10 Link-Building Tips for Beginners – Part Two

Link building, or 'link baiting' is really about one thing – creating quality content. Quality content in turn attracts non-directed traffic and is more likely to encourage external links. Acquiring genuine inbound links to your website has a direct impact on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

However, with the introduction of social media being added to the mix, the landscape has inevitably shifted once more. Whilst some may prefer to stick to more 'traditional' methods, as any good digital marketer will tell you, one must adapt to succeed.

In part two of this two-part article, we'll take a look at some simple techniques for building inbound links using social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

6. White It Down
White papers are quickly becoming the 'go-to' currency for marketers hungry for credible source/reference material. A well-written, authoritative white paper is worth its weight in gold, and will quickly gain popularity within your network and beyond as others link to the material. It's pretty much the perfect marketing tool in that authors gain credibility and publicity in one hit – and an essential tool for any serious internet marketer.

7. Help Your Fellow Man (or Woman)
In much the same way as a white paper will lend the author credibility and gain publicity – informative blog posts are a great way of building links within the online community. Internet marketing is founded on the concept of an 'Econsultancy' – and marketers must be prepared to give in order to receive. If executed efficiently, allowing others to benefit from your own experience is the gift that just keeps giving.

8. Be The Life Of The Party
It's not all work, work, work. Punctuating more serious content with witty, irreverent material is a great way of maintaining interest in your brand. Even better – try and combine the two (www.private-eye.co.uk would be a great example here) in a knockout combination. Folk love nothing more than to show friends how 'in-touch' they are by sharing a clever joke.

9. It's All in The Title
As with the press release, formulating an attention-grabbing headline represents half the battle. We're not just talking about people here, but search engines. A keyword-rich, bold headline is far more likely to be picked up by those friendly little search engine bots.

10. And Now For Something a Little Different...
Don't be afraid to try something new. No one ever began a new trend without swimming against the tide. Okay, so maybe starting an internet marketing revolution may sound like a lofty ambition, but as they say – you never know unless you try. At worst it will set you aside from the crowd. When you sit down to write that next blog post – consider doing something a little different.

If you would like to discover how online marketing can benefit your business, please call 01454 261111.

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LinkedIn, Social Networking and Your Business

Much like social media for the business-minded person, LinkedIn has rapidly grown over the last few years to represent the platform of choice for serious networkers the world over. With over 75 million members in over 200 countries, for many small and large businesses alike the question has become not so much "do I need to join?", but more "can I afford not to?".

So why is LinkedIn so popular? What's it all about? Well, for one thing it's free and relatively simple to set up a profile. Of course in this world 'free' doesn't necessarily equate to 'quality', so just how has LinkedIn been able to break the mould? In this two-part article we'll try and find the answer to these questions and more.

What's It All About?
LinkedIn was established in 2003, principally as a social networking site for the global business community. Since then, the site has grown to encompass a user base of 75 million members spanning some 200 countries and is available in the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

The site basically allows users to build their own business profile, whilst expanding a network of trusted business contacts (or 'connections' as they are known). Of course, in turn each of those contacts has their own pool of contacts and so the network expands exponentially. Figures indicate that a new member joins approximately each second, so it's not difficult to see the far reaching potential of the LinkedIn community.

Connections can then be used in various ways, but principally to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by a connection from within one's own network. Of course this also extends to second and third-party connections (friend of a friend, friend of a friend of a friend and so on!). It's basically one giant, global 24hr networking event.

LinkedIn or Facebook?
How does LinkedIn compare with other social media platforms such as Facebook? The first and most obvious difference between LinkedIn and Facebook (which we'll use here to illustrate the point) is their principal purpose – LinkedIn has been designed with business and professional interaction in mind, whilst Facebook is aimed at social, light-hearted fun. Of course as the social media marketing phenomenon has gathered momentum, the lines have inevitably become a little blurred.

Over the last few years both Facebook and its users have demonstrated a remarkable amount of adaptability and innovation when it comes to business and marketing – principally through the ability to create a profile (or page) for your business, promote and then market it through a variety of channels. Other users have the option of joining the page by becoming 'fans', and administrators then have free reign to update content and posts as desired. Updated content is automatically fed through to fan pages via the content feed.

It's a tremendously dynamic marketing and networking tool. By comparison LinkedIn has remained relatively static. This said, however, when making a comparison one has to bear in mind the intended audience. Facebook business is ideally suited to small, dynamic SME's who wish to get their name out there – however LinkedIn caters far better to the more established professional wishing to interact purely on a professional basis.

What Does The Future Hold?
At this stage, integration between the two platforms seems unlikely. It is highly doubtful Facebook will ever present a viable threat to LinkedIn – a limit of 4000 'connections' ultimately prevents it from being a suitable business networking solution for serious networkers and professionals. And of course the same applies in reverse. Indeed many users currently have opted for a profile on each platform, and for very different purposes. Ultimately it seems that it is this inherent difference that will prevent their paths from crossing.

If you would like to review the effectiveness of social media marketing activities, please call 01454 261111.

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Going Mobile to Win More Customers

Use of mobile devices (or 'smart phones' as they are often known) has increased exponentially over the last few years. Thanks mainly to Apple's pioneering iPhone, which uses a simple but revolutionary touch-screen interface, staying online on-the-go is now easier and faster than ever before.

So what does this mean for businesses eager to tap into this new found mobile demographic? Whilst many devices feature full internet browser capability, the rush to create 'mobile-only' versions of popular websites has seen the development of a new and hugely popular market – the mobile website.

Mobile Websites for Business
For many users, smart-phones have become a part of everyday life – accessing train times, cinema listings, the latest football scores and of course GPS (most devices now feature Google Maps or similar application).

Designed specifically to match a smart-phone interface, the emphasis here is on usability, simplicity and efficiency. In this article we'll take a look at some key reasons why creating a mobile website could be beneficial for your business.

Reaching New Customers
According to technology research company Gartner Inc. (www.gartner.com), smart phone use is on the rise – and fast. During the first quarter of 2010 worldwide sales jumped 49% from a year earlier to 54.3 million units. By 2011, industry experts believe the number of smart mobile devices will exceed traditional desktop PCs. With over 50 million iPhones already in the hands of content-hungry consumers – the potential of this market is huge.

Enhance Usability
Most 'full-size' websites aren't designed with tiny screens in mind. From flash issues to font size, assuming your website will cater to mobile devices could be a costly mistake. Mobile sites are developed specifically for the platform. That means ease of use, seamless navigation and a great user experience. It is also a simple way of expanding your brand cross-platform.

Stay Ahead of the Pack
The mobile revolution is still young – adopting the platform at this early stage could pay dividends further down the line. Chances are your main competitor has yet to launch a mobile site, giving you access to a virtually untapped resource of potential clients.

If you would like to explore going mobile for your business, call 01454 261111.

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6 Clever Ideas For Creating Compelling Blog Content

The world of blogging has little in the way of rules, and even less in the way of boundaries. This freedom however doesn't necessarily equate to an easy ride when it comes to crafting compelling content for business. The blog itself is fast becoming one of the main tools in any internet marketer's arsenal, however for many the most challenging aspect remains maintaining a flow of quality content.

In this article we'll be looking not so much at what to write about, but how to write about it. Fresh, engaging and optimised content is the order of the day here – after all blogging for business is about attracting traffic and keeping the reader coming back for more.

1. List Your Ideas
Many new bloggers start out with good intentions, but quickly run out of ideas and/or motivation. A great way to avoid this is to develop a list of topics from the outset, from which you can pick your posts. We're not just talking about 5-10 topics here – think longer-term towards 50 or even 100. Farm ideas from online content and keep list up to date by creating a draft post of ideas on your blog dash post for ease of reference.

2. Double Your Earning Potential In 5 Easy Steps!
Okay, so we're not talking money here, but you get the point. An attention-grabbing title will make the difference between whether established or new readers decide to read the post. Part of this process involves understanding your demographic and how to get their attention. Establishing this early on will make life much easier in the long run.

3. Quality, Not Quantity
For all but the most niche of subjects, blog content should be optimised to retain the reader's attention over a short period. This means using simple formatting techniques to convey your point in a simple but effective manner, as opposed to reams of text:

• Use paragraph headings/quotes/bullet points wherever possible to punctuate the copy
• Use bold/underline/italics where appropriate
• Utilise images and/or multimedia content
• Ensure your font is of a decent size allowing readers to take in information easily

4. Exchange Wordiness For Conciseness
In other words, don't waffle. Be concise and to the point. Heard of the term 'all killer, no filler?' – adopt this ethos when approaching your next blog post and you'll be on the right track.

5. Link It
Building links are not only great for attracting traffic and building the strength of your page, but sourcing appropriate external material is a great way of demonstrating your authoritative grasp on the subject at hand. Consider other blog material too, and the favour will no doubt be returned.

6. Stay On Track
Remember, establishing a loyal readership is about writing appealing content that is relative to their needs/interests. Whilst the occasional off-topic entry is fine, maintaining a consistent flow of quality content is vital to build your image as an expert in your field. It's not easy, but if you're serious about blogging for business quality control should be top of the list.

If you would like help planning and implementing a content marketing strategy for your blog please call us on 01454 261111.

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