Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

//search engine marketing
* analyse what google finds if surfing your website with the following search term > site:www.petersonandcompany.net
so far you'll get like 12 results (and a lot with the same record) which is not much concerning the domain exists almost 8 years.

* optimise your content and add business related content to be found by as many different but relevant terms as possible. think about a glossary which is a good container to collect as much related content as possible and seem not too strange to users telling about something maybe not that relevant but very much searched by users. or even which is the latest web topic - bad example but anyway: obama.
> if you want to learn about digital market share optimisation check www.argyou.com

* start advertising with google adwords > www.google.com/adwords
make your keyword list and use the adwords keyword tool to find related keywords. start at least 3 campaigns using like 5 dollars a day and set "cost per click" to 0.5 dollars. check after 2 month which campaign was the most successful generating the most clicks and replace the 2 less successful with 2 new campaigns based on the learning and wording of the best. this way you optimize your clickrates and traffic streams. you only pay per click and if your campaigns work - you have no financial risks and can stop at any time.

* start analysing your webtraffic to learn which users come from where and what page is most popular to optimize your site and start cross selling from the most popular page. for example taxes is most visited page > promote financial plannings on that page and track how many also visit the financial planning page. implement the google analytics code and register at: www.google.com/analytics instead of that service you couls check your servers logfiles, but analytics is also usable in combination with google adwords so you have a greater benefit and connected overview

* ranking will get better and better if you have set up all the technical stuff nicely and optimised your content. so you will increase your "share of content" for your business. if you have the biggest piece of cake you win. also in "content world" - you will feel it in dollars but give you some time > as mentioned above check: www.aryou.com for this matter

//e-newsletter
* plan for every newsletter at least 1-2 workdays of work. texting, pictures, design, production, address management, dispatch. the own newsletter is hell of a work. keep it as short as possible. best just headlines with links to your website where the long textes are published. so you can track the activity of your readers and have a better control how much they like your content.

* also think to advertise in other business related and relevant e-newsletter with e.g. a free white paper (facts sheet, howto sheet, tips & tricks sheet - a pdf download)

* use a professional tool to avoid the spam trap. search for professional software or service companies. there is to much on stake to loose a good reputation by sending spam emails (emarsys, mayoris, but you have good ones in usa too)

// make some research:
- which business platforms are relevant for your company and which are affordable > financial matters, taxes, real estate
- where are some fans or pros of your company's business which have their own website or blog > see if you can write on their blog or if they become an affiliate for you or if they just link to your company
- check which platform is important for you and could be used to let your company happen

//other online marketing activities
* basically you have 4 possibilities:
- online advertising > banners, skyscrapers etc.
- publish > corporate blog, forum, white paper, youtube movie, twitter
- network > linkedIn, tell a friend feature, financial online communities
- position/ranking > search engine marketing (as described above)

* social networking / social media
weekly tip on youtube, write some daily topics which you are working on on twitter (be sure not to include sensitive information), how about facebook? maybe you feed your twitter content to your facebook profile that people can follow your topics and daily effort to help companies and people. maybe they suddenly need someone to help them and they pick you because they could follow your way of handling taxes.
> example: will it blend on youtube > https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=will+it+blend&search_type=&aq=...

> explanation social media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE
> explanation twitter.com > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

also check other shows on youtube of the beloved commoncraft couple explaining complex digital matters in easy words and passionated hand made animations.

* for your seminars make a nice coverage: offer powerpoint presentations, record voice or video. show a picture gallery of the seminar to bring users back to your website after the seminar > "happening extension". in advance make it easy to join your seminars by using an event tool like www.amiando.com and use features like couponing and viral ticketing.

* offer white papers for download as mentioned above - give something to your users. position yourself and your company as a pro by spreading professional know-how

* attention with forums - if this is not really used by your users it's not a good message you transfer. better blog yourself and let people comment and offer a moderated FAQ.

* to present your brochures in a modern and attractive way. use services like www.flipr.ch to generate a flipbook from a PDF - an easy to use page flipping flash feature > see example: https://www.flipr.ch/flip_books/samples

if you ask me where to start right now after all the possibilities i would give you the following priorisation:
1. make the research
2. think about digital benefits you can offer > white papers, discounts for online subscription to seminars, cooperations which bring your users a benefit > e.g. bookstore of your city/town offering a tips&tricks book about taxes
(3. bring your website to a technical business supporting level - if that's too much for now you will not have the full possible roi you could achieve)
4. register at google for adwords & analytics
5. try to find affiliates and online platforms to spread your company and services
6. collect e-newsletter topics and think through your process - decide if you can manage periodically issues. you will find out how many issues are possible to handle, give users a reason why they should subscribe to your newsletter

if you have any further questions don't hesitate to contact me

kind regards from switzerland and welcome to the online marketing world

floto