© 2009 by Brian McGovern
Copyright holder is licensing this under the Creative Commons License, Attribution 3.0.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/
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www.BrianMcGovern.com
2

Introduction
You’re about to discover It’s a tough time to be in won’t be able to talk to most
business, if you’re stuck in of them. The majority screen
how to get booked solid fast, the past. The world has their calls with receptionists,
without spending a fortune changed and if your voicemail and caller I.D.
on advertising. marketing hasn’t kept pace
- it’s only a matter of time Junk-mail still works, but it
This report will give you before your business goes gets more expensive every
the way of the dinosaur. day. You spend $15,000 to
more than ten free and mail out 10,000 letters. If
powerful ways to attract new It seems like just a few 98% of your letters are never
customers without cold- years ago, a business opened and only 2% respond
calling, expensive ads or owner could buy some – you may have a successful
yellow pages ads, send out campaign. Mass mailings can
slimy sales tricks. some flyers, maybe make a bring in new leads, but they
few hundred cold calls and take a lot of cash.
Make these methods part of slowly build a business.
A Better Way to Grow
your marketing strategy and Then things changed, and
you’ll attract all the clients then they changed again. How do you get all the clients
you want. you want? Be in the right
“Why would anybody bother place at the right time with
with the yellow pages? Just the right stuff.
look it up on your phone or
the computer.” That’s what The right place is online.
my college aged kids tell Please accept the fact that
me, and that’s exactly from now on clients are using
where buyers in your computers and smartphones
market are shopping for to shop. You have to have an
services too. effective presence there. The
right time is whenever your
Cold calling may still work, clients are ready to buy.
but not like it used to.
Nowadays, you can waste The right stuff? That’s
hours and hours trying to presenting yourself as the
interrupt strangers so you honest-to-goodness best
can annoy them with a solution to your buyer’s
sales pitch. But be careful. problem. The powerful and
People hate being cold- persuasive strategies in this
called so much that United paper will help clients see
States government passed you as their best choice.
a law to curb it. Maybe that
should tell you something?
But even if you managed to
get a list of people to legally
annoy by cold-call, you
3

What Clients Want
Your customers are online. Today’s sophisticated and A website is tool, not a
affluent shoppers use web- strategy.
based tools to find and
If buyers can’t find you – screen potential business A sound marketing strategy
they can’t hire you. Since the partners. You have a strategy goes beyond tools. It
majority of buyers are that reflects this reality and a answers the question, “How
system that makes executing do we make it easier for our
searching online, you must that strategy as efficient as ideal clients to find us and
have a web marketing possible. choose us?”
strategy if you want to be
successful. A pretty website is not Systems
enough.
Passive systems that actively
Like it or not, innovative web Just because your website deploy your strategies are
technology must play a looks nice doesn’t mean its essential to growing a small
any good. A good website business.
central role in your does more than look nice. It
marketing strategy. This is attracts shoppers. Too many business people
not a minor fad. You can’t use labor intensive sales
afford to ignore this any You need buyers to visit your techniques to promote their
site in large numbers. services. Cold-calling,
longer. However, unless buyers have networking events and client
your address they can only visits can take hours out of
Please don’t let your lack of find you if they discover links your day. When you get
technological skills stop you to your site when and where busy, you stop doing them.
they’re already looking. I’ll Then your business dries up.
from being a success. In my show you some very easy
workshops I get even my ways to make sure they find The tools that follow will help
most technologically you first. you promote your business
every minute of every day.
challenged clients up and Traffic is not enough.
running with powerful online
marketing attraction If your website visitors only
strategies in no time. look and leave, you’re not
going to make any money.
You must have an effective
If you’re smart enough to web strategy in place to
work your email or order a convert visitors into leads and
book online, you’ve got the eventually clients.
smarts use these tools.
4

Buyer Psychology
What does it take to convert The Power of Raving Fans Herd Mentality
Raving fans actively So what does this have to do
shoppers into clients? You promote your brand. They with promoting your
must satisfy their basic don’t wait until someone business? Everything. People
desires. asks about you. They tell don’t trust advertising but
the world. The way you get they do trust other people.
One of their strongest basic raving fans is make your Harness the incredible power
business worth talking of word-of-mouth marketing
desires is the need to avoid about – so be remarkable. by combining it with social
loss. Shoppers need to be media tools.
confident in you and your Word-of-mouth marketing is
services before they’ll buy. an active strategy. It starts But let’s start at the
by deliberately creating beginning. Let’s assume you
stories of experiences. don’t have enough clients to
That’s why shoppers tend to ask
Make your business story- refer business to you. How
their friends and colleagues for
worthy. Stories that make do you build up a client roster
business referrals. Asking around
your customers want to tell fast?
saves time and effort and helps
the world about you.
avoid costly mistakes.
This first free tool I’m about to
Tell the world? show you is an absolute
After years of struggle, many in the
Ten years ago that would goldmine. Take advantage of
business rely exclusively on referrals
have been hyperbole but it right away. Eventually your
for new business. Often this is
today it is fact. The tools competition will wise up – but
because their other marketing efforts
and tactics you’re about to for now you can dominate
are too costly and ineffective to
discover amplify your raving your local market by taking
sustain.
fans’ voices. Instead of just advantage of Local Search.
a handful of people hearing
A business that relies exclusively on
about you, these tools
personal referrals based on long-
spread the legend of your
term friendships is a business that
brand further and faster
builds no equity. When the owner
than ever before.
retires, so does the business. A
business with no documented
Word-of-Mouth
marketing system in place is a
It’s only natural for
business that can’t be sold.
shoppers to rely on other
people’s experiences. Life
Building your business by passive
is just too short for buyers
referral is slow. It’s a passive
to research every possible
strategy that relies on hoping your
alternative by themselves.
existing clients will remember you
The opinions and actions of
when someone asks them to
others will have a
suggest a vendor. If you only rely on
tremendous impact on
passive referrals to grow your
every decision your
business, you’re business may
customers make.
struggle for years.
5

Local Search
It’s free, fast and it works Do this right now!
great. No wonder your
Go to Google and type in your business description (not your
customers are using business name) and city. Does your business listing appear? If it
Google to find service doesn’t, you’re missing out on a serious amount of money.
providers.
The closer to the top and the more conspicuous your listing is, the
better. One of the easiest ways to show up on top and in a
Why would anyone want conspicuous way is by being listed in the “local search” section on the
to dig out a Yellow major search engines.
Pages book to read
For example, if you were an event planner in Philadelphia, you’d want
advertisements? to know what websites come up when a shopper goes to Google and
types in “event planner Philadelphia,” wouldn’t you?
Today’s buyer wants
information, not
advertising. They want to
hear what other people
are saying about you.
They want to know more
about your business
before they give you a
call. But can they find
you?
Take a look at the screenshot below. See how the local search results section attracts your eye? That’s
why it’s so very important for your company to show up here.
6

I also did a search for “party planner Philadelphia.” Notice how the results vary? Google serves up a
different list of vendors. That’s
because Google’s database
indexed these companies
under different categories.
Sometimes they get it wrong.
Some companies are listed as
“event planners” and others
are listed as “party planners,”
and some as both. On the first
results page, Google included
a bowling alley as an event
planner!
Good news. Its easy to get
your company listed correctly.
The search engines want your help. They want you to help them categorize your business right so that
their search engine can deliver a great user experience.
Your prospective clients must see your listing first and foremost when they’re in the market to buy what
your selling. If the search engines misfile your business, you may never show up when an eager buyer is
looking for someone just like you.
“Does it matter which category you are listed under?
Yes – it can make or break your business”.
Words Matter
Getting listed correctly on the “local business are your “keywords.” A keyword is a word or
results” of the major search engines is critical to phrase that people type into a search engine
your success. when they’re looking for solutions. Some words
are more profitable than others.
For example, if you list your business as
“wedding planner” you are twenty eight times In the examples above, we used the keyword
more likely to attract a buyer than calling yourself phrases “event planner Philadelphia,” and “party
a “bridal consultant.” That’s because on a planner Philadelphia.” Which keyword do you
monthly basis there are roughly 246,000 think is searched more often? Hmmm. Place
searches for “wedding planner” and only 8,500 your bets.
for “bridal consultant” worldwide.
Here’s the short answer. It doesn’t really matter
Choose your words carefully. which one you think is searched more often.
Because you’d only be guessing. Too many
You want to choose the most popularly searched people guess at this and get it wrong. Don’t
words that best describe your business. These believe me? Take this quiz;
7

Keywords
SEO-IQ Quiz Blind Man’s Bluff
You can’t afford to guess at keywords. Guess wrong and it
From the list below, underline the keyword could cost you thousands of dollars a month in lost
phrase you think is the one most searched for opportunity.
on Google. Circle the word that you think
receives the fewest searches: AdWords Keyword Tool
Party Planner
Wedding Planner Choosing the right keywords to describe your business is
Event Planner critical to your entire web strategy. So, how do you find the
Wedding Planning best keywords? The AdWords Keyword Tool makes it
Event Planners simple.
Party Planners
Event Planning Free Tool Link: AdWords Keyword Tool
Events Planner Try this free tool by clicking or visiting
http://brianmcgovern.com/adwords-tool/
The “keyword list” that Google gives you will be one of the most important lists you’ll ever construct.
The right keywords are essential to everything else you’re going to do online. From local search to
blogging, if you use the right words you’ll get better results. Keep your list up to date. Now you have a
marketing tool that 99% of your competition doesn’t even know about.
By using the right keywords you’ll attract more qualified visitors to your website, blog, social sites, and
directory listings. Be sure to use these keywords in your site but don’t “keyword stuff.” The search
engines want to see you use these words naturally. If they see the same keyword repeated too many
times on a single page, the search engine assumes you are trying to trick them and that the page won’t
make their users happy. When you keyword stuff your site is considered “spammy,” and may not get
indexed at all. Use keywords to construct useful content.
8

SEOIQ Answer
The Google report I ran on our quiz words shows that the least likely searched keyword was “events
planner” with a monthly average of only 8,100 searches worldwide; while the most popular was “event
planning” with over 368,000 searches. Notice the plural “Event Planners” got 100,000 fewer searches
than the singular “Event Planner.”
The chart above comes from another great free marketing tool, Google Trends. Use it to check on market
action and seasonal trends.
Keyword Tips
Keep in mind that some words may be very popular but not the best choice for your local search
category. Don’t just choose the most popular word, choose the most popular word that your buyer would
use when searching for a local provider.
For example: Let’s say you sell bridal gowns. Google shows that the keyword “wedding” gets over 30
million monthly searches while “wedding gowns” gets only 450,000.
Even though “wedding” gets searched more, it’s not likely that someone would use that keyword to find a
place to buy a gown. Optimize your site with buying-mode keywords, not curious-mode keywords for local
search.
Now that you’ve found your strategic keywords, it’s time to get your business registered right on all the
major search engines.
The instructions for signing up are unique to each search engine and are easy to find on the links below.
Free Tool Link: Local Search Directories
Try this free tool by clicking or visiting http://brianmcgovern.com/local-search-directories/
9

Local Search Listing Tips
Don’t Tell, Sell! Pop!
Treat your business description like sales copy. Always include a photo on your listing. An image
Write a description that gets people excited, will attract the eye and create interest. Notice
curious or both. Mention a bonus or special. how the listing below with an image gets more
Include a call to action – “call now before your attention than the others? More attention equals
date is booked!” more leads.
Keywords
Enter as many top keywords as the search
engine will allow. For instance, if you’re a
caterer, use variations for “caterer,” like
“catering,” and “wedding catering.”
Professional Image
Use a relevant, quality image that’s easy to see
in thumbnail size. Make sure the image you
select communicates a benefit.
The image used in the example above attracts
the eye, but it doesn’t persuade. I can’t quite
make out what this is a picture of. Does it have
to do anything with event planning or casino
parties?
10

Stand Out
Reviews! commercial, delivered to the from friendly competitors and
perfect audience free of allied service providers.
Your listing charge!
will standout Post valuable content; links to
when it More Locations relevant articles, discounts
includes Increase the odds of a buyer and other items of interest.
finding you by have more Don’t be obnoxious and just
reviews. Ask your than one listing. You can throw ads up or you’ll be
clients to post a review have additional listings for thrown out. The best forums
for you. Sites with each of your business for you are probably
reviews are clicked locations, even virtual offices. associated with the
Consider listing a satellite professional organizations
more, build trust and office in every town you you belong to. Why not use
generate more leads. serve. your membership and exploit
this free publicity tool?
More URLS
Consider getting another Buyer Alert!
The more reviews you get the business name and website Here’s a great way to keep
more leads you get. Be address that includes your top your lead file full, and it’s
proactive and ask your keyword phrase. You’ll show free. Set up a Google Alert
customers to review you. up more often and part of and get emailed with leads.
your business listing will be in Enter the names of your
Remember, when people bold letters when it matches a biggest prospects and clients
shop around for major search phrase. Plus you’re into Google Alerts and every
purchases, they don’t want to likely top show up on top of time they get mentioned in
take chances. They rely on other pages – especially if news or blogs, you’ll get an
reviews to help them choose. you include your geo tag in alert.
the website name. Find out first when your
Add a YouTube clip to your clients and prospects win
listing! Get 30 seconds of Forums awards, land new business,
video content up on YouTube Never pass up an opportunity hire new employees and
and post it on your Google to connect with professionals. more. It provides you with a
listing! Don’t pass up the Get active on professional great excuse to get in touch.
opportunity to have an instant forums and you’ll get referrals
11

Free Directories
Free directories are a great way to
promote your business. Get listed on
as many quality, relevant and free
directories as possible.
The search engines pay attention to links. If your
site has a large number of credible websites that
link to it, your site will rank well in the search
engines
The ideal directory for you will depend on your
A dentist’s site that is linked from 20 respected specialty and location. A directory that gets
dental directories will outrank a dentist listed in thousands of searches in London isn’t ideal if
20 generic ones. Get quality links from your target market is Brazil.
directories that best fit your business.
Here’s how to find relevant directories for your
But note I said “quality links.” Don’t buy links to business. Using your keywords, do a search on
your site from spammy services. It won’t help Google, Yahoo and the other major search
you rank well, and it could cause the engines to engines.
downgrade your site.
Type in your top-ten most searched keywords
once with your geo-tags (that is, your target
market city, state, town, etc.,) and once without.
Check the first three pages of results and look
Big tip. Don’t always link to your home for directories.
page. Send traffic to a sales landing page
instead. A landing page sells the visitor on When you complete this step, you should have a
signing up to your newsletter, getting a free list of ten to fifteen directories. Check out each
sample or some other call to action. That directory for a free listing submission area.
call to action gets them into your sales
funnel by capturing their contact Many of these sites will let you list your business
information. Chances are your homepage free of charge. Create a spreadsheet and rank
offers lots of links to other pages but not a those directories in the order that they appeared.
call to action.
Submit your site in order of priority and note the
date of submission on your spreadsheet.
12

Google Analytics
“Half of my advertising Want to cut your advertising Without a system for tracking
budget and make more your results, you’re only
budget is wasted, but I sales? The secret is tracking, guessing. Lucky for us,
don’t know which half.” measuring and testing. Google has a cutting edge
Tracking your website’s traffic tracking and testing tool and
shows you how people found we can use it for free.
your site, what pages they
viewed and more. This data Install it in the background of
lets you measure how your website and Google
effective your campaigns are. tracks your traffic for you.
Wouldn’t it be useful to know How much traffic you’re
that one blog topic gets more getting, what pages are
traffic than another? Or that getting viewed, what
certain keywords generate keywords people use to find
more leads than others? you, what city visitors are in,
how long they stayed, how
One of the best things you many pages they looked at.
can do to improve your You’ll be amazed at what you
advertising is “split testing.” can learn with it.
Compare how one headline
or graphic pulls versus Free Tool Link: Google
another. Keep the winning Analytics Try this free tool by
page and test another clicking or visiting
variable against your control. http://brianmcgovern.com/ana
Spit testing compares two lytics/
variables on your ads to see
which one works better. For
example, I found that by
adding a bright color around
my “more information” box, I
got more leads. But when I
made it too bright, I got fewer.
I’d have never known this
without testing.
13

Craigslist.org
You’d be surprised at Craigslist gets loads loyal Imagine being able to find a
visitors. Treat it and its users fresh list of sales leads on
how many people with respect. your computer screen every
search Craigslist for morning.
services. You’re not Use keywords in your posts.
likely to land a major Include your geo-keywords There’s a neat
too. little trick that
corporate contract automates
here; it’s mostly private Post images. Ads with images checking
users. But, if you want get more clicks and build Craigslist for
to book local business, trust. Nice images and a leads. I call it Lead Feed
decent layout make you look
it’s a great free place to more professional and Free Tool Link: Lead Feed
list. trustworthy. Craigslist lets you Check out this amazing free
type in a text only ad, but that tool and video by clicking or
isn’t always best. visiting
http://brianmcgovern.com/crai
Big Tip: Send traffic to a Looking Good glist-feed/
landing page that matches You’ll need to do a little copy
your posting. If you post an ad and pasting so your ads look Another great use for
for Sweet-16 entertainment, more professional. Craigslist is to find things like
don’t send them to a page that vendors and part time
promotes weddings. Match Free Tool Link: HTML workers. And did I mention
your landing page to your Editor Try this free tool by you can find free office
audience. clicking or visiting furniture, computers and all
http://brianmcgovern.com/htm sorts of cool things dirt cheap
l-editor/ or free here?
Keep in mind Craigslist ads But be sure to read Craigslist
expire in seven days. Keep a safety tips and be careful of
copy of your ads backed up scams!
on your PC so you can
quickly re-post them. Track
your results so you know
which ads are worth the
effort. Keep trying different
headlines and ad copy until
you find a winner.
Be persistent! Don’t try it once
and give up. You may have to
try lots of headlines and offers
before you find the one that
generates leads.
Automatic Sales Leads
14

Testimonials
Testimonials are not Compliment yourself, and Leverage Client Reviews
you’ll impress people - but not Don’t hide your testimonials –
only free, they’re put them front and center on
in a good way. At best they’ll
priceless. Nothing can ignore your puffery and at all your sales pages. Sure, a
match the power of a worst they’ll think your separate tab for a page full of
high impact testimonial. conceited and self-serving. reviews is great – but unless
It’s best to let happy clients you impress them on the
tout you. page they see first, they wont
Add high impact bother reading them.
testimonials to your To make your client
marketing mix, and Front & Center: You must
testimonials effective sales
stop your visitor from clicking
you’ll instantly increase aids remember to make them
that back button. You only
response rates. highly visible, highly visual
have about 3 seconds to
and specific.
impress the visitor and get
Like anything else in
them to read your page. A
marketing, there’s a bad, a
well worded review from a
better and best way to use
notable client must be one of
testimonials.
the first things a visitor sees.
“Quote” Always put
Think Wheaties: How do you
testimonials in quotations. I’ve
sell a boring cereal? Get
tested this and have seen a
consumers to associate it with
10% response boost just by
an exciting role model.
“adding quotation marks.”
Associate your brand with
industry leaders and
Full Name Use the endorser’s
celebrities.
full name, or don’t bother
using the testimonial. We
Show relevant testimonials.
question the truthfulness of a
This means you show
anonymous endorsement.
corporate prospects current
endorsements from
Images Add a picture of your
Mmmm... bottled Tiger sweat! corporations and not bar
happy client. It adds to the
mitzvahs.
emotional impact of the
message.
Here’s How to Get Huge Pile
of Powerful Testimonials.
Include your client’s well
The best way to build up your
known logo. It lends credibility
image is to let other people
to your page.
do it for you.
15

Testimonials are one of Ask Right are interested in stories about
Getting clients to give you people like them who
the most valuable testimonials is easy if you ask overcome challenges.
components in your the right way. Most clients will
marketing tool chest. be happy to let you quote Skepticism: “I interviewed
Nothing else give them if you do remarkable lots of vendors. Bob
work. But don’t ask for a impressed us the most. We
buyers more written testimonial. Many had never done anything like
confidence in you than clients will agree to write this but we decided to give
a credible testimonial them, but never get around to Bob a try.” Since this is
from a respected it. Lots of people tense up at exactly what is going through
the thought of writing such a your prospect’s mind, they’ll
source. letter. identify with the endorser
even more.
So instead, ask for feedback.
Just send an email and ask Results: “I couldn’t be happier
the client, “How did we do?” with the results. Our booth
That’s a lot less work for the was jammed with interested
client than asking for a doctors.” Pick out the most
testimonial. dramatic phrases from your
client’s feedback. Appeal to
Use the client’s words to write the emotions.
a endorsement. Send the that
to the client ask for Specifics: “Bob increased our
permission to use it. tradeshow leads 432% over
the previous year.” Precise
While a client blurb like, numbers sound more truthful
“They’re great!” looks nice, and have more impact. Get
you’ll need better testimonials specific.
to actually persuade shoppers
to hire you. Make sure your Money Quote: “Bob works
testimonials include these miracles! If you want your
points. next trade show to be a
Celebrity endorsements are widely used success, call Bob.” Distill the
because they work all too well. Situation: Start with the testimonial into an exciting
client’s background. “I run blurb and use this as the
over 20 trade shows a year. headline to the client review.
We market to doctors and
they’re a tough audience to
impress.” By adding precise
numbers and details you
make the message more
powerful.
Problem: Your client
describes his dilemma. “I
needed an attention getting
attraction that would draw
people into our booth – but
not be over the top – it had to
be tasteful.” Your prospects
16

Online Video
You’ll attract more of One more time. Buyers want home video camera makes
to do business with people you look low-budget and silly.
the clients you love they know, like and trust. Plus, no one wants to watch a
when you put online Online video lets you go from commercial.
video to work for you. a stranger to a trusted adviser
Online video is a faster than any other media. Instead, share your expertise
with the buyer. Help them
business owner’s Face to face meetings and solve a problem with the
dream. Now you can personal phone calls are the content of your video. Don’t
connect with clients strongest methods for bother trying to make a funny
around the world. It’s a building relationships, but viral video. Just focus on
they’re time intensive. Video helping people make better
fun, free and powerful allows you to leverage your buying decisions.
way to grow your efforts and impact people
brand. around the world. What You Need
Sites like YouTube
A video helps people to get to let you upload and
know you. Just be yourself broadcast video for
on camera and you’ll free. All it takes is a basic
naturally attract people who home video camera,
like your style too. adequate lighting and a quiet
environment to capture video.
Impact
Let them see you in action. If Camera
a picture is worth a thousand I personally love my pocket
words, a video worth a lot sized Flip video camera. It’s
more. Not everyone who sees so easy to record with and the
your video will be attracted to software it comes with is user
your business – and that’s friendly.
good. Your styles may clash
and they could become the Just record a 30 second
client from hell. Let video do message. Be friendly and
the hard work of attracting don’t worry about sounding
and screening clients for you. like a smooth TV announcer.
Just be genuine.
Guidelines
Don’t Pitch - Inform
Make your videos
entertaining, informative and
persuasive. Don’t try to
imitate television commercials
either.
Trying to imitate a broadcast
quality TV commercial with a
17

Video Referrals return, like refer clients or the world. Add your contact
A video testimonial is at least make a video testimonial for info to every video.
10 times stronger than a you to use.
written one. Bring your pocket Additionally, when they Tag Right
camera with you and be embed your video on to their When you upload to a video
ready to shoot a quick client own sites, they’ll spread your sharing site, be sure to tag
testimonial on the spot. brand to their clients. your video description with
geo-keywords and a link that
Give & Get Next, if they link to your site, leads back to a landing page.
To get video references, give you’ll get more traffic from
video references. Post local buyers. By posting these
“thumbs-up” video reviews videos on video sharing Not Just YouTube
about local businesses. Be services with links back to Don’t just post video to
honest and enthusiastic. your site, you’ll attract more YouTube. Post your videos
Include your contact traffic. Finally, these videos on lots of sites and you
information and a brief, subtle are valuable content. They increase the odds of
plug for your business. help buyers find great connecting with new clients.
Embed them on your site, and vendors and demonstrate
invite the subjects of your your expertise. For a list of my favorite video
videos to use them. sharing sites, please visit:
Brand It http://brianmcgovern.com/vid
Here’s what this strategy will Make it easy for buyers to find eo-sharing-sites/
do for you. First, the other you. Your videos may end up
business owner will want to embedded on sites around
do something nice for you in
18

Facebook
When a client Facebook started out as a and when they post a
website just for college comment on your story or
recommends you to a students, but quickly grew to image – all their friends will
friend - that’s a good be one of the most popular see it too. Boring and
thing. When your client sites in the world. predictable content will never
recommends you to go viral – no matter how great
“Out of sight, out of mind”. the technology is. Do
hundreds of their Facebook lets you keep in something remarkable and
friends and colleagues touch with clients with very Facebook will help you
– that’s a really good little effort. It helps your spread the news far and wide.
thing. Facebook is one clients get to know, like and
trust you more. Don’t let your
platform that can clients forget about you.
spread your reputation
far, wide and fast. Another touch point, another
portal. Facebook helps
customers find you and
makes it easy for them to
recommend you to others.
Make it easy for buyers to
connect with you and promote Create a fan page for your
your brand. business. When your friends
join it, all their friends will see
Open a Facebook account for it too. If the title of your page
you, not your business name. is intriguing enough, many
Yes, you can list your friends of friends may check
Face The Facts
company and website – but out your fan page and decide
More than 150 million people don’t go to Facebook to join as well. Having fans
active users to interact with brands. It’s means you can send updates
More than half of about connecting with people. to interested people. Your
Facebook users are messages to your “fans” won’t
outside of college Create a professional profile be blocked by spam-filters.
The fastest growing and let Facebook suggest
demographic is those 30 people to “friend.” Facebook
years old and older can sort through your address
Average user has 100 book and show which of your
friends on the site
contacts are already on the
More than 3 billion
minutes are spent on platform. You get to choose
Facebook each day which of your contacts you’d
(worldwide) like to connect with, so
More than 13 million choose wisely.
users update their
statuses at least once Go Viral. Do something
each day wonderfully interesting and
post it to Facebook. Your
Facebook friends will notice,
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Create Facebook events. commercial messages or your photo, the DJ’s picture gets
When your “fans” RSVP to fans and friends will ignore shared across the networks of
your event invitation, all of you. Make your updates everyone tagged in the photo,
their friends can see it too. If entertaining and interesting to and the networks of anyone
Bill Jones decides to accept your fans. who comments on those
your invitation to a showcase photos.
event, Bill’s friends will see a Be an active Facebook user.
message like, “Bill Jones is Check out your friends’ Think value. Use Facebook
attending Fabu Events pages, make comments and to make other people happy.
Showcase in Las Vegas.” be helpful. Give value. Be Think about how you can help
Bill’s friends may click on that “click-worthy” and not other people and put their
link and sign up too. “spammy.” needs ahead of your desire
for profits. Post great content.
If twenty of your “friends” Use your status updates to
accept your Facebook event subtly plug your business. Let Add incentives to Friend you.
invitation, and they each have your friends know about the Offer a special coupon to
200 Facebook friends, your exciting results you are Friends only and let new
message could be seen by an producing for clients. clients claim it by joining your
additional 4,000 people. And network. Send a client a
if they click on it … Tag, tag tag. Post interesting coupon (just a message is all
notes, video and photographs you need, although you could
That’s the amazing leverage about your clients and “tag” attach a coupon to an image
power of a social network. the people in them. When or video) and let them to
Don’t underestimate the you tag me in a photo, all my forward it to friends.
power of this tool. A tattoo friends can see it. If they click
convention in Singapore on it they can learn about Communicate. Facebook
attracted over 15,000 you. So, add some comments gives you an easy and free
attendees using little more that quietly promote. For way to communicate with
than this viral Facebook example, a DJ could post a customers and colleagues
strategy. party picture of his clients that will never get caught in
with the comment, “Just did a spam filters.
Don’t junk it up. Nobody fun show for some very
wants to see advertising. special clients.” By tagging Be Nice, Be Real.
Don’t send out blatant fellow Facebook users in the
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LinkedIn
Successful business If you want to more corporate
clients, get LinkedIn and learn Professional services buyers
people know “It ain’t how to use it effectively. use this LinkedIn to find
what you know, it’s reliable vendors. Make sure
who you know.” Building your network they can find you and like
A strong network can requires regular effort, but what the see. List your
LinkedIn helps automate company in LinkedIn and
help you find vendors, much of the work involved. categorize your business
clients and jobs. You’ll notice that LinkedIn is correctly.
LinkedIn makes much more formal than
building and Facebook. LinkedIn users When you see updates about
aren’t posting pictures of their people in your network – get
maintaining your dogs. It’s strictly business. in touch! A new position or
network easier. project is a great excuse to
Professionalism is the word call or send a note of
here. Your profile settings congratulations.
should highlight your
accomplishments, but be Update your status and let
careful you don’t sound like your network know what
an egomaniac. you’re working on.
Getting recommended on Add contacts – the more
LinkedIn enhances your contacts you have, the more
reputation in your existing eyeballs on you.
network. It also exposes your
profile to the network of LinkedIn is your online
person who gave you a resume. Link to your public
recommendation. Don’t wait, profile in your email signature
get people to recommend you file and blogs. It’s a nice way
by recommending them. to promote your credentials to
the people who want to read
Include keywords in your them.
profile so buyers can find you.
Make sure you describe
yourself and your business in
a positive and professional
light.
Join industry and local
business groups on LinkedIn.
Post interesting content on
these group discussion
boards, but don’t blatantly
self-promote. Build your
reputation by contributing
your ideas.
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Blog Software
If you want more Think of the web as digital creating an email. In fact, you
real estate for a business can even add pages to your
clients, you need to be owner. The more locations site via email and never have
on the web. The more you own, the more likely a to mess around with the site
web pages your site customer will stumble into itself.
has, the greater its one of your stores. The more
pages you have, the more Search Engine Friendly:
chances of being internet you “own.” Blogs get indexed quickly.
found. Blog software
makes it easy to add If I have a 200-page site and Fast Results – You can post a
pages that get noticed. you have a 4-page site, – all page in the morning and have
other things being equal – a it show up in Google before
customer is 50 times more lunch. Your blog software
likely to find my site than “pings” the search engines
yours. when you publish. Old-
fashioned static websites
Get Big can’t do that.
Creating a big fat website
used to be a pain in the ass. Attention: Create the content
You had to pay a webmaster people want and you’ll attract
every time you wanted to visitors.
make a change or waste
hours doing it yourself. Interest: People don’t want to
Because of these obstacles, read your ads – but they will
most small business owners read helpful articles.
have scrawny, wimpy
websites. Authority: Blogging can
establish you as an expert in
To create a massive website your field.
and dominate your market
you need a simple and fast Profits: When readers respect
way to create hundreds of your expertise, they’ll want to
pages. do business with you.
Not About Blogging
A blog is a website that is
frequently updated and posts
updates in chronological
order. But it’s a website.
Nothing magical. Take out the
dating of posts and a blog
looks like a normal business
website.
Easy to use. Creating a
website page is as easy as
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Only 5% of small Blog Strategically Don’t just clone pages and
Use blog software to create change the headlines! The
businesses blog and massive amounts of keyword search engines will penalize
99% of them are doing targeted web pages. Just your site for duplicate content.
it wrong. babbling online without a
strategy is a waste of time. Use your blog to promote
your business allies by giving
You need to create a lot of them a review links and to
keyword smart pages to their sites.
attract buyers. Geo-tags are
critical to making this strategy Your business friends will
work. appreciate it and probably
offer to link back to you. Ask
Create Pages with Local them to link to one of your
Buyer Keywords sales pages (landing page)
and not your home page.
Always include geo keywords
in your posts unless you are a Blogging Software
national company. WordPress is the my favorite
blogging software.
It’s far easier to rank high for
“New Jersey Florist” or Free Tool Link: Blog
“Paramus NJ Wedding Software
Flowers,” than simply Try this free tool and watch a
“flowers.” brief video overview by
clicking or visiting
Sure, millions more people http://brianmcgovern.com/wor
search for “florists,” than “NJ dpress/
florists.” But “NJ florist” will
get a florist in New Jersey Remember – you don’t have
more business. Besides, to get technical to run a blog.
you’d have to compete with Once installed, it really is
giant websites to rank on super simple. If you insist on
page one. being a geek …I highly
recommend WordPress for
Because there are very few if Dummies.
any competitors in your area
targeting local keywords
effectively, your blog posts
will show up on top when
local shoppers are ready to
buy.
Make a separate post about
each of your keyword
phrases.
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Action Plan
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
Benjamin Disraeli
Now what? Take action on what you learned. Get set up on these tools.
Keyword Tool: Build a keyword list and download it to a spreadsheet.
o Focus on buying-mode and local search keywords
Local Search: Get listed in the top local search engines.
o Make sure your listings stay current.
Directories: Identify the best directories for your business and get listed on as many as you can.
o Consider paying for a directory listing after you see some free traffic.
WordPress: Download and install a WordPress blog.
o Create new pages as often as possible.
o Use local and buying-mode keywords.
Craigslist: Visit and develop a feel for this tool.
o Start posting ads to Craigslist and make them look professional with SeaMonkey.
Craigslist: Create a “lead feed” and start sending leads to your desktop automatically.
o Grab the leads you can use and forward the others to your network.
Google Analytics: Get a Google account and install Analytics on your sites.
o Check your stats every week.
Facebook: Sign up and start friending other professionals and clients.
o Use the viral strategies we discussed.
LinkedIn: Set up a professional profile.
o Post interesting content regularly and always add contacts.
Video: submit keyword tagged videos to numerous sites, embed them on your pages and
encourage others to link to them.
Forums: Find the best forums for your niche. Get positive attention by contributing good posts.
Reviews: Let clients know how they can promote you by suggesting they add online reviews.
Help yourself by helping others.
Feel free to share this e-book with the people you care about.
I’d love to hear your success stories! Please reach me at brian@brianmcgovern.com
To Your Success!
Brian
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