Author: Rich Garling

Successful results-driven experience in IT program/project management, focusing on collaborating with multiple businesses and IT workstreams to define detailed business process requirements into workable enterprise software solutions for retail, finance, pharmaceutical, and inventory processes. A successful proven track record in leading cross-functional international teams of project managers while managing expectations and delivering projects of greater than $10M within stakeholder expectations. Provided an in-depth knowledge of SDLC using Agile and Waterfall project management methodologies (Scrum Master (SMC)), MS IT Management/Project Management (AMU)), and a talent for developing business requirements delivering workable technology solutions. Rich holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Information Technology/Project Management from American Military University. He is currently a Project Manager III for Bradford Hammacher Group in Niles, IL/

Internet Marketing: How the pieces fit together

Imagine the pieces of the Internet as a series of gears and cogs in a complex and constantly turning engine. Now imagine that the largest, most powerful gear in the engine is your website. What do we find there?

Imagine the pieces of the Internet as a series of
gears and cogs in a complex and constantly
turning engine.

Now imagine that the largest,
most powerful gear in the engine is your
website.

What do we find there?

What we should find…is Content:

• Information that tells your customer how your product or service helps them solve a problem or fulfill a need

• This is where you sell yourself to the public. This is your message.

• Despite how important your offerings may be to your audience, they won’t be likely to find your content unless you mesh the gears of your website with other channels of communication.

Blogs

• This is where you show off your expertise.

• Show people that you’re the “Subject Matter Expert”.

• Blogging sites include: BlogSpot, blogger & more.

• 250 million bloggers post on-line regularly

Social Media

• Where you create and build relationships

Popular Sites:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Foursquare

• YouTube

• LinkedIn

Newsletters

• Where you tell your customers about new things happening within the company

• Provide little tidbits on how to use your product or services,

• Or write anything else you think they want to hear about.

Popular Email sites:

• Vertical Response

• Constant Contact

• Mail Chimp

Articles and PR Releases

• Another great way to let people know that you’re relevant and continue to add value to your offerings.

• Google has new restrictions on re-using content

Article Sites:

• Ezine

• Squidoo

Video

• The next best thing to a personal meeting.

• If a picture is worth a thousand words,

• Then video is far more valuable than static text on a web page.

• Why tell when you can show?

Popular Video hosting sites

• YouTube

• MetaCafe

• Hula

• Daily Motion

SEO

• Search engine optimization

• Makes your website rank more highly for the content your audience is searching for.

• Targeted Keywords your audience will use to find you.

• Backlinks from other relevant websites

• It takes more than keywords to reach page one ranking.

SEM/PPC

• Search Engine Marketing

• Pay-Per-Click is advertising that helps your audience find you quicker.

• PPC helps you control your destiny in an internet crowded with competition.

• You can control how much you spend

CONTENT

• So, it’s all about the message

• Content is King

• Deliver it so that it attracts people to your website.

• Your Internet marketing efforts should answer the question: “Why should I do business with you and not the other guy?”

Internet Map

Part 2 – Why you and not the other guy?

It has been awhile since I last posted.

It has been awhile since I last posted. Much has happened. Yellowbird Marketing has shrunk in size. Mike and I have changed directions, now pursuing other avenues of enrichment. I have returned to continuing my career as a professional Project Manager. Mike has gone back to managing software installation. I am going to start adding more to my blog, kind of a new years resolution for 2013. I plan to discuss mostly project management and business system analysis topics, throwing in the occasional personal and political/economic items of interest. I currently work as a contract project manager for RCG Global Services and I’m assigned to Abbott Labs managing two web site projects. This contract ends this month. More later.

Using the Internet to Grow Your Business – #10

Online Video – Reach new audiences by posting on video-sharing sites. The best videos tend to be short, about 3 minutes long, and have an offer, such as a free copy of a report or a product discount, to motivate viewers to take action. MobileDemand is one of many small businesses with a YouTube channel to help spread company news and information. Just watching their video made me want to buy one of their tablets.

Yellowbird Marketing Solutions

Using the Internet to Grow Your Business – #6

Group Buying – Connect with new customers through programs that offer multiple buyers collective purchasing deals. There are many popular group buying sites available to use. But be prepared to offer your products at significant discounts. While you can set the number of buyers required to sell at certain levels, if you don’t sell anything the site could remove you as a vendor.

Yellowbird Marketing Solutions

Using the Internet to Grow Your Business – #5

Geotargeting – Geotargeting simply means advertising to prospects in specific locations – which could be very useful, for example, if you sell dresses only in Dallas. One way to get started is to create a listing on Google Places. Geo targeting in internet marketing is the method of determining the geographic physical location of a website visitor and delivering different content to that visitor based on their location, such as country, region/state, city, metro code/zip code, organization, IP address, ISP or other criteria. The example of the dress shop in Dallas can be extended further to other retailers such as car dealers who only want shoppers from their area to see their web pages.

Yellowbird Marketing Solutions

Using the Internet to Grow Your Business – #4

Display Ads – You’ve probably seen the dancing aliens; that’s a display or banner ad. Do-it-yorself display ad builders, including Google Adwords display ad builder can help design your ad. You can also distribute your display ad via ad networks and ad management systems. While some would deride the dancing aliens saying its similar to the dancing cigarette pack from the 50’s, it still attracts attention.

Yellowbird Marketing Solutions

Using the Internet to Grow Your Business – #3

Contextual Ads – Contextual advertising takes display ads to the next level, by placing them on sites related to your offerings; for example, if you sell sporting goods, your ad may perform better on sports-related sites. Services are available that automatically distribute ads to sites based on the content of those sites.

Yellowbird Marketing Solutions