• KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
• BUILD YOUR NETWORK
• ADVERTISE EFFICIENTLY

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
For any business to be successful, you must know who your audience is and what their specific needs may be prior to beginning your marketing efforts. Narrow down your key audience and focus on those products and/or services that will capture their attention. This is a good head start for any business strategy. Starting out too broad or starting with a niche that is highly competitive are frequent reasons that small businesses fail. Find your niche and exploit it! And furthermore, don’t try to sell your audience something that they are not interested in. You will come across as being a pushy salesman and you will lose credibility and trust with your audience immediately.

BUILD YOUR NETWORK
In order to build your network, begin with current contacts and expand upon those. Network with old friends and colleagues and build relationships through those with others. There are several ways to do this: attend local and national events, host an event yourself, and utilize internet web sites to build your current network such as facebook.com, myspace.com, etc. These sites are usually free to join and very helpful in building a network of contacts.

ADVERTISE EFFICIENTLY
Advertising is a key factor for any business. Without appropriate advertising, you are limiting your business potential. Depending on what type of business you have, you may want to advertise in local or national newspapers and magazines to target all audiences or travel to local areas and pass out flyers, business cards, etc. for more local prospects. Billboards are another option, but can be quite costly. Another, more economical avenue would be the internet to market your business. There are free web sites such as craigslist.org, backpage.com, local classified websites, etc. that can be a very effective tool. Whatever you choose, know what you want to advertise to get the most bank for your buck!

Client A hires us for a link building campaign and requests weekly reports. This is fine - we give daily reports if you want them, so no big deal there. Once the reports start rolling in, the client begins questioning the links which we are getting for them. “Why don’t we have any .edu or .gov links?”, they ask. So I answer - “Because I have not found any relevant pages on .edu or .gov domains that I can get links to you from.” Ok, problem averted - for now. The next week comes, and so does the same question. “When are we going to get some .edu and .gov links?”, they ask. So I begin to wonder if there’s a pattern forming here. I went on to explain to our client, as I’ll explain to everyone here right now: It is a myth that .gov and .edu links give you a bigger SEO boost than any other domain out there. This started some time back, many years ago, and while it may have been partially true in the old days of SEO - I see absolutely no benefit from it in today’s SEO world. Don’t believe me? Let me quote Matt Cutts:

“This is a common misconception–you don’t get any PageRank boost from having an .edu link or .gov link automatically. Hah John, I beat you to it! If you get an .edu link and no one is linking to that .edu page, you’re not going to get any PageRank at all because that .edu page doesn’t have any PageRank.”

The one thing to keep in mind here though, is the fact that .edu and .gov sites tend to not ever be involved in any “bad neighborhoods” and therefore you have less chance of getting involved in a bad linking scheme if you DO get links from .edu and .gov sites. These sites also tend to be considered authority sites in their niches and the domains are more than likely fairly old, all factors which help rankings. However, don’t think that just because you get a link from a .edu or a .gov that you’re getting something extra for the extension that you wouldn’t get from a .com, or even .info for that matter.

Don’t get me wrong here, I am not downing my client in any way for questioning the means in which we are getting them links. I expect that our clients will have many questions and concerns - after all, they hired us because they did not know how to do proper SEO themselves. We are here to help them and guide them every step of the way. This is just an example of how bad information permeates the Internet on a daily basis.

Fact of the matter is, this is just a common SEO myth that you should not pay any attention to!

First of all, if you’re going to worry about your business sinking every time Google has a blip, changes an algorithm, mixes up the SERPs, etc. then you may want to think about getting into a different business.  That’s a harsh truth, but one I feel that a lot of people need to hear.  These days, PageRank is constantly changing, SERPs are constantly changing, and you really need to stay on top of your game to make sure you aren’t doing ANYTHING even remotely close to black hat.  If you do, chances are you’ll have a short lived top ranking followed by a penalty that may outlive you and your kids.  Yes, they are that harsh.  So, that being said, back on-topic here.

As an alternative to good search engine traffic, I’ve been hearing a lot of people talking about the benefits of the social media sites, namely Digg and StumbleUpon.  These are indeed great sites, and they do offer something to the web community as a whole.  Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not downing these sites one bit.  I’d like to touch base on people’s perceptions of them though, and how they may affect the bottom line of your company.

My first suggestion is this: don’t rely on social media as a driver of consistent, quality traffic to your site.  As a general rule of thumb, traffic from social media sites are of very low quality, and are extremely inconsistent.  Even if you write a phenomenal article and somehow make it to the front page of Digg, the traffic you get, while very significant, will also be very short lived and the targeting of that traffic is extremely poor compared to targeted, optimized search traffic.  Sure, the traffic statistics on your site look impressive and you think you did something great (and you may have, don’t get me wrong), but chances are all you did was get a boatload of people to your site in a short period of time — and hopefully your servers could handle all of the traffic — who will probably never come back.  If you’re lucky, you got some bookmarkers or subscribers to your feed who will check back again later because they liked your style of writing.  But I’d almost bet you got little to no sales if you look at conversion ratios.

The moral of this short story is this, and it’s very simple.  In the time you took writing that “perfect” article to submit to Digg in hopes of hitting the front page, you could just be continuing to look at the BIG picture and working towards the long term of building links, creating solid, optimized content for your site, and hoping that Google notices you sometime soon.  Trust me, in the end, it will pay off and your work will be rewarded.

Short cuts get you nowhere, but certainly do give you the false illusion that you’ve done something great.  Take the long, proven path to success instead of the short cut.

In any event, the question of the day that someone posed to me this morning is this… Do MFA websites still work? Lots of people would disagree with me on my answer but I’ll say it anyway. I’d have to give an emphatic YES they still do work….BUT not in the way you would think….

Being on the net since the dawn of time (ok, since 1990 or so, anyway) I’ve seen things constantly evolving. This is one of those times. Do you have a bunch of MFA sites that used to make you money but for whatever reason they aren’t anymore? That’s fine… evolve them. Unless Google has banned you completely, you can still get a lot of miles out of those sites. You just have to (gasp) work for it now. Evolve the sites. Make them into something that is an actual resource for web surfers. Instead of just plastering AdSense ads all over the site, take some time and sit down and start writing some content on the sites. You have a (supposedly) aged and indexed domain, so make use of it.

You already know that “content is king”, so why aren’t you following that adage? Get to work and write, write, write!

When you are overweight, your body experiences more stress as it goes about is daily tasks.  Your pancreas, which produces insulin to regulate your blood sugar levels, is also stressed, resulting in decreased levels of insulin.  When your body does not produce enough insulin, your blood sugar levels can become difficult to regulate.  Uncontrolled blood sugar levels also place stress on the heart, causing a danger of heart disease.

Since type 2 diabetes is largely due to being overweight, sufferers can greatly benefit from increased exercise, since exercise leads to weight loss in many cases.  Getting just thirty minutes of exercise daily can decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

If you already have type 2 diabetes, exercise is beneficial in helping to increase your insulin sensitivity and lowering your risk for developing heart disease.  It does not matter how long you have had type 2 diabetes, you will be happy to know that it is never to late to add exercise to your lifestyle.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling your type 2 diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes in particular, exercise improves insulin sensitivity, lowers the risk of heart disease, and promotes weight loss.

In order to get started with an exercise plan, type 2 diabetes sufferers should first consult with their doctor.  This is to assess your physical fitness and to prescribe a level of exercise that is safe for you.  If you have certain diabetic complications, this will also have an impact on the type of exercise programs that are safest for you.  And if you are taking insulin, it is really important to discuss the prevention of low blood sugar during your workout.

Getting started with an exercise program does not have to be a grand affair.  You can begin with something as simple as adding a daily walk.  Since every little bit helps, you can implement other changes in your lifestyle as well, such as taking the stairs, working in your yard, and parking further away from your destination.

A simple 15 to 30 minutes of daily exercise can make a huge difference in controlling your blood sugar levels and also prevent complications from your diabetes.  You need not waste your money on health club memberships, either, just grab a pair of decent walking shoes and get started.  The main requirement to getting started with exercise is your willingness to lead a life free from type 2 diabetes.

Arthritis occurs in the joints of the body.  In the joint areas of your body (where your bones meet), there is layer of cartilage between the bones that enables your joints to function smoothly and without pain.  There is also a lubricating fluid that works in conjunction with the cartilage to help perform this function.  However, when your cartilage wears thin, it causes an inflammation of this fluid, resulting in what we know as the most common form of arthritis – osteoarthritis.

Arthritis is not something that develops overnight.  It develops over the span of your life and is a result of the wear and tear placed on the joints.  Most people will develop some form of arthritis in their lifetime, but you can help prevent the most severe forms with a moderate exercise program.

If you implement a good weight bearing, low impact exercise program to your lifestyle, it can work wonders in helping to prevent the pain of arthritis.  Exercise helps to increase the strength of your muscles, which help to support your joints.  When your muscles are strong and healthy, this decreases the normal wear and tear that you experience in your joints and also helps to maintain flexibility.

Even if you are past the age of 50 and are beginning to suffer the effects of arthritis, you can still benefit from a solid, low impact exercise program.  You just have to move past the notion that you are too old to exercise or that exercise can be harmful at your age.  Nothing is further from the truth.

You can avoid the most debilitating effects of arthritis by losing weight if you are overweight.  All that extra weight that you are carrying around increases the stress on your joints.  Consider this – being just 10 pounds overweight puts an extra 60 pounds of pressure per square inch on your knees when you move.  Now, how do you think that affects the cartilage in your joints?

It is also a good idea to add stretching to your exercise routine, which helps to increase your flexibility while still challenging your muscles.  If you are unsure of how to begin, consult your doctor for the stretching exercises that are the most beneficial for arthritis sufferers.

The most important thing to remember is that exercise is the most important thing that you can implement in your lifestyle to decrease the painful effects of arthritis.  And since walking is considered exercise, there is not an excuse to skip exercise.  If you are suffering from lots of joint pain, you may want to consider an exercise like water aerobics.  But, remember, you cannot experience the positive benefits of exercise if you do not take the first step and get moving.

Exercise is definitely not something that someone else can do for you – if it was, most of us would gladly hand off the task to someone else.  For this reason, it is essential that you find the motivation to exercise, but taking those first few steps can be somewhat difficult.

However, since so many people are overweight these days, it is imperative that this trend towards obesity is headed off – exercise can contribute to the cause.  And even if you are not overweight, it does not mean that you are as physically fit as you can possibly be, and you could probably benefit from a little exercise if you are not as active as you should be.

Exercise is good for the mind, body, and soul - so finding the motivation to exercise should be at the top of your priority list.  Did you ever notice how if you are angry, upset, or nervous that a walk helps to calm you?  That is exercise soothing your mind.  Do you not love the way you look and how your clothes seem to fit better when you exercise?  That is exercise reshaping your body, while giving your mood a boost at the same time.  Thinking about the end benefits of exercise is one small step to finding the motivation to exercise on a consistent basis.

It is so easy not to exercise in this age that it makes finding your motivation so much more difficult.  Whereas people tended to walk wherever they wanted to go in the past, automobiles have changed that.  You may even remember the days when you had to leave the couch to change the channel on the television – now you just aim your remote.  The combination of technology and fast food has turned many of us into lazy, overweight, unfit couch potatoes.

However, you should not let this deter you from finding the motivation to exercise.  If you really want the added benefits of exercise, there are steps that you can take.

One key step you can take in finding your motivation to exercise is to develop a goal.  Your goal should be as explicit as possible.  So do not just tell yourself that you want to lose weight.  Make it even more detailed than that.  Set a goal for your weight loss in pounds, and mentally visualize yourself achieving that goal.

Another step to finding the motivation to exercise is finding a partner who can exercise with you.  It has been proven that people who have exercise partners tend to stick with it longer than those who do not.  So find yourself an exercise buddy.

Another thing that can help you stay motivated to exercising is measuring the small gains and benefits of your exercise.  So as long as you are moving towards your goal, remember that you are making progress, though it may not be as quickly as you would like.

Remember, though getting motivated to exercise requires some work on your part, it is not impossible.  Just keep in mind that the end result of your motivation is a much happier and healthy person, which will positively affect your entire life.

It allows you to examine any conflicts brought upon by cognitive dissonance, helps gain new perspective and focus on different ideas and in general serves as a sort of ‘balm’ upon your psyche. You may also begin to tackle that annoying problem you’ve been having at work and come up with the solution that has been evading you for days. You might see a beautiful flower growing along side of the road which you can pick to take home to your husband or wife and tell them how much you love them. You may just take this time to relax and let your mind become calm in what would otherwise be a hectic crazy time of your day. The physical benefits of walking are mirrored by the equally beneficial mental benefits. In today’s world of hustle and bustle, we can’t forget ourselves. Summertime is approaching and the weather is starting to get nice, so get out there and walk. Your mind and your body will thank you for it.

How can you raise your metabolism? There is only one way and that is sustained cardiovascular exercise. This means jogging, running, biking or jumping jacks. It can also mean swimming, fencing, horse back riding or playing soccer! So get outside, enjoy life and preserve your health at the same time.

You never know, you just might find that you like it outside a whole lot better than sitting at your desk in front of your computer all day!