Small Businesses - Big Marketing

Using Twitter to Grow Your Local Business

Twitter recently announced that they are processing 50 million tweets per day.  50 million!  With so many people actively using Twitter, it's become a must for business owners to embrace this social media platform.  The dramatic increase in usage also means Twitter has become a valuable tool for connecting with your local community.

Twitter Search is a great way to find and connect with Twitter users in your local area (or other target market).  Once you find and follow other local Twitter users, it’s your job to befriend them with your interest based experiences, professional expertise (transparently), and above all being helpful. Be a friendly conversationalist, gradually gaining trust and building relationships that may lead to offline connecting and potential sales leads when the time is right.

Good luck and happy tweeting!

Rethinking Your Workspace

Whether you currently work from home or are looking into work-at-home options like the SearchMarketMe Agency Owner Program, it's important to create an inspiring and productive environment for yourself.  And let's face it, working and living in the same space can be draining at times.  Perhaps it's time to rethink your workspace and switch things up!

Go to just about any Starbucks or Panera Bread during normal business hours and you'll be amazed at the number of people working from these locations!  So why not try it out for yourself?  Here's 3 reasons it might be worth a shot:

Meet new people.  If you're in the business of lead generation, you're bound to have more luck finding leads at a busy coffee shop than within the confines of your home office.  Not to mention the networking opportunities that abound at these places!  Quick tip: Put 5 business cards in your pocket in the morning and don't go home until you've handed them all out.

Get inspired.  If your work is creative, public places can offer amazing inspiration.  Quick tip: Bring along an observation journal.  Each time you hit a creative block, spend a few minutes writing in your journal.  Sights, sounds, smells, and emotions are all fair game!

Give the sweats a day off.  If it's been awhile since you buttoned a pair of pants, you owe it to yourself to stop the cycle.  Quick tip: Casual wear is okay as long as it's pulled together.  Dress in a way that makes you feel confident to take on your day!

Want more tips on social networking, online marketing, and business development?  Connect with SearchMarketMe on Facebook (www.facebook.com/searchmarketme) and follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/searchmarketme)

Do you know your target?

Are you looking to win new clients in 2010?  A recent article in The Wall Street Journal points to 'Three Best Ways to Win New Clients'  The article concludes that you must first know (and understand) your target to achieve your goals.  "What do they do?  What do they value?" 

By using online tools such as website analytics, you can get a better grasp of your potential client base.  You can also analyze your current clients for trends.  Or (based on your relationship with your current clients) poll them to better understand who they are and what makes them tick.  "After pinpointing your audience, reposition your message to gain those customers."

The best way to win new clients is to keep your eye on the target.  So, do you know what your target looks like?

Want more tips on social networking, online marketing, and business development?  Connect with SearchMarketMe on Facebook (www.facebook.com/searchmarketme) and follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/searchmarketme)

5 Tips for Surviving the Holidays While Working from Home

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  And perhaps the most hectic.  Especially for small business owners who work from home.  Yes, working from home is a wonderful luxury but it can be challenging to stay focused - especially during busy times like the holidays!  Here are 5 Tips for Surviving the Holidays While Working from Home:

1.  Maintain Regular Office Hours.  Probably part of the reason you started a home-based business was to escape the 9-5 rat race.  We understand!  But there is something to be said for maintaining a regular work schedule.  Try sticking to regular office hours during this hectic time of year.  You might be surprised at your level of productivity!

2.  Collaborate with Peers.  Now is a great time to connect with other home-based small business owners.  Find a work "buddy" or organize a small group of like-minded individuals and check in with each other once a week.  Your peers can help keep you on track, keep you accountable to your goals, as well as help celebrate your successes.

3.  Get Out of the Office.  Working from home can sometimes be lonely.  Everyone needs a sprinkling of social interaction in their life!  Why not bring your laptop down to the local coffee shop and set up office for the day?  Not only will this get you motivated to actually get dressed for the day ( and give the pj's a day off!) but you might just meet someone new. 

4.  Take Some Time Off.  It's easy to work around the clock when you own your own business but taking some time off is essential to your health and sanity.  Since most of the "corporate" world requires employees to take time off during this time of year, it might be a good time to do so yourself!  Enjoy a few days of rest and relaxation and you'll be more energized to take on 2010!

5.  Reflect on 2009.  There's a lot of talk this time of year about goal setting and making resolutions for the New Year but don't forget to reflect on the year you've just had!  What did you accomplish this year?  What were your favorite memories of the past year?  What did you learn?  Take a few moments to reflect, blog or journal about what 2009 has meant to you and your business.

Lastly, if you are a small business owner working from home, be grateful for all of the freedom your situation allows.  Not working from home but wish you were?  Now is a great time to learn more about the SearchMarketMe Agency Owner and Marketing Partner Programs.  To learn more give us a call at 866-326-5480.

Wishing everyone a joyful and productive holiday season!

Marketing Agency – Client Relationships: 2 common questions answered

Since launching SearchMarketMe, there are two questions I have been asked repeatedly. Therefore, dear reader, I assume you are curious about these topics too. Enjoy.

Can’t you just tell me a few places I should be marketing online?

In one word – no. Are there a handful of sites that are great for most clients as the “base” of a new marketing campaign? Of course. But that is just the first step in any great campaign.

Each site requires a unique marketing approach and content strategy to create a successful campaign. Throwing up an ad directing visitors to your homepage rarely works and usually, you’re wasting money. Money you could have paid to us to develop a campaign that really performs. ☺

The real magic happens when all of the marketing initiatives (paid search, seo, email marketing, blogging, online PR, etc) intersect.

Note to readers: Writing marketing content for the online space is an art that (usually) isn’t intuitive. Our clients usually have great ideas, they simply need the message to be fine tuned and taken to the next level.

How can you represent two clients in the same niche ethically?

Though we represent clients in many industries, we have a large concentration of clients in the healthcare recruiting industry. Why? That’s where I got my start on the corporate side of online marketing and I know the industry well.

So what happens when two Nurse Recruiting Firms become SearchMarketMe clients? This is a question I’ve been asked frequently in the past week. The answer? On the surface these two companies seem like direct competitors, but once you dig a little deeper you see otherwise. Whether it’s a geographical or nursing specialty very, very rarely are these two companies actually targeting the same audience.

Two Nurse Recruiting Firm clients – two very different campaigns.

If you are ready to learn more about the services we offer and the success we've helped our clients achieve, contact us at 425-677-7839.