The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook : Converting Online Conversations to Offline Sales

**The small business marketing experts at Demandforce help owners kick off their online strategy**Small business owners are exceptional at delivering on their product or service. Many, however, don't know where to start when it comes to online marketing. __The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook__ will show you how to effectively leverage email, social, online, and network marketing to get new customers and keep existing customers coming back. Author Annie Tsai shows you how to refocus just a small percentage of an offline marketing budget and create exponential return for your business. * Author Annie Tsai is a popular blogger and Chief Customer Officer for Demandforce, an automated Internet marketing and communication company specializing in small- to medium-sized businesses, recently acquired by Intuit * Features spot interviews and "do this now" advice from resident experts at Demandforce, including the founders With the proliferation of social media and the consumer voice on the web, small business owners need to take a deliberate approach to leveraging this new marketing channel to effectively convert online conversations into offline sales. __The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook__ shows you how. Cover 1 Title Page 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Introduction 9 Chapter 1 Understanding and Connecting with the Connected Consumer 13 Who is the Connected Consumer? 13 More Connected Consumers Than Ever 14 Connecting with the Socially Connected Consumer 17 It Still Starts with Search 17 Can I Get Away with Not Paying for Search Placement? 18 Keep Your Home Tidy on the Web 18 Which Social Networks Do My Customers Frequent? 19 What Is My Budget? 20 Quality over Quantity 20 This Bed Fits Just Right 21 Chapter 2 Building a Plan for Your Small Business's Online Reputation 25 Identify Your Starting Point 25 Start by Taking a Minimalistic Approach: Core Components 28 Accurate Business Information 28 Your Home on the Web: Your Business Website 29 Set Up Simple Monitoring 38 A Very Close Second: Manage Primary Business and Social Directories 39 Have Extra Time? Do More: The Benefits of Integrating Visual and Social Media into Your Online Presence 39 Make It Personal with Visual Media 40 Your Maintenance Plan 44 Advanced Online Reputation Management 45 Search Engines and Paid Search 46 Promoting with Coupons on Online Directories and Social Sites 49 Chapter 3 Connecting Your Offline Business with Your Online Presence 51 Design Holistic Marketing Promotions 51 Stay Consistent across Channels 55 Enable Your Staff to Deliver Your Preferred Experience 60 Deliver Consistency through Your Social Voice 61 Chapter 4 Online Offers That Convert into Lasting Business 65 Anatomy of a Deal 65 Who: Know Who You’re Trying to Convert 66 What: Define the Scope of Your Offer 70 Why: Provide a Compelling Reason to Buy. . . 79 When: Timing Is (Pretty) Important 83 Chapter 5 Optimization Tips for Email and Social Marketing 91 Effective Email Marketing 91 Email Subject Line 92 Content Is Still King 94 Be Aware of the Fold 97 Email Marketing Regulations 98 Avoid Being “Spammy” 99 Optimizing Your Social Channels 102 Be Where Your Community Is 102 Complete Your Profile 103 Brevity Is Better 111 Increase Engagement with Images, Video, and Questions 111 Chapter 6 Activity: Build Your 12-Month Online Marketing Plan 115 Determine Your Business Goals 116 Estimate Your Spending Power 116 Marketing for Sustained Growth 119 Marketing for High Growth 121 Chapter 7 Reduce Overall Marketing Spend: Get Offline Customers Online 127 Create an In-Store Experience That Supports the Online Model 128 Reward Customers for Going Online 135 Incentivize Your Employees to Support Your Goals 136 Chapter 8 Leverage the Magic of Word of Mouth Effectively: Social and Community 139 Why is Word of Mouth So Powerful? 139 Word of Mouth for the "Now Sale" 140 The “You and a Friend” Deal 140 The “Pyramid” Word-of-Mouth Deal 141 The “Make It a Party” Deal 142 Create Buzz Online with Check-Ins, Shares, and Media 143 Promote Checking-In to Drive Buzz 144 Encourage the “Share” 145 Media is the Engagement King 151 Celebrate Your Socially Connected Customers and Your Social Media Advocates 153 Chapter 9 Design an Effective Customer Rewards Program 159 Understanding Your Goals 159 Identifying Your Reward Options 160 Understanding True Cost 162 Your Program Details 164 Leverage Rewards to Drive New Customer Acquisition 166 Chapter 10 "I Brake for Testing'': Measuring Success and Tweaking Your Program over Time 169 Why Test? 169 Define Testing Goals before Designing Your Test 170 Testing Made Easy 172 Single Channel Testing 173 Symptoms as Early Indicators of Outcomes 174 Small Segment Testing 175 Measuring at the Point of Sale—Promo and Referral Codes 176 Summary 179 Words of Wisdom from Demandforce Customers 180 The Secret Sauce 180 It’s Your Business 182 Use Your Tools to Get the Kinds of Customers You Want 183 Appendix 185 Acknowledgments 187 Index 189 "The small business marketing experts at Demandforce help owners kick off their online strategy. Small business owners are exceptional at delivering on their product or service. Many, however, don't know where to start when it comes to online marketing. The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook will show you how to effectively leverage email, social, online, and network marketing to get new customers and keep existing customers coming back. Author Annie Tsai shows you how to refocus just a small percentage of an offline marketing budget and create exponential return for your business. Author Annie Tsai is a popular blogger and Chief Customer Officer for Demandforce, an automated Internet marketing and communication company specializing in small- to medium-sized businesses, recently acquired by Intuit Features spot interviews and "do this now" advice from resident experts at Demandforce, including the founders With the proliferation of social media and the consumer voice on the web, small business owners need to take a deliberate approach to leveraging this new marketing channel to effectively convert online conversations into offline sales. The Small Business Online Marketing Handbook shows you how"-- Provided by publisher.