Picturesque view of Lake Minnetonka from the TopRank Online Marketing office

Today marks my 4 month anniversary at TopRank Online Marketing and almost 5 years in the online marketing industry.  It has been a goal of mine to learn as much as I possibly can from those who know the industry best.  In this seemingly short amount of time I have received, and continue to receive a top notch education at an unbeatable price.

I would like to share some of my experience to give other marketers interested in breaking into Internet marketing or continuing their online marketing education an idea of what it looks like from one person’s perspective.

The Interview Process

Do Your Homework
Walking into an interview with no base knowledge of who the company is, what they stand for, and how they operate is a huge mistake.  Especially if you are an Internet marketer.  I would recommend reviewing the following information pre-interview:

• Company Website: This should give you a sense of the services they offer and who some of their clients are.
• Management: If you can find information about the management team be sure to do some additional research on them as well to get a sense of their background and accomplishments.
• Content & Social Profiles: At the bare minimum I would recommend looking at the company blog (if they have one), Twitter profile, Facebook page, and Google+ page.
• News & Press Releases: Do a Google search to see if the company has released any exciting news over the past few months.

If you are working with a recruiter be sure to ask as many questions about the companies services, their culture, and preferences as possible.  The recruiter will typically have spoken with contacts at the company and with other interviewees post interview.  This is a great opportunity to gain some inside knowledge before you step in the door.  These are all great ways to educated yourself before walking in the door and will allow you to have an intelligent conversation about the company during your interview.

Demonstrate Value
Depending on what position you are applying for take some time to identify what you believe to be areas of need or improvement for the company.  You should walk in knowing you may not be 100% correct but it will be appreciated that you made the effort.  If applying for a social media position I would take some time to analyze what they are doing currently, what the results appear to be, as well as some recommendations for increased customer engagement.

Spending some additional time to identify what you believe to be their competitors will also be a great source for gather information.  Perhaps you notice a competitors blog or social profile that has a lot of readers or followers.  Try to identify what they are doing and how the company you are interviewing with could do that better.

Asking questions is also a great way to demonstrate value.  If you can think quickly on your feet then this will allow you demonstrate immediate value.  Some questions you might consider asking are:

• What do you believe is your biggest area of need?
• What would you like/need to focus on but don’t have enough time to do?
• What personality traits are you looking for in a candidate?
• What does the typical day look like for this position?
• Are there any other areas of your business that you would like to grow?

Consider Each Interview a Learning Experience
Whether it is your dream job or not I believe that you should walk into each interview hoping to learn as much as you possibly can.  In addition to being a great networking opportunity it can give you a sense of what companies in the industry are looking for in a candidate, industry buzz words, and a chance to learn more from someone else in the industry.

Even If You Didn’t Get the Job, Ask For Feedback
As disappointing as it may be you will not get every job you interview for.  If you receive word that they have decided not to hire you don’t be afraid to ask why.  I recommend sending out a brief and polite email asking for feedback.  Thank the interviewer for the opportunity and ask if they have any recommendations on skills that would make you more attractive to a company like theirs because you are interested in constantly evolving your skill set.

Working for an Internet Marketing Company

There Will Always Be Other People Who Know More Than You
No matter how long you have been in the industry there will be other online marketers who know things that you don’t.  Instead of foolishly refusing to learn from these other influentials I would recommend keeping tabs on what they’re teaching and apply information that you find useful to your own strategy.  There may be tactics that you do not agree with but if anything it will give you a sense of what other respected members of the community are recommending to your potential clients.

Welcome Constructive Criticism
I for one thrive on feedback.  If I don’t know what I am doing wrong or how to fix it how will I get better?  I have a tendency to take some feedback personally because I put so much of myself into my work.  However, I’ve learned that you can’t consider it a personal attack but instead an opportunity to learn more.  Take the feedback that you’ve been given, add it into your process, and work to avoid the same mistakes next time.  Say perhaps that you don’t agree with the feedback provided?  I’ve learned that there is nothing wrong with having an opinion as long as you have data to back it up.  So, until you have that information do not present an argument.  An educated opinion is worth so much more than an emotional response.

The Best Internet Marketers are Passionate About What They Do
In a field like Internet Marketing I think it is essential that you care about your work.  Care not in the sense that you like the paycheck, but that you actually have a interest in what you are doing.  Companies and clients can tell if you are not invested in marketing their product and getting results.  Social media engagement is a full time job.  You must be willing to connect even when it may not be convenient to answer the questions and address concerns of your customers and potential customers.

Adaptability & Process Are Extremely Valuable
In an industry that changes from one day to the next those that are not adaptable will be left behind.  Once you find tactics that work be sure to document them and make them part of your process.  This process will clearly evolve over time but it will help maintain order for yourself and the rest of your team.  If each team member is taking a wildly different approach to online marketing you will not be able to truly measure the success of your efforts or provide a best practice approach.

What Next?
I don’t consider what I do a job.  It is a journey and an education that I am extremely thankful for.  Through my experience I have learned what should be done, as well as what not to do.  I know that I have shared some of my personal experience but I am curious to know what helpful tips other readers in the industry might have.  If you could tell everyone one thing that you’ve learned while working in this industry, what would it be?

Are you interested in working for a company like TopRank Online Marketing?  If you would like the opportunity to work with us we would love to hear from you.  We are currently looking for Account Managers, as well as Search and Social Strategists to join our team.  Our Careers page on our website provides some more detailed information on our current openings.

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© Online Marketing Blog, 2012. |
Getting Your Internet Marketing Dream Job: How to Interview & Succeed at a Top Agency | http://www.toprankblog.com

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In a recent blog post, MarketingProfs blogger and social media consultant and author Jay Baer said:

“The number of ‘inboxes’ we possess is staggering … That’s a lot of relationship bait in the water … How do we justify this? How do we convince ourselves that slicing our attention so thin the turkey becomes translucent is a good idea? We do it because we believe that more relationships provide more opportunity.

“All of these chestnuts are passed around like a flu strain because they make intuitive sense. But common among them is the underlying premise that interacting with more people is inherently better than interacting with fewer people. I have always believed this to be true and in fact have delivered the lines above in presentations and on this blog. But today, I’m no longer convinced.

“Instead I wonder, what if we have it ALL wrong? Social media forces upon us a feeling of intimacy and closeness that doesn’t actually exist.”

After attending the most recent MarketingProfs B2B Forum, Kyle Flaherty, director of marketing at BreakingPoint, blogged that:

“This shift makes obvious sense, and it will take a few more years for social media to exit the hype cycle, but doesn’t it seem like we’ve been here before? Remember eMarketing? Email marketing? Direct marketing? Eventually, they move from being a short-lived yet enthusiastic fad and into a function of a greater practice. In this instance, marketing. Social media, although extraordinarily useful outside of marketing, has now rightfully started to move from fad into fade.”

From blogger, author, and principal at Altimeter Group, Brian Solis:

“The reality is that the cost of social networking is great, and without checks and balances, engagement can cost us more capital than we have to spend. The net result is then social and emotional bankruptcy. And the most difficult part of this unfortunate state is that it is at first difficult to recognize and far more exacting to overcome.”

What’s happening today? Is there a shift taking place? Has social media reached its peak or is it taking on a new role in an integrated marketing strategy, as it should have been all along?

What do YOU say?

Has Social Media Reached Its Peak? is a post from: How To Get Backlinks To Your Site

So What is Digital Marketing?Businesses face many challenges when it comes to marketing on the internet. From the dynamic rate of change on the web to the multitude of d

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This poses a challenge for businesses who want to enhance their Internet presence on a local basis. If you’re a pizzeria, for example, you want anyone in your city searching for pizza to find you first.

Though many customers may still find you via the phone book, the times are rapidly changing. Google reports 34,000 searches are conducted per second. Fortunately, the ever-expanding digital universe gives you plenty of ways to make customers aware of your location. Here are a few of the best ways to get found locally:

1. Start with your website.

Consider your website to be the foundation of your search engine optimization efforts. Make sure that key strategic parts of the site are optimized for local search. You’ll want to add your address to every page, and be sure to include city names in the navigation. The pizzeria above might opt for “Milwaukee Pizza” in its title bar, for example.

You can also do some keyword research to determine if there are particular searches being done in your local area, and then begin using those key phrases in your content.

2. Register with local search engines.

You can register all your contact information with local search engines—for free. Google looks for what are called “citations,” or mentions of your address and phone number. Local citations are like links and can help increase your visibility in Google Maps/local search.

Include as much information as possible in each local profile. The more you input, the easier it is for them to provide a match when people are searching.

For starters, register with:

• Google Places
• Yelp
• Yahoo Local
• Bing

3. Don’t overlook local Yellow Pages and online Yellow Page listings.

The local yellow pages aren’t only found in paper format. They’re also online and include a variety of technology enhancements to help you get found. Yellow Pages sites like Superpages are heavily-trafficked sites and can help build citations and links for search engines. Beware of companies asking you to pay. We have rarely found these paid listings leading to any measurable results.

4. Get out and meet your neighbors with social media.

Social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, are great sources of word-of-mouth marketing. Simply by creating and maintaining a presence in several of these sites, you’ll make it extremely easy for people to find your business and tell their friends about it.

When you create your site, be sure to include plenty of local information in your profile so people know exactly where to find you. Social media sites are also great places to post pictures and videos of customers. Making your customers “slightly famous” often encourages them to spread the word about your business to their friends and families.

5. Encourage your customers to submit ratings and reviews.

Between 60% and 82% of Internet reviews are positive. Are you getting your fair share? Encourage your customers to post reviews of your business on sites like Google Local, Yelp, Insider Pages, Citysearch and so forth. Do a Google search right now to see if there are already some reviews of your business out there!

6. Use online advertising.

Though most of the options listed here are free, you can also use Google’s Pay-Per-Click or Facebook ads to target specific local customers. These ads only reach the geographic area you specify and can tie-in with your website or social media sites. Use them interactively to build your audience and drive awareness.

7. Don’t forget tactics.

No matter what digital avenue you pursue, be sure to use tactics that drive interest and get you found locally.

• Always include your name and address anyplace you post information.
• Use photos and videos of customer experiences in social media.
• Share useful and usable information for your customers.
• Network online locally. Reach out on LinkedIn and to the local bloggers and social media users and interact with them

There are a myriad of options available to help your neighbors find you online. With a solid strategy and a persistent, ongoing effort, you’ll find a way to make it easy for customers to find your business.

7 Steps to Letting Locals Find You Online is a post from: How To Get Backlinks To Your Site

And you want to do it using the internet. Purely online. No TV, newspapers or radio. No print ads. Assume you’ve already done all of the above (you should have) and just want an online strategy that will work.

There are many things you can do. Every experienced online marketer will agree that the first step is to set up a home base or launch pad. Some website where people can find you and your product online. Some place where you can funnel attention and traffic towards. It’s where you pitch your work. It’s what people will be sharing.

This article will talk about how to create an effective website to promote your new product (or just about anything you want).

How People Usually Promote Products Online

The most common way of promoting a new product involves the development of a new website or web page to showcase it. In both cases, the goal is to provide information about the product, capture attention, generate interest/desire and sales.

If a new webpage is built, it usually takes the form of a straightforward sales page and is hosted on an existing domain. If a new website is developed, the sales page format can be extended into an informational site with a community built around the product.

It’s impossible to say what works for every product out there. So let’s avoid generalities and assume a specific scenario. Say your product is a new book and you want to promote it. Here are some of the common methods used:

• Method One – Set up a landing page for the book on your existing personal website or blog. A product page is also often created on the publisher’s website or a distributor like Amazon.com. This is usually a page with promotional blurbs or recommendations, along with a synopsis of the book and reviews from the press.




• Method Two – Buy a new domain name exactly similar or related to the book’s name and set up a website just for the book. This will include a blog where you can share knowledge by posting essays, articles related to current events or updates/news regarding the book. Press reviews, testimonials and author bios are included too.

From what I’ve seen, all book authors or publishers take either one of the above two approaches. If you’re really savvy and smart you’ll do both method one and two: Optimize your own personal website and set up a new hub just for the book. Connect them together.

Then proceed to put up regular articles, not veiled infomercials for the book but actual content that informs and benefits the general reader. Provide value first. Sales is almost an after-thought. First thing to remember when creating successful product launch websites.

Develop a Laser Like Focus on Delivering Maximum Value

Image Credit: Dashu Pagla

Let’s retrace our steps. You want people talking about your book and telling their friends and family. You want word-of-mouth to spread naturally and ripple outwards. Every day you want someone who has never heard of you to discover your book and tell someone else about it.

In order to do that you need to increase the value you offer to everyone who lands on your website. You need to sculpt that value until it has a laser-like focus. It should be extremely engaging and incredibly tangible.

For most book marketers, method one and two is the extent of what they will do. But it often results in a pretty boring website. And boring doesn’t help you to get word of mouth.

Here’s what I think: Method one and two do work. But they aren’t focused enough to deliver maximum impact. People can be easily distracted online. After getting to your site, they first have to orient themselves and then after that, search for the value you offer. What’s so cool about you or your book? What’s your message? Why should I care about your book?

Imagine being a visitor who lands on your website. What do they see? A bunch of testimonials and blurbs floating around somewhere to the side, a blog with content related to the book’s topic, news of a book signing in a city they don’t live in and even if they do get so far… a bio of someone they don’t know and most probably won’t care about.

Is that the best way to encourage word of mouth? Refine your website. Make it better.

Create an Experience to Magnetize the Attention of Your Visitors

Image Credit: roujo

Thought-provoking blog posts are valuable for your audience. So is a free chapter from your book. Sure, they are all beneficial. But there are many other types of value. Some of them are better for encouraging massive word of mouth.

You goal is to make your entire website a buzz generator. The whole website functions as a congruent whole. Every page has a certain mood. It is designed to elicit a specific thought in the viewer’s mind. That thought could be ‘this is intriguing’, ‘this is really cool’ or simply ‘wow’.

Ideally, that thought should end with ‘I have to let others know about this..‘ or ‘XXX will be really interested in this..’. You want them to pull the pass-it-on trigger and share your site.

Follow the AIDA model. Get their Attention first with your landing page. The first image they see. Hold their Interest and lead them through your site so they don’t wander off and click away. Make them Desire to know more by teasing with your best bits. Get them to take Action by asking for the sale/share and making it easy for them to proceed.

Want an example of how to do it? Check out PhoneSextheBook.com

It’s a website set up to promote a book featuring interviews with phone sex operators. There’s still room for improvement but I think it’s a good example of a product launch website. Apart from the naturally stimulating topic, the entire website is designed in a minimalist way which provides maximum value up front. Here’s a picture of the homepage:

The only way you can navigate through the simple but inviting front page is to click. And you will click. Because you’re curious.

Once you’re in the curious mindset, you’re presented with a short introduction to prime your thoughts. Notice how the minimalist design is maintained after the first click. Just one click after the introduction and you’re IMMEDIATELY in the frame of exploring the product. There’s no need to search for anything, scan headlines, read testimonials or click to download a free pdf. It’s just there. Right in your face. You cannot avoid it.

People don’t come into this website looking left and right for something interesting or cool. The juicy value-added content is shown directly in the middle. The best bits come first.

Instead of putting out large chunks of text that may be a turn-off, this website uses only brief snippets of content and pictures. This is a great because of two reasons: 1) It teases by providing only a taste. 2) Less information to process facilitates movement through your site. Not everyone has the time to invest 10 minutes on each individual page.

If you don’t like just sharing snippets and want to share more content, try using infographics. They can pack a lot of usual information into an image that can be read in a glance or two.

The last page of the website has the publisher/author details, link to a PR agent, a downloadable press kit as well as a link to Amazon.com. Not pushy at all. No hard sell.

Personally, I would have included a few other elements to enhance a product website like this:

1. A blog. This could be created as a sub-directory at phonesexthebook.com/blog. On the last page, a ‘find out more‘ link to the blog could be added. This blog will use a more conventional layout and will include news, more info on the making of the book and other related topics. It can also be used as the place from which to create content that will attract links and traffic.




2. More pages. Since the pages displayed are visually engaging and not text-heavy, more of them could be included to make the whole site more substantial. This might not be suitable because the whole book only has 50 pages but in general, giving a little more away increases the overall value for your visitor. People don’t want to share 5 pages and a sales pitch at the end. People want to share something that’s worthwhile enough to add value to their social network.




3. Click prompters. For additional usability, I would prefer to have a small but noticeable ‘next’ or ‘continue’ button/link somewhere on each page, which will encourage continuous click movement towards a definite end. It’s like turning a page and taking your visitor on a journey through a story. If you design the site well, they WILL keep clicking and seeing what you want them to see.




4. Opt-in form. Depending on the type of book or product, you may want to collect emails so you can update your prospective audience. They may not buy immediately but want to stay in touch. You can set up an opt-in email newsletter to share news about the book or general research tips on a certain topic. Other types of capturing attention include displaying a RSS of your blog or a link to your Twitter profile. This is all optional of course, but it never hurts to nurture a following.




5. Pass-it-on buttons. After going through the content, many of your visitors will want to share what they learned or experienced with others. Make it easy for them to do so by including a simple email-a-friend form or post-to-Facebook-Twitter button on the last page or somewhere on your site. Don’t underestimate their ability to generate word of mouth traffic. Assuming you get 10,000 visitors in a day and 1% of them used the pass-it-on buttons. That’s 100 people. And they may refer a substantial amount of people to your site, especially if some of them are influencers with a large social network.




6. More copy. I liked the introduction used because it seemed like an authentic artist statement. It’s not snobby or sale-sy and it succeeds in giving the book some gravitas. If you’re selling a different type of product you may have to use a different style of copy. The words you use are extremely important because of the minimalistic set up. The introduction page sets the mood for the rest of the pages so prepare your text carefully.
   
   
   I like the idea of telling a story but choose what works for you. At the last page, it would be useful to include one or two high profile testimonials. This works very well to seal off the experience. Look at it this way. Your visitor has just finished perusing content and their opinions might not be fully developed yet. Testimonials reveal what others think and tune your visitor towards a favorable perspective.

Such a site is noticeably quite different from a salespage or a blog. Simply put, it’s a distraction-free experience that’s 100% content-focused. But careful. Don’t go overboard with the design. The site should be easily usable and the pages must load really FAST. I cannot emphasize this enough. Slow loading pages built with flash or other unnecessary design elements will result in impatient visitors clicking away.

Can minimalistic multi-page slide-style websites work for every product type? Of course not. But I think it works really well for many products and offers. Can this work even if you don’t have your own product to sell? Of course. Affiliates, non-commercial organizations, artists and individuals promoting themselves can use this method as well.

The key point is to lead them through your web site towards a result you want. Be it a new subscriber, greater awareness on an important issue or an affiliate conversion. Go test it. It may work better than what you’re doing now.

How to Create Successful Product Websites that People Love

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Many, many times. You know it well. Every marketing guru has spoken about this topic. I’m sick of hearing it. But it STILL bears repeating.

Because some people still don’t get it. What’s the underlying principle for successful online marketing, selling or networking? The art of giving before you try to get. Before you get something from someone, you need to first give them a reason for them to give it to you.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? Don’t you know that everyone has walls around them? Don’t you see them at all? They don’t like to be scammed out of their money. That’s why they’re cautious and won’t just click to buy immediately. They don’t like to waste their hard earned salary on crappy products or services. That’s why they do a thorough research online. 

They don’t want to be lied to. That’s why they are hesitant to believe what you say or claim. They don’t want their feelings to be exploited. That’s why they are wary about trusting you with their true thoughts. They have been fooled before and no one wants to feel stupid again.

It’s a defense mechanism designed for self-preservation in a life that is nasty, brutish and short. Living ain’t easy. People are fed-up with hard-sells and sledge-hammer pitches. They’re sick of hustlers always running game on them. Their walls grow stronger, reinforced by the plaster of bad experiences. Once they pigeon-hole you as a ’spammer/scammer’, it’s all over. Don’t bother with getting them to take out their wallets. Won’t happen.

There is a fool-proof way to get people to lower their defenses and commit. You just need to manage their impressions of you. You need to change what they think about what you’re doing. You’re not spamming, you’re offering a product that is designed to fulfill needs. You’re not a money-hungry marketer, you’re a passionate individual who loves to help people achieve their goals. Reframing and re-adjusting the prospect’s image of your brand.

So here it comes. Here’s the part when I tell you to ‘always add value’ and ‘build trust’. But let’s refashion this proverbial tip on selling. Let’s put a spin on value or trust and combine them into a single actionable guideline: Always focus on giving before trying to get.

Give them helpful free content. Give them answers to their questions. Give them a freebie. Point them to tools they need and things they should know. Give them tips they can instantly use in their lives/business. Give them pleasant surprises. Give them interaction. Give them promises you can keep. Develop a history of giving. Be known as a giver.

“This person has given me many valuable things. I have benefited from these gifts. I like her. I will pay attention to what she says. I think I will trust her words. I will lower my guard a little and run with it. What else could go wrong? I’ve only had good experiences with her so far. She has proven herself to be beneficial to me. I think I may…. no, I will commit and take a chance this time. It’ll be fine, I’m sure. Don’t worry too much.”

These are exactly the thoughts you want them to think. This is the inner dialog you want in their heads as they look at your proposition, as they wander and explore your website. This is how you get them to buy, subscribe, agree and take action on your suggestions.

Don’t mass spam your links all over the web and think that you’ll get someone’s trust or money easily. That’s a silly strategy. You’re not selling to robots or animals. You’re selling to people who care about the seller. Get what you want by first giving unconditionally. Manage what people think or feel about you and you’ll get what want easily.

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An Essential Marketing Principle: Give Before You Try to Get

An Essential Marketing Principle: Give Before You Try to Get is a post from: How To Get Backlinks To Your Site