Even if you live and breathe a main street business way of life, there is much to learn from the other side of the world, that is Lady Gaga.

Whether or not you like her music, her wardrobe or her political views, there is always something to learn from another person’s success.

Work for What You Want. Lady Gaga wasn’t an overnight sensation. She spent years like so many other artists working to learn her craft and develop her sense of style and community of fans. If you don’t have what you want now, don’t give up, your day will come. Stay focused. Stay positive and stay true to your path of success.

Don’t be afraid to be different. Many main street business owners are a collective bunch. They promote the same events, often carry the same types of products, offer the same promotions year in and year out. Don’t mistake sense of community for ‘booorrrrrinnng.’ Lady Gaga don’t be afraid be different, go against the grain, try something new. You’ll turn heads, create buzz and be remembered.

Be social. Lady Gaga is a genius marketer when it comes to interacting with her audience through social media marketing. You don’t have to have millions of fans and followers to learn from the power of social media and apply those practices to increasing your exposure and growing your brand.

Be Inspiring. People are drawn to positive people with a message of excitement and optimism. Lift of your customers and prospects through a positive attitude and a message of self-empowerment and self-acceptance.

If you are in the in need of affordable small business marketing services from a proven marketing firm that you can trust and depend on, contact us. Let us introduce you to  our team and how we can help you take your business to the next level.

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Social media success stories are not myths, not magic. They are stories of great marketing done in new and exciting ways.

Getting results through Facebook, twitter, YouTube, yelp and others is not magic. Social Media is one of the most power ways to marketing your business. However, before you turn loose with enthusiasm, it’s important that you put a social media strategy in place and set goals so that you can easily measure your success moving forward.

What is your #1 goal?
I want to drive more traffic to my website! If your website is supported by ads, you’re looking for eyeballs that equal strong numbers which lead to increased advertising revenue. 

Help! I need more leads!
Social media is a great way to increase exposure and generate leads. Through a consistent dialogue with prospects, you put your business out there as a viable buying option. To take it a step further you can promote a free download offer on your website converting that traffic into leads through strong landing pages and calls to action.

I need to create more BUZZ!
More people talking about you means more awareness of your company, product and brand. Thru social media you can monitor and measure the mentions of your brand online over time.

I am customer-centric and want to show our great customer service!
Encouraging you clients and customers to interact with your brand online through social media is a great way to resolve issues, promote great feedback and be easily accessible to great a loyal buying audience.

Whatever the reason for being more ‘social’, you’ll want to make sure and track your progress. Here are a few resources that can help you track your success and build on your strengths.

• Google Analytics
• HubSpot
• Facebook Insights
• Twitter Counter
• Post Rank
• Salesforce.com

If you are in the in need of affordable small business marketing services from a proven marketing firm that you can trust and depend on, contact us. Let us introduce you to  our team and how we can help you take your business to the next level.

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If someone tells the greatest joke EVER but there’s no one around to hear it, is it still a great joke? Does it count as a joke at all?

When it comes to effective email marketing, we know you have wonderful things to say and share.

What you may not have is an audience to listen to your message.....

Here are a few ways to increase the number of people subscribing to your email newsletter so that the right people hear the right things that you have to say.

1.    Make sure that your Sign Up for Newsletter isn’t hidden. Make it prominent and easily accessible throughout your website.

2.    Promote value. Subscribers-only incentives, access to exclusive events or product sneak peeks are great value added promotions.

3.    Use testimonials to showcase the benefits that other customers have received from being a subscriber in their own words.

4.    Keep it Relevant. If you are an accounting firm, don’t use your newsletter to promote free passes to the local bowling alley. Know your audience and stay on track to deliver informative information that they will be most interested in.

5.    Be a Resource. People love to learn new things. Share your expertise and be a resource that people can trust and depend on.

6.    Encourage Sharing. In each of your newsletters make sure to include the feature allowing subscribers easily share with a friend.

If you are in the in need of affordable small business marketing services from a proven marketing firm that you can trust and depend on, contact us. Let us introduce you to  our team and how we can help you take your business to the next level.

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Did you know that over 90% of decision makers use social media somewhere in their buying process? (Source) This is HUGE for businesses looking to growth their reach and increase their sales.

If you’re looking to grow your business through social media efforts, it’s important that you learn from the mistakes of others and avoid common mistakes.

Don’t forge ahead without a game plan.
With a sound strategy in place you will be in a better position to  measure the results of your time and effort.

Don’t make claims that you can’t back up. By over-promising and under delivering you are putting your brand and reputation on the line for people to actively (and rightly so) criticize.

Don’t ignore the chatter, embrace it. Your comments, thoughts, advice, etc. are important but yours is not the only voice worth hearing. Be proactive by sharing great comments and resources from other with your audience. They will thank you for it.

Avoid Spamming your Fans and Followers. It’s tempting to send a message to all every hour on the hour but no one appreciates the over eagerness and you will end up doing more harm than good.

Don’t forget what your mother taught you. Mind your manners. Controversy is one thing, vulgar, aggressive or obnoxious behavior is another.

Don’t be a Self- Promoter all the time. Yes, social media is the ideal platform to market your business, products and services but try and find balance between what your business does and how your brand interacts with the world.

With a little common sense and a dash of initiative, you're social media marketing efforts will help take your business to the next level!

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A lot “outdoorsman” and a little outrageous, native Texan Rusty Baker is a skilled hunter, fisherman and dedicated conservationist who was taught at an early age to respect the outdoors.

Born Russell Baker, Jr. in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 6, 1979, Rusty (as he’s been known all his life) says, "I grew up outdoors. I was trapping with my dad when I was four, and he took me on my first deer hunt at age 7. I was hooked from then on. He taught me that a real hunter is in reality a conservationist first. My respect for the land and its wildlife came from him.”

This love for the land and for nature, combined with a real desire to educate people about what it is to be a hunter, has evolved into a major outdoor enterprise for this straight talking, often irreverent and always adventuresome outdoorsman. “I love to entertain,” Rusty says, “so having a hunting TV show just seemed natural."

Through Rusty Baker Outdoors, he takes viewers on a journey across the country in search of the next adventure while sharing a fresh perspective on traveling, respecting the outdoors and getting the trophy, all the while making sure to keep his viewers coming back for more.

 A proud graduate of Texas A&M University, Rusty is the epitome of all that is good in the great state of Texas. When not on the road in search of the next hunting or fishing adventure, he works tirelessly supporting the charity work of his friend Boston Red Sox pitcher and fellow Texan Josh Beckett, hosting the Rusty Baker Radio Show and making new friends. Today, he is one of the industry’s most eligible bachelors and calls San Antonio home – where he complains about the heat and tends to his gold fish, Trigger.

A private ‘sit-down’ with Rusty

What inspires you?  “I'm inspired by men, women and children who tackle adversity with courage and unrelenting determination...people faced with illness, a tragic loss or a handicap who don't look for pity, but instead show amazing character and spirit, which motivates those around them to be better. I'm also grateful I've had a chance to be around a few of these people."

 What is your greatest hunting or fishing memory?   "I've actually got one of each. My favorite hunting memory is from a few years ago when I guided a friend, who is paralyzed from the neck down, on a successful deer hunt. He used a device that has a mouth piece on one end, while the other end connects to the trigger. The rifle is positioned on a stand in front of his wheelchair. By blowing in the tube, he is able to activate the mechanism that pulls the trigger. This was the most challenging hunt of my life. My friend showed what character means, and inner-strength. His attitude on life motivates me today. Fishing in Alaska in 2009 with my 85-year-old grandpa was a very special time for me, and I am grateful every day for that experience....Anytime I'm with my Dad on his boat is special, too."

What advice do you have for an "up and coming" hunter?  "I'd tell him or her that an outdoorsman hunts ethically and safely. Learn to identify animal species and become familiar with their habits and traits. Anyone can shoot at something. Learn what these animals are about, how they behave. The best hunting trips are often those when you don't shoot at anything at all. Leave the woods and streams cleaner than you found them. Get involved in habitat and wildlife conservation groups, because they play a key role in preserving the sporting heritage we hold dear."

What are some of your favorite things? "Tabasco sauce, broke-in jeans and t-shirts, playing poker, the smell of a campfire, brunettes, days off, old local taverns, Christmas trees and firm hand shakes."

What do you dislike?  "Cilantro, liberals in Washington, wasps, mean women, snakes and soap operas."

How do you spend your free time?  "I love working on my dad's farm. I like watching any kind of sports, mostly Red Sox baseball and football, and I like grilling poolside with my friends. We usually pitch washers or horseshoes, too. Getting in trouble with Robdawg, also....We do that well."

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Digg is a social news site. It relies on users to submit recent content that other users may find relevant at a given moment; members of the community then vote on what is most relevant at the time. If other users like the content, then they can "digg" (vote for) it. If they do not like it, they can "bury" (vote against) it. The more diggs a page gets, the higher it ranks on Digg. The most widely dugg articles appear on the Digg home page, which gets a lot of traffic.

Digg is a great resource for those seeking the most relevant news and stories and the platform makes it extremely easy to share worthwhile content to your friends and contacts.

What this means for businesses is another opportunity to have people read great content about your products and/or services to share with others increasing your exposure and driving traffic back to your website.

Here are a few key points to keep in mind when submitting content to Digg.

•  Make sure to include an inbound link on your site
• Work to incorporate keywords you are targeting from an in-bound marketing perspective
• Keep in mind that Digg’s audience is mostly men between the age of 18-39 with crafting your topics and messaging.

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Through strategic site development, aggressive search engine optimization and inbound marketing initiatives J2O Designs will help your business get found online by more qualified visitors, convert those visitors into leads and implement the proven tools that will close those leads and increase sales.

Through monthly tracking, analysis and reporting we will help not only increase your exposure today but ensure smart marketing for future initiatives. 

We will work with you to the key areas to build on. Examples included below:

Initial Consultation and Site Audit
Whether you're facing a major traffic loss due to recent Google updates or just want to know how to optimize your site better, the J2O Designs SEO Initial Consultation and Site Audit provides you with an in-depth review of your website using our proprietary SEO Checklist. We uncover the technical SEO problem spots (and recommend how to fix them), delve into site architecture issues, and provide link building and social media marketing suggestions which will help increase your link popularity.

While every site is unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses, some of the items we look at in our site audit include:

• How the pages of your website are viewed by search engines
• The crawlability of your website’s navigation
• The indexation of the pages of your website
• The types of keyword phrases being targeted
• HTML tagging and code
• The use of additional domains
• Duplicate content issues
• Internal linking through text and image links
• Content issues
• Sitemaps
• Site architecture considerations
• Google Places Pages for local search
• 404-error pages
• Your Google Analytics
• Your Google Webmaster Tools
• Linking and Social Media Review

We deliver the information to you in the form of a written report and also provide you with a consultation scheduled at your convenience.

As with all of our SEO consultations, we are happy to answer any nagging SEO questions that you have both in the report and in the phone conversation.

Content. Through strategic site content utilizing key words and phrasing, increasing the number of pages optimized and new content added to the site on a regular basis, we will increase your visibility and ranking.

High Quality Links. Through advanced efforts will work to increase not only the number of links but also the quality of links. We will do this by identifying highly trusted websites relating to your industry.

Lead Generation. The current site lacks lead generation capabilities. We will create ways to collect information about prospects (name, email, location) and develop a strategy to nurture those leads. By focusing on inbound marketing, our goal is not only to increase your traffic numbers and your ranking on major search engine sites but to do so by bringing in qualified leads that will help the business grow.

Keyword Research

1. Identify current organic (ranking) keywords
2. Identify Keywords/phrases that have the best potential (+traffic / -competition)
3. Identify currently targeted keywords and evaluate for (a)
4. Identify current PPC targeted keywords and evaluate for (a)
5. Begin moving PPC keywords to organic (Target to reduce expense/dependence on PPC while increasing traffic).
6. Begin measuring keyword performance related to Lead Generation and Conversion-to-Customer KPI’s.

On-Page and Off-Page Optimization

1. On-Page

• Insure current pages are optimized for current keywords

1. Page URL
2. Page Title
3. Page Description
4. Page Content
5. H1-H3 tags
6. Image filename
7. Image Alt Text
8. Off-page links
9. Off-site links

• Create landing pages to be optimized for remaining keywords

1. Page URL
2. Page Title
3. Page Description
4. Page Content
5. Image filename
6. Image Alt Text

2.  Off-Page

• Inbound links

1. Identify inbound link prospects for current keywords
2. Analyze other sites ranking well for current keywords
3. Analyze competitors inbound links (add to list of prospects)
4. Plan and Execute Campaign to acquire high-quality inbound links including

• Topically relevant high authority websites
• Social media sites such as news, bookmarking and other online communities
• General and niche directories
• Relevant blogs
• Topical review websites
• Forums that are specific to your niche
• Relevant eZines
• On-topic Newsletters

3.  Social Media

• Create/update profiles on major SM sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr)
• Build communities (increase targeted friends/followers)
• Identify secondary opportunities (smaller SM sites with a relationship to your business). Create profiles where feasible.
• Create Editorial Calendar for Social Media

4.  Blogs & Directories

• Identify industry/hobby directory sites (with a relationship to your business)
• Identify local directory sites
• Identify discussion forums (with a relationship to your business)
• Identify Blogs (with a relationship to your business)
• Identify opportunities for Guest Blog Postings (A popular blog post with lots of subscribers is worth its weight in gold.)
• Add blog links to Social Bookmarking sites (stumbleupon, digg, reddit, delicious, etc.)
• Integrate Blog topics and Forum discussions into Editorial Calendar
• EXECUTE THE PLAN!

5.  Local Search

• Google Place pages for each location

Lead Generation

1. Create and implement Lead Generation forms w/ informative downloads
2. Create and implement Lead Generation forms for Information requests
3. Develop auto-responder campaigns (5 automated follow-up emails tied to Lead Generation submissions with goal to turn lead into customer)

For more information, CONTACT US today!

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It’s not so difficult getting started. Where the challenge lies is in knowing what to do after you’ve set up your social media platforms to ensure maximum exposure and a solid ROI.

 In order to make the most of your time, energy and know how, it’s important to cut through the clutter and focus on what works. Here are a few tips to keep you working along the right path.

Know Your Audience.
For small businesses it’s important to interact with the right buying audience. Is your ideal consumer within your geographic area, interested in a niche industry or lifestyle hobby? Starting small yet specific is much better than wide and overwhelming.

 Take the Inititaive.
Social media is much like an after hours mixer or a networking breakfast, you have to take the initiative to have quality conversations. By reaching out to your target audience through informative, welcoming or entertaining comments, you’re working to establish rapport and engage your audience with your brand.

Go easy on the Automation.
There are so many tools in the market to automate your social media conversations. Some of which is fantastic such as pre-scheduled, updates, RSS feeds and smart pre-set responses. However, you must be careful to not over-automate and have misguided, incorrect or embarrassing message go out on your behalf.

Don’t be Afraid of Negative.
Some business owners claim that they would prefer to not enter into the social media game for fear that it opens doors for negative feedback. We feel that this feedback will be made with or without you so it’s best to be engaged and ready to respond to all feedback (good, bad and ugly) in a professional way. This advanced customer service will have you scoring points with other prospects waiting to see how you handle situations.

Give Props when Appropriate.
There is no such thing as an original idea. If you find something that is great and you think you’re community of fans and followers will agree, don’t be shy about re-posting it. Do however, make sure to give proper credit where credit is due.

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Who needs luck when you have skill? The rules for strategic and effective web are in a constant state of change. With new technologies, strategies and campaigns available, it’s important to go thru a frequent checklist making sure that your website has the most advanced component to get your maximize your reach and online efforts. Here are a few must-haves that should not be overlooked.

1. Clean and Simple Design.
2. Quality Images that Tell the story about your business, products and services.
3. Smart Navigation above the fold that is easy to follow.
4. Repeat Footer Navigation giving users a second place to go to easily navigation through the site.
5. Quality Content that is resourceful, engaging and entertaining.
6. Inclusion of a Search Function.
7. Implement an onsite frequently updated blog.
8. Professional landing Pages with Clear Calls to Action.
9. Create Build Strong Inbound Links.
10. Professional Contact Form that is highly promoted throughout the site
11. Clearly defined contact details on each page of the site.
12. Well optimized images
13. Site analytics set up for measuring traffic and statistics

With the key components in place your site is sure to perform at its fullest. If you are in the in need of affordable small business marketing services from a proven marketing firm that you can trust and depend on, contact us. Let us introduce you to  our team and how we can help you take your business to the next level.

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43 percent of all online consumers are social media fans or followers. (Source) 

53 percent of people on Twitter recommend companies or their products in their tweets. (Source)

The average American internet user watches 30 minutes of video online per day. (Source)

1.4 million new blog posts are created every day. (Source)

200 million Facebook users access the service from a mobile device. (Source)

$3.08 billion will be spent to advertise on social networking sites in 2011, a 55 percent increase over 2010. (Source)

What are you doing to keep your actively business in front of millions? What are you doing to stand out from the crowd and get the exposure and attention your business demands?

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