What's A Google Penguin?

There is talk across the blogosphere about the ill effects of Google's latest Panda update called Penguin. Launched on April 27, Penguin plugged some holes in Google's algorithms (again) and it is now tougher to improve your search results(SERPs) using content farms. Just like they reduced the impact of link farms, Google is now reducing the impact on SERPs from sites that simply piled on SEO heavy articles. There are many websites crying foul and a few that saw their SERPs fall off a cliff. But the average site most likely never noticed the change, and that is how it should be. Content farms are churning out articles that are simply cover for keyword-stuffed strings of sentences. Of course they are not all like that, but the ones who were most affected by Penguin were. It should not have come as a surprise that Google would find a way to improve their results. It is what they do, and they do it dozens of times each year. Yes, optimizing your site for keywords is good, but keyword stuffing is just dumb. Your readers want to get good information, not sort through gibberish to find the point. There is no easy way out, no shortcut to the finish line. Marketing is a long, careful process of many variables clicking together in harmony. There is no quick fix that lasts very long and without a sound strategy behind it, no marketing tactic can succeed. All the wailing and gnashing of teeth about Penguin is, I think, scaring some folks. But the thing to remember is that if you are doing the right thing for the right reason and you aren't trying to find the Philosopher's Stone of SEO, then all will be well. Good content that is relevant to your customer base is the gold standard.

Marketing Word of the Day: Consistency!

Today's marketing word is consistency - doing the same thing, over and over. In the marketing world, consistency is what builds your brand, your reputation in the marketplace. It helps your customers, and your future customers, know what to expect from you.

I often use the example of McDonald's when I am talking to groups about branding and consistency. No matter where in the world you go, if there is a Mickey D's there, you know what you are going to find inside. The prices may change, and there may even be a couple things on the menu that are different, but you know that there will be golden arches, Big Macs and french fries. There are no green arches, pink ones or blue ones just because the manager didn't like yellow. They can't change the name to the "Big Jack" just because that's the franchise owner's name. They can't substitute onion rings for french fries. Why? Because the entire brand is built on consistency. It may not be my favorite place to eat, but when I'm traveling and I pull into the drive-through, I know what I am going to get.

Consistency in your own brand is just as important, even if you are a one-person company. Make sure that whatever marketing materials you have look the same, from your business cards to your signage. Choose a color or two to represent your company and stick to it. Pick a font you like, and stick to it. Over time, your "look and feel" will become known to your customers and they will know it is you when they see your materials.

Make sure your customer service is consistent. That includes your operating hours, the way you answer the phone, how you greet customers and the way your employees dress. Make sure the impression you are giving is one of professionalism and that you create trust with the customer. Of course you must deliver on your promises and uphold service levels that will create a positive image for your customers.

Be consistent, even when it feels boring. There is an old saying in our business that just about the time you are getting tired of seeing it, that's when your advertising is beginning to work. Remember that your customers have to "see" something a half dozen times or more before it even really registers. So consistency in your advertising and all your marketing efforts is important if you want to build a strong brand in the mind of your customer.

Online Marketing

Internet marketers Lock, Lee & Farrell have a limited time offer that might be of interest to you. Their special includes tickets to the upcoming SAM (Sales Advertising & Marketing) conference in Utah. Thought I would pass it along!


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"It Really Works!"

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a presentation about social media marketing to a business networking group I belong to. I used my white paper "Social Rules of Engagement for Businesses" as the basis of my presentation. A few days later, one of the people in the group came up to me to tell me she had tried out the suggestions I gave and that it was working. She was getting people to engage with the business through Facebook and more people were liking their page. I could see she was going to be doing more social media marketing and it made me feel great that I had been able to help that business grow even with just a few tips. Social media marketing does work, but of course it takes some work and it doesn't work for every business. It requires consistency and the commitment to being authentic and genuine. It also requires that you ignore the temptation to use it to sell things or services because you will lose the interest of your audience very quickly that way. It means you have to set aside time to do it regularly and make it a priority, not an "if I can get to it" task. More and more, customers are finding the front door to you business on their monitors. It may be your website they see first, but it also may be your LinkedIn or Facebook page, or even a video on You Tube. Take as much care with what you have out there online as you would with your storefront. And if you are not good at writing, then find someone who is because misspellings and bad grammar will hurt your business. It works, it really works. And if you would like a free copy of the "Social Rules of Engagement for Business" just email me at Kim@DeppeCommunications.com and I will get it right out to you.

Social SEO Strategies to Start Using Right Now

Social SEO Strategies to Start Using Right Now

This is an interesting and spot-on article about the need to use social SEO strategies along with your traditional SEO work. Neither is going away anytime soon!

Social Media for Small Business

Think you've done social media because you have a Facebook and Twitter site? Even if you happen to be posting as much as you can and effectively, there are still quite a few social media sites out there that you should consider for promoting your business. Here are a few I suggest:

Merchant Circle - this is a great site for interacting with other local businesses. While I believe they may be light on the interactivity, I do think there are very good prospects here for businesses. It is certainly good for most small businesses who offer services to other small businesses. If little else, it proliferates your brand by getting your company's name on the web in the business community. Consider it an internet based Chamber networking event. <a href=\"http://www.merchantcircle.com/\" title=\"http://www.merchantcircle.com\">www.merchantcircle.com</a>

Manta - this is one of several listing sites out there, but it is still free. They furnish free company profiles and having a listing will certainly help with your backlinks and influence the page rankings of your website. Again, I think it is a growing B2B social site that offers plenty of opportunity. It is more sophisticated than Merchant Circle. <a href=\"http://www.manta.com/\" title=\"http://www.manta.com\">www.manta.com</a>

Yelp - Yelp started out as a way for individuals to give eachother experiences about local businesses, both negative and positive. It has evolved into a robust rating system for all sorts of businesses, with a lot of valuable suggestions for restaurants, shopping, and other verticals. For those who don't \"own\" your Yelp listing, you should go online very soon and make sure you capture that. First, it will prevent anyone else (like a competitor) from taking control of your business on Yelp. Secondly, it should assure you maintain a listening ear to whatever individuals are saying about you on the site, providing you with the opportunity to respond right away.<a href=\"http://www.yelp.com/\" title=\"http://www.yelp.com\">www.yelp.com</a>

 YP - once upon a time we use to have these big books with telephone listings and business ads in them and that was how we found merchants. The yellow pages have moved online and now provide listings and ads coupled with news and information about events and activities. They have mobile apps and \"deal of the day\" to encourage engagement.<a href=\"http://www.yellowpages.com/\" title=\"http://www.yellowpages.com\">www.yellowpages.com</a>

 This is a brief overview and there are many more social sites for B2B marketing. If you d like to know more about getting your business more visibility online, just Email<a href=\"mailto:Kim@DeppeCommunications.com\" title=\"mailto:Kim@DeppeCommunications.com\">Kim@DeppeCommunications.com</a>.

Lose the "One and Done"


So, this whole starting your own business thing is pretty imposing! I am finally done with all of the legal things (I think) and got all the systems and processes in place to do the back end work. I think. I reflected the other day that I am playing a lot of roles now - not just president/ceo, but also the chief financial officer, chief marketing officer, HR, IT - well, you get the picture. I'm head of marketing but also procurement, business development and janitorial services. Whew, no wonder my head has been swimming.

And, of course, like the cobbler's children who went without shoes, I've neglected my own marketing. Of all people, I should know better, right? I guess it is a good sign, in part, that I haven't had the time or felt the need in a pressing way.  It means I am working and that's a good thing. But I also know that marketing is a long-term investment and you can't be "one and done." That is always something I fought against in the corporate world, and that I try to impress upon my clients today.

One and done. It's the soft underbelly of marketing, a place where initial success can spell resulting failure. Because when the first campaign rolls out and brings in a lot of business, some companies think that's all they need to do. They expect the business to just keep on rolling in without the need to sustain the marketing efforts. I can't tell you how many times I have witnessed a company discard a campaign that is really working because - well, because it is really working. It is a short-sighted vision that ultimately leads to lost market share.

I have also seen companies that bounce around from one strategy to another, never satisfied with what they've got and thinking there is always something better around the corner - even when the current strategy is delivering results. The idea of consistency seems dull and boring to them, repetitive in a negative way, and the powers that be insist on changing things up.

This is a bad idea, as my fellow marketers know. The next shiny thing is not as effective as the dull, boring yet effective campaign you have. Consumers want to know what to expect from you as a company. They want to know that they will get the same products, the same level of service and the same basic pricing from you every time they walk in your door. Your marketing is the window through which the consumer sees your company. If you have a revolving door instead of a window, it makes it that much harder for the consumer to understand what it is you are doing. If you constantly change the location or the color of the window - to extend the metaphor - you are just confusing the heck out of your customers. They won't know who you are anymore, or what you stand for.

That is not to say, of course, that you shouldn't freshen your marketing regularly. You must keep current with the trends in your business and respond to changes in the market. Occasionally you will even need to completely revise your marketing approach. But this should be something that takes place every few years, not every few weeks. Think of the big companies like McDonald's, Sears, Home Depot, Apple. They have a solid foundation of marketing messages that they deliver over long periods of time. I bet you can tick off in your head their current ad slogans, and probably a couple of older ones, too. And while the messaging may be tweaked based on the audience they are talking to, the underlying message is rock solid and consistent.

So fight against the urge in your company to abandon a perfectly good campaign. One and done is a waste of your money.