February Newsletter – Marketing Tips and News from Big Step Marketing
What's Happening?
It might be easier to state what's not new!
We've got a new name, new office & new employee!
It was time for a name change, and helping our small-to-medium sized business clients improve their marketing efforts is what we're all about. This can be a big step for us entrepreneurial types so hence the name...Big Step Marketing.
We moved 2 doors down to larger offices and kept the same address. It's amazing how much of a pain even such a short move can be (especially when you mix in a few build-out problems) but after 2 months we are moved in and at full capacity.
We look forward to delivering a useful, monthly marketing email with a focus on local digital marketing news and strategies, and direct marketing news and information. We constantly watch webinars and stay up to date on the ever changing world of digital marketing and we'll bring you some of the most important information in quick, easy to digest format. Our blog on our new website is coming soon. Please check us out at www.BigStepMarketing.com and watch us grow!
Best wishes for 2014,
Steve Davey
[email protected] 888-681-3433
Welcome Karin!
We welcome Karin Stawiarski to Big Step. Karin is helping with social media, blogging and more. Karin is ridiculously creative and very talented and we're proud to have her. She can be reached at [email protected].
Big Step Services:
Digital Marketing
Local SEO - Search Engine Optimization
PPC Management
Current Special (thru 2/28/14)
Local SEO Essentials - 2 Month Program for $980 to get your site in shape for better rankings.
CMS Web Development - Joomla and Wordpress
Sales & Animation Videos
Direct Marketing
Postcard Marketing
Medical Research Mailings
Targeted List Sales
Bulk Mail Processing
Graphic Design
Digital Printing
Business Cards
EDDM Postcards - w/ binding
Rack Cards & Brochures
Flyers
Letterhead
Folders, Etc
Current Specials: (thru 2/28/14)
20% Off Notepads & Letterhead
10% Off Rack Cards
10,000 5.5"x8.5" 4:4 UV Postcards
...$790 delivered
Customer Corner
Website Hosting
If you host your website with Big Step Marketing please remember that your annual website hosting fee is only for hosting and email management. Website development, website changes, upgrades, etc are not included in the standard web hosting plan. If you would like to discuss actively managed website plans, please call us and we will put together a program based on your needs.
Joomla Upgrades and Joomla 1.5
If you are on Joomla 1.5, it's is consider "EOL", End of Life, so no security fixes are available. It is best to consider an upgrade at this time. Costs to upgrade to the latest version depend on the size of the site and whether the software and template used are available or need to be replaced. Call us for details.
Referrals Welcome
If you know someone that can benefit from Big Step Marketing's services, please pass along our information to them. If they utilize us (and spend at least 1,000), we will give you $250 off your next service order!
Marketing Bytes
What's all the Fuss about Google+?
Facebook is so entrenched in so many people's daily or weekly lives, why would anyone consider using Google+, Google's answer to Facebook? Well, it remains to be seen if they ever will, but Google+ isn't going away, and neither is the fact that Google is the #1 search engine (and it's a runaway, comScore's stats from 4th Quarter last year: Google 67%, Bing 18%, Yahoo 11%). So, it's time to saddle up and take a ride on Google+ and make it part of your business communications (even if you don't know anyone on it!).
Landing Page Tips
Just about daily we talk to clients spending hundreds to several thousand a month on marketing without consideration of how well their website landing page converts. Here's a quick list of things to consider before you insert that landing page link into an SEO or PPC marketing campaign. Basic yes, but still worthy of a review every time you spend money in digital marketing.
Guest Blogging is Dying?
Guest Blogging is the latest trend to get squashed by Google. It was abused by too many so they simply put the hammer down on it. Read more on Matt Cutts's blog, Head of Google's Web Spam Team. Even still, guest blogging to help craft yourself as an expert in your field and expand your visibility still has value. Just don't expect it to be the hot trend in ranking success it once was.
Get Your Info from Google's PPC Platform - Even if you don't want to conduct PPC!
Good, free data on choosing your keywords and digital marketing strategy is even harder to come by now that Google has moved almost all keyword data to "Not Provided" in Google Analytics. Look to the Google Adwords Platform to utilize their tools there that are still providing useful data.
Google's "Free" Adwords Setup
Google has considerably beefed up their customer service team. Gone are the days (at least temporarily) when you're odds of talking to someone at Google were about as good as hitting the last $300 million Power Ball. Unlike Facebook, they realize where their money is coming from and they are beefing up support to get the small businessman set-up with an Adwords account. The trouble is, they aren't going to take the time to do keyword research, ad testing, and negative keyword building that is essential to successful, efficient campaign. There is no way to set-up a succesful campaign and walk away from it - unless your goal is just donate money to Google.com. Google will help you use the platform, but using it correctly and strategically is where a PPC Management team comes in. Google's "Free" setup can cost you a lot in the long run so make sure you either know how to run your program to maximize it's effectiveness or you work with someone that does.
Does Facebook Advertising Work?
We are not big fans of facebook advertising, especially for companies with marketing budgets under $3,000 a month. However, there is an opportunity on Facebook to run relatively inexpensive, targeted campaigns to help build your brand. Here is a Business Week article from last quarter debating the effectiveness of Facebook advertising.
Top 10 SEO Tools
(according to a recent Moz survey of Industry Geeks)
1. Google Webmaster Tools 2. Moz 3. Open Site Explorer 4. MagesticSEO 5. ScreamingFrog 6. Bing Webmaster Tools 7. Yoast 8. SEM Rush 9. ahref 10. Firebug
Death, Taxes and Postal Increases
Yep, another postal increase. Here's the full rate sheet (scroll to page 13 for standard mail commercial rates).
