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Month: April 2013

Why Your Austin TX Business Should Be Active On Forums

April 29, 2013

Forum marketing has emerged as the go-to tool for savvy online marketers, who are willing to engage a relevant audience with minimal efforts. When done correctly, forum marketing can go a long way in building your Austin TX business’ reputation in the online world, and encouraging internet users to visit your website. The key to efficiently market your business on online forums is in choosing the right forums for your business. Most businesses make the mistake of wasting their time and efforts on forums that are not really worth it. Here are some of the top features to look for in a forum-

  • It should have around 15-20 new posts every day, and should have at least 1000 members. The total number of posts on the forum should be around 10000.
  • The forum should not be flooded with spam.
  • Make sure the forum you are posting on has not been created by your direct competitor.

A good way to look for relevant forums is to search on hub sites like Board Tracker using the niche-specific keywords for your business. You can also ask people in your circle, such as employees and business associates, about the forums that they are active on.

When it comes to forum marketing, consistency is the key. Once you find a forum that meets your needs, waste no time in registering on it and becoming a member. Seniority plays a major role in determining your impact on most online forums. Also remember that forums should be viewed as a long-term marketing strategy, as opposed to a way to let word about latest advertising offer.

As insignificant as it might seem, your username and avatar on forums have a significant impact on how you are perceived by other members. Using your real name could be a good idea if it is strongly associated with your business. Remember to keep things simple and thoroughly professional. Also take out time to create an impressive profile on forums, with a clear description of what your business is all about, and what your areas of expertise and experience are.

Before getting active on forums, take out some time to get a sense of the community and understand the general tone of the forum. This will avoid you being shunned away as a newcomer. Make an effort to make worthy contributions to the forum, as this shall help to build your respect among the users, allowing you to gradually introduce more aggressive marketing campaigns.

Image/ Photo Optimization Tips

April 25, 2013

Photo optimization is a must-have online marketing tool for modern businesses, as images are going on to become the new content. While the impact of text cannot be underestimated when it comes to content, yet the effect that can be achieved with a well-shot image cannot be matched. If you are ready to step into the world of photo optimization for your business, there are a few basic rules that you shall need to bear in mind to be successful at it.

  • The first step is to choose the correct image. A beautiful photo can add a dimension of vibrancy to your text, and is what shall actually sell your page. Remember to stay away from copyright issues by using images that are Creative Common licensed, or even better, sharing and optimizing self-captured shots.
  • The next important thing is how you name the image. Refrain from generic image titles, and instead choose a name that is descriptive yet simple. You might want to observe phrasing patterns that work well for your users and try to incorporate them into image names.
  • Alt tags are an important component of image optimization. Make an effort to fill out all the alt tags for images on your website, using plain English for file names instead of stuffing them with keywords. You can avoid filling alt tags for decorative images, to prevent being flagged for over-optimization by search engines.
  • If you are optimizing multiple shots of a single image, remember to fill out individual alt tags for each of these images. This will help to guide specific searches for these shots to your website, serving as an effective SEO tool. Refrain from using larger images as these shall prolong loading times on your website. Instead, you can provide an option of a pop-up to view larger sizes of smaller images. Several online image editing tools allow you to reduce image file size to the minimum required to maintain the image quality.
  • Be careful while choosing file formats for images. While JPEGs usually work best in most e-commerce platforms, PNGs and GIFs are suitable for decorative images. The trick is to keep the quality of images high while reducing file size as far as possible.
  • Finally, take out time to test your images and see what works best for your customers and your business. Right from product images per page to image angles, testing is the best way to know just what your target audience is looking for.

Utilizing WhatsApp For Business Promotions

April 17, 2013

The use of WhatsApp for business promotion is relatively new, making it a fresh and innovative way to attract customers without coming across as overtly promotional. The great thing about WhatsApp as a promotional tool for businesses is that it is always just a touch away from users, being a mobile application. While the major application of WhatsApp is for text messages, business owners can also make use of the images and videos that can be easily send via WhatsApp. The following tips highlight the top ways in which WhatsApp can be used for business promotions-

  • You can create a list of contacts relevant to your business and send them promotional texts regarding special offers of upcoming events. However, the key is to ensure that these text messages come across as authentic and not spam.
  • The best thing about WhatsApp is that you can send images to contacts all across the world, for free. This feature has immense potential if used correctly. You can send images of your latest products or your best sellers. As they say, an image speaks a thousand words. This stands absolutely true when it comes to business promotion, as users are much more likely to be interested in a product that they have seen.
  • With most users being familiar to the texting format of this application, users can instantly ask any questions that they have regarding a product, offer etc., and even better, you can respond immediately, increasing user satisfaction manifold.
  • Another way in which WhatsApp can be used for business promotion is via the videos feature that is a part of the application. You can make a short catchy video and share it with all your contacts. What’s more, you can use the same video on multiple platforms, further adding to the success of your promotional campaign.
  • Right from the status update on WhatsApp to the unlimited texting allowed, you can share large blocks of content on this platform. With users getting real-time updates of these texts, the chances of them reading them immediately are higher than content uploaded on the web. You can make this content catchy with the help of the wide variety of symbols and emoticons available on the app, which give the content an informal touch.

By just dedicating a few minutes every day to the use of WhatsApp for your business promotion, you can achieve a substantial growth in your customer base.  Call us today @ (855) 375-9654 for Internet Marketing Tips for Your Austin TX Business.

Meetup.Com For Promoting Your Business In Austin TX

April 8th, 2013

If you are a believer in real-life relations and the power of face-to-face interaction, Meetup.com could be a godsend for you. This website provides the perfect merge of the online world and the offline world for businesses, making way for a well-rounded promotion strategy. The website, founded in 2001 following the infamous attacks on the World Trade Center, has ever since become the destination of choice for likeminded people willing to extend their relationships beyond virtual interactions. While Meetup.com is a great website for people seeking to meet people with similar interests in real life, its potential for businesses is also worth tapping.

Most business owners are already well aware of how powerful social media websites can be in putting themselves out there and interacting with existing customers as well as potential clients. Just imagine how fabulous it would be, if you could reach out to these people beyond the barrier of a computer screen, and have a real interaction with them- Meetup lets you do just that! The great thing about this kind of interaction is that not only can you put across your point in a much more efficient and assertive way, but you can also build relationships that are likely to last longer than online interactions.

Meetup.com has a very user-friendly interface, which is powered by an intuitive layout, making it easy to get started and operate the website. It is as simple as signing up on the website and searching for groups and meet-ups related to your business in your area. Once you find a group of your interest, you can join it as a member, after which you shall be notified of all the meet ups of that particular group. As a business owner, it is important to remember to have an effective plan in mind of how to promote your business at these meet ups.

The key to efficiently promoting your business on Meetup.com is by keeping it as genuine as possible, and avoiding indulging in over-promotion. The entire purpose of meet ups is to share ideas and knowledge, and that should be kept as the prime focus at all times. Business promotion must be done subtly, ensuring that you do not come across as too pushy at any point. It is always a great idea to  conduct follow-ups with any links established through these meet ups.

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