On Target: The Advantages of Google Adwords

Many companies are looking for ways to generate revenue. One way companies can increase their Web presence and generate income at the same time is with Google Adwords. Google Adwords is a tool businesses can use to increase the traffic to their website and develop additional sources of income.

Building a Stronger Network

Google developed an online advertising system that uses textual ads within your website to reach customers via research by key words. Typically, ads are placed on the right column or top portion of your website to attract customer attention. As the website owner, you have control of how you want the ads displayed within your site. You can also choose design elements such as destination address, descriptions and titles. For the ads to be displayed, you purchase key words.

As customers punch in key words on a Google search, your ad will be displayed. A bidding system is used to determine who receives the highest rating. The cost of Google Adwords is based on a cost per click method. Each time a person clicks on your ad, you are charged. However, you control the region and language your ad is placed in.

The same is true with cost. You control your budget and determine how much you want to spend daily or by key word. You can also develop a budget strictly on a particular advertising campaign.

Seeing the Fruits of Your Advertising Labor

Here are some tips on maximizing what you get from what you put into your Google Adwords strategy:

• Time: Be prepared to spend a good amount of time personally developing a successful campaign. For individuals, plan on developing 50 similar keywords with 3 to 4 ads linked to the same landing page. Plan to spend anywhere from 4 to 6 hours a week managing your adword account.
• ROI: Keep a cost accounting of your ROI to see which adworks drives your cost per sale. Your cost per action (CPA) information is vital. You can determine if this falls into a lead or a sale and base your future marketing strategies on this information. 
• Click, Click: Be thoughtful when establishing your ads. You want very specific and targeted ads with each keyword. Proper keyword phrasing will increase your click rate and your revenue.

Promoting your website and increasing traffic can lead to higher numbers in revenue. Partnering with a Google Adwork marketing campaign can drive your business and traffic. A focused campaign will increase your web presence and lead to greater sources of revenue.

On target keywords will effectively drive your marketing campaign and bring these into a tightly managed group which will enhance your company profile. Flyline Search Marketing can create the type of campaigns that get you the results you are looking for in terms of reaching your target audience and converting them.

Pam Russom—Back Where She Belongs

Flyline Search Marketing is excited to announce the full-time return of our long-time President, Pam Russom. Pam had left the company briefly to focus on a personal matter and now has returned to Flyline Search Marketing to lead us during a time of tremendous growth and expansion.

We are busy developing inventive ways to help our clients reach their target audience, and Pam’s widespread knowledge of SEO and SEM techniques will increase our delivery time and your revenues.  Pam will focus her tremendous interpersonal and leadership skills to continue to develop our client base and growth as a Google Adwords Certified Partner. Her extensive knowledge of search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social media, website design, and brand development and marketing will drive Flyline Search Marketing and continue our role as a leader in Atlanta, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque’s business communities.

Pam will capitalize on her extensive understanding of SEO and SEM to continue building Flyline Search Marketing as a leader in social media marketing strategies. In addition, Pam specializes in multimedia consultation, sales training, and event planning to fully develop your business and maximize your company’s exposure. 

Numerous Capabilities and Deep Experience

Pam brings a varied skilled set defined by professionalism and comprehensive knowledge that defines success. Her business and professional experience is diverse with additional positions held in television and radio, which have led her to a fuller understanding of marketing strategies.

Pam was Marketing Director for American PolySteel Corporation and Marketing Consultant for multiple radio stations. She worked for American General Media as an Internet Sales Director before joining us as President. She also holds a BBA in Small Business Management from Georgia Southern University.

Pam keeps on top of the local business and community activities by being associated with the following groups and organizations:

•  Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Albuquerque Business Builders
• Christian Business Leaders Network
• Business to Business
• Linked by Albuquerque
• New Mexico 200 Linked
• Synergy Networking
• Women Make a Difference (WMAD)

Each of these organizations strives to build businesses through hard work, communication, and networking. Pam’s affiliation with all of these organizations only serves to increase your considerable knowledge and business connections.

Give Us a Call

Pam is committed to positioning your company for success. Give us a call today at 1.866.258.5511; in Albuquerque, you can contact us at 505.718.4560; and in Atlanta, you can reach us at 678.867.6810 to see how we can position your company to maximize your exposure and increase your revenue with a competitively priced and comprehensive package that delivers results.  

Microblog: The End of Innocence

The Twitter generation has embarked on mission to impart all the tedious details of one’s life to an unsuspecting group of followers. We hear from our friends about the painful bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway or they share adorable pictures of their kids or pets. Whatever the occasion, no idea that passes through some people’s head is to trivial not to post.

This begs the question: When is enough, enough? What are the boundaries we should set, socially and in our business environment, to divulge to our followers in the social media arena? The Examiner raised this same question. 

The “TMI” of Microblogging

Microblogging has become a driving force in the world of social media. Twitter counts 140 characters as your tweet and you can update regularly to your followers. So, tweets like, “Hot sale today. Our sweaters are 30% off while supplies last” become commonplace, which is not a bad thing when you are looking for a beautiful winter sweater, but the problem occurs when you are oversaturated with boring and irrelevant tweets that do not inform, or worse, annoy.

Do we really need to know the CFO of our local company is “At the dentist, that tooth popped right out?” I believe this falls under the over-sharing category. And, this is becoming a slippery-slope for some individuals and businesses.

Where do we draw the line with engaging our customer or follower without boring them, or worse, offending them? There is a fine line to walk when you microblog.

Knowing Where to Draw that Line

You must focus on relevant and informative information that interests your followers and develops a dialogue.  Keep these ideas in mind every time you microblog to constantly check yourself and develop microblogging to its full potential:

• Plan Ahead: Like any good business plan, you should have a solid microblog campaign setup that focuses on upcoming sales, updated product launch dates, new store hours, or the unveiling of a new charity campaign your company supports.
• Be Real: Impart information that is honest and informative. Social media works in real-time and with the power of the internet to research it is easier than ever to spot a fake.
• Edit Yourself: Before you hit send each time you must review and ask yourself these questions:

How does this develop my brand?

Promote my business?

Empower my follower?

Increase my market share?

Create dialogue?

Because this is what you want to happen with each microblogging session. Make this tool work for you and not against you. Use sites like Twitter and Tumblr to your advantage. Great microblogging can do wonders for your business and drive your revenues. Just remember what to say and how much to share when you do.

Your Perspective

Please share your perspective or examples of microblogging in terms of what to say and what not to say. Let us know if you have questions on what makes for good content and we’ll be happy to help you get your points across in a way that leverages the true power of microblogging.

Marketing Strategies for the New Millennium: The Social Media Revolution

Social media has forever altered the way businesses operate their marketing campaigns. In the days of old, businesses focused on print ads, television commercials, and radio spots to reach their target audience. They relied on the tried and true method of delivering a strong message to the consumer and the consumer responding favorably.

                                        

Those days are over, strictly speaking. We still have radio, television, and print ads to send out our message, but now, there is a new game in town. Social media has arrived with a vengeance. Businesses are now partnering with the consumer to create dialogue and impart to the consumer some of the power of their advertising campaign.

Consumer Power

Companies have given a slice of their power over to the consumer to review, promote, and develop brand loyalty through social media networks. Social media depends on two-way communication to survive. And, this is where companies are moving their marketing campaigns to focus on consumers to receive product praise, company compliments, and negative reviews in real-time so says a recent article. 

Marketing has evolved from simply delivering a message to the consumer and the consumer running out to buy the product based on a savvy advertising campaign. Today’s consumer is increasingly turning to social media to research brands and products before they buy, during the process, and even after, to give their review, both good and bad.

Principles to Benchmark

This is where companies stand today. Their goal is to capitalize on this and increase their bottom-line with social media. Influential internet marketing gurus, Stevens & Tate Marketing, recently discussed ways to execute and develop brand success with social media. 

They focused on a few key areas companies should address as they navigate the social media waters that can serve as an excellent benchmark for your business:   

• Guidelines: Develop a business plan for social media success in the same way you would develop any marketing strategy.
• Attitude: Remember with social media you are creating dialogue and you want this to be at a much more informal level. Engage your customer with pertinent and informative information that encourages conservation.
• A Company with a Heart: Team with organizations that support causes that are important to your customer to establish a uniform sense of appeal. 
• Real-Time Interaction: Utilize social media to engage your customers in promotions, contents, and giveaways to encourage them to visit your site and spread the word about your brand. 
• Quantify Your Results: Free social media monitoring is available to track your success and allows you to implement immediate changes when necessary to increase traffic and alter message.  

The steps you take to now to direct your marketing campaign for the new millennium will pay huge dividends by developing a savvy and profitable social media campaign that gets people talking. Find out how Flyline Search Marketing can devise an Internet Marketing strategy for your business that capitalizes on these foundational principles.

  

A Primer on Google AdWords—What it is and Why it Works

When you Google something, you know those ads that appear down the right hand side of the page? Do you ever wonder how they got there, and why they always happen to relate to whatever search term you’ve entered? That is the magic of Google AdWords.

Technically Speaking

Google AdWords defines itself as, “an automated auction.” Basically, Google AdWords works by linking keywords used in search terms to keywords used in ads you create. This means your ad can appear next to the results when someone performs a search containing your specific keyword. To get a bit more technical, Google AdWords is a CPC (cost per click) advertising platform. This means you pay each time someone clicks on your ad.

Getting Started

The Google AdWords website has several tools to help you get started, including a comprehensive beginner’s guide as well as a 19-step checklist to help make sure you are getting the most out of Google AdWords.

Once you have created an account, the next step is creating a campaign. Creating a campaign has three aspects – campaign settings, the ad itself, and keywords:

• Campaign settings. These settings allow you to choose the language your ad will be in as well as the location your ad will be targeting. You can also choose whether your ad will run in Google’s search results or in Google partner sites as well. Additionally, the campaign settings are where you are able to decide on a daily budget for your campaign as well as your maximum CPC bid – the maximum amount you pay when someone clicks on your ad.
• Ads. Google AdWords formats ads with a headline, two lines of descriptive text, and a display URL. This URL determines where your potential customer will land when your ad is clicked on.
• Keywords. Keywords are the crux of your ad. They are the words and phrases someone would use to search Google for your particular product or service. Your keywords will determine which searches cause your ad to appear, so choosing the right keywords is crucial.

Quality and Cost

Google AdWords allows you to control your budget. You can either set a daily budget, or you can choose the CPC bidding option. With a daily budget, you can choose how much you are willing to spend on your campaign each day. However, the smaller your budget, the fewer times your ad will appear. With the CPC option, your bid helps determine your ad’s position on the page. Usually the higher your bid, the higher your ad’s position will be.

The quality and relevance – usefulness – of your ad, its keywords, and the website your URL leads to is critical. Ads are given a Quality Score, which is a measure of relevance of your ad, keywords, and website. In addition to your bid, your ad’s Quality Score plays a part in determining your ad’s position on the page. Generally, the higher the Quality Score, the less you will pay for a higher position.

Need Help?

While it is certainly possible for a business owner to successfully utilize Google AdWords, the service works best when you’ve got a significant amount of time to invest using and fine tuning it. That’s where a Certified Google AdWords Provider comes in. If you have any questions or need help with setting up or maintaining a Google AdWords account, please contact us in the comments section below.

How to use Google + and LinkedIn for your Small Business

As a business owner, you may continually ask yourself how you can develop additional revenue and exposure. There are many ways to advertise to promote your company. Your eye is always on becoming a recognized force in your community. Besides having a solid reputation, a stellar work ethic, and unbeatable product, you need a presence on the web and a way to interface and develop contacts.

Social networking clearly permits you to develop and establish relationships with other individuals. You can harness social networking to increase your market share, develop your reputation, and inform people of your company.  Two great ways to increase your company profile and exposure are to join Google + and LinkedIn. Each allow you the opportunity to network and make connections with individuals and businesses. In using these social networking tools, you can increase your web presence and associations.

LinkedIn: 

LinkedIn is a professional social networking site where you can post a profile and invite connections with other individuals. Once connections are made with an individual, you can create secondary connections with affiliates. LinkedIn also allows members to increase their profile while allowing introductions to mutual connections.

With LinkedIn, you can also form groups with similar interests and associations to increase your presence. As a small business owner, it is imperative to spread the word about yourself and your company. LinkedIn is free advertising. 

You advertise yourself and in conjunction, you advertise your business. This is a win-win situation when you can:

• Build a profile
• Link your business webpage
• Add your Twitter account
• Invite associates and colleagues to join
• Get in touch with former co-workers and your college roommate
• Contact associates and customers and have them send in reviews to post

Google+:

Google+ is a set of tools that can assist you in staying engaged with your customers. Each application is separate and can be used to direct the flow of information. The tools are Google+ Circles, Sparks, Hangouts, Huddle and Instant Upload. Each one can be utilized to increase market share, convey information, and develop relationships with your customers. Here are some of the features:

• Google+ Circle: This feature allows you to group people in circles, so information is shared with only the people you designate. This powerful tool will allow you to direct and update certain customers about information on their specific product. Priceless.

• Google+ Hangout: Here, you can engage via video with up to 10 customers at a time. You can have face-time with a client or clients to explain an upcoming product or important information.

• Google+ Huddle: From here, you can connect with up to 6 people via text at one time. This can increase your efficiency with employees and customers.

• Google+ Instant Upload: Your business can create their own photo album online and easily share uploaded photos. This tool will be a great way to introduce new products, highlight sales, or remind customer of your super products.

Google+ and LinkedIn are two ways to increase your company profile and grow your small business.  Both of these channels add valuable tools to your online marketing toolbox so that you can boost your web presence and enhance your company’s bottom-line. Get started today and begin a networking relationship that is beneficial to both you and your customer.    

Maybe you’ve already used these or you are still unsure of how they can benefit your business. Leave your comments or questions below, and we can show you how to harness the power of these Internet marketing tools.

We invite you to contact our offices at Flyline Search Marketing to find out more about how Social Media Marketing, Social Networking and other Internet Marketing tools can help you grow your business. 

                         

Letting Your Customers Know about Your Business Move through Social Media

If the time has come for your business to relocate, all you need to do is a few quick status updates and you’re done letting your customers know, right? Not so much. Assuming your business already has a social media presence – and, if it doesn’t, there’s no time like the present to get started – you can use social media to great advantage before, during and after your business move to ensure your customers both old and new know exactly where to find you.

Before the Move

As soon as you know your business is relocating, it’s time to start laying the groundwork for the move.

• A good place to start is at your business’s main website. Your website will act as a central hub all your social media outlets can refer back to. Announce the move on your website’s landing page. Include information, such as when the move is taking place and where the new location will be as well as when your old location is closing and when the new one will be open. You can then expand on the details of the move on your website’s blog.
• Once your website and blog have been updated, begin updating your social networking sites. Reach out to customers not only with promotions and specials but do so with engaging and interactive content that encourages your business’s followers to get the word out.

During the Move

It’s extremely helpful and reassuring for customers to know your business can still provide goods and services over the course of the move. If you have an electronic storefront, be sure to let customers know they can still do business virtually and provide details on how.

• Make a personal connection and bring your customers along for the ride during the move by Tweeting and blogging about how the move is going.
• Build anticipation and excitement about the new location by including pictures and video of the move in progress as well as updates on how the new location is shaping up.

After the Move

Once you’re done moving and your business is open at your new location, it’s time to celebrate! Trumpet the occasion with great fanfare on as many of your social media outlets as possible, inviting customers to come and take a look. Don’t forget to thank all those who followed and supported your business during the move and helped make the new location’s opening a success.

A Little Birdie Told Me

Even if you’ve done your best to keep customers up to date with your move not only on your business’s website, but also on every social media outlet available, there still may be customers looking for you. Twitter is a particularly useful tool for shepherding lost customers. You can monitor Twitter for comments about your business and direct customers to your new location. Also consider printing out and mailing move announcements to your customers.

Social Media and Big Retailers: Just Browsing, But Not Necessarily Buying Into the Concept

Earlier this year, Amazon.com announced the hiring of a director of social media, John Yurcisin, from WPP's Ogilvy & Mather. Yurcisin has been brought on board to help Amazon.com develop social strategies. Additionally, Amazon.com is in the process of creating a Social Games Group to compete with Zynga, the world’s leading social game developer.

Amazon.com is one of the relatively few large retailers that is joining the world of social media. According to a recent post on InternetRetailer.com, 79% of the online retailers listed in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide have their own Facebook page. However, only 12% of those retailers have the ability for consumers to shop on Facebook. The question is, why?

Business Size and Social Media Use

Small and medium-size businesses have turned to social media much more readily than their larger counterparts. Smaller businesses simply do not have the budgets for traditional marketing outlets, such as print and television, and, as a result, have to be more adaptable and innovative in their marketing strategies. Social media is an extremely cost-effective marketing tool, which is a great advantage, especially in a tight economy.

While big retailers do have the luxury of large advertising budgets, they are generally not as willing to take the time and effort to maintain a social media platform and prefer to stick with tried and true advertising methods. When larger retailers do acknowledge the effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool, they tend to forget social media is about connecting first, selling second, and focus on events and promotions rather than on fostering long-term relationships with consumers.

Rethinking Social Media

However, big retailers are making a critical error in their marketing judgment. Social media is not just for small and medium businesses. Big retailers have a lot to gain by engaging in social media and developing a strong social media presence. Large, international retailers are rethinking their overall marketing campaigns to include Internet marketing strategies, such as social media platforms.

Heineken, as reported in a recent blog post by Des Walsh on SocialMediaToday.com, has signed a deal with Google in a move to update their advertising strategy and to reach a younger target market. Adults in their 20s spend a considerable amount of time using social media, and it only makes good business sense to go where your customers are so that you can connect with them on a personal level. Large retailers not taking advantage of social media are clearly losing a source of potential revenue – revenue that is sure to be snapped up by businesses with strong social media platforms.

Moving Forward

While Amazon.com already had the potential for social interaction in the form of customer reviews and product recommendations, the company is now looking to strengthen its social media presence by adding Facebook and Twitter features – like the ability of readers to post public notes about what they’re reading – to its electronic book reader, Kindle.

 

While big retailers have the advantage of brand recognition and reputation, smaller businesses have the benefit of a connection and relationship with their customers. In an economic climate where consumers are more careful than ever about how they spend their income, large businesses can greatly benefit from making that personal connection as well.

Is Social Media Worth the Time?

As a small business owner who is faced with making tough decisions while contending with limited resources, such as time, money, and personnel, “Is social media worth the time?” may very well be a question you find yourself asking. Whether or not social media is worth the investment in time and effort is an issue briefly explored by blogger Jason Keith, senior communications manager at Vista Print.

In a recent post for the Small Business Blog entitled,  “Social media might not be worth the time,” Keith puts forth the notion that maintaining a social media platform effectively is simply too time-consuming for many small businesses. Why?

The Challenges

Keith indentifies two main areas of social media maintenance that can potentially demand a significant amount of time. The first area is updating current followers. This means having the time to know what to say and then saying it on a frequent interest to maintain follower interest.  

The second area is monitoring and responding to feedback. Perhaps even more time-consuming, this follow-up process can take time, especially if there are a lot of comments left or questions to answer. While it is true both of these activities do require a certain investment of time to accomplish, the benefits far outweigh the costs of abandoning social media all together.

Why Social Media Is Worth It

The direct connection and communication that social media allows businesses to have with customers and potential customers are extremely valuable. Social media platforms are not only quick and easy to update, but they are also easily integrated into a seamless Internet Marketing strategy that leads customers – and revenue – right to your website or to your brick and mortar location.

Responding to feedback, especially negative feedback, is a crucial part of any social media platform. Social media allows businesses the opportunity to directly and personally address and rectify any issues or complaints a customer might have. This is a powerful tool to convert negative feedback into a positive experience for both the customer, and your business.

Most importantly, the fact that social media primarily involves time versus considerable money like traditional marketing channels makes it worth it. Using this tool means that you can more effectively target and reach more of your intended audience than through traditional advertising and print media. Again, that makes it well worth the effort.

Making Social Media Work

With today’s social media acting as the new word of mouth, your business can’t afford not to have a social media presence. One of the great things about social media is that, for every business out there, there is a social media outlet that is just right or one that can be customized to suit that business’s unique, individual needs. The effectiveness of those outlets is limited only by the creativity of those who use it.

If the thought of creating and maintaining a social media platform still seems daunting or out of reach, there is help. Experienced, professional firms, such as Flyline Search Marketing, offer high-quality social media services. 

Your business may not be able to spare the extra time or personnel to devote to social media, but there are effective social media solutions that can work within a small business budget.  Contact Flyline with any questions or to learn more about social media solutions for your business.