Making sense of writing copy for a web site

Here’s how I broke out a proposal for a Business-to-Business client wanting to market their small business using a web site and improved web presence.

I simply made a list of how I go about my tasks to get the copy down:

1. Interview – a structured questionnaire to cull the info from the senior partners
2. Research – reading through 3 to 5 industry competitors and highlighting strong and weak copy
3. Site Map
4. Draft 1
5. Client Review
6. Draft 2
7. Final Revisions

I also broke out the pages. Most basic web sites need a few key landing pages with a headline, sub-head, and call to action.

• Home -- appx 75 to 150 words
• Services – appx 250 words
• About – appx 250 words
• Contact
• Industry News or Resource Page

Sites needing more content and pages can have those. However, professional service firms may choose instead to write downloadable white papers.

I’ll put together a series on developing your online presence and more about the interview process. That's a key area and worth focusing on.

I invite you to click here and visit my Right Touch Marketing site to learn about the web platform that's a great fit for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses.

Marketing your online presence as a professional with your social media

A social media presence is essential for a professional who wants to maximize the use of online marketing.

Social media does not take the place of a website, but rather the use of sites like LinkedIn and Facebook should enhance a professional's website exposure and marketing efforts.

The most basic purpose of these platforms is to participate in conversations, add your knowledge based on your experience and industry trends, and thereby build new relationships.

Social media is a way to say "hello."

This is the same principle as meeting others in person at a business networking function. You wouldn't walk into a room and immediately begin asking people if they want to buy your services or products. You wouldn't say, "I charge 'x' dollars per hour for a consultation" while chomping on appetizers. Or at least I hope you wouldn't. Social media is similar. Strike up conversations and join in conversations.

For those who simply strive to promote links to their own sites, or promote their own content, social media will be a time waster and likely not yield any new business contacts.

Remember, your website is the most important tool for your online presence. Make it personable so visitors get to know you thoroughly. Use social media to engage in conversations that otherwise would not be possible on your site.

To see a web solution in action, log on to Right Touch Marketing.com and request a free demo.

I'm also offering a free e-chapter, "How to Position Yourself as an Expert." Learn how to build your brand for your clients and media outlets. Get a free copy by emailing me, Don Simkovich, dsimkovich@gmail.com. 

Photo used courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1065245

A realistic overview of small business marketing on Facebook

I read a report yesterday that puts small business marketing in Facebook in perspective and gives a realistic overview. Summary: use social media to enhance your web presence but have your own niche site to control your web presence.

Now, I believe in using Facebook for business and some small companies use it much more effectively than others. But the report confirms that having a web site separate from Facebook remains essential for attracting a niche market.

The article in Social Media Today entitled "Facebook, Why Nobody is Listening" by Urs E Gattiker indicates that most people go on social media won't interact with status updates from brands.

Research, based on 400 million Facebook fans, indicates that only 3.5 to 7.49 percent see your status update (Parker, Brian, June 21, 2011). Also, just 0.25 to 0.90 percent interact with the status update.

To put this in email campaign terms, only 3 to 7 percent open it. Moreover, less than one percent click-through on one of the links you provide in your email newsletter. That sounds like a nightmare for any marketer.

Therefore, 50,000 Facebook fans (or email newsletter subscribers) represent just 3,750 active Facebook likes (or newsletter subscribers). The rest is deadweight, fake user accounts or robots who certainly are not potential clients.

A niche website should be your focal point

A responder to the article left a comment citing a Pew Internet and American Life Project on “Why Americans use Social Media” provides some insight. In essence, people use social media sites to connect with friends and family. Everything else (including your website) just gets in the way.

Summary of the report:
“Two-thirds of online adults (66%) use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn. These internet users say that connections with family members and friends (both new and old) are a primary consideration in their adoption of social media tools.

Small businesses--and I would emphasize independent consultants and solo entrepreneurs--won't fare as well.

That doesn't mean a Facebook for business isn't valuable, it is. But it also means don't count on Facebook alone or one of the other social media sites to drive traffic.

Getting into search engines requires having a stand alone website that is optimized for your niche and your area of expertise.


Click here to read the report on Social Media Today.