Although marketing is a year-round endeavor opportunities sometimes come along that you shouldn’t miss. Associating your business with a holiday can increase your chances of search engine optimization. Many consumers are searching for variations of “St. Patrick’s Day” key phrases on Google, and this presents a unique opportunity to catch their eye and lead them to your web site. Social media tie-ins can be used by both B2B and B2C marketers. Here are some tips for marketing your business with social media on St. Patrick’s Day:
Expand Your Reach: Don’t stop at posting a nice blog about how your business ties in with the holiday. Post a Facebook update and photo with a link to your article, Tweet about it, send it to your Google+ circle, and find a great picture to link to it on Pinterest. Social media content that includes mention of a holiday helps increase engagement with your target audience, and don’t forget the hashtags!
Make It Relevant: Social media is a conversation that should not just be about your business. Make it relevant to your target audience. Offer a useful tip, insider info, or short piece of news that helps your audience use your product or service more effectively and you will increase engagement and improve the potential for sharing.
Build on What’s Happening in Your Community: If your target market is in a community that has a big St. Patrick’s Day parade or celebrates the holiday in some other way, try to find a way for your marketing to build on that. For example, a sign company could post about the best signs in the St. Patrick’s Day parade or a florist might write about the perfect flowers for a St. Joseph’s Day table.
Content Marketing Works: A constant stream of relevant information is required from your business to stay top of mind, generate top search engine results and drive website traffic. Be straightforward, encourage sharing, and tell audience members what action you want them to take.
Social Media Works for B2B and B2C: Don’t think that your business can’t use social media because of who your customers are. Although it might seem more obvious for B2C to work ideas around a holiday, that doesn’t leave out the B2B marketers entirely. Think about what the holiday represents and how it ties in with what your customers need. Sending holiday greetings with valuable information is both powerful and effective. Most businesses are leaving out the “valuable” part – make sure you are adding value with your content.
In order to rank well on the internet’s largest search engines, your social media sites must contain informative, original content that contains the relevant keywords from which you’d like to capture traffic. Part of the success of your business depends on your ability to generate top ranks on Google and other major search engines.
Successful businesses today are creating remarkable content for their blog, and re-purposing the content to their social media channels. By consistently adding value to your target audience, you’ll stay top of mind, and increase loyalty levels.
Search Engine Pros can help your company utilize social media more efficiently to achieve its internet traffic and revenue goals. Marketing your business effectively with social media will increase the number of coins in your pot o’ gold!
Santa Barbara, CA – March 6th, 2014: Search Engine Pros, Santa Barbara web marketing firm, will be an exhibitor this year at Women’s Festivals 2014. Taylor Reaume, founder of the online marketing agency, will join an all-star roster of speakers at the Festival which will be held on March 7th and 8th at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barbara, CA. Each year the Festival celebrates women in leadership by bringing together amazing resources, inspiring speakers and wonderful entertainment.
In adhering to this year’s theme of “Tech, Talk & Trade,” Reaume will discuss common pitfalls of web site marketing strategy, SEO marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing to help attendees develop a winning corporate internet marketing strategy. He will discuss average budgets and online marketing costs associated with growing a business on the web using Google Adwords marketing and SEO campaigns. Reaume will also present web marketing pricing models and answer questions about how to get the best price on web marketing services. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the importance of search engine optimization and Google search marketing when growing a business online.
“I’m happy to be associated with one of the premier events in Santa Barbara for empowering women,” commented Google marketing consultant Taylor Reaume. “Today’s women in leadership roles need a solid understanding of how to use the power of search marketing to enhance the visibility and viability of their Santa Barbara companies. I’m hoping to provide advice on the best WordPress strategies, email marketing tactics, and online marketing plans that attendees can implement themselves to give their business a boost. Attendees who visit our booth will receive a 30 page web site health diagnosis and Google rank report.”
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process used to affect the visibility of clients’ websites in search engine search results. The goal is to utilize tactics which result in higher or more frequent appearances of client information in the search results list. As a web marketing strategy SEO programs consider how search engines work, what the target demographic searches for, and the keywords used in the search process. SEO strategies may include social media marketing, a high quality SEO press release strategy, or Google AdWords marketing programs.
“Bring a resume by our booth if you’re a college student, or a freelancer writer / web designer. We’re looking for self starters to join our team of web marketing professionals,” said Reaume.
The Women’s Festivals celebrates the accomplishments and nurtures the dreams of women in an interactive, multi-cultural, and multi-tracked program and expo focusing on the critical areas of women’s lives: Personal, Professional, Philanthropic, and Planet. Their goal is to help facilitate premier gatherings for women’s self-empowerment worldwide. Interested parties can purchase tickets or connect online to get up-to-the-minute updates.
About Women’s Festivals: The Women’s Festivals is a sponsored project of the NAWBO-California Education Fund. Women and men from throughout the world will attend the Santa Barbara event on March 7, 8, and 9 at Earl Warren Showgrounds. The festival will include a professional business expo, awards program, and educational and enlightening discussions led by renowned speakers and authors. Visit the website and Facebook page or call 805-565-9967 for more information on attending or exhibiting at the Festival.
Show your business some love this Valentine’s Day…
Some businesses are obvious candidates to advertise with Google AdWords for Valentine’s Day. Since it is the second biggest gift-giving occasion right after Christmas, every gift-giving opportunity is online trying to attract attention – candy, flowers, photos, romantic getaways – you name it, somebody is using AdWords to attract leads. If you think your business can’t take advantage of this online marketing opportunity to drive more traffic to your website, you might want to think again. Even those businesses which might think they don’t have any relation to Valentine’s Day can benefit by adding some sort of Valentine’s twist to their advertising. You might find that the mere act of offering a Valentine’s deal could attract more site visitors.
If you’re not sure what Google AdWords are, they are those short ads which appear right next to organic Google search results. They offer a strong marketing opportunity for your business to boost website traffic and sales by being right in front of prospects that are searching for your service. It’s the perfect opportunity to draw attention. No matter what your budget, you can display your ads on Google because this is pay-per-click marketing. You pay only if prospects click on your ads and visit your website.
It’s easy to start a Google AdWords campaign. Simply pick a business category, write your ad, and set a budget. Then call Search Engine Pros at 800-605-4988 and we’ll kick your campaign into high gear. We’ll help increase clicks to your website and decrease the cost of those clicks by optimizing your ad positions.
Be sure to use Valentine’s Day related keywords to make sure your ad stands out. For instance a florist would have Valentine’s Day Flowers while a card shop would have Valentine’s Day Cards. A helpful word cloud from Google found that phrases like “Valentine’s Day meals” and “DIY Valentine’s gifts” were highly searched.
If your business doesn’t have a specific Valentine’s Day gift idea, you can always show your love for customers with a Valentine’s-related sale or bonus offer. Gift certificates might fall under the categories of “Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him” or “Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her.”
At Search Engine Pros your Google Adwords PPC Manager can help your company achieve its internet traffic and revenue goals. Your PPC Manager will assist you with pay-per-click campaign management, Google Adwords account set up, tune-ups, campaign audits, and monthly management. A PPC Manager from Search Engine Pros will help you improve your ROI. Our PPC campaign management services can help you turn your PPC efforts into effective revenue drivers.
Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope 2013 has been a great year for you and that everyone continues to realize the benefits of SEO and social media marketing in 2014. Many of our clients have benefitted from having an online marketing plan. If you’re not marketing online you’re missing out on one of the most effective ways of attracting customers and closing sales.
Here are the Top 10 ways to increase your customer base in 2014:
Increase Your Google Ranking: Use our free Google rank analysis to find out where you are now, and learn how you can do better.
Initiate a SEO Marketing Strategy: Search Engine Optimization is the fastest way to get found online. SEO copywriting provides you with unique and interesting content that generates rankings in the search engines, and boosts credibility levels with your customers.
Try A Pay-Per-Click Initiative: Increase clicks to your site and decrease the cost of those clicks by optimizing your ad positions.
Make Your Website Work Harder: Have Search Engine Pros conduct an objective site analysis and provide you with a free 30 page report that tells you how well your website is working.
Use Email Marketing to Maintain Top-of-Mind Awareness: Send out powerful high impact monthly newsletters that remind prospects to buy.
Ask for Referrals and Testimonials: Use the nice things that clients think about you to build credibility and increase sales.
Optimize Website Code: Having Google Friendly Code is crucial to generating thousands of targeted visitors to your website every month. Simple edits can generate top rankings in 3-6 months’ time.
Convert Website Visitors to Customers: Use eye catching banners and embed powerful calls to action to lower bounce rates, boost conversions, increase time on site (which increases rankings) – and double your sales.
Find out more about using the internet to boost your sales in 2014 by inquiring via our contact form. You can beat your competitors with a well-defined web strategy, social media and web marketing. Search Engine Pros can help you meet your online marketing goals. Outsource your online marketing to our team and let us show you how great 2014 can be. https://www.youtube.com/embed/54sZd0x2u3k?rel=0
From all of us at Search Engine Pros,
Happy Holidays and here’s to your business growth in 2014!
I would like to take this time to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the clients who have inspired me in so many ways, and for the members of my team who help make our clients’ marketing goals come true. This has been a great year in many ways, and yet I am looking forward to even more next year.
Many businesses look at December as a kind of down time, but I think it’s the perfect time to lay out a strategy for the upcoming year. Because 2013 is so rapidly coming to a close, I want to offer a few end-of-year marketing strategies as my way of saying thanks:
Check Your Google Rankings: Your Google ranking can be the most valuable asset your business has. Score a high ranking and increase your probability of potential customers finding your business. Have a low ranking, and your business is much more difficult to find. Get a free Google rank analysis now, discover areas in need of improvement, gain valuable insights, and start developing a marketing plan to increase your online visibility.
Learn About Web Marketing Success: Use The Strategic Circle as a marketing benchmark analysis to learn about the multitude of ways your website impacts your marketing. Answer the questions about email, website design, Pay-Per-Click marketing, social media, press releases, and search engine optimization to find out whether your website is working as hard as it can for you.
Receive a Website Analysis: Let Search Engine Pros conduct an objective site analysis and provide you with a free 30 page report that tells you how well your website is working and gives you useful suggestions on how to make it better.
Make a Commitment to Learn More About Marketing: Subscribe to our e-newsletter and get a variety of Free Marketing e-Books every month.
Learn While You Lunch: Come to Verde Restaurant every Friday from 12:30-2pm. For $20, you’ll get lunch, a drink, and a chance to hear me talk about how to market your business online.
Over 90% of consumers now make buying decisions on the internet, so your web marketing strategy has to be running at full force every day to attract their attention. Don’t sit back while your competitors get ahead with their web strategy, social media and web marketing. Search Engine Pros are trained search engine marketers who help you meet your online marketing goals. Outsource your marketing to Search Engine Pros and let us do all your online work while you work with your customers.
May you remember all the things you have to be thankful for this year,
From all of us at Search Engine Pros, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
You’ve heard of newsjacking, but are you familiar with holiday-jacking? If it isn’t an official marketing term, it definitely should be. The bigger the holiday, the larger the interest among consumers and the associated volume of search on Google.
By effectively targeting your marketing materials to upcoming holidays, you can capture the interest of consumers who are attuned to the season. According to the National Retail Federation, a record 170 million Americans say they’ll celebrate Halloween this year. Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas and spending in the United States this year is estimated to reach $6.9 billion.
The Halloween market is bigger than ever, and adults are having just as much fun as kids. There’s a huge opportunity for your business to join the celebration with some seasonal online content and clever Halloween social media marketing.
7 Halloween Marketing Tips:
1. Hold A Halloween Contest A fun Halloween contest could be for the best jack-o-lantern, the best costume, the best recipe – you name it. Ask your customers to post pictures of their entries, and don’t forget to offer a prize; a free e-book, gift card, or coupon would be perfect.
2. #DoAHashtagContest Setting up a hashtag can help your Halloween contest or promotion get seen by a wider audience. Even those who don’t participate could retweet it or mention it on Twitter getting you on more timelines and generating more buzz.
3. Engage Facebook fans with images Images are a proven tactic for attracting attention to your website, Twitter timeline or Facebook page. On Facebook specifically, with the new timeline for brands, images pop on your news feed and engage visitors, often earning more likes and comments than other posts.
4. Write A Halloween-Themed Blog Post This idea is truly limited only by your imagination. Relate Halloween to some aspect of your business and run with it. Do you have a pet supply business? Blog about tips for keeping your pet safe when trick-or-treaters flock to your porch. Run a home improvement website? List your top ten scariest DIY mistakes made by homeowners. This is also a good place for “awareness” topics like child safety or drunk driving on Halloween.
5. Make A Halloween Video Dress up team members in Halloween costumes and make a promotional, entertaining, or educational video. Halloween tips are a good place to start for inspiration. Tips for applying Halloween makeup. Tips for examining your child’s trick-or-treat candy. Exercise tips for working off all that Halloween candy. The witch-filled sky’s the limit.
6. Do a tweet-vote A tweet-vote can help you earn new followers and engage your current ones. For Halloween, you could have followers vote on the costume contest you held in your office, which has the added bonus of humanizing your brand.
7. Host a Halloween (social) event Making your event social can help you not only generate buzz and attract attendees before it starts – it can also help you engage followers and fans during the party and after it’s over.
Fun Things to do in Santa Barbara on Halloween:
Downtown Halloween Safe Trick-or-Treat October 31, 2013 Times: 3-6PM Location: Downtown Santa Barbara Address: State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone: call 962.2098 ext. 24 Downtown businesses get into the spirit of the haunting season by welcoming hundreds of costumed children with treats, stickers, coupons or other Halloween goodies.
Halloween Bash at Carr Winery October 31, 2013 Times: 7:30PM-11:00PM Address: 414 N. Salsipuedes Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 Phone: 805-965-7985 Venue: Carr Winery Join us in the haunted wine cave! Sip wicked wines and jam to music by Tommy & the High Pilots. Georgia’s Smokehouse will be serving up their frightfully delicious BBQ. 21+, Costume required. A Halloween party you will die for…Get on the list before the event sells out.
Voodoo Lounge 2nd Annual Canary Rooftop Halloween Dance Party October 31, 2013 Times: 9PM-1AM Address: 31 West Carrillo St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone: 805-895-3402 Venue: Canary Hotel VIP Access 8:00 – 1:00 am $75 in advance, space is limited – Enjoy Bubbling Brews and Bewitching Bites- 8:00 – 9:00 pm – VIP Entrance to the Party – Two complimentary drink tickets to be used at the Voodoo Lounge Party – Access to VIP bar General Reception 9:00 pm to 1:00 am General Admission $40CURATED COCKTAILS WITH ASCENDANT SPIRITS October 31, 2013 Times: 5:30PM-9PM Address: 653 Paseo Nuevo Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone: 805.966.5373 Venue: Paseo Mall MCASB partners with a new local mixologist every Thursday in October from 6-8 pm to offer unique $5 MCASB signature cocktails. Visitors can enjoy music from DJ Emtpy Priest and guided tours of the current exhibitions: Call For Entries and Bloom Projects: Ro Snell, All that is left.
Google Reveals the highest searched terms for Halloween costumes of 2013:
Thinking of dressing up as a Minion for Halloween this year? Judging by recent searches, you aren’t the only one. Both Google and Yahoo agree that Minion costumes – from the “Despicable Me” movies – are the top trending costumes of 2013. With Halloween less than a week away, here’s a look at the top 5 costumes people are searching for most this year:
1.) Minion – from the movie “Despicable Me” is popular with both adults and kids 2.) Breaking Bad – searches are up nearly 3x vs. last year for the popular AMC series, which just saw huge ratings for its series finale. 3.) Fox – supposedly inspired by Ylvis’ viral video “The Fox”. 4.) Duck Dynasty – searches are 3x higher this year vs. last year; search volume is highest in Texas. 5.) Miley Cyrus – not surprising following her post-VMA performance and latest “look at me” antics.
Join us at Lunch & Learn e-Marketing Tomorrow Time: Fridays 12:30pm-2pm Location: 532 State Street (Next Door Joe’s Cafe) Join The Facebook Event
Lunch and Learn e-Marketing is a web marketing seminar presented by yours truly, Taylor Reaume, Fridays 12:30pm-2pm at Verde Restaurant @ 532 State Street. I would like to welcome everyone to this new venue for our e-marketing discussions every week. VerdeSB.com is a new mexican cuisine restaurant located on lower State Street. At this lunch meeting you will have a unique opportunity to share online marketing secrets with other business owners. Learn online marketing and social media marketing strategy on the web. One lucky attendee will have their web site analyzed live by the lunch group and feedback is provided, to help optimize online presence.
Expand your knowledge of web marketing and learn advanced search engine optimization strategy. COST is $20; Includes lunch, a drink, e-marketing discussions with local business people – GREAT BUSINESS NETWORKING. Discover valuable web marketing secrets that will help you outrank your competition on Google. Bring your questions, business cards and laptop (optional). Leave with a full stomach and clarity/sanity on 2013 web strategy and web marketing options. Attendees participate in a live web site review and offer constructive feedback as part of the group. It’s educational. It’s informative. It’s delicious. Find out if your web site is winning the race to the top of Google. Open to everyone!
SUMMARY: Business owners in Santa Barbara now have an opportunity to learn how to market their businesses every Friday in downtown Santa Barbara.
SANTA BARBARA, CA – September 26th, 2013 – Business owners in Santa Barbara now have an opportunity to learn how to market their businesses online every Friday at lunch. Lunch and Learn e-Marketing is a web marketing seminar presented by Taylor Reaume, founder of Search Engine Pros, a Santa Barbara marketing agency.
The meeting is aimed at small business owners wanting to learn more about online marketing and social media strategy on the web. One attendee’s web site is selected at random for a group web site review. The other attendees analyze the web site and offer objective advice.
“Lunch & Learn e-Marketing is a unique opportunity for local business owners to expand their knowledge of web marketing and learn advanced search engine optimization strategy,” said Taylor Reaume.
The event takes place every Friday 12:30pm-2pm at Verde Restaurant located at 532 State Street. Attendees pay $20 and get a lunch and one drink.
Discover valuable web marketing secrets to help you outrank your competition on Google. Bring your questions, business cards and laptop (optional). Leave with a full stomach and clarity/sanity on 2013 web strategy and web marketing options. Attendees participate in a live web site review and offer constructive feedback as part of the group. It’s educational. It’s informative. It’s delicious. Find out if your web site is winning the race to the top of Google. Open to everyone!
Topics Of Discussion include:
• Online Marketing • SEO Article Packages • Social Bookmarking • Social Media Marketing • All Inclusive SEO • Local Search & SEO Packages • Video Marketing • Blog Creation • Blog Commenting • Blog Reviews • Forum Posting • Multilingual SEO • WordPress Web Design • Web Directory Submission • Keyword Research • Website Management and Marketing • Website Marketing Strategies • Search Engine Optimization • SEO friendly Web Design • Google Adwords PPC • Press Release Distribution
DOWNLOAD FLYER and RSVP HERE About Search Engine Pros: The Search Engine Pros are a team of advanced Santa Barbara marketing professionals specializing in ethical, economical and effective search engine optimization. As seasoned web architects, they offer affordable search engine optimization and internet marketing packages that bring natural rankings in the organic search engine results. The Search Engine Pros team is comprised of an all star cast of forward thinking web professionals. They help corporations, authors, consultants and small businesses setup cutting edge websites and develop a strong presence online. Their primary business focus is generating more traffic for your web site. Come pick up invaluable tips, network with locals and learn how to increase your web site traffic!
Please call 800.605.4988 or email via our contact form at https://www.thesearchenginepros.com/contact-us/ or by emailing taylor [@] thesearchenginepros.com prior to attending to reserve a seat/ensure we have enough room. You can also send a text message to Taylor at 805-453-9674.
IF YOU ARE A MARKETER: Fellow marketing consultants and web designers are welcome to attend this meetup group provided they agree to post a public Facebook post with a link to our meetup page on the day of the event. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesearchenginepros Google+: https://plus.google.com/103311981304941878108/
What does a 30 second commercial have in common with your home page?
Both must effectively communicate a USP, or unique value proposition, in under 30 seconds.
Did you know that the large majority of visitors at your web site leave after 30 seconds, never to return again?
Let’s examine this a bit further.
There’s an old marketing mantra; “It’s better to be different than it is to be better…”
Most 30 second commercials are lifeless and uninspiring, just like most home pages.
When you’re giving a 30 second commercial at a networking event, it’s crucial to be able to quickly describe what you do and appeal to your target audience on the spot. The purpose of your 30-second USP or “commercial” is to communicate who you are, who your company is, and what you do, quickly.
Your 30 second commercial should ask one or more compelling questions that tune directly into the “WII-FM” (what’s in it for me?). A compelling statement shows how you can help others and ends with why the customer should act now.
What makes an exceptionally good 30 second commercial? A good 30 second commercial communicates how you are different (not just better) from your competition.
Marketing is the battle of perceptions, not products. It’s essential to set aside some time to brainstorm a set of smart USP’s.
A good 30 second commercial doesn’t just compete (we’re the best game in town), it eliminates (we’re the only game in town worth your time/money/attention/etc.).
But what about your web site? Does your web site clearly communicate your unique selling proposition? Does it get visitors to a warm and fuzzy feeling before 30 seconds? As internet marketing consultants and web marketers with proven track record for success, we advise our clients to set aside several hourly strategy sessions with us to focus on their USP.
Your web site home page should have distinct sections, or segments that appeal to visitors specific interests.
Think about all the people that visit your site for a moment. How many distinct groups can you create?
By breaking the visitors into distinct groups and then cataloging everything we know about each one, it makes it easier to create content targeted to each important demographic.
For example, if you have a hotel web site, it’s likely that there are four major categories of people visiting your web site. Each group has different needs that we need to identify.
Business travelers. Main interests: e.g. a staffed business center
Leisure travelers. Main Interests: e.g. a guide to local attractions.
Conference attendees. Main interests: e.g. fitness center
Families. Main interests: e.g. kids area
Couples Main interests: e.g. romantic dinner package
International visitors. Main interests: e.g. bi-lingual staff
By presenting different messages for each major category of visitors, we will more effectively communicate our value offering, and improve the effectiveness of our marketing.
The idea is to segment your offering and speak directly to the needs of the market segment. If you have more than eight major market segments, you might need to simplify your business model.
Below are some creative questions that may help you get started in categorizing your target audience.
What are the four types of buyers in your business? (appeal to those buyers with specific sections on your site)
What are the eight most common objections in your business? (answer those objections with informative tag lines on your site)
What are the main benefits of you vs. your competition? (Speak to the benefits, not the features)
What makes you different? (highlight the ways you are different with tag lines on your site)
How do people find you? (ask if the visitor came from XYZ place, click here)
Segment and categorize your audience – by interest and/or desire. The idea is to stay in front of them with laser – focused marketing messages specifically matching their interest/desire.
Remember, “It’s better to be different than it is to be better…”
As search engine marketing professionals, we’re known primarily as SEO copywriters and WordPress web designers. However, over the years we’ve worked hard at developing our understanding of traditional marketing concepts and learned how to apply them to our online marketing strategy. Our team of marketing professionals are trained across multiple disciplines. When you need a unique approach that brings results, Search Engine Pros are your “Navy Seal” team of internet marketers, guiding you every step of the way, helping you maximize profits through a low cost, highly effective online marketing plancomprised ofsearch marketing, SEO marketing, email marketingand SEO enhanced press releases.
Santa Barbara, CA – May 15th, 2013 – Local marketing strategist Taylor Reaumewas invited by Ayers Repairs to speak at this months IAPA Independent Automotive Professionals Association meeting on Wednesday, May 15th • 7pm Mulligan’s $23 Per Person Taylor Reaume, SEO Expert – How To Make Your Advertising Work For Free and in JUST A FEW MINUTES A DAY!
IAPA (Independent Automotive Professionals Association) is a trade association comprised of highly professional automotive repair specialists. IAPA provides business resources for its members and promotes professionalism in the automotive service industry. They strive to create goodwill between the motoring public and the automotive profession. This creates an atmosphere of personal responsibility to clients.
Taylor Reaume is the founder of Santa Barbara marketing company Search Engine Pros. Automotive industry professionals attending the event will learn new ways to promote their automobile business using Google and online marketing methods.
“Generally, we have found the automobile repair industry to be behind the curve when it comes to online marketing methods. There is less competition on Google in the automotive space when compared to other industries. My advice is to get online. Get ranked. Before the rest of the pack starts to catch up and saturate the market with competitive web strategy. ” says Reaume, owner of Search Engine Pros, a Santa Barbara internet marketing firm.
Restaurant marketing consultants everywhere are talking about the power of social media and local SEO. But very few restaurant marketing consultants are talking about the power of storytelling.
There are some very empty restaurants out there serving good food. There are also some very crowded restaurants serving OK food. Why are some restaurants busier than others? Did they hire a restaurant marketing company? What’s their secret restaurant marketing sauce?
Just as there are many flavors of ice cream, there are many flavors of restaurant marketing. When it comes to marketing a restaurant, there’s a particularly effective flavor, called Storytelling. Restaurant marketing ideas, trends and strategies are helpful, but the secret sauce to powerful restaurant marketing is about great storytelling.
Great food and great beer is a pre-requisite. But what does your restaurant offer that others don’t. Marketers call this your unique selling proposition, or USP. Forget about “lowest price” or “best quality”, how are you REALLY different? The best points of difference are remarkably subtle.
Shaping perceptions in the mind of the customer base is where many restaurant owners tend to get lazy. Smart bar owners are constantly focusing on their points of difference and storytelling in a smart way to win over the influencers.
Not all bar flys are created equal.
There are two types of bar flys. You want the “influencer” type. Not the loner type. Influencers are the cool kids…the class clowns. They typically have a large influence over a large circle of friends in close proximity to the bar. Usually these influencer type bar flys are great storytellers.
Last year, I spoke to a bar owner who estimated that his “influencer” bar fly added $100,000+ to his bottom line at year end. (This puts the cost of working with a marketing agency into perspective. )
What’s your restaurants story? What do you stand for? Are you clear about it? Is your staff clear? It’s true you can’t be all things to all people, so don’t try. However, certain brand traits are non divisive and appeal to the majority without diluting the brand. For example, are you supportive of animal shelters? (animal loving bar flys) Do you love bicycling? (bicycle loving bar flys) Do you provide free, helpful information about the local music events in town? (music loving bar flys). A professional marketing agency can help you gain clarity.
How do I market my restaurant cost effectively?
After clearly defining your brand, it’s time to choose a “platform” from which you can speak your brand messages. Let’s talk about communicating those points of difference to the masses. I’m not talking bumper stickers people!
Unless you’re a chain, direct mail, radio, television are often too expensive. Locally owned restaurants owners are competing on a different level. Smaller fish need to swim faster with a sophisticated social media, SEO and web marketing plan to stay competitive.
Social media, search engine optimization and email marketing are newer, better, more cost effective ways to spread the word. By using these lower cost online marketing platforms to communicate your unique selling proposition, bar profits, and bar flys will increase.
Advanced restaurant marketing plans require critical thinking sessions with a marketing consultant every week. The world of online marketing moves fast and staying current is crucial to success. The marketing consultant should ideally have a degree in marketing and many years of experience in the field. Testimonials are a good indicator of their track record.
“Break the illusion of separation with your customer base, one story at a time.”
The best restaurant marketing ideas tell stories about the people who work there, about the food, the patrons, the thinking behind the food. Like any good story, these are elements that help potential customers identify in some way with the restaurant. More connections = more likability.
Facebook just happens to be one of the easiest, and most effective platforms for storytelling in 2013. So USE IT! However, keep away from political commentary. Restaurateurs making divisive political comments on Facebook or Twitter will lose more customers than they make.
Local SEO with keyword research, directory submissions and reviews are three additional focus areas for restaurant owners. These are specialized marketing tactics that restaurant owners should consider allowing professional marketers to help with every month. Staying competitive in business requires specialization of roles to keep operations running smoothly.
Optimize your web site for local search keywords your customers, and tourists, type into Google when searching for your business. Use your blog to add value to the reader. Websites aren’t just for large companies; now more than ever, small local businesses are realizing the importance of having a website and implementing an Internet marketing strategy. Engage in local SEO practices and be sure you get a keyword research report from a reliable online marketing company before you start optimizing your site.
Internet directories are the new yellow pages. Since the internet is the #1 place people go to find a restaurant now, it makes sense to get listed in as many local directories as possible. There are 100’s of local directories in your area – find them and get listed.
Yelp and Google reviews are the black swans for restaurant owners today. Online restaurant restaurant reviews are perhaps the most overlooked area of restaurant marketing today. It’s important to get creative and find ways to increase the number of positive reviews on Google Plus and Yelp. Consider teaming up with local food bloggers and turn them into brand ambassadors. Woo local food bloggers into reviewing your restaurant in return for a free meal. The back links will increase Google rankings, and the positive review will help your reputation.
Grow your email database and you’ll grow your restaurant business. Compared to direct marketing, email marketing is a less expensive way to stay top of mind with those bar flys. Keep customers informed with educational, entertaining, engaging information through your email newsletter every month, tie the content into social media and blog.
Restaurants need to market themselves – how they tell their story and explain why customers should give them a try is critical to long term success. Restaurants need to communicate consistently and creatively to their audience, and not go broke in the process. Get with a smart marketing company that’s familiar with the low cost, effective marketing tools and tactics. There are literally 100’s of no cost ways to market a business with the internet today. Learn them, and execute consistently.
Can I do it all by myself?
Can you cut your hair all by yourself? Well maybe yes, but how do you think it will turn out? Smart bar owners stay focused on what they do best, running the bar, and let a professional marketer do what they do best, shaping perceptions and winning the influencers.
Execution is everything. A tennis player does not have time to stop mid swing and figure out how to swing the racket. You have to go fast and stay consistent each month with your messaging. Brand building is all about being ubiquitous in the mind of the customer base.
The need to improve perceptions about your restaurant hasn’t changed, but the mediums for doing so have changed dramatically in recent years (social media, blogging, email marketing, SEO press releases, online reviews). Smart bar owners are using these new mediums to “influence the influencers” with smart brand messages.
Always remember, you could have a better product or service than your competitor, but if they’re telling a better story than you are, they’ll outsell you all year long. It’s all about GREAT storytelling.This is an ancient truth in marketing, and it’s especially relevant for restaurants and bars.
Above all, stay consistent with your marketing every month and your restaurant business will be more successful this year. Good luck, and here’s to capturing more market share and more bar flys in 2013.
