5 Internet Marketing Tips for Local Businesses

5 Internet Marketing Tips for Local Businesses

by Frederika Angus

Local business marketing online

As a local business you have a great opportunity using internet marketing and social media. Your small business is able to use the internet and social media to be found, strengthen your brand, connect with your current and potential patrons and also boost your SEO ranking. Establishing and expanding your reach online is important in today’s instant access to information, smartphone society. Online marketing keeps your brand’s name at the top of your customers’ mind when they need your products or services.

Here are 5 tips to help your local business get results and see the benefits from your online presence.

1. Use WordPress as your website platform to blog weekly. WordPress plays so beautifully with search engines such as Google. When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), this helps to pull your website up on to the first page of results because it sees your consistent new blog info. There are also a couple really great SEO plugins that make adding your keywords so easy throughout the entire site.

2. Name the URL of your posts and pages with your local area city and one main keyword phrase. If you are an italian restaurant in Dallas, TX (using WordPress as your platform), you can easily add italian-restaurant-dallas-texas to the URL text. When customers are looking for a great italian dinner in Dallas, your website will begin to be shown to them. Simple boost to website traffic and eyes on your business!

3. Establish a Google+ page in the local category. Google is the top search engine used on daily basis. Users are able to discover the new Google+ Local pages in several ways: through a search on Google.com or Google Maps, in mobile apps or through a search on Google+.

4. Create and use Facebook and Twitter daily. For many, social media is the first thing they check in the morning when they awaken and the last thing they read at night. Be sure your local business has a dedicated Facebook like page (Read more on why you shouldn’t use a Facebook profile page) and Twitter page. Post updates regularly throughout the day to connect with you customers.

5. Share your brand visually. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Share behind the scenes photos in your office, marketing and promotional images, employees of the month, store front specials and decor. People will begin to feel like part of the culture of your business and this helps you build trust and credibility for your brand.

Have these tips helped you? Be sure to leave me a comment below!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus

Using A Blog To Build Your Brand – 5 Tips For Blogging Success

Using A Blog To Build Your Brand – 5 Tips For Blogging Success

by Frederika Angus

Blog for profit Blog with social media tips for beginners

Blogging these days is about as popular as smartphones; nearly everyone has one. And if you aren’t currently writing a blog, it’s likely that you’ve started one and quit writing in the past, you read someone else’s blog regularly, or you have an idea to start one.

Using a blog is one of the most effective ways to share your creativity, inspiration, and message quickly with those it will resonate with. It is also a great tool to use to brand yourself, share your expertise and build a business around. If you’re just staring out with blogging or looking for help to blog successfully, here are a few tips that will help.

1- Be You!

Authenticity is a critical point to branding, building a business and life in general. The popular phrase “Fake it til you make it” does not work well in the blogging world. People are naturally more suspicious of things that sound to good to be be true. No wants you to be perfect. Being perfect is a myth. Being the real, genuine, best you on your blog will results in building a brand that doesn’t feel like a production. Your blog will become the natural extension of who you are.

2- Be Positive!

When building a brand, save the drama. People may enjoy and laugh and agree with you for a while, but do you want your internet lasting legacy to be one of negativity? Think about the books, tv shows, and friends you enjoy and like to regularly read, watch and be around. If you’re like me, it’s very likely that negativity is draining and you much prefer the positive inspiration to constant negative news. Create that same culture for your brand through your blog.

3- Be Consistent!

Show up and write regularly. Attention spans tend to be short so if you don’t show up, you will quickly be forgotten. Bring your brand to the top of mind for your followers consistently. Once you determine your routine, this will be easy!

4- Be Focused!

Before you start, decide what exactly you will be blogging about. Try not to shift and jump around. For instance, if I talking about branding then jump into discussing makeup and fashion, that will create a disconnect between the topics and with my followers. Decide your focus and the topics you will discuss on your blog. When people arrive at your blog it should be clear what you are about and the type of information they will receive.

5- Be Diverse!

Everyone doesn’t like to read blogs in the same fashion. Some may like to go directly to your website, while others prefer to read them directly from their email. Other’s may happen upon your blog from the many social media outlets you post on. Be sure to provide your blog content in diverse ways. Being able to stay connected with your followers in the method they prefer most, will be beneficial in growing your following and spreading your message through blogging!

I hope you enjoy these tips!

Post below if you have any questions or to just let me know how these tips help you out!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus