Angie Pedersen Writes

Content Marketing: What is It, and Why You Need It

I'm passionate about Content Marketing, the practice of offering information to put yourself in front of your target audience so you can be seen as an expert resource. And I'm not the only one abuzz about this hot marketing trend.

Wikipedia defines content marketing as, "an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation and sharing of content in order to engage current and potential consumer bases. Content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader attention and improving brand loyalty."

The Content Marketing Institute says that, "Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience - with the objective of driving profitable customer action."

According to "Copyblogger" Brian Clark, "Content Marketing means creating and freely sharing informative content as a means of converting prospects into customers and customers into repeat buyers."

No matter who you ask, or how they define it, content, and the marketing thereof, is what sets you apart from your competitors. Say you and theotherguy both sell the same widget. If you post a PDF tutorial on how to use the widget, plus a video of 10 different ways to use the widget, and theotherguy doesn't...chances are good that customers will give you their business, because you helped them do something they already wanted to do.

More than likely, you're in whatever business or industry because you love it, and know a lot about it. Now is not a time to be stingy with that information. Share it. Offer it freely. Dole it out in great heaping mounds. Because when you do, your audience will start to see you as an expert resource. They'll know they can come to you with questions about how to use your products or services, and trust that you'll be able to respond knowledgeably, and with a fair amount of insider insight thrown in. When you can shorten someone's learning curve with your been-there-tried-that counsel, you've just saved them TIME, which is often worth more than price of the object.

The types of content marketing you can offer are limited only by your imagination and technology. This series of posts will highlight some ways to distribute content, including:

• Videos
• Blogs
• White papers/"special reports"
• Podcasts
• Webinars/teleseminars
• Social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, et. al.

Be sure to chime in on the Comments section below with any questions you have about content marketing, and I'll try to cover them in future posts.

Online Video Marketing: Cast Yourself as the Expert

Walk on to any movie set and you’ll likely see a cast and crew of thousands, scurrying around like busy little ants -- makeup artists, cinematographers, producers, screenwriters...not to mention grips and gaffers. Observing all the controlled chaos may lead you to decide to leave film production to the professionals. But creating your own videos is easier than you might think and more rewarding that a gold statuette to gather dust on your mantle. In as little as 30 seconds, you can create something that will have your audience on the edge of their seats with their hands reaching for their pocketbooks.

HOW POPULAR IS ONLINE VIDEO?

Consider this: according to Nielsen, 166.9 million unique U.S. video viewers streamed almost 22 billion videos, in November 2011. [SOURCE: Nielsen Wire] Of even more interest to craft retailers, Nielsen also found that in one month (August 2010), over 25 million American women streamed video via social networks. [SOURCE: Nielsen Wire] So…why marketing with video? Since crafts are a very visual experience, it only makes sense to add a video component to your marketing mix.

Creative Retailer article: Boost Your Search Engine Mojo

As published in Creative Retailer magazine, October 2011 issue, pp 40-43.

 

"If you build it, he will come."

While Ray Liotta’s words to Kevin Costner may have worked in "The Field of Dreams", a lot has changed since 1989. The "if you build it" philosophy cannot be applied to a website since people can’t visit your site if they don’t know about it.

One of the best ways to entice visitors to your site is to become more attractive to the search engines. This process is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO) which involves a variety of tools and techniques, but it all begins with keyword research.

Think of how you find websites. Most likely, you begin at a search engine, like Google, Yahoo!, or Bing, where you enter a keyword or phrase to start your search. If you are looking for a plumber, you might enter the name of your city and the word “plumber”. Then the search engine compares those keywords to online web content, and returns links to websites that are the most likely to contain them.

Your ideal customer will use the same process. She might search for the name of her city and her hobby, such as “Houston yarn” or “Kansas City beading classes”, or maybe an occasion like “graduation scrapbook”. The search engine gives her a list of sites that contain those keywords. Will yours be on it?

Target Keywords – Get Familiar with Yours

In order to make the most of your web real estate, you need to think about how your customers might search for a business like yours. Ask yourself what keywords your customers might use to find you. Also ask yourself for which keywords you want to be found. Perhaps it is for something your business specializes in? Jot down a list of possible keywords to add to your site.

You can also take advantage of online keyword research tools to identify what people actually use as search terms within your market. Play around with Google's AdWords Keyword Tool. Just type in one of your potential keywords, and you'll get a list of keyword variations to consider. For example, type in "Chicago knitting", and you'll see keywords like "knitting supplies" and "knitting workshop Chicago". Note the frequency of the searches to determine which keywords will bring the most traffic.

Remember that the goal of a website is to act as online ambassador to encourage visitors to come into your store. When brainstorming potential target keywords, it’s best to use more than two words. Be specific. It is an obvious choice to use very broad terms like "scrapbooking" or "quilts". But your target audience is probably looking for something more specific -- and more local. Location specific keywords like "Kansas City scrapbooking" or "Portland quilting classes" are more likely to draw your ideal customer.

A side benefit of keyword research
When you discover the top keywords on related topics, you’ll get instant insight into your target market’s interests. You can turn around and use those ideas for inspiration for classes or blog posts. For instance, when you do keyword research for “knitting chicago”, you see a related search for “chicago blackhawks knit hat”, which could inspire a specific class topic. Once you know what people are searching for, you can create the resources to give it to them.

Use your target keywords

Once you determine your target keywords, it's time to put that knowledge to use. Your goal now is to post valuable content and become more attractive to search engines. According to Google’s Webmaster Tools, “Original content provides useful information to users, and can help your site's visibility in our search results. Consider adding video product demos or other rich content, such as user reviews, to your site. The more unique and compelling your content, the more likely it is to perform well in our search results.”

Step 1: Use target keywords in your website HTML tags, meta description, and webpage URLs.

This takes a little technical know-how, but online tutorials abound, as well as knowledgeable web designers. Consult one of those resources and update your website with your keywords. If you’re a local retailer, make sure to include the name of your city or closest metro area.

Step 2: Use target keywords in blog subject lines and blog posts.

Let’s say you just got back from the CHA tradeshow and you want to let your customers know about the new product you ordered. Soon shipments will be arriving from the latest hottest designers, and you have make-and-take examples from the show. You want your customers to stop by your store next weekend for a CHA Show-and-Tell. Should your blog subject line be:

• A) Sooooo excited!
• B) Fun stuff from CHA
• C) Scrapbooking Make & Takes with new Tim Holtz products – Next Weekend!

If you answered C, you’ve done your keyword homework! Mentioning your hobby market and specific designers in your website content makes you more likely to show up in related searches. Plus that headline is generally more appealing and enticing to your audience.

What Search Engines Mean to Your Business

Remember, people can't do business with you if they can't find you, and in today’s marketplace, they will try to find you online. Effective online marketing means you need to do some background research and legwork. Knowledge is definitely power – the more you know about what your customers are searching for, the more you can offer them.

NOTE: Read the full digital version of the magazine in the Creative Retailer online archive.

Creative Retailer article: For Inspiration, Just Pin Here!

as published in Creative Retailer magazine, February 2012 issue, pp 28-31

Many creative-type people have some system for keeping track of ideas and projects they find inspiring. Whereas these people once relied on corkboards hung above workspaces or in handy portable binders, they now depend more and more on digital sources. They use virtual clipping services or social bookmarking sites to create an ongoing list of favorites. These “inspire-me” compilations kept in the cloud make a handy reference guide, but lack the visual impact of yesterday’s inspiration boards. Until now. Enter Pinterest.

Pinterest.com is a “virtual pinboard”, where you can create “boards” made up of individual “pins” to bookmark ideas and projects you want to remember. You can also browse and follow pinboards created by other people – a great way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. In fact, one of Pinterest’s goals is “to connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting”.

Some savvy retailers have started using Pinterest, not only to bookmark inspirational ideas, but also to promote their businesses.

Debbie Dusenberry, owner of Curious Sofa, a creative lifestyle online store, is one of those retailers. When she closed her brick-and-mortar storefront, the primary customer complaint was the absence of Dusenberry’s trademark visually inspiring displays. Dusenberry sees Pinterest as way to provide visual inspiration for her customers, similar to the inspiration they once found by looking at her in-store displays.

“Pinning boards with various styles and ideas helps me to give them a little something to look at,” she explains. “I also personally like it because I miss all my shelter magazines and this is a great source for me to file away ideas.”

Since mentioning her Pinterest account (http://pinterest.com/curiousdeb) on her blog, Dusenberry reports that her followers have grown every time she posts something, usually about 12 new followers a week. Her followers currently number 390.

Dusenberry advises keeping a strict focus to identify the best pieces to pin. “Now that I am an online retailer, Pinterest is strictly business for me as is most of my networking. I want to be specific to what the Curious Sofa brand is about. My purpose is always focused on visual ideas in home decor, art and style. I am not interested in recipes, nail color, bridal dresses, cute quotes, etc. That is not what customers follow me for.”

Pinterest can also act as a sort of “creativity curator” service. “It can condense thousands of publications into the best of the best,” says Dusenberry. “It saves time. I discover magazines, blogs, websites, artists, countries and places I would have never found on my own.”

CraftsDirect.com, a brick-and-mortar retail store in Waite Park, Minnesota with an online storefront, also uses Pinterest to promote their business and inspire their customers. Nicole Klein handles CraftsDirect’s social media marketing. “First we always pin the store samples and projects we create here,” she explains. “I think our core followers are looking to us for those project ideas that we provide.” She also seeks out pins from other Pinterest users that she can “repin” onto the CraftsDirect boards (http://pinterest.com/craftsdirect/). “I try to repin things that I think our followers will enjoy seeing - crafty, creative, and fun things. I also always look for things that they can make or create using supplies they can find here at our store.”

“I also love that you can always link a pin to an original source,” Klein continues. “When we pin something of ours we always have it link back to a project sheet, our blog, website, or Facebook page. That way we don't have images of ours floating around without people being able to find us in the end. It is also helpful from the other side when we are trying to find more information about a project that we have found on Pinterest.”

Another tip from Klein: research which of your projects attract attention. “If you go to: http://pinterest.com/source/'YOURDOMAINNAME' you can see what people have pinned from your site,” she explains. “This is a great way to see what people like from our site. Of course it doesn't give a complete picture but it does give us a glimpse of what catches people’s eye.”

Like many social media tools in their infancy, it may be hard to judge the efficacy of marketing efforts with Pinterest. You can look at your blog or website statistics, and review the number of visitors referred by Pinterest, and talk to in-store customers to verify if anything pinned online brought them into the store. More than likely, pieces posted to Pinterest aren’t going to be a purchase-decider, but rather another brand marketing effort to establish your expertise within your field. Your audience will recognize that your Pinterest boards are a guaranteed creativity resource they can refer to when they need inspiration. Your other marketing communication efforts – such as email newsletters, Twitter posts about sales, and Facebook updates – can remind your customers to come in to your store.

So add a little visual interest to your news feed with a Pinterest account – one pin may be all it takes to convince a customer, “Oooh, I want to make THAT!”

NOTE: Read the full digital version of the magazine in the Creative Retailer online archive.

Social Media Case Study: Inventing a Niche Holiday

I put together a PDF case study for the holiday I co-founded with Susan White of Triscape. This 11-page document follows the holiday invention process, from concepting to vendor partnerships to grassroots promotion via social media.

You can also view & download the PDF on the Box.net site: Social Media Case Study

Web Content & Banner Ad Copywriting Portfolio

Webpreneurs - Doing Business Virtually

You could call them "minipreneurs" – Trendwatching.com did.  Back in 2005, the independent consumer trends firm coined the term "Minipreneurs" to refer to "a vast army of consumers turning entrepreneurs; including small and micro businesses, freelancers, side-businesses, weekend entrepreneurs…and so on."  A 2005 study by Mastercard and Warillow International revealed a then-new class of small business, the "Web-Driven Entrepreneur", which represented 25% of the U.S. small business market, accounting for more than 5 million businesses. 

The internet is one of the driving forces in the rise of the minipreneur sector – quite literally, the internet has changed how we do business.  So what does an internet-based business look like these days?  How can you use the Web to boost your business?  You'll get a different answer, depending on who you ask.

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Jackie Bogert,LifetimeMoments.com

Jackie Bogert is the owner of the popular scrapbooking website community LifetimeMoments.com.  What started as an online storefront and web community has grown to include a brick-and-mortar store and sizeable warehouse property. 

Create Community
One of the biggest draws to the site is the active message board community.  Bogert employs a team of 12 women to help manage and guide discussion and activities on the message boards, so there's always something happening.  Customers know they can visit to the message board 24/7/365 to find project inspiration, creative counsel, and fellowship with like-minded hobbyists.  With nearly 10,000 registered users, the forum is a valuable resource for Bogert’s business. 

Offer Creative Inspiration
Much of the creative inspiration at LifetimeMoments is provided by Bogert’s team.  They design sample projects using products stocked in Bogert's store.  They contribute to a weekly e-newsletter, cramming it full of creative ideas, all linked through to Bogert's store.  Team members also actively participate on the online message board, providing creative "I-challenge-you-to…" tasks for visitors to complete.  Their challenge examples are often completed using products from Bogert's store.  Take a cue from Bogert here: give your customers a place to gather, and some inspirational points to consider, and soon you'll have customers with buzzing brains and itchy crafting fingers eager to get down to work.  And if you happen to stock the products that will help them do that…so much the better. 

Communicate with Your Team
As you can imagine, all these promotional activities take a great deal of pre-planning and coordination.  Bogert and her staff handle all the administrative tasks via the Internet.  That's because, while Bogert's business is based in Michigan, the rest of the team is scattered in eight states across the U.S, plus one international member from Denmark.  The Internet makes this possible – and successful.

Most team business is conducted via email, as well as a private Design Team forum on their message board.   The forum is set up so only specific usernames have access, so the team can have private discussions related to site business.  “We use the private DT forum to do formal planning for newsletter features, discuss new products, brainstorm article ideas and share tips with one another on a daily basis,” reports Bogert.  “At the same time, we've been able to informally get to know one another and have built amazing friendships.”

Even in her brick-and-mortar store, where she shares an office with two other women, Bogert still turns to the Internet to communicate.  "We both actually email one another as our primary means of communicating about tasks. It enables us to be organized and work on things as we have time…we found that a great way to communicate quickly throughout the day is through Instant Messenger in addition to email."

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Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com

Dina Giolitto is the owner of WordFeeder.com.  She is a freelance service provider, offering copywriting and marketing services to other business owners, often entrepreneurs themselves.  Giolitto markets her services primarily online, via a website, blogs, and e-newsletters. 

Play the Corporate Card
For her, working virtually is the ideal situation.  "Most people who come from a corporate/business background already work virtually for the most part anyway," says Giolitto. "They know their way around email, the Microsoft Word 'track changes' feature, Google, the web. Lots of teams have their projects set up on virtual systems like Base Camp. This lets them do anything from scheduling jobs to tracking milestones to communicating with teammates to uploading documents."

Even Writers Can Go Paperless
Email allows Giolitto to accomplish a wide variety of administrative tasks related to her business: creating/sending project proposals and price quotes, drafting/sending written documents, editing copy drafts, and writing website copy.  She even faxes via email – for this, having an all-in-one printer/fax/copier/scanner is invaluable.  "No need to run out for fax paper," she says, "you just scan the client contract, sign, scan again, and email them the document. They love not having to wait."

Keep the Lines Open
Giolitto also makes use of phone and conference calls.  "In the case of solopreneurs, we just discuss important aspects of their projects on the phone. Small marketing agencies and corporate teams are typically good with setting up conference calls. If everyone on the team works virtually from a different part of the country, the project lead will set up one of those 1-800 conference call numbers so we can all dial in with a PIN. It's really very effective."

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Molly Newman, Associate Editor, Digital Scrapbooking* magazine

Molly Newman is the Associate Editor of Digital Scrapbooking magazine.  Although the magazine's offices are in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, but Newman lives about 800 miles away in Portland, Oregon, where she works remotely from my home office. She also homeschools her two sons, ages six and eight, "which has really required some intensive planning and scheduling to try and keep all the balls in the air."

Newman's home office space is the entire second floor of her house, "a long, skinny attic room" which she shares with her husband  Her half of that space is also divided – computer and files on one side, scrapbooking and craft supplies on the other. The "leftover" space is dedicated to homeschool space

Some of Newman's best practices: "I've found that, for me at least, it is absolutely essential to have a well-implemented time management system. Especially because I tend to procrastinate... shhh, don't tell! The resources I recommend are David Allen's 'Getting Things Done' and Julie Morgenstern's 'Time Management from the Inside Out.' David Allen focuses quite a bit on the problems of 'knowledge workers,' or those who have to juggle multiple simultaneous projects and cope with a near-constant stream of interruptions. Julie Morgenstern is oriented more toward those who have (or need) a more formal daily/weekly schedule. I use practices from both writers--I need daily flexibility and weekly structure to ensure I can handle the constant changing demands of work, family, homeschool... the list goes on.... I really think that it's much harder to manage time well when you're working completely independently, and when no matter what you're doing, there's something else you could/should be doing instead. (Cleaning the bathroom... folding laundry... blogging about some cool new product... yeah, the list goes on.)

"I write absolutely everything down so I won't forget it. I don't have an actual planner, though I used to keep one up religiously--instead, I have a Miquelrius Spot 4 notebook. It's divided into four color-coded sections, and I have sections dedicated as follows: work/meeting notes, personal notes, to-do lists and shopping lists/menus. I also use Google Calendar to keep track of all appointments, and as of a few weeks ago, I also schedule tasks on specific days using Google Calendar to ensure I have enough time blocked out to do everything and to try to keep from dropping the ball on different projects.

"I am trying to keep my weeks to a pattern where Wednesday is my "work hard all day" day and Thursday is my "spend time with the kids" day, though of course this schedule has to shift from week to week depending on time pressures. I've found it's not too hard to "train" people to expect me to be at home/available on Wednesdays but not on Thursdays. I'm also trying to break myself of the habit of checking e-mail every fourteen seconds, though that's a hard one to quit! I find that if I check and respond to my e-mail three times a day--morning after an hour or so of intensive work, after lunch, and at about 4 or 5 pm--that's usually enough and I don't have people running after me for something I've missed.

"One important idea I've gleaned from David Allen is the notion of the 'Weekly Review.' This is when you take an hour or so to process everything in your inbox, evaluate the status of various projects, check out what's coming up on your calendar... basically to give everything the once-over so there are no surprises and nothing forgotten.

"And I can't forget my absolute #1 way of getting things done: my timer! I have a red timer that goes around my neck on a lanyard so I look like some insane coach... really, most of the time it's just on my desk. Every time I have something that NEEDS to get done, I set my timer... usually for about 5 minutes LESS than I actually think it will take... and start cranking away. My reward for beating the timer? I get to play a game of FreeCell on my computer! (I gave myself 20 minutes to answer your questions, tee hee.) Seriously. It sounds so dopey and kindergartenish to use a timer, but it has done more for my productivity than anything else."

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Learn from the Web Biz Whizzes

Learn from Jackie

Set your expectations formally - get the 'business' out of the way first.   Make sure your staff knows what is expected of them.  Bogert's staff has signed both a confidentiality agreement and a Design Team agreement. Outline any deadlines for turning in projects, as well as consequences for not completing them on time.

Communicate clearly and professionally. Establish a high level of professional mutual respect.  Make team members feel valued and happy to be a part of a professional team.

Learn from Dina
1. Keep your computer files organized in folders. "I learned the importance of having a hierarchy of folders and computer files from working with graphic designers who manage thousands of design files daily…As soon as they email you something, do a SAVE-AS and transfer the document to their personal folder on your computer."

2. Back up your data. Giolitto recommends purchasing a removable storage device, such as the Maxtor OneTouch Manager. "Make it part of your routine to plug it in and back up your files. It's really easy and worth it if your system ever crashes." 

3. Stay virus and spyware-free by keeping your antivirus and firewall updated and fully engaged. Or you may have to reinstall the operating system that came with your computer, and then "spend the next six hours rebooting all the disks, redownloading all the programs you bought off the internet, and re-establishing all your passwords."

4. Keep your machine clean and operating at peak performance.  Always clear old cookies or temp files when you've completed an internet session. Routinely run Disk Cleanup and Disk Defrag. (These programs are located under Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools.)

Learn from Molly
Take Advantage of Web Resources.  In Molly's Favorites list:

• Getting Things Done: http://davidco.com/ and http://lifehacker.com
• Time Management from the Inside Out
• DIY Planner (but heed Molly's warning: "do not waste hours and hours geeking out about designing the perfect planner after visiting this site!")
• Miquelrius notebooks

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Article originally published in (the now-defunct) Craftrends Magazine, Jan/Feb 2008

© Angie Pedersen

*Digital Scrapbooking magazine sadly ceased print publication with the February/March 2009 issue.

Search Engine Optimization for Beginners

"If you build it, they will come."

This may have worked for Kevin Costner in "The Field of Dreams", but a lot has changed since 1989.  Unfortunately, the "if you build it" philosophy cannot be applied to a website – whether traditional, or a blog.  Putting together a few HTML pages and posting them to the Internet doesn't automatically create a line of customers waiting outside your door.  It takes a bit more than just hoping for the best.  What it takes, my friend, is some Search Engine Optimization.

Search Engine Optimization (or SEO, as online marketers frequently refer to it) basically means making your site more "attractive" to search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN.  Wikipedia.org defines SEO more specifically: "search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via 'natural' ('organic' or 'algorithmic') search results for targeted keywords."  "Organic search results"?  "Targeted keywords"?  Don't worry - we'll get to those in a moment.  Search engine optimization can be a bit of a beast to wrap your brain around - it involves several factors, all of them ongoing.  Read on to learn how to make your website hit a "home run" with search engines.

The Basics – How Search Engines Work

When you start a search on a search engine, like Google, you're asking it to go find sites that are related to the terms you're searching for.  Generally, search engines determine a site's relevancy to a search term or phrase through two factors – the location and frequency of the keywords in the site's content, and the number and types of other sites linking to it related to those keywords (sometimes referred to as link analysis).  Blog or website, it doesn't matter – search engines use the same processes to return search results.

Search engines like it when keywords (another word for "search term") appear in the HTML <Title> tag, and near the top of a website (such as in a headline, or in the first few paragraphs of text.)  Search engines assume that webpages with the search terms in the Title tag are more relevant than pages that don't optimize the Title tag. 

What Search Engines Mean to Your Business

If your site is ranked well, and shows up on the first page for a specific search term, more people will find your site, which often leads to more people doing business with you.  Remember, people can't do business with you if they can't find you.

Target Keywords – Get Familiar with Yours

Where you show up in search engine results depends heavily on what terms or phrases people use to search. The first step to optimizing your website for more effective search engine results is to determine your search terms/keywords for your business.  Ask yourself what keywords your customers might use to find a business like yours.  With what keywords do you want to be found?  Create a list of possible search terms.

When brainstorming potential target keywords, be specific.  Use more than two words.  Many sites use very broad terms like "scrapbooking" or "quilts".  But if you think about it, people who search for those keywords aren't really your target audience – they're probably searching for basic information on the hobby in general.  Think in terms of specific keywords like "Kansas City scrapbooking" or "Dallas quilting classes" to draw your ideal customer.  The purpose of your website is to allow people to find you online, and then encourage them to do business with you. Think about how you search for other businesses, and jot down your own search terms (particularly if they yield the results you want.)

The next step is to use an online search tool to identify what people actually use as search terms within your field.  You can do some basic research with Google's AdWords Keyword Tool: http://snipurl.com/adwordskeywordtool.  Just type in one of your potential keyword(s), and you'll get a list of keywords related to that term, as well as some additional keyword variations to consider.  For example, type in "Dallas quilting classes", and you'll also see keywords like "quilting supplies", "quilting fabric" and "Dallas sewing classes".  Also check out http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/ to find other search tools.

Also periodically review your website logs to see what search terms bring visitors to your site. This research can help reveal new keywords to target.

A Side Benefit of Keyword Research:
Researching the top keywords on related topics also gives you insight into what your target market is looking for, which gives you ideas for related article/blog post possibilities. For instance, when you do keyword research for “scrapbooking”, you see related topics of scrapbooking idea, digital scrapbooking, scrapbooking kit, free scrapbooking idea, scrapbooking paper, scrapbooking layout, and digital scrapbooking design.  When you know what people are searching for, you can make plans to give it to them.

Target Keywords – Use Them

1. Use target keywords in the webpage's HTML <Title> tag. Says Christine Churchill of KeyRelevance.com, "If you have time to do only one SEO action on your site, take the time to create good titles."  Make it descriptive to the page content.  Just search for "HTML title tag" for how to do this on your website.
2. Incorporate target keywords "behind-the-scenes" in the website or blog meta tags (description and keywords).  If you’re a local retailer, remember to include the name of your city.
3. Display your target keywords (and most of your site copy) as actual text.  Graphics and flash images look great, but search engines can't "read" them.
4. If you have a blog, include target keywords in subject lines and posts.  Let's say you just got back from CHA and you want to tell your customers about the new product you ordered.  In a blog post, mention those products by brand name, and what kind of specific projects your customers can make, like "altered tins" or "knitting patterns for beginners".   Then use the blog post subject line to entice readers with specifics: "Altered Make & Takes with My Minds' Eye, Technique Tuesday, and Rusty Pickle – Next Weekend!"
5. To attract search engines for specific keywords, highlight those keywords in the text on your site, and hyperlink them to a relevant page on your site.  For instance, if you want to be found by people searching for "craft storage", write an article or blog post including craft supply organization tips, and make a point to use the phrase "craft storage" several times throughout the piece.   Then highlight that phrase, and link it to a webpage on your site that lists the craft organization supplies you stock, or organizational classes you offer.  That tells Google that information on "craft storage" can be found at *this* URL (the underlying URL, hyperlinked to that anchor text).

Add More Content to Entice Search Engines (and customers!)
Don't settle for just a page with your store hours and a class schedule.  Add more content to give search engines more opportunity to display your site in results pages – and increase your customers' comfort level.

• Write an appealing “About” page – include the essentials: name/business name, photo, links to/examples of your work, and how to contact you. Use target keywords to attract search engine spiders.  Include a section about what your business offers, and visitors will find on your website and in your store. Write another section about yourself, establishing your background and expertise.  Also describe benefits/results of working with you.
• Link to your main website(s) – search engines like hierarchical navigation links.
• Create a post/page about your unique products/services – tell visitors how you can make their lives easier.
• Compile glowing customer/client testimonials, especially if they specifically mention your company name and/or services.
• Create an online Press Room of media coverage, recent press releases, tip sheets, talking points, magazine articles you've written and corporate history.

Bottom line - in order to market your business effectively online, you need to do some research and legwork.  Check out some of the resources used to write this article to get started.  Knowledge is definitely power -- you should get yourself some.  Then the next thing you know, your website will be bringing your customers sliding into home plate.

Originally published in (now defunct) Craftrends Magazine, March/April 2008 issue

DOWNLOAD this article (Word doc PDF/3 pages/27.8KB)

© Angie Pedersen

Making the Most of your Website - A helpful checklist for success

Originally published in Memorytrends Magazine, April 2007
© By Angie Pedersen

There's no getting around it. The Internet is a common tool for shopping research – research to compare prices and choices, research for store locations and hours, research for project ideas. Conducted before the sale, this research can in fact lead to the sale. Does your web presence help guide your customers to the sale? Does it guide customers to anything?

A website is basically your 24-hour marketing force. It's an online marketing brochure, providing information about your business – information that can convince customers to do business with you. Here’s how you can make the most of your "brochure".

Start with the Basics
The key components for a website are basically the same whether you're a retailer or a manufacturer. You can add or subtract sections, based on your company's needs. Your website should have the following sections to effectively share essential information about your company:

• Your homepage should describe what kind of business you have, and your main target audience -- basically, what do you provide, and for whom? Your homepage can also list current specials, promotions, and/or product releases. The homepage is a crucial place to use keywords that people might type into search engines to find businesses like yours.

• "About Us" – this section should describe the history of your company, and name the key players. You can also include the company mission statement or main business goals. This page answers the question, “Who will I be doing business with?”

• Products – list the products (types and/or brands) you carry in your store, or the products you manufacture.

• Classes/Events – list your class descriptions, fees, and schedule. If you travel to teach classes at scrapbooking events, include an online itinerary, listing the dates and location names where you will be teaching.

• Services – list any special services you offer, such as color copies, layout scanning, or scrapping-for-hire, and rates for each service.

• Location and Directions – make it easy for people to find you. Give your full mailing address: street address, city, state, and zip code. You can offer brief driving directions from each direction or major highways, or just link to directions on Mapquest.com or Expedia.com.

• Store hours – provide store hours for every day of the week. Specify when you're closed, and when you stay open late.

• Contact Us – tell site visitors how to contact you. Provide your postal address, email address, phone and fax numbers.

Be a Resource
When you post informational resources on your website, you become a resource for information. Provide articles, how-to’s, and message boards and your customers will know they can come to you when they have questions or need inspiration.  These resources make your website “sticky”, encouraging visitors to visit frequently and stay longer.  Kate Griswold, web designer and owner of Kaleidoscope Concepts, suggests the following tools to provide additional resources on your business website...