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Getting started with Twitter for local businesses in Bury and Manchester – part 4

May 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Get local followers, follow locally and join lists

For your local business, the more followers, the better. It’s like building any type of prospect and customer list. But first you will have to find some people to follow.

Gaining followers

You need to first be aware that rushing out and following a heap of people can make you look like a potential Twitter spammer.  Build your following base at a steady pace. As time goes on you will be able to add more at a time, but initially I would suggest you stick to 50 for a start.

The reason for this is that when you follow people, they will most likely follow you back. Many people don’t do this automatically, although some do, particularly in the internet marketing space. 

Some people will actually go and look at your Twitter home page to decide if you are worth following or not in their eyes.  This is where your profile and the settings that you took all the trouble to do will stand you in good stead.

There are some handy applications, and techniques that can assist small businesses in finding local followers. A couple of these applications are referenced to below. For now, let’s focus on hashtags. Hashtags are a short linked words or phrases prefaced by the hash symbol #. If a tweet contains a hashtag that’s already in use such as #cupcakes, #Bury, or #gardening, users searching for this will see all recent twitter posts containing this hashtag.

By clicking on the “Tweets near you” tab on Twitter, local tweets containing the hashtag are brought up. Small business owners can use this to target specific users who share their interests. Tweets containing the hashtag will appear in front of people who are not already following you.

Just don’t overuse hashtags; your message will be watered down if each post contains these types of links. To research current trends of hashtags visit hastags.org and search for a word or phrase.

Follow with a purpose. Find local Twitter users who share an interest with you, they are the most likely customer, and are also more likely to follow you back.

The Twitter Lists feature allows you to group together, follow, and find Twitter users. You can use lists to organize your tweets into groups based on anything you want: location, subject, company or interest. This is an easy way to find people you are not already following and for them to find your business.

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Getting started with Twitter for local businesses in Bury and Manchester – part 3

May 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Picture tab

This is really important. When you open this page you will see the small avatar on the screen which is the default for Twitter. If you want new followers, putting a company logo or photo of business is imperative.

But just put something so you can be identified in the Tweetstream by your followers. The graphic is often more important than your name when people are scanning Tweets and you will stand out for yours.

Design tab

Here you can change the background of your Twitter page from the default. Twitter provides a number of alternatives that you can select or you can upload your own background. You can also change all the colors if you wish.

Again, whatever you do, just change it so you are not running the default. It shows you have taken some time setting up your account.

This one component of your presence on Twitter that is worth doing well.

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Getting started with Twitter for local businesses in Bury and Manchester – part 2

May 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Setting up your business on Twitter can be easy, but there are a few things that you should be aware of when organizing your account.  This can apply even if you already have an existing account too, so consider these tips and it can improve your entire Twittter experience.

The first thing to do if you don’t have an account is go to http://www.twitter.com which is the home page of Twitter.  You will be asked to either login or register. If you don’t have an account, then of course you will need to register.  So let’s go through the registration process and explain it all here.

Registration

You will probably want to register your  business name, but make sure you use your own name in the sign up process so you are identifiable and connected with the business name you register.  The concepts and reasons for operating under each type of registration will be discussed later.

The next screen will ask if you want to add any of your friends from the popular web based email programs.  You may want to do this if you have a customer list started or get your account seeded with the friends and family in your contact list.

Your business profile

First things first: Write an engaging profile. The business profile should include location, telephone, email and website address if available. Remember, this is about building relationships with customers, not a corporate information sheet. Keep it simple and easy, but share your personality.

You have 160 characters here to “sell” yourself. Take some time over it and do it well. Don’t simply enter a bunch of keywords as they appear totally uninteresting to people, although they may get you found.

Use keywords by all means, but start your Bio with the words “I help” and then describe the product or services you provide.  Now that description is only 143 characters, so you could still get some more keywords in the profile.

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Getting started with Twitter for local businesses in Bury and Manchester – part 1

May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What is Twitter?
Well, Twitter has been one of the fastest growing sites on the web today.  It is taking the internet by storm and there are around 10,000 new users per day signing up to participate in this internet revolution.

Twitter is best described as a micro blogging platform.  You are limited to 140 characters messages each time you send a message to your followers, which initially, may seem a small amount.  However, as you become more experienced, it’s just amazing what you can fit into 140 characters.

That said, Twitter is much, much more than that.  It is like one huge global chat room, but then again, it doesn’t have to be.  It all depends on how many people you follow on Twitter.  If it’s in the thousands, then your “Tweetstream” will be running fast and furious with everything that’s coming in.  If you are only following a few hundred, or even less, then things are much easier to keep up with.

Twitter is also a great way to meet new people online, particularly those with similar interests to you.  Small businesses around the world are making connections on Twitter, because it is the communication platform that lets them stay connected to their customers through those140-character messages.

Twitter has increasingly become the number one online marketing destination for local businesses to build their brand, market their products and services, and create communities for their followers. Having the opportunity to market products or services to customers within a few blocks is a remarkable opportunity, and a great way to receive valuable feedback and build long lasting customer relationships using Twitter as a conversation tool.

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Why local business in Bury and Manchester should use video marketing?

May 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Video marketing has become an increasingly popular strategy with small businesses.  In research carried out it has shown that people who view a video made by any company are then more likely to visit their website or to make contact with them by phone.   In fact people are 40% more likely to make contact with a business after viewing videos that a company has produced than those that don’t.  

Actually creating your own video to market your small business need not be a big challenge. In fact making marketing videos can be a lot of fun and very easy to accomplish. The main aim of making a video to market your business is not to create a relationship with any potential customers and also to spread the word with regards to the product or service you offer.  

When it comes to making a video to market your business you need to ensure that your customers find it interesting.   If they realize that you are attempting to pitch a sale at them they will immediately turn away.   So its important to be yourself  if you intend to take a starring role in the video marketing campaign.  

Also you should make sure that you keep the videos short around 2 to 3 minutes should be sufficient. By keeping them this short you are ensuring that you make your point as quickly as possible.   Any longer than this and the viewer will soon get bored and won’t bother to wait until the end of the video. 

The first video you make should be the one that introduces your business to them as well as you.   But you still need to make sure that you include something within this that results in them having to carry out a particular action.   Remember the aim of using video marketing for any small business it to find potential customers so make sure you provide details of where you are located and how they can contact you.

If you need an advise on how to start off with video marketing please give us a call and we will carefully discuss your video marketing requirements.

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How to grow an online presence for local businesses in Bury and Manchester area

May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Since the introduction of the internet all businesses (large and small) now have access to more prospective customers than ever before. No longer are they limited to those who live close to them but have access to customers around the world. Once online they can immediately connect and communicate with potential customers through social networking and interactive sites. Of course they need an online presence. Below you can find few ways of how small business can build an online presence. 

Way 1 – Social Networking

Websites such as Twitter and Facebook have provided large and small businesses with a completely unique way to market themselves. After joining such websites you need to build up a comprehensive profile and then start to join in on conversations as well as communicate with both existing and potential new customers. Also don’t forget to build up relationships with other professionals using this method. 

Way 2 – Begin A Blog

Make sure that the blog you start on your website is one that is relevant to the service or product or relates to something that you know a great deal about or have a keen interest in. As well as helping to keep your site updated with fresh and unique content which is important part of any successful SEO campaign it will help you to gain a reputation of being a leading authority in your niche. This will in turn serve as a reliable source not only for your customers but other leading professionals.  

Way 3 – Product Marketing Video

These have become extremely popular in the last couple of years as they provide all businesses with a way of providing in depth view of their product or service. As well as being able to provide details regarding the products size, color and texture these videos offer you the opportunity to explain fully the benefits of them to all your potential customers. When you use this way of how small businesses can build an online presence the videos you create do not have to be anything fancy, just make them as personable as possible. Then once created simply upload them to sites like YouTube.

If you are not sure which steps to take in order to grow your business online please give us a call and we will carefully discuss your online requirements.

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The way consumers find local businesses is changing rapidly

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Initially when the internet began many people saw it is a faster means of communicating with other around the world. Plus it also provided them with the opportunity to share information and data much quicker. However today the internet is changing how consumers find local business. 

In fact when the internet was developed many thought that only large companies would be able to utilize what it had to offer as they had huge marketing budgets. However this wasn’t certainly going to be a very viable business model initially as the internet in its earlier years simply wasn’t growing fast enough to be able to accommodate the kind of money that big companies could afford to spend.   

During the last few years things have changed dramatically with improvements in technology now the internet has become even more popular. We are all using the internet today and have therefore become familiar with browsers and search engines. Due to this any online business does not need to be a household name to be getting customers to your site all that is now required is to have a much stronger online presence.  

Certainly as more and more people look for local businesses online instead of the better known larger companies then as long as you have a good online presence there are many opportunities to improve the prospects of your business.   

When it comes to building the right sort of online presence in order to help with the way that the internet is changing how consumers find local businesses there are numerous different marketing strategies that you can employ. All of which have been developed to ensure that you are able to take your business to the next level. As you will soon discover there are hundreds or even thousands of people who want to find the product or service that you offer and it is through use of the internet they have discovered this is the best way.  

If you are willing to make the effort to improve your online presence because the internet is changing how consumers find local business to use then you are going to claim more of potential customers from your competitors. As a result you will then begin to see your company grow and of course reap the benefits of increased profits. In Bury and Manchester, the area where I meet and connect with local businesses, there have been a lots of changes the way local businesses market themselves. If you need a help in order to grow your business online please give me a call and we can discuss your requirements.

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Mobile websites and local businesses

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

During the last 3 to 5 years the importance of mobile websites for local business has grown quite substantially. Following the introduction of Apple’s iPhone the mobile web has started to become very much like the PC web and this is why businesses both big and small need to be adapt.  

Previously when it came to businesses holding video conferences they would be limited to carry them out on a PC or laptop with large screens. But the video capabilities of mobiles such as the iPhone 4 have now made it more than possible to arrange and have meetings on the go.  

So why is it that mobile websites have become such an important tool in order for any business to make their presences felt?   Below we take a look at some of the reasons why.  

Most people are constantly on the move and have become more reliant on using search engines such as Google to carry out numerous tasks including the likes of finding the number of a certain restaurant or to locate the nearest petrol station.   As Google can provide answers to such questions as these then of course more and more of us will use them to find what we need and want. 

Today mobile phones and have become an important part in many people’s lives. It allows them to remain in contact with others no matter where in the world they are without the need to carry around large cumbersome equipment such as a laptop or notebook.   Certainly when waiting for friends it is now quite acceptable for people to browse the web whilst waiting. But of course in restaurants and bars it is frowned upon to actually have a conversation on your phone. So people can still deal with matters of importance without disturbing the peace of others through the sending of emails and instant messages.

When it comes to creating a mobile website for your business there are a number of different ways that this can be carried out.   If you are unsure please give me a call and we can discuss your requirements.

Gordan Bosnjak

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Are you building your customer base?

May 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you been looking at ways that you can actually increase your customer base in the hope that you will then begin to make more sales? There are numerous marketing techniques that you can use but you may find that using email and text messaging to build your customer base will provide you with the best results possible.  

Through these forms of marketing you have the opportunity to reach customers quickly and easily.   It provides you with a way to invite all customers (old and new) to ask for more information from you. As soon as they do then of course their details can be immediately included into the mailing list that you are creating of those who remain interested in what you are offering after they have been provided with information by you. Plus should any of these people wish to there is the option for them to opt out of what you are offering at any time.   

This is one of the most inexpensive ways for you to actually advertise your business and allows you to reward those that remain loyal to you. Plus as you own the information that your customers provide to you they will be grateful that it is being kept safe and private as you aren’t providing it to mailing list suppliers or telemarketers.

When you do send out an email or text message it is important that you offer them something in exchange for them actually bothering to respond. Certainly one of the best things that you can do is offer them a coupon so when they make a purchase from you they get the item at a discounted price. Not only is this a great way of getting rid of any inventory you no longer require but also will help you to track how your text messaging or email campaign is going. 

As you will soon discover when it comes to using email and text messaging to build your customer base it can prove a very fruitful venture.  Plus they can also prove to be one of the most effective tools that you can employ when marketing your business if you know how to use them correctly.

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WordPress websites for local businesses

May 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many people nowadays are familiar with WordPress, I should say heard about WordPress and most of them know it as a blogging platform.

 When talking to local business owners in Bury regarding their web design requirements it is becoming more obvious that more and more people are interested in WordPress as a CMS platform and there is a very good reason for that. Over the last two years WordPress became one of the industry leaders.

 I personally love building websites using WordPress and there are few reasons for that. First one and the most important is that search engines love WordPress. If set up correctly and with right plugins installed you can rank your site for few keywords very quickly and get some valuable and targeted traffic to your site. Also it is very easy to update and edit content, add images, videos and even change configuration of the site.

 There are lots of free themes out there that you can download and customize the look of your website. Within few hours you can have your new website complete with graphics and content.

 How does WordPress compare with other content management systems?

Few years ago I run one of my websites on Joomla, another open source content management system and it took me few weeks to get familiar with basics. WordPress is much more easier to learn so for now I am stuck with WordPress.

 If you are considering building your new website using WordPress as CMS give Pronto MultiMedia call and we will be glad to discuss your requirements.

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