Author Archives: Laurel Lindsay

About Laurel Lindsay

Laurel Stark née Lindsay has helped thousands of businesses get better results from their online marketing since she began her career as a web marketer in 2003. As a speaker, author and CEO of The New Media Group, she’s been featured on CNN, Entrepreneur.com, CTV and ShawTV.

How to Create An Automated Sales Lead Nurture (Drip) Campaign

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I want to talk to you about how to automate your sales conversion process by using the internet!

There are 3 steps to creating what is called a “drip campaign” or a “lead nurture campaign”.

The first step is to capture, the second is nurture and the third is convert!

All of this is going to help you automatically nurture leads as you are busy doing other things!

First, you want to start capturing lead’s email addresses from your website, social media, from search engines, you may have a specific landing page set up to capture perspective buyers information.

Once you have a prospect’s information don’t just leave it! Nurture those leads by regularly corresponding with them via email.

I recommend Mailchimp.com as an easy to use, free email marketing software.

Consider what concerns or questions your prospects might have as they go through the buying journey as well as questions you are commonly asked by your existing customers and start feeding them information at regular intervals to their email account.

You can even set up automated responses to start going out from the minute they submit their email address!

 

Whether that is every couple of days or couple weeks depends on your particular industry and business.

Next you can go into your Google Analytics and see how often these people are opening and clicking on these e-mails and get a really good idea on how qualified this lead is becoming.

Third, you want to convert them from a qualified lead to a sale.

So as they going through this nurturing process, at some point you want to start asking them repeatedly for the sale.

Give them special offers and make them time sensitive —> remember to continue to ask for the sale and that will help convert your lead into a sale!

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CNN Interview: Social Proof & How it Affects Consumer Buying Decisions

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Let’s talk about how to leverage social proof to influence your customer’s buying decisions.

What is the psychology of decision making?  How does that fit into the new world of communication and how people research decisions?

Check out Laurel’s interview on CNN where she answers these questions and more:

A transcript of the interview is below:

There has been a powerful shift in consumer behaviour in the last 10 or so years.

Previously consumers didn’t have that much power when they were making a buying decision, they would have to go into a showroom and talk to a salesperson to get information.

With the advent and extremely huge adoption of web usage, consumers now have most of the power and are doing most of the pre-buying research before they even contact the business in question.

So, one of the things customers are looking for as they go through the buying process is social proof.

Social proof essentially provides trust that the business has done good work before and can be trusted to do so again.

The way that that is conveyed typically is social proof: testimonials, recommendations, credibility of having up to date website, presence on social media etc. More importantly that other people have interacted with the business and had a positive result.

In this transparent internet world, customers have the ability to submit reviews and testimonials and reviews basically anywhere on the web.

Consumers can review your business on google, Yelp, Facebook.  What this does is affect your search rankings as a business owner on the internet.

The more positive reviews you have for example, on google the higher your business will rank over and above those that don’t have as many positive reviews.

It is one of the top ways people are able to vet your business and see if they will have a good experience. Its certainly recommended to get as many positive reviews as possible.

Also acknowledge any negative reviews you get. Let’s face it, you cant please everyone but by ignoring negative reviews it actually does more damage than simply addressing those concerns people have. it is tremendously affective in convincing your customers you do provide great service.

Q. How do product and service endorsements fit into the modern world?

Product and service endorsements are one of the most powerful ways to sell a new client or customer.

You can tell them all you want how great you are but having words come from someone you have done business with already, using their experience, will most precisely mirror the experience of your future customer.

To have older clients and customers positively reviewing you and going through the experience that they had will tick all the boxes in terms of addressing the concerns your future customers will have.

Q. There is an idea of a difference between implied and explicit endorsements. What is the difference between the two?

Implicit endorsement is something that is occurring a lot through social media.

For example, If you have a Facebook business page and you have 7 people like your photo, they are implicitly endorsing you as someone they do and would do business with and that they know, like and trust.

That is the power of social media and why it works so well. It could also be how many fans you have and followers on your youtube channel. It builds credibility.

Explicit endorsement are things like reviews and testimonials from past clients as well as any reviews you may have or items that would position you as a thought leader.

Any PR or being featured in magazines, interviews on TV stations like CBC, CNN etc, that is also very credible social proof that gets a bigger spread and impact.

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Rockstar Tips to Getting More Exposure On Adwords For Less Money

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Today we are talking about how to rock Adwords like a prostar!

Google Adwords is where you can pay to have your business show up on Google by advertising with them.

Once you create an account, there are a couple tips I want to give you today that will help you get better results for less money!

First thing you want to do is sync your Google Adwords page with your Google+ local page.

In your Google Adwords account, click on extensions and synch up your Google+ local page. What this does is makes your ad stand out from all of your competition because it shows the pin which links directly to your location on Google maps – so you get more exposure for very little effort.

Secondly, is make sure your settings are changed from “broad match” to “exact match”.

What that does is prevent Google from making your ad show up for keywords that they are randomly adding to your account- you may not want to show up for those keywords or pay for them either!

By setting them to exact match you are taking more control over your account.

Lastly, is make sure your ad is only displaying during the times of day people are actually only searching for what you sell.

What this does is takes a bunch of your budget that could possibly wasted around the 2am mark and allocates it towards times of the day your prospective audience is searching for what you sell. That means you get more exposure for the same mount of money you are paying and you get a broader exposure to your target market.

Those are your three tips for rocking Google Adwords like a prostar!

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Comprehensive Guide To Using Google Hangouts On Air for Your Video Marketing

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Video marketing is the most powerful & effective tool for marketing your business.

If you want to improve your visibility, credibility and sales lead generation than you need to start video marketing.

This article will show you, step by step, how to start video marketing without buying a ton of expensive equipment or taking courses on videography.

How to use Google Hangouts on Air as an easy solution to video marketing for business.

What is Google Hangouts on Air?

Part of the functionality offered with a Google + or YouTube account, a Hangout on Air is basically an online video meeting / chat tool.

The difference from other tools, for example Skype, are many. The biggest difference is that you can add up to 8 participants for free, the “events” are broadcast live and can be promoted in advance, and there are all sorts of cool graphics that can be added to user’s profiles to enhance the experience.

In short, Hangouts on Air enable you to start your own media platform from which you can create your own messaging.

What are the benefits to using Hangouts on Air for your Video Marketing?

Hangouts on Air automatically upload and are saved to your YouTube account.

Benefits:

1. Exposure: Provides you with content on the second biggest search engine in the world.
2. Search Marketing: Shows activity on your Google plus account- which factors in heavily to your search engine ranking, or where your business shows up on search results on Google Itself.
3. Content Creation: Gives you neat multimedia content to post to your website or social media.
4. Connect with your audience: You reap the benefits of video marketing by creating a deeper connection with your future customers; video is the next best thing to meeting in person
5. Go Viral: You’re providing easy to digest, shareable content that your future customers are more prone to engage with and share with their networks.

Great, I am sold! How do I get started?

Prepare for your first Google Hangout on Air: Get Your Account Set Up

1. Get a google account if you don’t have one already.

2. Go to YouTube.com and click on your picture, and then Creator Studio

3. Click on Videos on the left hand side, and then Live events.

4. Click on Start a live event- and verify your account if it isn’t already.

5. Click on Broadcast Live and download the Google Hangout Plugin if you haven’t already

6. Invite your interviewee or hangout partner

7. Have fun! Play with the Hangouts Tool Box and other functions on the left side of the dashboard.

Being Interviewed on Video? Here’s what you need to know.

Web Cam: Be sure to be in front of a device with video streaming capability. Laptops, Tablets and Phones typically have built-in webcams. Ideally you would use your Laptop.

Get the Plugin: Download the Google Hangout Plugin here: Get the Google Hangout Plugin – run and instal it on your computer.

Sign up for a gmail address: if you don’t have one already, get one and send this to the person interviewing you.

Lighting & Sound: find a quiet spot that is well lit- but be sure any windows are facing you so we can see your face.

Internet Connection: If possible, connect to the internet with a wired connection and close any running programs besides Google Hangouts

Microphone: Test your built in microphone before your interview. You may need to use a headset (most headphones come with a built in microphone.)

Eye Contact: It feels weird initially, but make sure you’re looking directly into the camera. If you have any notes prepared post them as close to your camera as you can.

Camera positioning: Make sure your entire head is visible and the camera angle is straight on. Lower your chair if need be to avoid the “looking up your nose” angle.

Relax! The audience wants to see the real you. You don’t need to be nervous. Foibles and speech habits are endearing to your viewers, and help them to feel like they know, like and trust you.

Did you find this guide on Video marketing helpful?

Let me know how you did in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this with your network 🙂

 

A Beginners Guide To Blogging For Business

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Today on our one minute tip we are going to start from scratch with blogging for beginners.

What is a blog post anyways and why would you want to start blogging as a small business owner who already has a million things to do?

3 reasons every business owner should be blogging:

You want people coming back to your website, you want people sharing your website on social media and you want your website to be found on search engines.

So one of the most effective ways to kill all those birds with one stone is to blog!

A blog is actually just a fancy name for an article. 500 or so words is all you are looking for.

How to Blog for Business, Step 1: Brainstorm topics.

Think about what your customers or perspective customers always ask you about your business.

If you can think about 5 or 10 topics, pick one and start there.

How to Blog for Business, Step 2: Answer customer questions

Then think about 3 points you normally use to address that question or that topic to your customer.

Expand on those points.

Sit down and write if that is easier or you can use your voice recorder tool on your smart phone which can translate your words to text and will basically write your blog post for you!

Once you are done your 3 points you have expanded on, just add a summary and introduction paragraph to the beginning.

How to Blog for Business, Step 3; Create a Catchy Headline

Think of a catchy headline, like, “3 Mistakes That Most People Shopping for a Fireplace Usually Make”.

Then post this on your website and try to do it on a fairly consistent basis, even once a month is better than none at all.

That is your one minute tip! If you liked this tip, please share and follow our youtube channel here:

 

Pro Tips to Using Pinterest for Business

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Today in your one minute tip we are going to be talking about how you can use Pinterest to promote your small business.

Pinterest is a social media marketing tool that is free to use and really easy because its basically about collecting images and pinning them.


So why can this work for small business?

First, pins on Pinterest last a really long time on the newsfeed.

so if you pinned something 3 months ago that has the ability to stay in the news feed and get promoted, seen or shared for up to 3 months from the time you posted it.

That is a long time compared to other social media sites. For each pin that you are pinning, you get a lot of longevity out of that.

Secondly, it is really easy to build community on Pinterest.

All you need to do is go and re-pin others content, share it to your own boards and like it and comment on it. Its that easy!

There is lots of fantastic stuff that people are talking about on Pinterest. They’re talking about holidays, food, all kinds of stuff.

You don’t need to necessarily pin anything business related, just go and network with the people that you already know. You can go and sync your existing contacts into Pinterest and just begin with your community and go from there.

Third, you can use Pinterest to drive more traffic to your website.

If you re-pin images from your website, IE your blog, onto Pinterest that allows you to drive traffic back to your website and position yourself as an expert in your field.

So its a triple whammy, using Pinterest to start driving business to your site.

That’s your one minute tip and if you found this valuable, please remember to share!

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5 Quick and Easy ways to get more traffic to your website

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Let’s talk about getting more traffic to your website!

Here are 5 quick and easy ways to get more people to your web site.

1. Leverage your already existing promotional materials.

One of the easiest and most overlooked ways to promote your website and get more traffic to it is to mention your website address on your voicemail!

Also, don’t forget to add your website address to your email signature and any other promotional materials, and I’m talking any – vehicle decals, brochures, signage, anything else you can possibly add your website address to, go ahead and do it!

2. Work your email contacts.

Either send out a newsletter once a month to existing clients and contacts or a personal email out to the folks you know letting them know you have a website, what it can do and ask them to share it with their network.

3. Network on Social Media

Speaking of networks, if you are not leveraging social media to promote your business yet, you definitely want to go ahead and do that as soon as you are done reading this.

Promote yourself on Facebook, Pinterest, Google +, LinkedIn, Youtube, Twitter, you name it! Those are just a few sites out there that can help you drive traffic to your website.

4. Update your site often.

You have to give these contacts a reason to visit your site so make sure to update it on a frequent basis and provide valuable information to your target audience.

5. Pay for traffic

Last but not least, if you haven’t thought of it already, you might want to consider advertising on Google.

Google Pay Per Click ads are an affordable way to get exposure to your clients when they are typing in what you sell on Google.

That’s your one minute tip. If you found it helpful please share and thanks again for visiting!

5 tips for troubleshooting website display issues.

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Troubleshooting Website Display Issues: Resolving Browser Issues

Your web developer swears the changes you requested to your website have been made, but you can’t see them!

Here are 5 step by step tips to troubleshooting website display issues.

Here’s how to refresh your webpage, clear your cache, tell what browser you’re using, what version of the browser you’re using and update your browser so you can troubleshoot browser issues with your website developer.

1.  Refresh your webpage

Clicking the refresh button will re load the website and often display the changes your web developer has made to your website.

To refresh, look for a symbol at the top of the page, by the website address, that looks like this, or you can refresh manually by using your keyboard:

Refreshing your browser

2. Clear your cache:

This is industry lingo for refreshing the files your computer has saved from the website to make it load faster the next time you visit the site.

If refreshing the page doesn’t work, clearing your cache is a great next step.

Here is an article on clearing your cache

3. Determine what browser you have.

A browser is the vehicle by which you access web pages.  They are, from left to right- Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome and Opera.

webbrowsers_icons

4. Determine what version of the browser you have. 

This step is different for every browser. Here are the steps for each.

Click to expand each article:

5. Update your browser:

Technology changes so fast, you may have an outdated browser version which is no longer supported by many websites.

A good website development firm will ensure the site they build is compatible with the majority of web users in your region, based on what browsers and versions are most commonly used

Updating your browser is easy and can usually be done in 3 minutes or less. Update your browser by clicking here.

It’s important for your security and an optimal web experience to ensure you’re installing updates on your computer for your operating system as well as browser updates.

 

Many browser updates will be issued to combat problems like identity theft, phishing sites, viruses, trojans, spyware, adware, and other sorts of malware. will be issued to combat just these problems.

 

If you have refreshed the website, cleared your cache and updated your browser and still you can’t see the website changes- send the browser and version to your website developer or designer so they can troubleshoot the issue on their end.

 

 

3 simple ways to get more leads from your website

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Let’s talk about how to capture more leads from your website!

Is your website your best producing sales person?

If you’re not getting a steady stream of leads from your website, keep reading for 3 simple ways to get more leads from your site!

1. Have a call to action – clearly ask people to engage with you

An example of a simple call to action are “Call this number to get a quote”

2. Another thing you may want to consider is have an email newsletter signup.

You can offer an ethical bribe like, “sign up for our newsletter and get our free report on the 22 questions you must ask your web developer before signing on the dotted line.”

A strategic ask like that will allow you to trade information for somebody else’s email address and that way you can continue to market to them going forward.

3. You may also want to consider a live chat option.

Live chat from ZopIM is a super cool and affordable tool you can utilize to engage with your customers directly, in real time if they have questions, want to book an appointment or purchase something from you.

PROTIP: Take advantage of human nature- no one likes to miss out! Offer a Time Sensitive Special that ends soon!

Those are a couple tips for capturing more leads from your website, if you found this valuable please share and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!

3 Proactive Steps to Protect Your Online Reputation

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Let’s talk about how to maintain a positive online reputation when it comes to your business!

The first thing you want to do is register your business domain name – .com, .ca, .info etc.

Make sure you grab your domain name and maintain it; register it through an email address you will have access to for years to come.

Don’t use your service provider email like shaw, but a personal account like gmail or hotmail. This ensures you will always have access to it.

Second – get accounts with all social media properties and claim your URL and business name on those social properties before anyone else can.

You will be happy you did even if you don’t plan on actively using any social media at the beginning of your endeavour, you’ll be happy you did when it comes time to to start engaging in it.

Lastly, grab your profile on the Better Business Bureau, Canada411, Foundlocally as well as any other local directory sites you have access to.

Just upload your logo and claim your property. You don’t have to do anything else with it!

When someone searches your business name online you want the first ten or twelve properties that show up on google search results to be properties that you have direct access to and can control and maintain at your discretion.

These 3 steps are really great proactive ways to create and maintain your positive reputation online.

That is your one minute tip, if you found this valuable, please share and make sure you subscribe to our youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCurxTLa0XxIvJowi6HuhpUw  to make sure you never miss a tip!