Website Marketing Basics: Keyword Research
Posted by Salem Global on Aug 24, 2009
For this weeks tip of the week we’ll start by getting back to basics.
This means keyword research. All search engine optimization and website marketing stems from keywords and from prioritization of these keywords. There are three variables that must be accounted for when doing keyword research.
1. Industry knowledge; you’ve been in business for X amount of years, no one knows your industry better than you, you are the authority on your company, your topic, your business, your industry. Therefore, your keywords start with you. Make a list of keywords that you think people will search for you under. Then ask you clients and customers how they search for you and ultimately find you. Also, what location are you trying to target? Are you local or national? If you are local to New York, and even more, targeting towards New York City, don’t forget that there are five ways of saying New York City (NY, NYC, New York, New York City, and Manhattan). And what about your street; are you on Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, Wall Street? And finally, if you are in suburbia or in a neighborhood are you downtown, uptown, UES, UWS, midtown etc.? All of these factor into researching your keywords.
2. Now that you’ve identified your own keywords, we need to go to Google. At https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal you will find Google’s somewhat exact (and we believe there is some margin of error) numbers revealing how many searches there are every month for a particular keyword or keyword phrase (i.e. “website marketing” yields 165,000 searches per month and it just so happens that SalemGlobal shows up first in Google for “website marketing” so you can only imagine how many leads we get per month).
3. The third variable is the marketing expert. Meaning, you will know your own industry and the software will reveal the numbers involved but only a marketing professional can add the insight needed to successfully market your business.
Your keywords and prioritization of keywords are the basis to any online marketing campaign, if you would like to know more or have any questions feel free to email me at raphis@salemglobal.com, call us at 212-993-5828 or visit our website, www.SalemGlobal.com
Next week we will talk about implementation of keywords, where and how to implement these keywords.
Website Marketing Question of the Week: Should I hire a Web Design Firm with Marketing Skills or a Marketing Firm with Web Design Skills?
Posted by Salem Global on Aug 18, 2009
The quick answer to this question is really neither.
You should hire a web design firm that has great references, testimonials and great design. A design firm should have a senior experienced artist that is the lead for your project. This does not mean that they had to graduate from an art institute, the SVA or FIT. After all, my 7 year old has great art skills and he doesn’t have a formal electronic art education 
But seriously, I don’t care how they BECAME a great designer, I just want them to BE a great designer.
Here at SalemGlobal we used to have web design and programming in-house but changed our business model because we found them to be two very separate skill sets. My personal story is that 12 years ago when I started up this company I thought that I could do it all or MANAGE it all. And I was right. I could. HOWEVER, just because I could MANAGE designers doesn’t mean that I could fix or improve what they did or give them advice. Sure I know Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator but I don’t have that artistic touch or eye. Therefore, when looking for someone to DESIGN your website, check out their portfolio and see if their STYLE works for you. Of course, this is all completely separate from how companies price their services. You can get a great designer for less than you would think and sometimes you will pay through the nose for design that really isn’t all that spectacular.
On the marketing side, I personally do not believe that all creative designers and artists have the analytical and strategic marketing sense to help you make money from your website and/or your online strategy. They might know about design and color but not about the audience and consumer behavior. My advice to you is to go with the marketing company that practices what they preach. If they work on the organic side, see what keywords they have positions for. On the PPC (pay per click) side, see what kind of success rate they have (not click throughs or impressions).
As for programming, I don’t worry about such matters. Programming is scientific and there are many programmers out there that do a great job. Just make sure the past sites work, are scalable and don’t overburden your team. Programming should be logical and work. And be careful whether the company you hire is not outsourcing to someone else unless that’s ok with you. Just like the design firm, the programmers should have experience if problems do arise and/or if you want to upgrade.
If you have any questions or would like to know more send me an email, give us a call at 212-993-5828, or check out our site, www.SalemGlobal.com.
Hyundai Knocks Out Ford For #4 Spot in the World
Posted by Aryeh.Landowne on Aug 13, 2009
Toyota, GM, VW and now Hyundai!
Hyundai-Kia has replaced Ford as the world’s 4th best auto maker. The ranking, reported by Automotive News on Sunday, is based on global automotive sales. Hyundai-Kia sold 2.153 million cars between January 2009 and June 2009 to drop Ford, which sold 2.145 million cars, to number 5 in the world.
Since 2000, when it ranked 10th on the list, Hyundai has risen in the rankings and has held the 5th spot since 2007. Experts didn’t think number 4 was attainable for Hyundai this year since its trailed Ford by over one million cars sold in 2008. But due to the economic situation in the US, Ford’s sales dropped by 30% over the last year, enabling Hyundai-Kia to grab the fourth spot.
Experts suggest that Hyundai-Kia may even rise to the third spot within a few years due to the separation between General Motors and Opel, which handles GM’s production and sales in Europe, in addition to the economic situation in the US.
Jump on the bandwagon and become part of Hyundai’s rise in the rankings by going to WorldHyundaiMatteson.com, the #1 Chicago Hyundai Dealer.
People Capital Poised to Launch Peer-to-Peer Lending Platform This Fall
Posted by Aryeh.Landowne on Aug 11, 2009
People Capital is putting the finishing touches on their innovative new peer to peer student lending platform. Their new site is on schedule to launch this fall. The platform will enable students to apply for and receive private student loans from individual investors as opposed to traditional lending institutions.
Using their patented Human Capital Score, People Capital can match students seeking funds for their education with investors looking to lend. Both parties involved win. The investors provide legally protected private student loans, which are not bankrupt-able. And the students get a loan at a reasonable rate, which might not have been possible due to their short or non-existent credit history, which is what most banks use to determine loan rates.
Check them out at www.people2capital.com and keep an eye out for the launch of their peer-to-peer lending platform this fall.
Producing a Video For Your Legal Practice or Law Firm
Posted by Salem Global on Aug 11, 2009
Last week we spoke about Doctors who have a patient-doctor confidentiality silent agreement. If I am not mistaken, I believe there is also a lawyer-client confidentiality agreement that might even be binding. I am not a doctor or a lawyer so PLEASE do not use this blog post without a little more legal research. As a marketer though, and as a small business owner, what I have learned from my experiences with lawyers working with them as clients AND vendors, that the rules of marketing your legal practice differ from any other profession.
Lawyers, (like doctors) usually have a specialty. There are general business lawyers, divorce and matrimonial attorneys, litigators, traffic lawyers, wills, trusts and estate attorneys, immigration lawyers, real estate lawyers, personal injury attorneys, employment attorneys, bankruptcy lawyers, entertainment lawyers, intellectual property lawyers and the list goes on. From my understanding, lawyers are allowed to advertise but they must indicate that they are advertising in the advertisement. In addition, they may not tell the world that they are specialists or are experts in a certain field.
Lawyers (like doctors) can be know-it-alls and they could have graduated at the top of their classes. They can be the smartest people in the world and the most skilled practitioners. But if they don’t market themselves and let the world know that they exist, they might lose out on the great potential of their practice and lose out on getting more business.
Funny thing is that we all think that lawyers have it made. You figure lawyers go to law school, graduate, make 100k, get raises, become partner, then make millions. But, unfortunately for lawyers this simply is not true at all. Lawyers really have to work in order to make that 100k and million. And in a bad economy, the trickle down factor works against lawyers as well.
Some lawyers are very skilled in their profession, but they are simply shy and a bit introverted. It’s not that they aren’t friendly, its just they don’t love to promote themselves. You don’t have to be outgoing to be able to read and draft very boring legalese. So today’s tip of the week is for that lawyer who needs a bit of a push onto the camera in front of the audience.
First, always start off that this is legal advertising. Then, you can do a monologue. The camera focuses on the lawyer and he or she introduces him/herself to the audience. She/he then introduces his/her practice, office and staff. Then they speak about the services his/her office offers. Then there is preparation before seeing a lawyer and what someone can do; gathering important documents, materials and papers i.e. birth certificates, business documents, deeds etc. In addition, to the monologue, there is also the “interview” where someone interviews the lawyer and asks them questions and he/she answers. Always have a disclaimer that nothing someone sees in a video online can be constituted as “legal advice,” and that if you DO need legal advice, you should seek out a professional. With these types of videos, you can certainly push out 52 videos in a year. Then next year - repeat the process. I guarantee it is all worth it!
There is a logical step to producing videos with anyone in any profession. If you need help thinking about, creating, directing and / or producing a video for your practice or profession, please send me an email, give me a call or check out SalemGlobal.com. Next week we will talk about general expectations for organizations seeking help with their online marketing efforts.
Gerrus Maintenance Joins SalemGlobal
Posted by Aryeh.Landowne on Aug 4, 2009
SalemGlobal would like to officially welcome Gerrus Maintenance Inc. to our family of clients.
Gerrus Maintenance, Inc. and its affiliates are the premier providers of professional cleaning services in New Jersey and nearby areas. They offer a full range of services from office building cleaning contracts to specialty industrial cleaning and maintenance, or heavy-duty residential projects. Whether you need one-time or repetitive commercial cleaning services, their quality-controlled staff, supervised and managed by professional chemical engineers, provides extraordinary service. Green maintenance supplies are available.
Choose from their fully insured and bonded cleaning services for offices, multi-tenant buildings, warehouses, factories, pharmaceutical sites, chemical plants, homes needing one-time heavy-duty residential cleaning, or water, mold, or fire damage cleanups and remediation.
Visit their site at www.Gerrus.com.
Producing a Video For Your Medical Practice or Vlogging for Doctors
Posted by Salem Global on Aug 4, 2009
Doctors not only need to have a specialty, they also need to have a good “bedside manner.” If you had to choose between the doctor that smiled all of the time vs. the doctor who never smiled, obviously you would go with the one with the friendly disposition. Doctors can be know-it-alls and they can be geniuses. They can be the smartest people in the world, the most skilled surgeons and have graduated at the top of their class. But if they don’t market themselves and let the world know how great they are, they might lose out on the great potential of their practice and lose out on helping as many people as possible.
The same holds true for the doctor in front of the camera. Doctors, just like anyone else, need to smile and show their friendly and warm regard through the lens.
Now you might say that some doctors are very skilled in their profession, but they are simply shy and a bit introverted. It’s not that they aren’t friendly, it’s just they don’t love to promote themselves. So today’s tip of the week is for that doctor who needs a bit of a push onto the camera in front of the audience.
In this economy believe it or not, people are actually scaling back on their health. I know it’s crazy, but some people are passing up on their annual checkups. Some insurance companies are charging higher premiums and people basically forget about their health. Recently I spoke with a Dentists office who said that fewer patients were calling up and scheduling appointments so they need to step up their marketing.
There are a few ways to get in front of the camera. First is the monologue. The camera focuses on the doctor and the doctor introduces him/herself to the audience. She/he then introduces his/her practice, office and staff. Then the doctor speaks about the services his/her office offers. Then there is preparation before procedures, and care after the procedures. In addition, to the monologue, there is also the “interview” as well as the “procedure.” With these three types of videos, you can certainly push out 52 videos in a year. Then next year - repeat the process. I guarantee it is all worth it!
There is a logical step to producing videos for anyone in any profession. If you need help thinking about, creating, directing and / or producing a video for your practice or profession, please email me at raphis@salemglobal.com, give me a call at 212-993-5828 or check out our site, www.SalemGlobal.com. Though SalemGlobal will work with any particular practice, we know that we can help dentists, orthodontists, lasik eye doctors, dermatologists, podiatrists and plastic surgeons. Next week we will talk about videos for the legal profession.