Online Marketing 101

Editor's Notes

• #2: Welcome Your name, title, organization and relevant experience Schedule (set expectations for timetable) For live classes - ask attendees to turn cellphones to vibrate NOTES FOR TRAINER Each slide has suggestions for discussion and details to present. These notes are guidelines - you should gauge the level of expertise in the group and tailor the delivery as appropriate.
• #3: Goals for this class Introduce you to online marketing Show how to promote your business or organization with work on your own website Show ways to promote your business or organization in other ways, including Google AdWords, Google Places, social media websites, and sites like Amazon.com and Craigslist.com Email marketing Q&A session
• #4: Goal of this slide is to define online marketing. Important points: “ if you build a website they are not guaranteed to come ” - that ’ s why online marketing is so important. Businesses and organizations use online marketing to help people (and the search engines) find their websites.
• #5: Many small businesses believe that online marketing is too expensive, time intensive or complicated to help their businesses. Even the smallest, locally-based business can benefit from online presence.
• #6: In this section of the presentation, we will focus on ways you can market your business or organization with work on your own website. This is sometimes referred to as “ on-site SEO. ” We ’ ll explain what that means.
• #7: We will at a variety of ways to help your site get found, and revisited. We will discuss content on your own website The benefit of blogging Helping people follow your blog with an RSS feed
• #8: In the above example, we see the “ natural ” or “ organic ” results. Google will display the links it determines to be the most relevant to the search query. A click on these links does NOT cost the owner of the website money. NOTES FOR TRAINER May want update SERPs based on location and current Google layout Please note that the businesses in this screenshot are examples, not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #9: Focus of slide - introducing the concept of SEO. Explain that while these results are free when clicked on from a Google search results page, many businesses invest significant resources optimizing their websites and creating content that helps the search engines determine that they are the most relevant results for particular keywords. First and foremost, the website must be “readable” by Google. If Google cannot understand the words on your web pages, it cannot understand the context of your website, and show in the results when people search for keywords that may be applicable to you. On a more technical side, another way to help your website get found is to create a Sitemap. In its simplest terms, a Sitemap is a list of the pages on your website. Sitemaps are a way to tell Google about pages on your site it might not otherwise discover. You can create a sitemap from Google ’s Webmaster Central at http://www.google.com/webmasters Ask your webmaster for help with this! Less technical, but no less important, is content. This is where the business owner can really make a huge impact on the findability of the website. Your website has a much better chance of being displayed high in the results if you have lots of keyword-focused, relevant, original content. Blogs are a simple way to accomplish this task - let ’s take a look at this next. NOTES FOR TRAINER Remind attendees about SEO/SEM Tips sheet, can hand out after presentation
• #10: Focus of slide- introducing blogs Explain that a blog is very similar to a website, and it can be a part of a website. There are many blog software options - Google ’s blog software is Blogger.com NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #11: So why are blogs so helpful for search engine optimization? The content is usually timely They can allow participation, which means more content on your website that you didn ’t have to create yourself! Blog posts tend to be shared. Many blogs simply aggregate links to other interesting blogs. This can help build viral exposure for your website as people link to you. They tend to be niche - so if someone is interested in a particular topic they can connect with others who have similar interests NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website. Slide can be updated with blogs that may be more appropriate for the group
• #12: Blogs do not need to be the great American novel. Even short posts are appropriate, as long as the information is of interest. Focus on your headlines. As more websites compete for online attention, it becomes more difficult to convince visitors to read your material. Help them decide to read more. Blogs shouldn ’t be “dry.” Write as a real person. Sometimes edgy or controversial posts can get people more engaged (tread carefully!) DO allow comments and discussion on your website. The point of a blog is not to expound, it ’s to engage. Photos and illustrations break up the monotony. Help people find your blog by making it prominent on your website, even as part of the navigation. Promote offline by publishing on print collateral like business cards, receipts, direct mail pieces, etc. NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website. Slide can be updated with blogs that may be more appropriate for the group
• #13: Think of an RSS feed as a file that contains a blog or website's most recent entries. If someone subscribes to your RSS feed, she is automatically notified when you publish new blog posts. This means your visitors don ’ t have to remember to check your site for updates because the RSS feed brings it to them. You have the option of showing a snippet of your content or the entire post. Rich, full-content feeds make users happy because they allow them to view your content with minimal effort. Opting to offer full-content feeds may result in a short-term declines in website visits. But the long-term gains of increased readership and mind-share are typically worth it. Keep in mind that a regular subscriber is more valuable than an occasional visitor. NOTES FOR TRAINER Measure the skill level of the group - can reduce detail if this is too advanced. If people ask how to read RSS feeds, you can recommend various products, including Google Reader, Bloglines.com, etc.
• #14: You may have the prettiest website on the Internet, but if you don ’ t update it, people won ’ t have a reason to return. Always ask yourself, what can I do to convince people to return? What can I offer that would convince people to pass it along to their friends? NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #15: The next section focuses on ways to market yourself online, outside of your own website. This is sometimes referred to as “ off-site SEO. ” We ’ ll explain ways to do that.
• #16: We will cover search engine marketing, Google Places, social media, online PR websites, and using third party sites to support your online goals. All of these off-site approaches can be added to your on-site tactics. You want to implement as many tactics as you can, because each provides unique ways for connecting people and search engines with your business or organization.
• #17: Focus of slide - introducing the concept of SEM. Explain that with SEM, you are paying for online presence. Unlike SEO, you have a lot more control over where your website is shown (in the form of an ad) because you can write your ads and pick your keywords. Google ’s SEM program is called AdWords. These are shown in an different place on the search results page - let ’s take a look.
• #18: AdWords ads appear in the right column of a search results page. Sometimes ads are shown in a purple box above the organic search results. In both areas, ads are labeled “ Ads. ” These are paid placements. Advertisers are competing against each other for spots on this page. Ads can appear directly above the search results or on right side of the page. Clicks on AdWords ads DO cost the advertiser money - they set their own maximum price for a click. Advertisers are NOT charged if their ads are not clicked on. We will discuss the AdWords advertising program in subsequent presentations. NOTES FOR TRAINER You may want update SERP based on location and current Google layout Please note that the businesses in this screenshot are examples, not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #19: Before you start a search engine marketing program, spend some time learning how Google AdWords work. Understanding the how it works will help you place ads in higher positions at lower prices. A great place to start is the AdWords Online Classroom. http://www.google.com/adwords/onlineclassroom/ There ’ s little point driving traffic to your website if the website is terrible. Ask yourself, can a visitor easily find what they are looking for? Is it easy to buy my product online? You do not want your website to be a barrier to your success. Search engine marketing does not exist in a vacuum. Before you advertise on any of the search engines, decide how much time you can spend on it. Create a schedule a stick to it. Figure out how you will measure success, and monitor your performance. NOTES FOR TRAINER Remind attendees about SEO/SEM Tips sheet, can hand out after presentation
• #20: Another way to promote your business separately from your website it by creating a free business page on Google Places (formerly local business center). You do not need your own website for a Places page. Your Places page is like an online yellow pages listing that can direct customers to your storefront, menu, phone number or website – whatever makes sense for your business. You ’ ll see that the pins correspond with your location, which you can set, and it can include a phone number, address, and whatever else you want people to see about you. To get started, you need to go to google.com/Services/SmallBusiness to claim your business, and enter the correct information that corresponds with your business and confirm your listing. NOTES FOR TRAINER Be prepared for many questions on this slide. Common questions include: How do I claim my listing? What if my business is listed incorrectly? I can ’ t get the phone call validation to work (usually because they have a switchboard. Recommend postcard) How do I get my business listed on a search results page?
• #21: Business listings appear in different ways on the search engine results page. You can identify them by the lettered pin icon next to the listing, the star rating, links to reviews and a “ Place page ” To help your business be more likely to be listed, encourage your visitors to leave reviews on your Places Page. You can also help by adding as much content as possible to your Places Page. Let ’ s look at an example Places Page. NOTES FOR TRAINER May want update SERPs based on location and current Google layout. Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #22: A Places page includes information like: Name, address, phone number General description Business details Photos Videos Rating and reviews The business owner can edit all information EXCEPT reviews. These cannot be removed. However, the business owner can respond to reviews. NOTES FOR TRAINER May want update for a business in your area. Please note people will ask how to remove negative reviews from their Places Page. Some people will voice frustration contacting Google Places for errors - direct them to the Google Places Help Center where they can report a problem. Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #23: Focus of slide - introducing the concept of social media. Social Media marketing is a very hot topic in the online marketing world. Companies large and small are trying to figure out how to use it to their advantage, and how to measure success. Show how interest in social media marketing has skyrocketed as more website publishers focus on developing SMM programs
• #24: You can use it for your own business to: Post timely updates or commentary Open a dialogue with your existing customers or prospects. This can deepen your relationships, as well as help you keep a pulse on what people are saying about you and give you a chance to respond. Show your personality Establish your “ social authority ” on a particular topic. Give examples of how small businesses can use a social media platform. Try to pull good examples from your experience - people need concrete descriptions. One example: at our Web development agency we were experiencing issues with the Internet connection. Rather than call the telephone hotline, our network administrator sent a direct message (DM) to Comcast ’s business team. They responded immediately and a crew was at the office within the hour. This response was impressive and helped build loyalty because they were responsive to our businesses’ needs. Perhaps the highest profile success story from 2010 was the Old Spice Guy deodorant campaign. Starring Isaiah Mustafa, aka the Old Spice Guy, It combined traditional media - television - with social media via YouTube and Twitter. The original ad generated more than 20 million viral views, according to Procter & Gamble. The brand and ad agency Wieden & Kennedy followed that up with nearly 200 customized videos over three days via Twitter. As of November 2010, the campaign spawned more than 140 million total YouTube views (including parodies) and generated 1.8 billion PR impressions, according to Proctor & Gamble. NOTES FOR TRAINER Develop your own set of examples
• #25: Give examples of how small businesses can use a social media platform. Try to pull good examples from your experience - people need concrete descriptions. One example: at our Web development agency we were experiencing issues with the Internet connection. Rather than call the telephone hotline, our network administrator sent a direct message (DM) to Comcast ’s business team. They responded immediately and a crew was at the office within the hour. This response was impressive and helped build loyalty because they were responsive to our businesses’ needs. NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #26: NOTES FOR TRAINER May want open discussion with group about how much time to spend on SMM
• #27: Basically the online equivalent of offline PR. The goal is to get information about your products, services, websites published on different sites, so more people can find it. You can use different services to distribute your press releases.
• #28: NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #29: If your website is difficult to find, or you want to find other ways to showcase your products and services, try levering big-brand third-party sites. If you sell things, you can create a storefront on Amazon.com or eBay.com. If you make things to sell, you can offer them on Etsy.com. If you offer a service, you can get yourself listed on sites like AngiesList and Yelp NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #30: The last section focused on another important online marketing tactic: email marketing.
• #33: If your website is difficult to find, or you want to find other ways to showcase your products and services, try levering big-brand third-party sites. If you sell things, you can create a storefront on Amazon.com or eBay.com. If you make things to sell, you can offer them on Etsy.com. If you offer a service, you can get yourself listed on sites like AngiesList and Yelp NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #34: Explain how list management allows people to register and opt out of your email lists themselves, without any manual work on your part. It can also delete “bad” email addresses.
• #35: NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #36: Refer people to CAN SPAM if they have questions about the law. In a nutshell - you cannot send unsolicited commercial email. Common mistake is to have the “reply to address” set to personal address. May want to create a special account or mailbox if many replies are expected. NOTES FOR TRAINER Can open a discussion on email strategies, including frequency. The answer is, it depends. Here ’ s my example: I bought a bearded dragon from Petsmart. The day after I got her, they emailed information and tips for caring for her, plus a coupon for mealworms. Since then, they have been sending me emails every few weeks, personalized for the type of pet with relevant coupons for crickets, accessories, etc. On the flip side, I receive email from Pottery Barn. I receive email from Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Teen and Pottery Barn kids almost every day. I have stopped opening them because they “ flood ” my inbox and their offers are not particularly relevant to me.
• #37: NOTES FOR TRAINER Please note that the entities mentioned are examples, and not an endorsement of any product, company or website.
• #40: Google provides may tools and services that can assist you with the online marketing techniques we discussed today. These include Google Places, Google AdWords, Blogger, Google Reader (to read those RSS feeds), and Orkut.com In the next presentation we will provide an overview of some of the products Google offers to help businesses. We ’ ll go a little deeper into Google Places and AdWords, plus introduce you to tools like Google Analytics and Google Apps.
• #41: Thank you very much for participating in today’s Online Marketing 101 session.  We hope that this has been an informative introduction to the software and services Google can provide for your company or organization. A copy of this presentation will be emailed to each participant who provided an email address.  The final slide includes link to resources that may help you with your online marketing campaigns.  We will now open the presentation for questions.  NOTES FOR TRAINER Remind attendees about SEO/SEM Tips sheet, can hand out after presentation