6 Secrets you Must Do to get more Business in 2010!

6

Secrets you MUST do for your Small Business to Succeed in 2010!

No Mystery here! And many of you may know some of these “secrets”. But are you doing ALL? And are you doing them with commitment and longevity?

Doing these things all the time and keeping it up is essential for 2010!

1. Website/Social Media/Blog

 Your website is the “Mother Ship” of your marketing plan for 2010 and the Social Media shines spotlights on it! Your website’s primary function is to drive or PUSH traffic to your business. Social Media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn PULL traffic to your business. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook have revolutionized the ability for businesses to reach out and touch former customers as well as finding new customers and referrals.

 If you don’t have a great website…GET ONE! Prices have come down if you shop around.

 Look at your Website with your developer and evaluate any improvements that need to be made for 2010. Can you capture emails on your website? Phone number and contact information on every page?

 Videos This year start making videos and post them to all of your internet venues. Twitter, Linked In and Facebook

Complete your profiles with pictures.

Add content at least twice a week or more

Post all of your blogs here

Post all of your videos here

Use *keywords unique to your industry in all of your wording on these postings and blogs

2. Networking Business to Business

 Get out in the neighborhood and meet your business neighbors!

 Networking is a two way street, ask your neighbors what you can do for them first!

 It takes 5-7 visits to make and impact and develop a reciprocal referral source.

 This is a long term commitment and will result in lasting relationships, good will and referrals.

3. Networking Business Groups

 Join one or two local business networking groups, BNI is a good organization, Chamber of Commerce is another.

 This is a once a week commitment. DO IT! It will pay you back hundred fold.

 Delegate one person in your organization who will be the “face” of your company, if you have to. But there is nothing like the owner/president/general manager being the “face” of the company!

4. Network through Community Service

 Pick one service organization, Rotary, Altrusa, Junior League or similar.

 Volunteer, attend the meetings, and develop relationships.

 Remember, even in service and volunteer organizations, referrals are a two way street.

5. Become a local Expert

Plan to hold some events at your place of business this year. At these events you will give a talk/lecture on your area of expertise. This will help to establish you as a local expert and provide great visibility and new networking opportunities for your business.

 Be Informative, Relevant and above all Interesting!

 Do a press release.

 Phone all the people you have invited two days before the event.

 Market your event to all the people in your business networking groups.

 Market your events to everyone in your database. Using Constant Contact or similar.

 Devote yourself to your DATABASE in 2010! Get it organized and keep it that way. This is EQUITY to your company. It will pay off in $$$.

 Have all of your employees practice a one minute “commercial” of your business that they can say when circulating with the guests at your event.

6. Advertising Cost Relief

Cut back your print ad budget in 2010. Go with Networking. One-to-one in person networking and Social Internet Networking. One-to-one Networking is inexpensive compared to print ads, and depending on your industry, more effective. Social Internet costs nothing except time. Value is HUGE!

 Expenses you will incur:

 Printing expenses

 Membership dues for professional business networking organizations

 Staff time and wages for the hours spent in networking planning and activities.

The dollar value of referrals and business gained through your efforts in early 2010 may be hard to estimate at first, but the return on investment in the long run is PRICELESS!

Author: Deb Durkey, President

Social Internet Expertise

Business Facebook ,Twitter and LinkedIn in DFW

Social Internet Marketing and Strategies

Email Blasts with Constant Contact

Business Blogging

durkey2@sbcglobal.net

Blog: http:// www.durkeygurl.wordpress.com

http:// www.facebook.com/SocialInternetExpertiseDFW

http://.Twitter.com/Durke

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedIn.com/in/DebDurkey

Website: http://www.SocialInternetExpertise.com

***KEYWORDS if you don’t understand what your keywords for your industry are, ask your web developer or your SEO manager.

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