The “it” referred to here is adding new content to your website (let’s keep it out of the gutter, people).

When it comes to our websites, the fundamental complaint business owners have is not ranking high enough in the search engines. While
there’s the entire science of having the right keyword or keyword phrases, adding new content on on a fairly regular basis remains a critical part of higher rankings. Yet how many actually do it–add new content–each week?

Search engines only see words. Once a site has been indexed, it receives its ranking. If other website owners–new and those with existing sites–add new content with those same keywords, they can leave you in the dust.

That’s why having a blog that’s built into your website–not on separate blog sites–is critical to sustaining your search engine ranking. By simply posting a blog entry with your select choice of keywords, you are sending a message to the search engine spiders to “reindex me” with that new content. That helps keep your site from going to the bottom of the list.

So, how do you manage to do it at least once a week (shame on you if you haven’t caught on by now)? Here are some easy ways to consistently have fresh content:

• Hire a freelance article/blog writer like yours truly to draft a month’s worth of blogs.
• Make it a priority for you or a dedicated member of your staff to add content at least once a week.
• Recruit guest bloggers. Invite non-competitors who have a similar target audience contribute a blog to run on your site. You can return the favor by writing one for theirs. If you work this right, you can be writing one blog a month but have new content every week and reach additional audiences.
• Reference articles and link to them. That’s not advocating publishing an article verbatim on your blog. But a paragraph describing the article and then linking to it is fine.

Companies spend thousands of dollars in establishing a web presence. Yet it’s amazing how many forget to put that same effort on an
ongoing basis by updating the content to ensure the success of the site. By “doing it” once a week (or more), you can keep your website current and virile.

The perfect e-newsletter features a smoking subject line that demands, not asks, that you open the e-mail.

The design and layout looks like a piece of art. Subtle and sophisticated, it complements the words on the page beautifully.

The first headline fastens you to your seat like a nail gun at close range.

The articles suck you in and command you to call, click or e-mail, credit card or checkbook in hand.

The perfect e-newsletter.

And you know how many people will read that perfect e-newsletter?

That depends on one key factor: -whether or not you actually sent it.

It’s a trap that many small business owners fall into. You want your e-newsletter to be perfect. What happens is you sweat the tiniest details and then get caught up in the other many details of your business. Consequently, you miss an easy opportunity to consistently stay front-of-mind with customers/clients, prospects and, probably most importantly, your network.

One of the many beauties of the Internet age is the ease in which you can evolve your marketing materials with very little associated costs. A website, for example, is never truly finished because you should always be adding content. It’s the same for an e-newsletter. You put out your best effort and then keep tweaking to make the next effort even better.

Will it cost you business if you put out an e-newsletter that not done particularly well? Maybe.  Will it cost you business if you do
nothing and you don’t maintain consistent contact with your target audience? Most definitely. And that’s the true price of perfection.

On the flip side, it does illustrate a point that yours truly has tried to hammer home with clients and potential clients for years. You
must treat your subject line as your headline. If you do not give the reader a reason to open it, he or she will not. It’s just the nature of people these days. We only have a certain amount of time and if there doesn’t appear to be any news of interest in an e-mail, then we move on.

That’s not saying you have to resort to trickery and fancy word play to get people to open and read your e-newsletter. That typically
works only once and then you risk losing your readers forever. But you do have to deliver a punchy headline that scratches an itch or piques their curiosity-then deliver the goods in the newsletter.

The shame is that many e-newsletters do have a worthwhile message that can benefit the reader in some way-new product, new
service, tip on how to do something more cost-effectively. Then they essentially throw it away with a subject line like “News from …”.

You’re probably saying “Joe, you’re just trying to justify people hiring copywriters to do their newsletters.” My answer, “you’re darn right I am!” But the greater point, whether you hire a writer to do it or not, is that you should put as much thought if not more into your subject line as you do the introductory paragraph of the newsletter. It doesn’t even have to be the most creative headline of all time. Just tell them why they should open your e-mail and you’d be surprised how open rates will rise. And that’s a whole lot easier than finding an obituary with your name on it.

As for Dad, don’t worry about him. He eventually embraced the fax machine, cell phone and e-mail. Social media won’t be too far behind and he’ll be “Liking” his only son someday soon.

Coach DQ

Career Life Coach Dawn Quesnel, AKA Coach DQ, Quesnel is a professionally certified coach and an accredited member of the International Coach Federation (she recently received “Coach of the Year” honors from that organization’s New England chapter). In addition to coaching clients, Coach DQ frequently appears on local and national media outlets, including ABC-TV, FOX-TV, WGBH-TV, NYC Neighborhood TV Network, Disney Radio and Blog-Talk Radio. She most recently penned a chapter for SelfGrowth.com Founder David Riklan’s new book, “101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career”.

How long have you been using Constant Contact?

DQ:  Since 2004.

What Constant Contact products do you use?

DQ: I’ve used e-mail marketing and their survey product. 

What do you use it for?

DQ: To keep in touch with clients, associates, friends and family. 

What do you like about it?

DQ: It’s easy to use.

What’s been your biggest challenge in using Constant Contact?

DQ: Getting around spam filters

How successful has Constant Contact been in helping you grow your business?

DQ: Very helpful!  I love getting those e-mails saying, I’ve been on your e-zine for years and I’m ready to set up a coaching consult with you.

If you could cite one reason why companies, small business owners and organizations should use Constant Contact, what would it be?

DQ: It’s a great way to keep in communication with customers and clients.

Recently, yours truly wrote a press release for a PR Works client, Haley’s Tire & Service Center, with four locations in Maine. The owner, Tim Haley, was diagnosed two years ago with Stage IV colon cancer. After several operations and treatments, he received the go-ahead from doctors to participate in the Pan Mass Challenge, the 192-mile bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown to raise money for the Jimmy Fund. Haley raised $25,000!

This year, Tim is cancer-free and participating in the 2011 PMC. In working with Tim on a PR campaign for his four stores, we asked how he felt about using his story to promote his business. He wasn’t sure and asked a legitimate question, “wouldn’t it be exploiting his condition just to benefit his business?”

Not really and it goes back to the original point: people want to like who they do business with. Even more, they want to be inspired. If your business makes contributions to specific charities or you do volunteer work for certain causes and you use that as part of your marketing and PR, it is inspiring. Far from cheapening that effort, it brings attention to the cause, perhaps even making others want to contribute or volunteer.

Most of all, if you’re a small business owner and the face of your company, who you are and what you do in the community does impact your business. People will still make their buying decisions based on what fits their needs. But if there’s a chance for them to do business with somebody they like or admire for their efforts in the community or somebody they really don’t know, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know who will get their business. So why keep who you are and what you do secret?

Tim Haley didn’t’ and thank goodness.

An inspiring story is worth telling and certainly worth hearing. To read Tim’s story, here’s the articlethat appeared in the Portland Press Herald. If you would like to make a  contribution to Tim’s Team Headstrong, go to  www.pmc.org, click on the logo at the top left, and enter Tim’s EGIFT ID TH0130. All major credit cards are accepted. ]]> http://www.hiroadcommunications.com/why-business-is-personal/feed 1 http://www.hiroadcommunications.com/four-questions-to-ask-when-requesting-testimonials http://www.hiroadcommunications.com/four-questions-to-ask-when-requesting-testimonials#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 21:47:07 +0000 admin http://www.hiroadcommunications.com/?p=450 There are a number of reasons why many people put little stock in testimonials. The most obvious is that many testimonials do nothing but shower praise on a product, service or person with very little objectivity. Yet that’s not the real reason people hold their noses when reading some testimonials. It’s empathy-or lack thereof.

When people read testimonials, it’s largely because they visited a website or picked up a brochure for information on a product or service they thought could help them with whatever their problem or situation might be. If the testimonial contains nothing about the “pain” that caused them to seek out the product or service, the reader doesn’t really relate to it and it loses any influence it may have on making them take the next step. In the end, it becomes nothing but an ego stroke for the business owner-and that’s really not the intent of a testimonial.

So, how do you ensure a quality testimonial that creates a connection with the reader while reinforcing a positive image for the company?  What I’ve found to be most helpful in creating effective testimonials is having the testimonial-giver answer four basic questions:

• What did you hire Company X to do?
• How did it go?
• If there was one aspect of your experience with Company X that you would mention in a referral, what would it be?
• Would you refer Company X?

The responses to these questions typically set the scenario of why you would hire Company X, while pinpointing particular strengths. And even though it goes without saying that somebody providing a testimonial would refer that company, it never hurts to reinforce that in the testimonial.

Of course, there are a number of things a testimonial should contain to enhance its effectiveness and credibility (e.g. real first and last names, names of companies, etc.). But for a testimonial to truly be effective, it must figuratively speak to the reader and solve their pain-pretty much what the copy in all your collaterals should do.

Your skeptics will always doubt the authenticity of a testimonial. Give them an idea that you understand their pains with those testimonials and you’ve got a shot if the messaging in your collateral piece or website does the same thing.

Joe D’Eramo, freelance copywriter, says “Constant content is another reason to use Constant Contact.”

Over the course of the next several weeks, HiRoad Communications will be interviewing Constant Contact users to get their take on why Constant Contact remains their product of choice for e-mail marketing, event marketing and surveys.

First up, yours truly, HiRoad Communications, a Constant Contact user and reseller since 2002.

How long have you been using Constant Contact?

JD: We started using Constant Contact back in 2002.

What Constant Contact products do you use?

JD: About 99 percent of the time I use the e-mail marketing tool. Occasionally, we’ll dabble with the survey tool.

What do you use it for?

JD: I put out a monthly e-newsletter, Changing Lanes. It’s nothing that fancy. Just a newsletter that features some type of business writing tip. Usually, it’s just about sharing some product or tactic that’s worked for me in the past. Sometimes it’s anecdotal. In the past, I’ve even used testimonials from clients. It’s really just my way of demonstrating my expertise and knowledge on this subject.

What do you like about it?

JD: There are people on my e-mail list whom I’ve never met. There are people who I met several years ago and haven’t seen in person in more than five years. Yet every month, it feels like they hear from me on a frequent basis. Now I know part of that is my writing style because my writing has the feel of a conversation on the computer screen. But another part is they get used to seeing an e-mail from me, so I’m never completely out of mind.

What’s been your biggest challenge in using Constant Contact?

Biggest challenge might be a bit of an oxymoron when it comes to Constant Contact because it is so easy to use. I’m not a graphic designer by trade so I would have to say knowing where to put images so that it looks nice. Calling that a challenge is a bit unfair. It is so easy to use the templates that if you just follow what’s already set up, you can’t go wrong.

How successful has Constant Contact been in helping you grow your business?

It varies. I probably pick up an additional 5-10 percent in revenues because of my monthly newsletter. That’s either from work from previous clients or referrals from somebody on my mailing list.

If you could cite one reason why companies, small business owners and organizations should use Constant Contact, what would it be?

Just did. Keeping in regular touch with your existing customers and network is the main reason. One the main complaints you hear from small business owners is when one of their regular customers goes to a competitor for a service they offer. Now, there could be a number of other reasons why the regular customer went somewhere else. The most likely it was because they didn’t know the small business owner offered that service as well. With Constant Contact and a regular monthly or quarterly e-newsletter, you can easily prevent that from occurring. ]]> http://www.hiroadcommunications.com/why-constant-contact-works-for-me-%e2%80%93-a-constant-contact-review/feed 0