5 Easy Ways to Know if Your Brand is "Open" for Business

Long gone are the days where you can hang an open sign, and expect people to beat a path to your door.  This is just as true with your online presence as it is with a brick and mortar location. The following are 5 Easy Ways to know if your business can be found by potential customers.

#1 - Can customers view your website whenever, wherever?

It's not just important to have a website anymore, but that customers can view your site whenever and wherever they bring it up. This means that your site has to be viewable and functionable whether they are viewing it on there desktop, laptop, mobile phone or tablet device.

There are a couple of options you have here. One is to have a site that is mobile frienldy, meaning that your site's content is still viewable and functions correctly even if your customers aren't viewing your site on your desktop. The other option is to have a site that has a "responsive" design meaning that it will change the design of the site to match whichever device a customer is viewing it on.

So, is your website mobile friendly or "responsive"?


#2 - Can customers find you on a Google Map?

There was a day, not that long ago, where if a customer was looking to find out where your were located they would open the phone book or give you a call. While I'm sure there a still some people that keep phone books in their home, business, or car that's not the method that most customers are using to try and find you. Either they are checking your website for a map link, or more likely typing in the address on their mobile device on the way to your office.

If you haven't claimed your place on Google then your customers may not be "your" customers much longer.

So, can your customers find you on a Google map?


#3 - Can customers find you when they are searching?

I'm sure that I'm not the first one to tell you that if your website isn't listed on the first page of Google, then it isn't being found. Here's some statitics from "10 Facts Reveal The Importance of Ranking High In Google" just to make my point.

The first ranking position in the search results receives 42.25% - of all click-through traffic
The second position receives 11.94%
Third position on the first page obtains 8.47%
The fourth placed position on page one receives 6.05%
The others on the first page are under 5% of click through traffic
The first ten results (page one ) received 89.71% of all click-through traffic
The next 10 results (normally listed on the second page of results) received 4.37%
Third page receives a total  of 2.42%

So, can your customers find you on Yahoo!, Google, or Bing?


#4 - Can customers find you when they are being entertained?

If I asked you what the #1 search engine was, most of you would be correct in guessing Google, but if I asked you what the #2 search engine was, what would your guess be? Yahoo? Bing? How many of you would guess YouTube?

For a number of years now YouTube has been recognized as the #2 search engine that your customers are going to when they want to find out information about a topic. And next to every video that plays on YouTube is a list of other related videos for your customers to view.  Not having videos in the mix on topics that relate to your business means that your customers are finding other answers to their product and service needs when they are in a buying mood.

So, can your customers find you on YouTube?

#5 - Can customers find you when they are being social?

Wondering if your customers actually use social media in their buying decisions and whether you should even bother with social media at all? Take a look at these statistics...

• Consumers are 71% more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals (Hubspot)

• 15,100,000 consumers go to social media channels before making purchase decisions (Knowledge Networks)

• 74% of consumers rely on social networks to guide purchase decisions (SproutSocial)

So, can your customers find you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest?


If you've answered no to more than #2 of these five questions, or if you would just like to find out more about how your business can be accessed by prospective customers just email us at info@pardimanproductions.com.

Using Content Marketing

Mark Brent has been talking about this for a while, but it looks like others are finally starting to catch on.

Check out this interview from Social Media Examiner on Content Marketing.


sme_cc_chapman_v1 from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo. 

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Owner to Speak at Small Business Conference

Pardiman Productions owner Corey Lopardi will be speaking on the Marketing Panel at the South Sound Success Small Business Conference. 

The topic is "Comprehensive Marketing Plan: Take the Guess Work out of Marketing"

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

IKEA Uses Video to Increase Business

Check out this video that shows IKEA's 365 days of video campaign.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Local Hotel Gets New Tour Video

Recently we had the opportunity to produce this great video tour for The Governor Hotel in Olympia.


For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #5

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

Don't forget why you are there to speak.

5.     Wow Us

This is your time and you’ve paid for it.  Why not give us a reason, or better yet, make us remember you and your business by doing something fun and unique related to your business or speaking topic. This can go a long way towards generating interest and being memorable.  In the words of Bonnie Raitt “give them something to talk about.”  Put on a show.  Inform us, excite us, and then make sure we leave with a way to get a hold of you, and something great to remember you by.  One of the best leave behinds for us has been our custom wrapped chocolates.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #4

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

The next thing to consider is your marketing message.

4.     Sizzle Not Steak

You’re not going to close any deals on the spot at a meeting or event where you are the speaker, so forget about selling and focus on the sizzle.  In other words, keep your message to the highlights and interesting parts of your business, products, or services to make it more desirable to your audience to contact you and find out more.  Get them excited about what's new, what you have to offer, and how you can help them fulfill a need.  Trying to sell to an audience like this is the number one way to lose their attention, and the sale.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #3

Continuation of Speaking to Groups


The next thing to consider is the content of your presentation.
 

3.     The Image is Mightier Than The Bullet

The saying “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” is never more true than during a presentation.  Avoid the long bulleted PowerPoint.  No one goes to a business meeting or luncheon looking to read.  They may have come to hear you or someone else speak, but not to read.  Now I realize that not everyone is comfortable speaking for several minutes without some notes, but that’s where the benefit of pictures comes in.  Video is also a great tool that uses moving pictures to tell your story in a captivating way that encourages people to listen.  If you have information you’d like your audience to read, give them a handout they can take back to the office and read when they are avoiding doing something else.  You are paying for this time, so make sure you keep your audience captivated with shiny images and eloquent words.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #2

Continuation of Speaking to Groups


The next thing to think about is how you structure your presentation.

2. Tell Me 3 Times

Even though you may only have a few minutes to speak you can still get a lot accomplished in that time.  One of the best ways to aid memory retention is through repetition, and the format for using repetition in a presentation is: Tell your audience what you’re going to talk about, talk about it, and wrap up by telling them what you just told them.  A good format for this is a 30 second introduction, two minutes of information, and a 30 second conclusion.  If you are asked to give a longer presentation make sure to keep your introduction and conclusions short, and if possible add a time for questions at the end of your presentation.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #1

You may at some point in marketing your small business join a group that will allow you to get up in-front of tens if not hundreds of people to promote your business.  Over the next week, I'll be laying out some tips that will make you a better presenter, and hopefully help you see a return on your speaking investment.

Tip # 1.     Keep It Short & Sweet

You are given only a limited amount of time to speak for many reasons. The most important to you is your audience’s attention span.  You’ve probably got an arrangement where a good portion of the room has their back partially or totally turned toward you.  They’ve also just eaten, and are probably wondering if they can find a way to squeeze in a nap, or get in a little digital prayer (texting).  Keeping your presentation brief, to the point, and impactful will go a long way in being understood and remembered.  And that should be one of your main goals in speaking in front of groups, increasing brand awareness so that your audience thinks of you when the need arises.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Adding Video to Your Linkedin Profile

Linkedin has recently made it easier for you to add video to your Linkedin profile.  Check out this article which explains the process.

You can check out my profile and video here.

You can also add video to your companies product and service listings on Linkedin.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Blog Gets New Name - Clearer Focus

As part of my 2011 New Years Resolutions for Pardiman Productions I wanted to be more consistent in my efforts to make this blog useful and engaging for customers.

Having been fairly consistent with posting in January I wanted to start off February with refocusing and re-branding the blog.

For some time now the focus of the blog has been to offer any tips I can on marketing video, social media, and networking.  "Promotional Media News" was too vague and old fashioned of a title.  (And it really did help in the whole SEO game.)  So...Welcome to "Pardiman Small Business Marketing Tips"

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

The Power of Personalizing Your Brand

Check out this video from the Social Media Examiner that interviews Mari Smith, author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day. Mari talks about the Brand of You and how to monetize your personality on social media.


SME Blogworld 2010 Mari Smith from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

Are you involved in your own personal branding?

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.