You have a great idea for a post, article, newsletter or report. This is pretty big news and you want everyone to open it and read it. So where do you start. How do you get to your goal of mass readership? You start with writing a killer headline.

Why?

Because, your headline is the first thing your readers will see. It is what starts the exchange of their time for your information. If your headline isn’t compelling to your reader then they will not continue reading. You need to submit to the fact that every sentence you write is to get your readers to go to the next sentence and so on until they get to your call to action. If your headline does not compel them to go to the next sentence then you have no chance of succeeding. You have failed.

Here are some interesting statistics you want to be aware of.

8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest.

Don’t let those numbers fool you.  It is very difficult to write a post that gets mass readership. You can be a great writer but that has nothing to do with getting readers if you cannot get them past the headline. Here are 5 tips to help you write that killer headline that will help you improve your odds and help you get closer to reaching your goal. These tips have been around since man started writing but I find they are a great reminder.

1. Get to the point – first impressions count. Important! Read this blog post.
2. Be bold and controversial. Read this blog post, or else!
3. Include your keywords in your headline. Why you need to write killer headlines
4. Solve a problem. How to get your blog post read.
5. Use headlines that contain a list. 5 ways to write a killer headline.

This is just the tip of getting to your goal.  You still have to get your article in front of people so they can read it.  Be sure to promote it to your lists, share it on your social networks, ask your friends to share/like it, cross your fingers, hope, pray and then just maybe you will reach your goal. Until then, keep creating killer headlines and great content.

Remember, you don’t have to start big but you do have to start.  Keep us posted on your progress, we’d love to hear from you.

If you like this post then please consider sharing it.

Like it or not, Facebook is changing…..again. But we already knew that because one thing that Facebook is good at is change.

Here are some of the changes you will see

• Your posts will now appear on a single wide column on the left as opposed to two columns.

• Tabs will appear under your cover image replacing the boxes there now.

• Following in Twitters footsteps your subscribers (not your friends list), the people who subscribe to your public updates will now called followers.

• Also following Twitters lead, your name will appear in white over the bottom of your cover photo. So make sure your picture isn’t white or it will be hard to read.

Facebook is not known to comment before a design change, and there has been no official word from the company however; according to the buzz on social media, the changes have started to appear in New Zealand.

So in the end we are going back before Timeline and adding a cover photo and a few ideas borrowed from twitter.

#Awesome!

Why Client Testimonials Are Important

Customer testimonials are an important part of your online marketing program and to your online business growth.  We tend to ask and trust friends, co-workers, and neighbours for recommendations on reliable services or products.  Customer testimonials are word of mouth marketing from your friends.

Clients will have an easier time trusting your company when they see that previous customers were happy with their experience. You can tell me all day long how great you are, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll believe you – after all, you are trying to sell me something.  Remember, if you say it then it’s a claim, but if a customer says it then it becomes a fact.

To get started you will need to make a list of all those clients you haven’t had a testimonial from and drop them an email and simply ask for the testimonial.  Be sure to get permission to share it online and if possible link back to your client’s website.  Once you receive the testimonial be sure to include their name and company when posting it online. Lastly, remember to thank the client for their time.

Here We Grow Again

We are updating our website and need client testimonials.  If you have enjoyed reading our posts or have worked with us in the past and want to share your experience then we want to hear from you. Simply leave a comment below, write your testimonial, include your company name and web address that we can link to.

Thanks for your time and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you have not yet socialized your companies web site then you could be falling behind the curve. The new buzzword for 2013 will be social business and it is worth paying attention to. Your customer is more interested in purchasing from a company they can interact with rather than one that has no social presence.

If you are a SME, we are not suggesting you change your business but simply integrate with an online strategy. Over 90% of people are more inclined to purchase from companies that are using a social media channel. For 67% of people, Facebook is their preferred social media channel.  This from Accenture Interactive (@AccentureSocial) in a study released Nov 2012.

Kevin Casey notes in Facebook facts for SMBs that fans beget more fans. 56% are more likely to recommend a business of which they are a Facebook fan. Also, popularity produces sales—a whopping 51% are more likely to buy after becoming a fan. So, doesn’t it make sense to know who your customer is, understand their social platform and publish authentic content they can like and become fans of?

Scott Stratten, President of UnMarketing reminds us that people are passive in person, yet aggressive online. They are not going to answer your survey online, they are not going to tell your employees anything they are going to vent online. This is the most viable type of feed back you can hope for. It is realtime, honest and raw. You are no longer B2B but P2P – Person to Person.

2013 will bring more change to your media and marketing.  You need to get social.  You need to create awesome experiences and creative things that get people finding, visiting, clicking, liking, following, sharing, tweeting and most importantly… talking. Because once people get talking to you and about you, that’s when good things begin to happen.

Photo credit: Ethan Hein / Foter / CC BY

No matter what type of business you have you know without customers – you have no business. How do you get those customers to remember your name, visit your website, or walk in your door? How can you make your business stand out when consumers today are bombarded with every level of marketing? The key is a good internet strategy. With the majority of consumers today spending time online you must not only understand how to increase your online traffic but you have to act on it!

What makes a good internet strategy? There are a wide range of options that can be utilized on their own or together to generate traffic. Here are a few to consider:

Blogs – Web logs have become a powerful traffic generating tool; they allow your customer to develop a greater familiarity and connection with you and your business. Your blog creates a ‘face’ for your company and studies show consumers are more likely to do business with a company they feel they ‘know’ than on they feel is anonymous.

Video – Video is a more recent tool in the online marketing toolbox but it is rapidly growing into one of the most powerful options because you can implement video marketing on your website, embedded into your blog posts, or on social media websites like Facebook or YouTube.

Newsletters – Newsletter can inform your customers of new initiatives, developments, and programs within your business in a succinct and direct manner. By offering an opt-in on your website you can use that information to build a database of actively interested consumers you can market to.

Squeeze Pages – A squeeze page is a single web page that is used as a ‘landing’ site for interested consumers to learn more about your business and services and again offers an opt-in that can help you generate leads for direct and specifically targeted marketing which can lead to a dramatic increase in your ROI and profitability experienced through online marketing.

A good internet strategy can play a significant role in the success of your business, but you have to choose the options that work best for your customers and services.

Photo credit: 27147 / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND