Communications Ink Blog

SEO Kool Aid

Posted on February 3, 2012 by cmhutchins

I’ve been reading a lot about SEO and my clients have been very focused on it. I get why– it really quantifies marketing efforts and allows you to be more nimble in your messaging. So I’m not going to wax on about the power of SEO.

Instead, I’m going to stick up for good, old fashioned branding, strategy and market segmentation. While it is very powerful to figure the best keywords to build traffic to your website and generate leads, what do you do if your audience doesn’t care about them??? Better yet, what if the end result won’t help you grow your business?!

Here’s an example– say you are real estate broker who focuses on high end real estate in Boston. You do your SEO and figure out your keywords– chances are luxury real estate is such a crowded category you drill down. Back Bay real estate is a long tail keyword so you go after that. And guess what? You have tremendous success! Your phone is ringing off the hook and you are scrambling to keep up with the leads. But? Everyone of your leads is a college student looking for affordable housing to rent! So I ask you, now that you have spent considerable time screening these inquiries was the effort worth it? Or did you just drink the SEO Kool Aid?

So before you rush into changing your website to populate it with promising keywords, take a look at the copy. Is it on strategy for the message you want to send your target audience? Does it reinforce your brand? Do you clearly communicate your strengths and focus? If not, you might want to reconsider your strategy and put down the cup!

www.communications-ink.net

Posted in Marketing | Tagged branding, lead generation, marketing, SEO. strategy | Leave a comment

Social Media Measurement

Posted on December 17, 2011 by cmhutchins

With 65 percent of Americans who use the internet using a social networking site such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn,* it’s important to be present on these sites.

This means not only posting and adding new content frequently but also measuring the traffic to your sites.

Look at the clock. Is there a time that’s best for posting your content? Well, it’s much like the story of the three bears– you need to find out what’s not too much, not too little but just right for your audience. That said, data shows most visitors check these sites early in the morning, before & after lunch as well as right before they go to sleep. So why not start with updates at those times.

Get to know your Friends. Having an understanding for who is following you is just as important. And don’t forget your competition. Track what others are saying about you and your competition. You can also join conversations in LinkedIn and other sites using the keywords you are focused on.

Don’t give up. Not only can you try different topics but you can also repost your information more than once. Maybe it garnered no attention because it was posted at a time when people weren’t on their computers. So send it again (unless it’s time sensitive).

So what do you use to gather this information? Depends on your budget. Google Analytics has great free tracking reports. Facebook Insights and Twitter Grader also track traffic at no cost.

I hope these ideas will catch fire for you! Please let me know… http://www.communications-ink.net/contact-us

*According to Pew Research

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged advertising, branding, communications ink, facebook insight, Inbound Marketing, marketing, SEO, social media, twitter grader | 2 Comments

1984– The Ad that Changed Me!

Posted on December 3, 2011 by cmhutchins

My son and I were talking about advertising and marketing today. He was quite surprised by the power of messages to change the way we think and behave.
His comments reminded me of the first time I watched the Apple 1984 ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8).
I was a student in college who had read George Orwell’s book.
I can remember watching the ad air– amazed by the movie quality of the ad.
But what struck me the most was the rejection of mass thinking. For the first time we were being told it was OK to think for yourself, to have your own dreams, to do things on your own terms and that the only thing limiting you was you (and an Apple computer!).
It was amazing to think that it no longer mattered who your parents were, what kind of education you had received and how much wealth you had. If you had the vision and tenacity you too could smash the machine and break free.
Looking back on the ad today with my son, I realized it took full circle the message of my parents that I could “be what I wanted to be” and translated it into popular culture.
And I think we are still seeing the effect of that ad.
Thank you Steve. You taught us that not only could we dream but we really could change the way people think and dream!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1984, advertising, apple, steve jobs | Leave a comment

The Holiday Season and Your Marketing Plan

Posted on December 1, 2011 by cmhutchins

I was thinking today as my mind wandered to the gloomy thoughts of the holiday rush that it’s much like the challenges a business owner faces with their marketing.
My mind was thinking about what each person wanted and what would make them happy? How was I going to get it all done? How much was it going to cost? And would I ever survive it all??
And that’s what most of you feel each day–
What does my customer want to hear from me?
How can I do marketing when I’m already spread to thin?
And, will my efforts break the bank?
So my advice to you is to break down your marketing efforts just as you are managing your personal life right now…
1. Figure out your budget. Make it a realistic one and by that I mean as generous as you can be. We all head into the mall saying we’re only going to spend $50 on a gift and what really happens?
2. Ask your clients and customers how you can help them? That will drive your marketing message and efforts. I’ll bet you can even ask them how often they want to hear from you.
3. With a budget and a plan you can whiddle it down. Rather than setting a vague marketing goal like “increasing sales.” Take a single project– for example sending out an eblast about surviving the holidays– and do just that.
I promise it’ll keep you sane and away from the spiked eggnog!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged branding, eblasts, email, Inbound Marketing, market research, marketing, marketing budget, marketing plan | 3 Comments

Marketing Costa Rican Style

Posted on November 23, 2011 by cmhutchins

I am writing this from Santa Teresa on the Nicoya penninsula in Costa Rica. It is a beautiful spot that is quickly being discovered due to the popularity of Eco-tourism. That means hotels are springing up, there is an abundance of new service industries catering to the tourists and just about every parcel of land is for sale.
I have had enjoyed observing how they market their brand launches.
1. The Burma Shave and billboards are the first choice. Remember the series of signs that spelled out a message or measured your approach to a site? Well that is the first choice. We are talking lo tech, small signs nailed to trees. Many are even hand painted on salvaged wood.
2. The Internet is here. That means most ads and collateral materials have URLs. Some even have QR codes.
3. But the most powerful form of promotion is using word of mouth. The concierge who makes suggestions to prospective client (aka guest), the trusted guide who offers dinner suggestions or the friend who has just returned and shares her “must do” list.
So I have been thinking about what I can learn from these observations. And here is what I think–
-Never ever underestimate the power of endorsements, satisfied customers and opinion leaders. Infect, use them as much as you can and keep them happy.
-Keep it real- you don’t need the effort to be fancy and slick. If the message is sincere, accurate and helpful then it will be effective.
-Just get out there, even if isn’t perfect it is better to be seen and heard. You can always tweak and change it up (especially as you haven’t made an enormous investment in it.
Well that’s my thought for the day. Gotta run– my surfer instructor awaits and you can bet I am going to ask him for a dinner suggestion!

Posted in Marketing | Tagged advertising, billboards, brand launches, branding, costa rica, Internet, marketing, URLs | 10 Comments

Email Magic… How to get your messages noticed.

Posted on November 16, 2011 by cmhutchins

I don’t know about you but I get around 200 emails a day that find their way into my inbox. And there are countless others that my spam filter picks up.
There’s no way I’m going to read each one in my inbox. And my guess is your customers and prospects are just like me. With so much competition and an attention span of a couple of seconds (yup you got it). It’s critical you get it right to get your message across. So here’s what you must do–
1. Write a SHORT, attention grabbing headline that sums up the email. To make sure it’s short enough send a draft to your inbox. How much of the subject line can you see? Is it intriguing?
2. Provide all the information in the body of the email. Click to a word document attachment and wait for it to load? I don’t think so!
3. Don’t include so many pictures or content that the message is slow to load.
4. Add a link for those recipients that are still there and want more information.
5. Limit the number of times you talk to your audience. Ask them how often they want to hear from you… they’ll let you know! There is no standard answer to the timing. It really varies by company.
6. WIIFM? The best way to get your readers to open your email is if it offers some benefit they desire.
Good luck. I’d love to hear your experiences…

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged branding, email marketing, Inbound Marketing, marketing, sales, SEO | 10 Comments

You Love Me, You Really, Really Love Me!

Posted on September 22, 2011 by cmhutchins

How do you know if your marketing program is working? Better yet, does your audience like you and what you’re saying?
I’ve spent sometime pondering this question as I spend more and more time working on my social media efforts. For years, marketers have tried to calculate an ROI on their campaigns. With inbound marketing, the way we measure results is being changed radically!
The first thing you need to measure is if your page is being found or if your SEO is doing it’s job. Of course, you can buy google adwords. But aren’t we all skeptical of “sponsored” messages?!
Next you need to continue to update your content using your website, landing pages, tweets, blogs, you tube videos…
And then you come to the fork in the road. Do you go it alone using Google Analytics and the free measurement tools of the specific social media? Or do you hire a provider who can track traffic to your efforts. One of the keys to a successful SEO program is not only monitoring results but making changes to continually improve your traffic. If your traffic is visiting a specific page or site, find out why. Then do more of that! Don’t look at these figures sporadically but rather on a weekly basis. And be patient. It seems to take a good 6 months before you begin to see results.
I’d love to hear about any success stories you have had measuring inbound marketing efforts

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Inbound Marketing, Measurement, SEO, Websites | 3 Comments

9 Tips for Social Media Success

Posted on July 8, 2011 by cmhutchins

Whatever your excuse for NOT using social media, the numbers outweigh all of your arguments. Millions of people around the world are using LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. 50% of these users log in EVERY DAY! More than 24 hours of media is uploaded to You Tube every minute (that is not a typo!).

From blogs and podcasts to social networks, social media allows consumers to review, inform, extol complain and share information. Using word of mouth, each person has the ability to promote your product or service more effectively than you ever could. So how are you going to use social media successfully?

1. Be Real. This is a transparent world. If you aren’t honest, your cover will be blown quickly. And speak with a real voice, corporate speak doesn’t fly in this community.

2. Establish your business objectives– Are you hoping to increase sales? Use social media as a metric. It is quite easy to measure RSS subscriptions and page views.

3. Dialogue with your audience– Allow them to agree and challenge you. When they feel heard (even with critiques), they become more loyal.

4. Make your message consistent across all media– Your positioning is no longer limited to the printed word. Everything you say in social media should reflect your brand.

5. Identify the influencers in your sphere– Their word of mouth approval will catapult you forward.

6. Be realistic in your expectations– You don’t have a good deal of extra time and money to allocate. Start of modestly and be willing to adapt.

7. Have your audience and staff pick the content– They know best what they want to hear and what is being discussed.

8.Be flexible– Engaging with social media is a fluid process. Be open to using new portals and trying different topics.

Social media is reshaping the field of marketing. The power of it is unmatched. With PDAs, tablets and a dizzying array of new technology, access to social media is easier than picking up a newspaper and reading an ad. Your audience is using it to get their information. Will you meet them there?

Posted in Uncategorized | 52 Comments