not developing relationships with your buyers, or actually engaging them in any way, you now have a one time purchase. That’s great if you want to continuously post sales messages on Facebook and while you’re losing Fans you’re Liking other Pages so you can earn coins and in turn get new Fans.

Wow – sounds a LOT like the old-fashioned advertising game. You know, the one where you spent a ton of money (only now it’s time) to put out an ad in the newspaper, on the Radio or on Television, and hoped like heck the phone would ring. Sure, that was targeted marketing at the time because the venues had the numbers to show that there are 50,000 listeners during that time frame!

Okay, think about this. You sell feminine products. Your ad airs during the sports round up. Oops. Wrong market.

Let’s go back to Facebook. You sell feminine products. Your status update (sales message) goes out to 15,000 Fans. 9,998 of those Fans are men, teenage boys and elderly women (the current demographics of those trying to get rich quick online). Oops, wrong market.

Now What?

Forgive me for saying so, but you might want to consider doing a bit of research about your customers then a bit of work to TALK to your Fans. Share information about your product that will interest them. Ask THEM for conversation starters – have THEM provide content for your Fan page by encouraging THEM to ask questions. Have a contest for THEM that gets them talking on our page. ENGAGE them with enticing information, interactive Fan pages and more.

So, you say you want thousands of Fans on Facebook and Twitter. That’s an admirable goal and possible to achieve. Let’s get together and talk about how we can work together to do the hard work involved in getting you thousands of real Fans – you know, those people actually interested in what you have to offer. Remember, Facebook and Twitter are the social media platform where the conversation takes place. Let’s put in the conversation and you’ll see results.

Contact us today so you can get the conversation with your Fan started tomorrow.

Social Media Report: Q3 2011

Females and 18-34 year olds are the most active social networkers. The average networker is likely to live in New England, is educated with a Bachelor’s Degree, has a household income less than $50K/year, and are of Asian/Pacific Islander descent.

Okay, don’t panic! This doesn’t mean you have to change your entire online marketing strategy to fit this new ‘ideal customer’. Remember, your ideal customer is based on your research and this is just a bit more information for you to digest.

So, what if your market is more along the lines of 55+? The active senior? Are they active on social media? You bet they are!

According to Nielsen, mobile social networking increased 109% in this age group. Wow. We knew that the fastest growing users of Facebook were 45+ women, now add to the mix that they’re using their mobile devices means that the banner ad campaign we planned for a client with this target market should include mobile marketing, too. (Actually it does, but we’re pointing out the importance of research here).

What kind of research are you doing?

Our informal discussions with potential clients and in networking groups tells us that YOU are doing NO research. The YOU being the small business owner.

And that means that YOU are leaving the research the BIG business people who have departments and employees for that nonsense.

And that means that YOU, the small business owner or employee, are MISSING OUT on sales.

Set aside some time during the week or weekend. Maybe it will be an hour. Maybe it will be 10 minutes.

Search for existing research about your market. Then pull out the information that pertains to your target market.

Now use it. Put it to use right now. Talk to your potential customers now. Don’t wait until you have ALL of the information. Your competition is talking to your potential customer right now. You should be, too.

Monitoring the internet for mentions of your company name and your competition’s name is an excellent way to learn about what’s being said about you and your competitor.

Usually this is done via Google Alerts a free monitoring system, or by paid programs like Rescue My Rep, or by way of an online marketing company that is doing it as part of their offering to you. Either way, you receive regular feedback via emails about what’s being said online about you and your company.

Great. Now you know what’s being said.

Now what?

Well, our experience shows that most companies that have a Competitive Intelligence department also have email folders full of alerts like these. Which means that they’re doing a great job of monitoring and identifying what their competition is doing, but not such a great job of putting that information into revenue generating action steps.

We also know that small companies (50 – 100 employees) and micro-businesses (1 – 5 employees) are using the internet more to monitor the industries they serve. And they, too, have email folders full of alerts that tell them what their competition is doing.

But wait – you just received an email alert that your competitor is exhibiting at a trade show; maybe it was a news release, maybe it was an update to their company blog, maybe it was a conversation in an open forum and an employee talked about their upcoming travel plans. What’s important is that the show they are exhibiting at is seemingly unrelated to their product line.

Hmmm. Then again, maybe it’s not so unusual. Maybe the problem is that you never considered entering that market/industry with your product.

Back to the question – Now What?

Again, our experience shows that this type of information will be reviewed and noted and then filed away.

Just knowing the information isn’t enough to affect change in your bottom line. It’s what you do with the information that matters the most. Seriously, think about it for a minute. Once something is on the internet, more than just you and your company now know the information. If you sit on it, and another competitor takes action, who’s going to be left behind?

So, what to do about this piece of news? It may be too late to be an exhibitor at that trade show, but it’s probably not too late to send an employee to attend it. What about the industry this trade show showcases? Might want to look into it as a target market for your product. Now is a good time to gather existing market research about the industry. Take a look at your current customer base. No, they’re not in that industry, but maybe they can use your product in a different way. Test your product to make sure it actually works in the new way, and then alert your customers about it – great customer service at work here, which in turn will improve your customer retention.

Our hope is that you’re now thinking differently about that email alert you received yesterday – you know the one that showed a news release of your competitor adding a new service, or a new employee, or a new product, or…well, you get the idea (we hope).

This post was inspired by this excellent blog post.

What about yours?

Seriously.

Recently we’ve come across a number of attempts to extract work from our agency in exchange for nothing. And we don’t mean an offer to barter from SPAM e-mails. These are from business people in the community where our agency is headquartered.

Not non-profits.

Not charities.

Business people engaged in running their own business. And the worst of it is that what’s been happening doesn’t involve an even exchange. You know, the kind of swap that we used to do as kids…I’ll do this if you do that kind of thing. Instead, it’s more along the lines of “give it to me free please”.

Really? Are you serious?

Let’s get this straight: you want us to incur the costs of a service that you intend to use in your business and to profit from?

Wow.

First, let’s review what a business is.

According to Dictionary.com the definition of business is:

2.the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.

3.a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.

And according to Wikipedia, which expands on the above definition just a bit:

A business (also known as company, enterprise, or firm) is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods, services, or both to consumers or tertiary business in exchange for money.

At this point we’re hoping that it’s very clear that our agency is a business and that our business model is to make a profit, which means that at the end of a project we have more money than we started with.

Bartering

Now, having said that, we get bartering. We understand the system of bartering services. It’s obvious that some people don’t, so we’re going to take this opportunity to educate them and you (if you’re so inclined to continue reading).

Bartering is an age-old system of exchanging services for services or services for goods or goods for services. The idea is that you and someone else would exchange services of equal value, with both of you getting what you need and want without exchanging currency/dollars/monies/funds.

While no mature society ever fully survived on bartering, there are many small pieces of society that do it regularly: neighbors that use it to improve their lawns, their gardens, their vehicles, etc. It’s the neighborly thing to do – you help me, I’ll help you.

It’s not a good business model, though. And to add to the annoyance of thinking that you aren’t getting paid for your product or service, here’s an interesting tidbit:

In the United States, the sales a barter exchange makes are considered taxable revenue by the IRS and the gross amount of a barter exchange member’s sales are reported to the IRS by the barter exchange via a 1099-B form. The requirement for barter exchanges to report members sales was enacted in the Tax Equity & Fair Responsibility Act of 1982. According to the IRS, “The fair market value of goods and services exchanged must be included in the income of both parties.

And there are many bartering exchange clubs and groups around that facilitate the matching up of interested parties, as well as the documentation you’ll need to to let the IRS know what your business was involved in. Please note that our business is not listed as a member of any of these clubs or groups.

We Work for Money

Back to the original lament: you really expect us to have our agency provide you services at no cost? Where on the website, in the marketing literature, in the LLC after the business name does it say ‘volunteer’ or ‘pro bono’?

Sorry, but our CEO put a lot of time, effort and knowledge into this agency and hand-selected those who work for the agency because of their expertise and the value they bring to our customers and their projects. We market the agency as an expert in the industry because we believe in what we can do for our customers.

Having you ask us for expert services just because you don’t want to pay for them is initially laughable, then it becomes insulting when you repeatedly ask for no-charge service.

Consider this post a warning that the next time you ignore our “no” and ask again for free services, the response you get  from our agency, and our CEO, will not be nice – nor will we care. By continuing to insult and offend us you’ve crossed the line of business etiquette and ethics and deserve nothing less than a contemptuous response.

On our Facebook Fan Page today we had a contest. We posted a Friday Fun post that asked a fun, internet related trivia question. And, we offered an incredible prize to the first person to correctly answer the trivia question. Seriously, we offered the Fan an opportunity to be spotlighted in the Notes section of the Fan page as well as here, on our blog. So, we are pleased to introduce you to Erthe Fae Designs. Feel free to visit their website, check out their Fan page, and congratulate them on our Fan page!

One of a kind design by Erthe Fae Designs

Erthe Fae Designs has been offering one of a kind handmade fantasy jewelry on-line since 1998. Back then, owner AJ Reardon’s on-line marketing strategy was to list jewelry on eBay, and be nice to the customers so they’d come back. In the early days of internet sales, that was a viable strategy that left AJ with plenty of time to create. But time has moved on, and now self-promotion as easily as important as providing a great product and a pleasant shopping experience.

Now Erthe Fae Designs is located on Etsy, where handmade jewelry is one of the largest, most competitive categories. After months of low views and sales, AJ was frustrated and realized that she needed to work on marketing. Between the advice of her friends and the information on Search by Burke’s Facebook page, it was clear that Search Engine Optimization was the way to go.

Although she knows that her shop still needs a lot of work, after just a week of working on SEO, AJ was thrilled to find that Erthe Fae Designs was the #1 return on a Google search for handmade fantasy jewelry, and her work appears on the first page of results for handmade steampunk jewelry. Site views are up, sales are trickling in, and AJ is confident that her business is back on the path to success.

Online marketing is still one of AJ’s least favorite parts of running Erthe Fae Designs. It’s hard to find the balance between self-promoting enough to make her business prominent, without inundating possible customers with constant links, and pleas for sales. Her strategy is to mention her business in an off-handed way while keeping her blog’s focus on the creative side of jewelry making, and her Facebook focused on networking with friends and family while mentioning Erthe Fae Designs on occasion. As her 12th year of business winds down, she’s looking forward to moving on to new advertising opportunities in 2011, and making plenty of new jewelry.

You can see the handmade jewelry of Erthe Fae Designs at http://erthefae.etsy.com/ or visit AJ’s blog at http://erthefae.blogspot.com/

Why do we network? Oh let me count the ways:

• To make better decisions
• To get help solving complex problems
• To stay current with news and happenings
• To learn about other companies and the competition
• To advance our careers
• To stay connected with colleagues
• To meet other business owners and create strategic partnerships

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Anyway, we have these needs as human beings, the primary need being to connect with others that can help us or that we can help.

Because of this, a whole new social economy has arisen where the currency is in the number and quality of relationships we can sustain. But how do you begin to network in today’s world? Or, improve your efficiency in your current networking?

Okay, first you must admit that social is here to stay. Those with the largest number of followers, business cards, and ‘friends’ will win the day. Whether you’re looking to network your way to internet fame and fortune or are looking to gain respect for your own products or services within communities, it’s easier when you start with the right resources.

If you’ve gone looking for social networks online, you will have discovered a wide variety of online destinations that qualify as social networking. They range from ‘people search’ sites like naymz.com to Facebook and LinkedIn. But, don’t forget your offline networking opportunities! BNI (Business Networking International) is a well-established global network, while StartupNation is a site that profiles technology startups.

The point is, there are many places online to go and network. And there are more than what I’ll be listing. Why? Because every website is different and has different needs and demands. Understanding a few of the different angles in the online networking system will serve you and your business well in the short and long term.

The list I’m about to share with you does not include small, niche networks. There are just too many to include in this post. Instead, I’ve stayed with a list that is highly recommended by Website Magazine, and they based the list on broad popularity metrics – including page views and unique visitors – many of the smaller sites were not included. But always, always remember that the most valuable location for power networking is where your voice is heard, your message is shared and your objectives are met. Now, go forth and explore these options:

1. facebook.com
2. twitter.com
3. linkedin.com
4. meetup.com
5. friendster.com
6. pipl.com
7. care2.com
8. plaxo.com
9. 123people.com
10. jigsaw.com
11. activerain.com
12. zoominfo.com
13. hoovers.com
14. crunchbase.com
15. tribe.net
16. glassdoor.com
17. spoke.com
18. zabasearch.com
19. xing.com
20. naymz.com
21. wink.com
22. startupnation.com
23. focus.com
24. ecademy.com
25. score.org
26. biznik.com
27. youngentrepreneur.com
28. xobni.com
29. doostang.com
30. amightyriver.com
31. gobignetwork.com
32. efactor.com
33. joined.com
34. jobirn.com
35. fastpitchnetworking.com
36. onesource.com
37. bigtent.com
38. ryze.com
39. cghub.com
40. partnerup.com
41. isearch.com
42. flowtown.com
43. bni.com
44. apsense.com
45. yapclub.com
46. ikarma.com
47. brightfuse.com
48. gist.com
49. meetin.org
50. ziggs.com

We are excited to announce that in collaboration with Marketing Media Management, we are offering seminars in the Louisville, KY area. Under the name of Online Marketing Pros, we’re offering a seminar series that we call Infinity and Beyond: Marketing Strategy – Marketing Without Ceilings for Small Business.

Knowing how scary SEO and websites and social media can be for small business owners, we designed a seminar series specifically targeted to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent sales reps – and this includes real estate agents!

Each seminar, whether beginner or advanced, begins with an overview of the activity. For example, Social Media The Basics is our next seminar. We’ll do a review of what LinkedIn and Facebook Personal Profiles are about and why it’s important that you be using them. Then Search by Burke will present on LinkedIn and optimizing the profile, providing actual how-tos for the attendees. How-to move the profile pieces around to fit your title/industry. How-to use keywords in various parts of the profile to improve your ranking in LinkedIn search. And more.

For Facebook – Marketing Media Management will provide details about account set up, privacy settings, finding friends, understanding the News Feed and more.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops to all seminars, because we’re providing more than just a handout – we want to walk you through the process so you understand how to do it yourself. And, if for some reason you decide that doing it yourself isn’t an option, we’re always available to discuss working with you.

Interested? Check us out at Online Marketing Pros website or Like us on Facebook!

It’s time, once again, to have some fun. We found a word search puzzle maker and thought we’d share it with you!

Enjoy!

Remember Beverly Hills, 90210?

Remember when everyone wanted a 90210 zip code?

If you remember that 90210 is associated with success and affluence – we bet your customers remember it, too.

Text based mobile marketing – a complicated way of saying … send text messages to your customers. And…use 90210 and your keyword to get new customers.

How?

Simple.

Learn more at SBBMobile 90210 – your code for success!

Yes, it’s still Search by Burke. Yes, you can still expect the great service and quality work we offer as an online marketing agency.

Why have a separate site for SBBMobile? Because it’s an offering that can stand on its own.

We have many very small, micro-businesses ask us to provide online marketing services – and quite frankly, they can’t afford us. Maybe one day they will, but until then, they’re do-it-yourselfers and need something to get their message out.

We work with realtors who thought they were limited by the For Sale sign in the yard for on the spot information about the property. Not anymore.

We work with restaurants and bars who are always looking for more foot traffic at a reasonable price.

We work with non-profits who want to keep in touch with donors, volunteers and board members.

We work with social media managers who want to promote their company’s product or service in the social media realm – but don’t want to ‘sell’.

We work with golf courses who want to alert their customers to tee times…or want to increase their customer base by having an occasional promotion.

We work with salons and spas who want to increase their customer base, and alert customers about upcoming appointments.

We work with large companies and small companies, service and product focused. Text based marketing is ideal for any company that has a service or product to promote.

This platform is ideal for keeping in touch with existing customers. And we all know how important it is to make sure our existing customers remember us when they next need our service OR when they’re ready to refer a friend.

SBBMobile is the name we’ve attached to the offering. We found a platform that is easy to use and affordable for every business…and are glad to offer it to you, our customers and potential customers.

Have questions? Feel free to contact us.

There. We said it. It is that simple.

Why did you build the website?

Was it so you could turn on your computer and impress visitors that come to your office?

Was it because your manager of marketing said it was good idea?

Was it to type your brochure information onto the website, then tell people you meet at networking events that you have a site?

Or maybe you did it to avoid having to go to networking events?

OR

Did you do it …

so you could sell products online?

so you could get more sales leads?

Did you do it because your customers are online and you knew that you should be, too?

Did you get your website up and running so you could improve your bottom line and reduce your overhead?

From BusinessWeek.com (small business section):

“…Old is counting on foreign sales to expand his business from $1.25 million in revenue this year to $20 million in three years…A 54-year-old Marine veteran who speaks six languages and had a previous business trading aircraft internationally, Old says customers from around the world find him online, and vice versa.”

“…Online marketing and e-commerce have also enabled more small businesses to expand globally. Shipwire, a Palo Alto (Calif.)-based company that provides outsourced warehousing and shipping for online merchants…have gone from close to zero in 2007 to 20% of Shipwire’s business in 2009, says CEO Damon Schechter. “The merchants are pulling us to where we should be,” he says.”

“…If we’re spending anywhere, it’s on marketing. Lead generation. Web site upgrades. Social media. E-mail campaigns…”

If your website was created to get new business, new customers, new sales leads, repeat business…and you don’t have an active, online marketing plan, we need to talk. You’re losing money, losing new customers, missing opportunities. We can help. Contact us today.