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Google Rolls Out Social Search

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Today Google announced that they have rolled out Social Search.  It’s now available to all users who are signed into Google.  This is something that has been talked about recently but nobody really knew exactly how it would work.  As with all things Google they will be constantly tweaking it as time goes by.

There are a lot of interesting implications to Social Search so we will see how this all plays out. I think it’s pretty amazing that when I search for information about a new movie or a restaurant in town I could see reviews, blog posts and other content from people I know, like and trust.

This will have a direct impact on companies who are not paying attention to their online reputation management and addressing concerns in a positive way.

If you are a small business owner it’s time to take the reigns of this use it to your advantage.

To your success,
Ken Partain

January Marketing Newsletter is Now Online

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I just sent out our January Monthly Marketing Newsletter.  The focus this month is on Social Media Marketing.

There are lots of links to helpful information so check it out and let me know what you think.  You can leave your notes in the comments section below.

If you would like to have the newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, use the signup form in the right column to register.

Have a great day!

To your success,
Ken Partain

Can You Really Expect Good Marketing Results From Twitter?

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Thanks again to Mark Isherwood for submitting his Top 3 Online Marketing Questions.

Yesterday I answered his question, Do Traffic Exchanges Really Work?

Today’s question is:

Can you really expect good marketing results from Twitter? It would seem that you are only marketing to those who follow you.

The short answer is yes, you can expect good marketing results from Twitter, but you need to learn how to use it properly.

You see, Twitter is just a tool and there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of different tools available to you in order to market yourself and your business more effectively.

The great thing about Twitter is that it is a giant online conversation.  I’ve heard it compared to a cocktail party or happy hour at the bar.  There are different conversations going on around you, and based on your interests, you can step up and get involved in any of them.  If you’re shy, this might seem a bit akward in person, but it’s totally expected on Twitter.

You can find conversations you are interested in by using the Twitter Search tool.  Just type in the topic you are interested in and you’ll find people who are talking about it.  Then, all you need to do is follow them to keep up with what they are saying.

I think where people go wrong with Twitter is that they try to use it as a direct marketing tool by always promoting their own stuff.

Well, nobody is going to follow you for long if all you talk about is you and your business.

Treat it like a real conversation and listen to what others say and then help promote them to your followers, which addresses the second part of your question.

When you tweet about something, you’re not just talking to your own followers, you’re potentially talking to their followers and their followers and so on.  In essence you have a global audience.  If you are sharing quality content and information it’s going to get passed around.

People like doing business with people they know, like and trust.  Use Twitter to build relationships and the money will flow.

For more information about using Twitter for business, check out this handy guide created by Twitter called Twitter 101 for Business.  Be sure to read the Case Studies and look through the Other Resources for additional ideas about using Twitter for Business.

Tomorrow I’ll answer Mark’s third question, “Is Google Adwords still the top marketing tool?”

To your success!

Follow Me on Twitter

How To Get Started Marketing Your Small Business Online

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Thanks to Rebecca Romo of SHA Insurance, a Life and Health Insurance Agent in Allen, Texas, for being the first person to submit her Top 3 Online Marketing Questions.

Here are the answers to your questions, Rebecca.

How do you make your business successful online?

As with most questions this broad, the answer is really “it depends”.  It depends on what type of business you are in and what your objectives are.

However, there are several things any small business can do to improve their online presence and help connect with their target market.

  1. Establish a web presence.  You can do this several ways, but the most important way, in my opinion, is to have a web site that you control.  With our own website you have full control over the content of the site, how it is marketed, how well it is optimized, etc.
  2. Get your business listed in relevant online directories.  There are a multitude of online directories, both free and paid, that you can list your business with.  Some of them, such as MerchantCircle, are a very good alternative if you absolutely can’t afford to build your own web site as I mentioned in #1.  We offer Local Search Engine Business Profiles that are very well optimized for local search and provide a good snapshot of your business, not to mention they are very inexpensive.
  3. Get involved in Social Media and Social Networking even if you don’t have the first clue about how to proceed.  Get yourself listed with sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and slowly learn more about each one and how you can use it to connect with your target market and grow your business.

What is your favorite part of online marketing?

This seems to be a more personal question and my answer is optimizing small business websites.  I love seeing a company go from generating very few, or in some cases absolutely no leads from their website, to generating a consistent flow of quality leads because of the work we do.

Search engine rankings are not the be all, end all anymore.  With the introduction of Universal Search and Personalized Search from Google, evey single person could get different search results when looking up the same keyword phrase.  Therefore, the only true measure of how effective your optimization is, is whether or not your business improves as a result.

If you had to start marketing online again, what would you do differently?

I’ve done a few projects in the past where I just leaped out, spent a bunch of money on image stuff like logos, letterhead, business cards, etc. only to find later that the market either wasn’t there, or wasn’t willing to pay for the services we offered.

If I had it to do again I would do more market research before spending a bunch of money developing a web site and other materials.  I would start with some of the free tools available online and find out if there was a need for my idea and how big of a potential market there was for our product or service.

Then I would do everything I could to keep expenses to a bare minimum and not make any long-term obligations until the business started picking up steam.

I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts.

To your success!

Ken Partain

Follow Me On Twitter

What Are Your Top 3 Online Marketing Questions?

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Here’s your chance to ask your top three online marketing questions and get practical answers that you can put to work immediately.

Your questions can be about anything related to search engine marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, social networking, local search, etc.

I’ll be posting the answers here on my site. When I answer your questions, I’ll give you credit for the questions along with a link back to your web site (if you would like).

Please complete the form below and check back soon for your answers.

Thanks for your participation.

To your success!
Ken Partain

Platinum Marketing Group

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I have recently launched a new program where I will be working closely with 10 companies who have a strong desire to grow their online presence and improve their online marketing efforts.  This program is not for the meek or those just playing around with online marketing.

There are three levels to this program, Bronze, Silver and Gold.  The primary difference between them is the level of optimization your web site will require and the number of articles that need to be written to bring your site to the top of the natural “organic” search results.

Each plan includes optimizing your web site and writing two to four articles about your company and/or industry, one of which is a press release submitted through PR Web.  It includes a targeted link building campaign and directory submissions to both paid and free directories.  The program also includes unlimited email support and 2-3 hours of one-on-one phone consulting per month to discuss successes and strategies going forward.

If you are serious about taking your company to the next level online give me a call today to discuss this further.  My number is 1-877-334-8022, extension 704.

To your success,

Ken Partain

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Ken Partain - Small Business Marketing ConsultantHello, my name is Ken Partain and I personally oversee every single SEO and Website development project that we take on at IPG Search Marketing and I stand behind our work 100%.

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United States
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