Small Business Marketing – FreeMarket Media Group – Small Business Internet Marketing Strategies and Website Marketing Ideas

The Amazing Power of “HTTP://”

June 1st, 2009

Huh? What’s that? Or even “yeah, so what…”

How many times in an email, Facebook, Twitter or other sites have you seen a web address like this: www.govisitmysite.com and the damn thing isn’t clickable? A little annoying, right?

How many times have you copied and pasted the link?

My guess… very few. By adding these 7 simple characters, you unleash the mad, straight up power that is the INTERNET! You are leaving money, leads, customers, clients (and did I mention MONEY) on the table by not making your link clickable everywhere and anywhere you can!

NEWS FLASH —–> No one is going to take the time to copy and paste your link, EVER! (almost)

Err on the side of good business – use the http:// and your link becomes live: http://www.govisitmysite.com (this is an example only). Don’t leave prospective clients, customers and/or cash hanging on Facebook, Twitter and even in your email.

The other bonus is that you get those important backlinks to your site – without the http:// all you get is some text on another site…

Here’s a little experiment for you. Pay attention to all the non-working links you see, just on Facebook (especially on the person’s profile and their own link) and report back here. I would love and appreciate the feedback. If you found this post helpful, Please leave a comment!

Thanks and happy linking, Facebooking and Twittering…

Tags: clickable link, Facebook, Linking, Twitter
Posted in Doing Business Online, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Web Design | No Comments »

IT’S TIME TO TAKE THE PLUNGE…

May 5th, 2009

It seems that everybody is doing it…but are YOU? I am talking about the power of blogging. What a great way to get your message out there and to let everyone know what you and your business are up to. And the coolest thing about it is that your website can be a blog! The look and feel of blogging sure has changed since its humble beginnings back in 1994. They began as simple on-line diaries but blogs have morphed incredibly into extremely powerful content management systems and amazing marketing tools.

Check out the advantages for you and your business:

They are interactive: Blogs allow for other people to freely comment on your posts, ask a question, or even contribute a different point of view other than the one that you have shared. And don’t fear the seemingly “negative” comments or someone disagreeing with you. That’s great! You’ve got them talking and noticing YOU and your business! It is also a great way to keep tabs on your target market.
Super easy to manage: Need to make a change? Not so hip with HTML code? Not to worry! You don’t need to open up an HTML editor or even understand what that is! Everything is done from a central control panel. All you need is an Internet connection to get onto the blog and update the page. It is really great if you are new to the website world, but even experienced webmasters appreciate its ease and simplicity.
User-Friendly Organization: With the use of categories, pages, and tags, it is quite simple to put together your blog into a user-friendly website.
Plug-ins: What are plug-ins? They are “little programs that are designed to enhance the functionality of your blog” (well-put by author Gary Ruplinger). An example of a plug-in function is making it easy for readers to “tweet” or “digg” your most recent post. Another acts as an indispensable bookmarking tool. You name it and you can probably find a plug-in for it! And with just a click you can add it!

So there are the basics of why a blog and blogsites are so great. And as many of you know, WordPress is the creator of hundreds of great blogsite designs and makes creating an on-line presence almost a snap. But if you’re feeling as if you need a bit more instruction click HERE and take a look at this awesome opportunity!

Tags: Add new tag, blog, blogging, blogsite, Digg, HTML code, interactive, marketing tools, plug-ins, tags, tweet, wordpress
Posted in Blogger, Small Business Online | No Comments »

What NOT to put on Your Facebook Profile

March 1st, 2009

Teenage fired for complaining about job on Facebook

Ok – here’s the deal. Don’t put anything on your social network pages that you don’t want the ENTIRE world to know about. You on Facebook is a window to your life – or so is the perception of people who read what you post on Facebook, what you tweet about on Twitter… get the picture?

I ran across this story of a 16 year old girl who wrote on her Facebook that her first day at her new job was “boring” and that she hated the menial tasks. Guess what? A co-worker who was her “Facebook friend” read the comment and told their boss… Bummer.

So again, back to the rule. It’s really simple: Don’t put anything on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network that you don’t want you boss, your husband/wife, kids, friends, teachers… to know. Period. You mold the way you interact through speech in situations, e.g you (hopefully) don’t cuss in front of your kids or priest… so intelligently mold yourself in social media. Cultivate your persona. Be real, but be smart. Choose your words carefully. We really don’t need to know everything. Somethings are better kept to yourself.

So when the girl’s boss learned of the comments on Facebook:

Kimberley Swann was called into her boss’ office where she was told, “‘I have seen your comments on Facebook, and I don’t want my company being in the news.” She was told it was not good for the company, fired, and escorted from the premises in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

So if you decide to write about your job and get fired, or complain about your wife and she’s not happy, that’s your choice. Just don’t complain afterward. You made your bed.

Read the rest of the story here.

Swann is upset and, as only a 16 year old can, complained: “I just put that my job was boring. They were just being nosy, going through everything. I think it is really sad; it makes them look stupid that they are going to be so petty.

Maybe they are being petty, but here’s the deal: it’s their prerogative. Check the consequences before you write.

Tags: Facebook, Kimberley Swann, social media, social network, Twitter
Posted in Facebook | No Comments »

The Power of Twitter Introductions

February 28th, 2009

Funny thing happened on my way to filming a Twitter Introduction…

Yesterday morning, I uploaded a Twitter Introduction Video to YouTube. I had seen a few others and thought that the notion of a Twitter Introduction video would be great. Twitter is such an amazing platform. Not only can I really connect with people and follow what they are doing, I can also share my activities with others. It’s very cool. I even got an invitation to have a beer from Internet Marketing Guru Matt Bacak (@mattbacak).

So back to the Twitter Introduction Video. It is a great way to be a little more than 75 pixel square image on your Twitter page. It allows you to be a real flesh and blood human. After all, if we are going to establish relationships online with social media, what better way than a video.

The process is really simple. You can capture video from your webcam on your computer, or video camera. I used a Panasonic DVX-100 – imported it into iMovie – no editing and uploaded it onto YouTube.

Once it was uploaded, I made sure to direct message all new followers with a thank you and link to my YouTube page.

That’s easy. What I also did was a little SEO on my Youtube page (including inserting my links to my Twitter page and blogs right in the description), did a little bookmarking, then uploaded it to other video sites.

Now if you search Google for “Twitter Introductions” you see these results:

Click above picture to enlarge.

What you see at #4 is a double video listing with thumbnails (two of them) and the only ones on the page. Do you think people will click that link more often as a result of the picture? I think the answer is yes. Now if you look above the two thumbnails, you’ll see a link to Mixx. Yep, that’s also me. That’s three links in the top four slots.

All this in under thirty-six hours!

So here’s the intro video:

Some YouTube tips:

Always add links with the full URL in your YouTube description. (http://www.yoursite.com). I added a link to my Twitter and my two sites.
Add a good description – with some good keywords.
Add a creative title – I titled mine, “The Truth about Twitter Introductions”.
Add good tags – If you add tags with two or more words, use quotes around them or YouTube will separate the words, e.g.. “Social Networking”.

Some Twitter tips:

Be real.
Post good links, not just links to your site… boring and selfish.
Show interest in others – after all, this is social networking…
Did I mention, be real?

If we are not yet following each other on Twitter, please use the Twitter link to my profile and follow me. I will follow you back.

http://www.twitter.com/lenapple

If you want to check out the Google results, click here…

Tags: Google, Google search results, Matt Bacak, Mixx, Panasonic DVX-100, SEO, social media, Social Networking, Twitter, Twitter Introduction Video, Twitter Introductions, YouTube
Posted in Twitter | 3 Comments »

Marketing Like a Rock Star, Take Two

February 24th, 2009

Marketing Lessons From Christina Aguilera

While “cruising” around YouTube, I stumbled across this video of Christina Aguilera performing live in Sydney Australia. Watching this video (not my normal fare, but damn can she perform), I noticed how she uses so many sales and trainer techniques. I touched on this before in the post: How to Market Like a Rock Star!

What are these, you ask? Good question. So, I’ll provide the answer…

As any good trainer understands, when you are presenting from the stage, you want to enroll and engage your audience, not talk “at” them. How do you do this?

Enrolling questions. This engages your audience and makes them feel like they are part of the training, not merely a listener. Christina asks, “Are we having fun tonight, so far, Australia?” Loud roar of applause – the crowd is engaged, step 1. Next question: “Are there any sexy males in the audience?” Enrolling the guys first since she’s talking to them, and secondly, the women who are responding to the call for sexy guys. Pretty clever, huh?
Audience participation. This keeps the audience active and engaged. You sit and listen to a symphony, but you participate at a rock show! First she introduces her male dancers and then (with subtlety) demands a response (in the form of applause) from the audience. Next she asks for a volunteer and sends her dancers into the crowd in search of a male volunteer. Like I said, audience participation. One additional benefit of the volunteer aspect is that it personalizes it. Everyone in the crowd (in this case, the men, for sure), live a bit vicariously through the volunteer.
Including the whole audience. When presenting to a group, it is extremely important to make everyone feel included. Christina does this by using the whole stage.

In this video it is also obvious that, yes, sex sells, but beyond that, Christina uses a lot of other presenter and selling techniques. How many examples can you catch? Would love to read your “catches” in the comments.

Tags: audience, Audience participation, Christina Aguilera, Enrolling questions, presenter, presenting from the stage, selling, YouTube
Posted in Marketing & Promotion, You Tube | 2 Comments »

Yes We Can! The Fed Website goes 2.0

January 28th, 2009

Interacting through social media (Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and others) is quickly becoming an integral part of business (large, small and entrepreneurial) promotion online. Through Twitter interaction with your followers, you can keep them updated with your goings on and more. Faceboook provides a platform for deeper interaction when you start using their posted items, groups and (fan) pages features.

So with a new age of promotion among us, is it any wonder that Barak Obama’s administration would lead the way for government to find a beter way of keeping us informed allowing for simple feedback?

Taking a cue from the updated WhiteHouse.gov Web site, the federal government has gone Web 2.0 with is own site.

“Using these Web 2.0 tools is a huge opportunity for government to be transparent and save valuable tax dollars,” said Beverly Godwin, director of USA.gov, in a statement. “Tools such as RSS feeds and gadgets allow the public to directly access content from the original source, no matter which Web site they’re on. It reduces duplication across government, because an agency creates content once and makes it available for reuse by others.”

By using social media, and by this I mean truthful and honest interaction witth your existing and potential customer/client base, you create familiarity which breeds trust.

Tags: Barak Obama, Facebook, government, RSS feeds, social media, Twitter, USA.gov, Web 2.0, WhiteHouse.gov, YouTube
Posted in Facebook, Twitter, Web 2.0 | 1 Comment »

Connecting to Your Message

January 19th, 2009

Whenever I start talking about marketing to nearly all my clients, the first thing they say is, “I hate to sell“. We all sell. Whether it’s ourselves to an employer or prospective mate, or our products and/or services we are always selling. Yet we “hate it”. Why do you think?

Well I have an idea. When we think of selling one of the first images to pop into our heads is the shady used car salesman… So why does this bother us so? (and stick with us?). Maybe because the in-authenticity of the message and the incongruency of the messenger.

Used Car Salesman

So what do I mean?

The used car salesman is usually selling a car that he/she wouldn’t own themselves, heck, they’d probably not even like to ride shotgun… So the words coming out of their mouths is not in alignment with their true beliefs and it shows.

Consciously we might not notice this, but subconsciously we know they are lying. This, then, is the root of our “hate” for selling. We feel dirty, embarrassed and, frankly, like liars. Or at least we feel that this is how others will view us. And GOD knows we don’t want people to think we are used car salesmen (no offense to those who sell cars…).

Now let’s flip this around, shall we? What happens when you see a great movie or eat at an amazing restaurant and want to share the experience with friends? You gush, you are grounded and the AUTHENTICITY of your message is unmistakable. You are, in fact, “selling” the movie or restaurant “experience” to your friends. YES, SELLING! During this sales process you are congruent with your message and it resonates through you to your audience.

If you have a product, service or idea, that you believe in, that is great, don’t be shy. If it’s so wonderful why won’t you share it. Would you not tell your friends about the movie or dining extravaganza? Of course not.

The key is to find the truth in what you are selling. When what you are speaking aligns with your truth, it shows. Take a look at Oprah, Barak Obama, Ronald Reagan, JFK. When they speak/spoke, their message rings true through their entire being.

We can design the best website, the best power point, write killer copy, but if we don’t believe what we are saying, it ain’t gonna sell…

So in talking about authenticity of a message on Martin Luther King day, it only makes sense to honor a man who spoke his truth. Take a look at Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech. Listen beyond words, see beyond the image, and truly feel the truth he was speaking.

Tags: authentic, authenticity, Barak Obama, congruency, congruent, JFK, Martin Luther King, Oprah, Ronald Reagan, selling, truth, used car salesman
Posted in Doing Business Online, Marketing & Promotion | No Comments »

Google Ads Free 411

January 3rd, 2009

Are you sick of paying for 411 calls on you cell phone? Google has released this great information service. Just another way for Google to integrate the great features they have to make our lives easier.

To learn more about this great Google feature click here.

Tags: free information, Google, Google 411, information, Technology
Posted in Google | No Comments »

10 Small Business Trends for 2009

December 30th, 2008

I love prognosticators! It’s the end of the year and now’s the time when all the predictions are coming in. I don’t really care what Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer are up to (it’s OK if you do… No judgment from me) but give me some insight on small business trending and I’m all over that…

So it is on that note that I would like to share with you this great article form Small business Labs called: 2009 Top 10 Small Business Trends. The article is very timely considering that some economists estimate that as much as 95% of our economy is driven by small businesses.

However, it is number 10 on the 2009 small business trends list that caught my attention:

10. Small Businesses Will Expand Their Use of Online Marketing Tools: Despite the economic downturn, we expect the small business sector to increase its use of online marketing tools and methods in 2009. Online marketing is cheaper and often more effective than traditional approaches. And although online marketing can be complex, many tools and methods are accessible to DIY small business marketers. With small businesses focused on customer acquisition and re-defining their business methods, we expect their use of online marketing to grow in 2009.

Since those in the know realize that online marketing can be far less costly than traditional forms of marketing. Do newspaper ads really get people into your store? The answer: Yes, but… Of course offline marketing works – but even in a small market a newspaper ad might cost several hundred dollars.

If you take into account that a full 50% of your potential customers are looking for your small business online – What if you could be the first option they see when they are looking for your type of product or service online? Well, you probably can!

Utilizing the vast resources of the internet as well as variations of what savvy Internet Marketers use – yes indeed you can. Internet Marketing is a business and chances are you’re not in the internet marketing business. So, would it make sense for you to become a full time internet marketer? NO! You need time to run, maintain and grow your small business.

That being said, there is a lot you can do to market your small business online and chances are that your competition is not.

By blogging, social networking, social bookmarking, even strategically placed video, you can increase your presence on Google and on the web in general.

Hone your message, create multiple gateways to your web presence online, perform great customer service, and watch your small business grow.

Tags: blogging, Internet Marketing, marketing, online marketing, Small Business, Small Business Online, Social Bookmarking, Social Networking, video
Posted in Small Business Online | No Comments »

3 Killer (Quality) Traffic Generating Techniques

December 22nd, 2008

There are many effective ways to drive targeted to your website traffic without having to resort to expensive pay per click. The quality of the traffic is good, and sometimes even better than those paying for clicks. Here are 3 to wet you appetite.

And these methods are… Drum roll please…

1. Article Marketing

Article marketing works great! First off, it’s free. Second, you can attract targeted traffic when your articles get ranked in Google for the specific targeted keywords that you know your potential clients and/or customers are searching for. Getting a top spot on the left side (organic search results) of Google is as (or more) valuable as getting a top spot on the right (sponsored listings via Adwords). But the difference is it is free!

Using an article directory like EzineArticles, you can target specific, low competition keywords (aka long tail keywords) and rank within days, sometimes hours. Research shows that people searching 2 or less words tend to be browsers, while those searching phrases of 3 or more words tend to know what they want and are more likely to be buyers!

2. Forum Marketing

Forum marketing is another powerful free traffic driving technique. The key lies in using a catchy signature like “List building secrets of the masters”, or “5 killer secrets to an obedient dog!” But make sure the claims are legit. Remember, it’s all about the signature!

Participate daily in a handful of forums forums within your niche. Always go where your potential customers/clients are. Not only will you get traffic, you will also get some quality backlinks to your website.

3. Social Networking Sites

This refers to the new Web 2.0 social marketing communities like FaceBook, MySpace and Twitter. Even YouTube and other video sites count as part of this category. The best part of these Social Networking Communities is the huge audience.

Millions of people participate in these sites. And these are real-life audience! A good YouTube video can get lots of viewers. If you remember “Chocolate Rain” by Tay Zonday, that now has over 32,460,229 views. This video even landed Tay a Dr. Pepper spot and a knockoff/spoof, “Chocolate Rain by Chad Vader” has over 3 million views! See the

The potential for huge amounts of free targeted traffic is great!

Tags: Article Marketing, chocolate rain, EzineArticles, Facebook, Forum Marketing, Google, keywords, MySpace, Social Networking, Twitter, website traffic, YouTube
Posted in Creating Backlinks, Marketing & Promotion, You Tube | No Comments »

Web Design – Form vs Function

December 20th, 2008

Nobody wants to browse a web page full of text, because, let’s face facts it’s outright boring. When creating a web site, the developer has to implement in the web site components which will make the visitor come back and visit the page again. The perfect way to do this is by using web design thus making the site attractive and eventually, popular. This is form vs. function.

Web design plays an important role in marketing success. With an attractive web site, the success is guaranteed (as long as you have compelling content). Internet marketing is not all about getting as many visitors as possible but also to capture the interest of the visitor once he’s on that specific web site, so what better way to do this if not by web design?

Well, one way is to have compelling content, an authentic message and a strong, congruent marketing message!

This is where the 2 roads meet – Form & Function.

For any website to have success, it must capture a few key components:

Nice visual styling – The big boys (Yahoo, Google, Youtube) can get away with plain styles because the offer so much content. You and I, on the other hand, need clean, smart, even elegant design as a frame to display our compelling, rich content.
Easy, Intuitive Navigation – Don’t make your visitors guess how to navigate your site. Make it easy. ‘Nuff said…
Compelling Content – This would be informative content for site visitors. It should be keyword rich for the search engines too. Remember, stay on topic. Don’t add backpacking content to a site about hamsters…
Marketing Message – It doesn’t matter if your site is a personal site or business site… You are always marketing. Whether it’s to friends, family, spouses, business associates, future customers or clients, keep your message clear!
New Content – Visitors won’t come back to your site if nothing ever changes. Dammit get yourself a blog. It’s easy to update, there are tons of pre-designed templates (and it you want a custom designed one, we can do that for you) and did I mention that it’s easy to update? The best blog out there? WORDPRESS!
Truth – Nobody likes a liar… Stay true, authentic and connected to your message. People are attracted to messages that a consistent with the messenger!

A strong visual presence coupled with a strong message and compelling content will always increase you chance for online success!

Tags: authentic, compelling content, marketing, marketing message, marketing success, online success, Web Design, web page, wordpress
Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing & Promotion, Web Design, Website Content | No Comments »

New Site For Master Musician Mark Andes Launched

August 3rd, 2008

Spirit – I Got a Line on You

Just wanted to announce the launch of our newest site for musician/master bassist Mark Andes.

Heart, Spirit, Firefall, Canned Heat, Stevie Nicks, Dan Fogelberg, Whitesnake, Jo Jo Gunne, Chris Hillman, Kim Carnes, John Fahey, Iain Matthews, Kelly Willis, Jim Lauderdale, Eliza Gilkyson, and Joe Walsh. . . all have relied on the brilliant musicianship of Mark Andes to punctuate their songs and elevate their musical visions to chart-topping status. He has been the rock solid support on bass guitar, songwriting and vocals for all of the above. . . and more.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Mark was a founding member of such cutting edge bands as Canned Heat and Spirit while still a teenager. Spirit is still considered by many to be the first band to successfully fuse jazz and rock with protest, folk-like lyrics and is known as a progressive rock innovator. Their four albums (Spirit, The Family That Plays Together, Clear, and The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus released from 1967-1970) all are propelled by the visionary rhythm section of Mark and Ed “Cass” Cassidy and include radio staples such as “Got A Line On You” and “Nature’s Way”.

Mark and Spirit’s lead vocalist Jay Ferguson went on to form the hard rockin’ Jo Jo Gunne (which also included Mark’s brother, Matt and Curly Smith on Drums) and quickly scored a top-30 hit with the infectious “Run Run Run”.

Check it out, would love some feedback. Mark Andes Music

Mark Andes Music

Mark AndesMusic

Mark Andes Music

Tags: jo jo gunne, mark andes, spirit, web desiggn
Posted in Branding, Web Design | No Comments »

How to Market Like a Rock Star!

July 21st, 2008

Everything I learned About Marketing, I learned From Paul Stanley of KISS!

Not quite but I’ll tell you what. If you pay attention to any great rock front man or woman, you will notice a couple of very clever tactics.

Dateline Sunday July 20th… So there I was indulging in a guilty pleasure… Let me back up. The first concert that I ever attended was a KISS concert in 1977 when they were at their pinnacle (I have seen them 5 times since, twice on halloween!)

Like I said, guilty pleasure… So sunday I popped in a DVD “Kiss w/ the Melbourne Symphony. Kiss, the garishly made up rock band (with tons of pop hooks) with a symphony… Should be interesting, I thought.

It’s amazing what a different perspective will do. The DVD was tons of fun (guilty pleasure, remember…) but I noticed all the sales, marketing and trainer tricks that lead singer Paul Stanley was using and realized that all the great Rock Bands do this to create the rabid, evangelist seeking following.

Acknowledge!

The first thing any good Rocker will do is acknowledge the fans and thank them: Paul Stanley on the DVD, “We had offers from a lot of Cities to play with a symphony, but we had such a great time here last time, we just had to come back!”

Giving your audience ownership: “You made this song popular, we may have written it but this song is yours!” – Yep, Paul Stanley said this too.

Wow that’s powerful!

Setting the Context

If you’re going to sell, let the audience know and get their permission first.

Never, ever lay into your sales pitch without taking the time to acknowledge your audience and getting to know them first!

This was a Tweet I received (sort of, since I can’t find the tweet or who twittered..)

At a bar-b-que: Me: beautiful day isn’t it? Other guy: Heard of Amway? Never, ever, ever!

“We’re gonna slow this next song down a bit. Is that alright with you?

Permission marketing creates loyalty!

What’s in it for me?

Again any decent trainer or marketer will lay out up front what valuable stuff is coming for the audience. “Over the next hour (or whatever) I’m going to give you/tell you about these things that will rock your world!

Paul Stanley: “We’re gonna rock your asses off!”

Now, if you make this promise, you better deliver!

Involving your Audience – leads to inclusion!

Rockers do this: Sing alongs, clap alongs.

Here’s a great example of involving the audience. In the 80’s I saw Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame on tour solo. When it came time to play the Led Zepp classic “Stairway to Heaven” the singer on the tour took a break. On stage a single spotlight stayed on an empty mike. So what happened? A chorus of 15,000 + sang instead. Amazing! At that point, if we hadn’t already, we were all drinking the Koolade. Don’t leave anyone behind.

Leading Questions

“Do you wanna Rock?” – what a clever way to involve/include your audience. How about if you are marketing razors… “Has anyone ever cut themselves shaving?”

Demand a response!

Audience participation part deux: Ever heard this one? “Does anyone wanna ROCK!” then after the first response: “What?! I can’t her you!”. This, as any trainer will tell you is called “Demanding a response!”

Do you want to leave your audience out? Next time you are attending a sales meeting, seminar, teleclass, whatever, pay attention to the speaker for, in my opinion, a fatal mistake. The presenter/speaker asks a question and the audience doesn’t really respond but they move on anyway. Guess what, they just left all those non responders behind.

Go to one of T. Harv Eker’s, Tony Robbins or Alex Mandossian’s events and watch masters at keeping the audience involved at work.

Or just go to a great rock show! And when you do, pay attention, you’ll be surprised at all you can learn from a ROCKSTAR!

And remember, it doesn’t matter how many tricks you employ, if you don’t, in the end, deliver the promised “goods”!