Cincinnati Internet Marketing Blog

Here is a video describing the Web Marketing Certificate series I teach for the Sinclair Community College Workforce Development department. The next time this three-class series will next be taught is September 25, October 2nd and October 9, 2012. Get additional details and register at: http://www.cvent.com/events/web-marketing-certification-series/event-summary-59499413007d4c66b3654ce4f86b9bde.aspx

Social Media Marketing For Businesses Presentation in Lebanon

The Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Sinclair Community College Workforce Development is is offering a three-part Spring Speaker Series and I'm presenting the first topic "Social Media Marketing For Businesses" on Thursday March 22nd from 8-10AM at Work Force One (300 E Silver Street, Lebanon). 

Topics to be covered:

• What is social media marketing?
• How does social media marketing differ from traditional marketing?
• Pros and Cons of social media marketing strategies
• Social media marketing best practices and case studies

Tickets are $39 or $100 for the series and you can get additional details and register via this link: http://www.cvent.com/d/zcqlyc

Favorite Interactive Marketing Tools

"Favorite Interactive Marketing Tools" is the topic for the January meeting of the Cincinnati AMA Interactive Shared Interest Group on January 11th.

One of our most popular topics, once a year we have a meeting when we go around the around the room and everyone who attends spends five minutes describing their favorite Interactive marketing tool.  What smartphone app, software program, website or web browser extension makes your job as an Interactive marketer a whole lot easier?  Here is your chance to share it with the group and learn about new tools that you might be able to use!  Please come to the meeting ready to talk about 2 tools with the group (one and a spare in case someone else chooses the same tool).

The meeting is on Wednesday January 11th from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm at Office Key Hyde Park in Rookwood Tower (3505 Edwards Road, suite 550).  The meeting is free for American Marketing Association members, $15 for non-members and online registration on the Cincinnati AMA website is required.

Interactive SIG meeting details and registration: http://cincinnatiama.org/2012/01/interactive-sig-january-11-2012/

I hope to see you there!

 

Web Marketing Certification Classes in Dayton

Beginning on Tuesday November 29th, I will be teaching a series of web marketing certification classes for the Sinclair Community College Workforce Development department.  This series is geared to business owners, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals in the Dayton area interested in learning more about online marketing. 

Here is a short video of Hope Arthur from Sinclair interviewing me about the series.

Here is a link to the video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/IX3NKm3ECKw

This series of three half-day classes is designed to give attendees a solid foundation of knowledge of online marketing principles for professional development and web skills that can be applied to their business or non-profit organization's marketing program.  The sessions are meant to be taken as a group, but you can choose to take individual classes as well.  Everyone who attends all three classes will receive a Web Marketing certification from Sinclair.  

The classes will be held from 8:30 to noon at Miami Valley Research Park in Kettering on three consecutive Tuesdays with the following topics:

• Tuesday, November 29: Class #1 - Creating an Effective Online Marketing Strategy
• Tuesday, December 6: Class #2 - Increasing Your Website Traffic & Customer Interactions
• Tuesday, December 13: Class #3 - Promoting Your Business Effectively Through Online Advertising

Click Here to get a more detailed outline of the sessions and to register online.

These will be small classes (class size is capped at 24) so there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions about the material being presented and how you can apply what is being covered to your business.  Baffled by SEO?  Don't know where to start with Google Analytics?  Not sure how Facebook or Twitter can help your business?  This is the series for you! 

If you're interested, sign up now as the classes are starting to fill up.  If you have further questions, you can contact Sinclair Workforce Development at 937-252-9787.

 

 

Small Business Online Marketing Seminar

Joanne Westwood of Westwood Virtual Associates and I are teaching a one-day Small Business Online Marketing Seminar this Friday at Indiana Wesleyan University in West Chester.  Topics include:

• Facebook Marketing
• Social Media
• Business Blogging
• Online Video
• Email Marketing
• Website Conversion
• Search Engine Optimization
• Online Advertising
• Google Analytics

This is a small class (capped at 20 attendees) in which Joanne and I will be walking folks through many of the most important elements of online marketing for small businesses.  Joanne will be teaching the morning session from 9:00-noon, there will be a lunch break from noon to 1:00, and then I'll be teaching from 1:00 to 4:00.

If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur or marketer looking to get a hands-on "crash course" in the basics of online marketing, this is the event to attend.  This is an "introductory" level course and prior marketing knowledge or education is not necessary, so if you're intimidated by these topics, don't be.  We're here to help!  

The price is $149 for either three-hour session or $249 for both sessions.  Additional details and secure online registration through Eventbrite is available at: http://nov18class.eventbrite.com/

SEO Seminar At Anderson Area Chamber November 10th

Next Thursday November 10th I am teaching a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) seminar over at the offices of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce on Five Mile Road in Anderson Township. 

This is a three-hour seminar covering introductory topics related to search engine optimization (the process of trying to get your web content searched and indexed by searches such as Google, Yahoo and Bing). 

Topics to be covered include: 

• What Search Engine Optimization is
• How search engines scan and evaluate web pages
• SEO techniques for social media sites like Facebook & YouTube
• The SEO Process - steps involved in implementing an effective SEO program
• Picking the right keywords, measuring results and benchmarking the competition
• Free online SEO tools you can use

You can register online for the class at the address below or call the Anderson Area Chamber at 513-474-4802

http://andersonareachamber.chambermaster.com/events/details/aacc-business-seminar

 

Cincinnati Chamber SEO Classes September 16th & October 25th

Thanks to the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, I will be teaching two three-hour SEO classes this fall: the first on Friday, September 16th from 9am until noon at the Boy Scout Achievement Center, 10078 Reading Road in Evendale and the second on Tuesday, October 25th from 9am until noon at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber offices in the Carew Tower in downtown Cincinnati.  

This class is for "SEO beginners" and will provide a detailed explanation of search engine optimization concepts, a demonstration of SEO techniques and free online SEO tools. Attendees will come away with a good overview of how SEO works and how they can either implement an effective SEO program in-house or manage a Search Engine Optimization vendor.  There will be plenty of interaction and Q&A from the audience as I demonstrate a lot of what I am teaching live online using the websites of attendees as examples, along with a few PowerPoint slides and distributing handouts. 

The cost is $109 for Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber members and $149 for non-members.   To register and see a few more details, head over to these links:

September 16th Cincinnati Chamber SEO class in Evendale

October 25th Cincinnati Chamber SEO Class in downtown Cincinnati

My sincere thanks to the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber for inviting me back to teach this class again after a great class out in Milford in June.

Krista Neher on Building a Social Media Plan That Gets Real Results

My friend Krista Neher, CEO of Boot Camp Digital as well as an international speaker and leading authority on social media is the speaker at this Friday's New Media Dayton event where her topic will be "Building a Social Media Plan The Gets REAL Results". 

Below is a description of Krista's presentation from New Media Dayton.  The New Media Dayton (#NMDayton) event is this Friday April 8th from 9:30 to 10:30 at Far Hills Community Church, 5800 Clyo Road in Centerville. Register for the New Media Dayton event and see a list of attendees. 

Here's a link to purchase Krista's book "Social Media Field Guide" on Amazon.com:

Building a Social Media plan that gets REAL Results

With the explosion of social media, many businesses are rushing in without taking the time to build a strategic plan that will really get results. Most businesses fumble around in social media and don’t get the results they want.

An average person on Facebook is connected to 190 people/pages/groups/events. There are 30 million blogs and only 60 million blog readers. If you want to break through the clutter you need a plan - just showing up isn't good enough anymore. This presentation covers the 8 steps to build a social media plan that works and focuses on how to actually drive your business with social media.

We’ll cover the biggest mistakes that businesses make in social media and how to avoid them. 

Krista is a bestselling author, international speaker and leading authority on social media, and is currently the CEO of Boot Camp Digital (www.bootcampdigital.com), a leading provider of social media marketing training and consulting solutions.

Krista is a social media pioneer; creating one of the first successful corporate Twitter strategies and corporate blogs – long before “social media” was even a recognized term.

After spending nearly 6 years at Procter and Gamble working on some of the biggest and most successful product launches, Krista went on to become the Vice President of Marketing at an internet start-up. Krista started Boot Camp Digital in 2008 and has created training programs for hundreds of advertising agencies, marketing departments and small and medium business owners in social media marketing.

Krista (www.kristaneher.com) is also the Managing Director and curriculum creator for the Institute for Social Media at Cincinnati State, author of the Social Media Field Guide and is currently working on a text book on social media marketing.

 

 

   

AACC Business Seminar: Online Marketing for Your Business - A Three Step Process

I'm going to be doing three seminars over the next few weeks at the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce (near Cincinnati) and the series is called "Online Marketing for Your Business - A Three Step Process."

Each seminar will be two hours in length and designed to help small and medium business owners understand the basics of online marketing so they can develop an effective online marketing program. 

The topics and dates are:

    - March 30, 2011: Establishing Your Online Marketing Strategy and Tracking Results
     - April 13, 2011:  Getting Your Business Website Listed and Found
     - April 27, 2011:  Online Advertising: Developing Programs That Pay for Themselves

More information, including a flyer that has a brief outline of each session is available on this page of the AACC website.  You must register through the Anderson Area Chamber office, 513-474-4802.

Here is a short video of AACC Exceutive Director Eric Miller and I discussing the series:

 

Dayton Search Engine Optimization Class at Sinclair Community College

I'm going to be teaching a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) class on Tuesday March 29th at Sinclair Community College in downtown Dayton through Sinclair's Workforce Development department.

If you or someone you know is looking to learn about SEO, this in-depth three-hour class might be just the ticket.  I'm going to cover an overview of what SEO is and how search engines work, the steps to take in beginning and running an effective SEO program, measuring results, tips for getting your web content listed and online tools and resources for doing SEO. The class size will be capped at 20, so attendees will not get lost in the crowd and will be able to easily ask questions.

This SEO class will be at the Sinclair Conference Center, 444 W, Third Street in Dayton, Building 12, Room 374 from 9:00 AM to noon on Tuesday March 29th. The class is $149 and you can register for this SEO class online on the Sinclair website.

The Top Three Mistakes Small Business Owners Make on LinkedIn

Last week I met with Andrea Dale of To The Point Marketing who includes LinkedIn consulting for small business owners as one of her services and she went over what she sees as the top three mistakes small business owners make on LinkedIn. 

Here is a video clip of our conversation (the YouTube link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nsNi8m4ftw and below is the text of Andrea's article.  If you'd like to speak with Andrea about her LinkedIn consulting services her number is 513-561-2642.

 

 

The Top Three Mistakes Small Business Owners Make on LinkedIn (and how to fix ‘em!)

By Andrea Dale, Marketing Coach & LinkedIn Business Development Expert

1) Seeking and accepting LinkedIn invitations, without encouraging conversations and meetings.

• Create an opportunity for worthwhile meetings and conversations by seeking the "why" behind requests to link. Most LinkedIn members use the “standard” invite to reach out, which doesn’t tell you anything. Instead ask for (and offer up) why you want to connect. Use the answer to “why do you want to connect?” as the basis for a follow-up conversation or meeting.
• Make the most of your activities on LinkedIn by proactively attracting and seeking specific types of connections based on your goals. Based on your goals, you, a small business owner, should seek certain types of connections with a plan to “court” those connections with relevant status updates, LinkedIn emails, and conversation requests.
• Keeping track of your current first-degree LinkedIn network. Actually reviewing your connections with your goals in mind keeps you from wasting time courting those you don’t know or who aren’t appropriate to your goals. By analyzing your actual connections small business owners on LinkedIn can determine their next steps such as following:

a)       Are a high percentage of your connections, desired and worthy of your attention? If not, proactively begin changing that with who you invite and accept.

b)       Which first-degree connections have you not spoken or interacted with? When a high percentage of first-degree contacts are unknown to you (and are also a desired contact), begin reaching out to a certain number per week for conversations.

2) Not creating a cohesive, concise and complete LinkedIn profile for both SEO and prospects.

• Create a summary that makes clear who you work with, what you offer according to the needs of your prospects, and why they need to work with you, in under 300 words.
• Give that profile an identity (and help others recognize you) with a pleasant business photo.
• Create a headline stating who you work with, and the top benefit you bring your clients. For example, instead of the headline, “highly experienced CPA,” say “Helping business owners swiftly complete and keep more of their taxes."

3) Weekly random vs. planned actions on LinkedIn, due to not setting goals (strategic) and not determining how (tactics) they will reach those goals.

• Yes, you want more clients...What are the steps on LinkedIn leading to more clients? Determine those steps based on your current marketing activities and ideal clients, for example:

a)       When you do lots of in-person local networking, show that with LinkedIn Events, send event suggestions to your network and talk about those events on your status updates.

b)       Do you have an active blog or electronic newsletter? Use that content for updates, "share" links to that content with your LinkedIn groups, and promote your newsletter on your Profile.

c)       Speakers, promote your engagements on LinkedIn events, put PowerPoint slides on your profile and seek testimonials of your speaking for your profile.

• Establish and complete a list of weekly LinkedIn tasks and track the results of those tasks, each month.

Recognize that being on LinkedIn doesn't lead to business…Meetings and conversations deriving from LinkedIn lead to business. With that in mind, encourage that next “let’s talk” step with your actions on LinkedIn, whether you're in groups, accepting invitations or posting status updates.

Bob McCarthy on Mobile Marketing Trends

Bob McCarthy of Serviceweb Systems spoke at the November 2010 Cincinnati AMA Interactive SIG on the subject of mobile marketing.

After the meeting I was able to interview Bob about online marketing trends. In this video clip Bob talks about the rapid increase in the use of web-enabled smartphones to access the Internet, the competing phone platforms (iPhone, Android and BlackBerry), explains what QR (quick response) codes are and how to get in touch with his company.

Bob's presentation for the Interactive SIG was excellent, as it contains a lot of good, up-to-date information. A pdf of the presentation is available on the Serviceweb Systems whitepaper page: http://www.servicewebsw.com/swsi_webs...

If you are interested in speaking with Bob about mobile application development you can visit the Serviceweb Systems website: http://www.servicewebsw.com/swsi_webs... or call Bob at 513-527-4886.

Here is the video and the YouTube link :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Q_Ogis1kY

 

 

Two Minutes with Brian McHale of Cincinnati Ad Agency Sunrise Advertising

Brian McHale is CEO of Sunrise Advertising, a full-service ad agency in downtown Cincinnati that works with an array of clients including Skyline Chili, Bob Sumerel Tire, Basco Shower Enclosures and Graeter's. 

Here is a quick two-minute conversation we had in which I asked Brian to talk about the challenges of transitioning a "traditional" ad agency like Sunrise into one that is also handing interactive services for their clients and also tell us a bit about Sunrise. 

For more information on Sunrise, visit their website: http://www.sunriseadvertising.com  or call Brian at 513-333-4100.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewO2Cn-CJ0E

 

 

Ryan Clark of Silverpop Discussing Email Marketing Trends

Recently I caught up with Ryan Clark of email marketing services provider Silverpop and asked him to tell me about some of the recent trends in email marketing and briefly outline the email marketing services Silverpop provides.  Here is the clip and link to the video on YouTube:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ4GmSBHrHc

If you would like to learn more about Silverpop, including the email marketing and email automation services they provide, visit their website at www.silverpop.com.  If you're in the Cincinnati area you can contact Ryan at 513-774-8784.

Overview of ListRocket Email & Social Networking Software with Dan Marshall

Recently I met with Dan Marshall, the President of email management software firm ListRocket to learn more about their product.  In this video Dan and I discuss the benefits of using an email list management product like ListRocket and Dan reviews some of the more unique features of ListRocket, including the integration of social media management tools. 

A couple of the cool features of ListRocket are the ability to post messages directly to social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn from the tool and track the interactions with the message via an IP-based geographical map so users can easily see where in the world their respondents are.

There are multiple pricing levels based on the volume of messages sent in a month and free trial accounts that enable a user to send up to 100 messages per month while testing out the system are available.  To learn more or sign up for a free trial account visit http://www.listrocket.com

    

Here is a link to the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR99Cq1juIQ