April 05, 2012

Webinar: State of the Local Marketing Landscape – April 10 at 10am CST

March 12, 2012

10 Ways to Grow Your Audience on Google+

You’ve probably heard about Google+ but have you considered what it can do for your business? It’s important to use Google+ for your business and integrate it with your website, so you can engage with your followers and increase your visibility on Google organic search results.

Create a compelling Google+ page:

1. Before you start sharing with your audience, followers or community members, select a great profile photo or your logo – this is the number one way people will recognize you on Google+. In addition, make sure to add five scrapbook photos; complete the “About” section; and add links to other destinations where you can be found across the Web.
2. Decide on a tone for your page, and stay consistent in your meaning so that your posts feel personal and authentic. It’s also good to let people know who’s contributing to your Google+ page by linking their personal Google+ profiles in the “About” section.
3. Use “Circles” to segment your visitors, customers and even internal teams so you can share the right information with the right people.

Engage your fans, followers and community:

1. Create a posting schedule and post at least once a day to make sure you are sharing new and interesting content that sparks genuine conversation. Remember to +mention others on Google+ who you may add to your post and in turn share your post with more people. The best times to post are from 10am to 1pm.
2. Share exclusive photos and videos with your fans and followers. You can edit your photos directly in Google+ and can even share animated GIF photos – a great way to draw attention on your page.
3. Engage your audience by posting questions and asking for feedback. Make sure to respond actively to your followers through comments and +1’ing, and credit your most active followers by +mentioning them in a post.
4. Regularly host “hangouts” to have real face-to-face conversations with your fans and followers from all over the world. Give your audience a behind-the-scenes tour; collaborate with members of your community on a new project; or simply say thank you to your supporters for all those +1’s.

Promote your Google+ page:

1. Spread the word about your Google+ page by sharing your page with people from your personal Google+ profile, your email contacts and by posting a link to your page on relevant blogs, websites and other social destinations.
2. Including a Google+ badge on your site allows people to +1 and add you to their circles directly from your website. It also connects +1’s from your homepages with +1’s on your Google+ page and ads (using Adwords Social Extensions), increasing the number of recommendations for your site.
3. Place an author tag on your online materials – which means your authorized photo and name appear next to search results for content you’ve created, like your official website, blog posts or videos. This way, people who search for you know what content was created by you.

Google +1 Button and Your Visibility on Google

Google+ is a button that provides people the ability to share recommendations and comments with friends, contacts and the rest of the world, similar to Facebook’s “like” button. The Google +1 button can be placed on any web page or ad. Once installed, viewers can click on the button to post their thoughts. The feature also provides the ability to send the comment to a circle of friends or contacts in an individual’s Google social network.

The button appears in Google search results and ads as well as Google Profiles, and searchers can click to read comments, all of which are public. The goal is to use the data to personalize search results and ads by serving sites recommended, or +1’d, by friends.

Benefits of Google +1

• Google algorithms may use your +1’s to determine your site’s ranking.
• Your +1’s will increase your site’s visibility on Google organic search results.
• Your +1’s may affect click-thru rate because of their effect on quality score rankings.
• Your +1’s influence your Google+ account by creating a connection between you and others. The more connections you have, the greater the reach and impact of comments – your +1’s.

Visit www.google.com/+/business to learn more about Google+ for your business

Key Research Findings On The Shift Toward Digital Media

As the new year swings into gear, we’d like to present a sample of the 2011 local media market research we study.

The steady shift towards digital media in local markets continues. The forecast in Figure A illustrates this trend. This projection is part of the November 2011 research provided by BIA/Kelsey, whose proprietary local media research is regularly quoted by major business and trade media, such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Forbes Magazine. Although the decline is steady, it is important to note its scale—gradual, averaging about two percent year-over-year for the next three years.

Figure B illustrates the reach of eight types of media. For example, 49 percent of the population was exposed to printed Yellow Pages directories.

Additional research provides insight into why people use a particular type of media when searching for local business information in Figure C.

The primary goal of directional advertising is to generate local leads, followed by an ancillary benefit of brand awareness.  The mediums typically used for local lead generation deliver tremendous value as indicated in Figure D.

We also rely on research provided by CMR Associates president Dr. Dennis Fromholzer.  In his September, 2011 YP Trends research, Dr. Fromholzer provides authoritative insight into the Yellow Pages headings that experienced significant growth over the 12-month period of data collection. Here is a summary of several of his key findings:

Call/Reference Growth and Stability

Active Buyers Influenced

Marquette Group Chief Operations Officer Recognized As One of Computerworld’s Premier IT Leaders for 2012

Duane Anderson, Chief Operating Officer for Marquette Group, Is Recognized As One of Computerworld’s Premier IT Leaders for 2012

Duane Anderson, Chief Operating Officer for Marquette Group has been inducted to the class of 2012 for Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders. This recognition is awarded to technology professionals who have demonstrated leadership in their organizations through the use of IT and have the strategic vision to align technology with business goals. Honored individuals manage internal IT organizations, mentor and motivate their teams with interesting challenges, envision innovative solutions to business problems and effectively manage and execute IT strategies.

“We reduced our overall IT investment from over ten percent of revenue to three percent by more diligently managing our maintenance capital and commodity expenses, then focusing our project/product investments on efforts more directly aligned with our strategic plan. As a fringe benefit, both our systems uptime and internal development output increased after these changes,” stated Anderson.

Prior to joining Marquette Group, Anderson was the IT project director for Harrah’s IT integration of Caesars Entertainment, the largest acquisition in gaming industry history. His team fully converted nine casinos to their customer systems within nine months of the deal’s close, on schedule and under budget.

February 10, 2012

Optimizing Your Visibility To So-Lo-Mo Status

Navigating the digital landscape can be a confusing prospect for many business owners.

As part of a series on the modern digital landscape, InterBusiness Issues published an article by Marquette Group’s Interactive Directors Gary Richmond and Steve Jurken.  The subject?  How businesses can increase their visibility in terms of “So-Lo-Mo”.  Social Media, Local Search, and Mobile Marketing are three core areas that no business seeking to attract local leads can ignore.

Read what strategies Gary and Steve suggest in Optimizing Your Visibility To So-Lo-Mo Status in the Feburary 2012 issue of InterBusiness Issues.