Barbara Walters Price

How Does Your Website Rank? Rank Checker

Every month, as part of our website statistics reporting, we check to see where our site, www.mercercapital.com, comes up in the rankings of search engines for a predetermined list of important search terms.  For example, on Google, we are #4 for the search term "business valuation firms."   

We have 30 search terms of primary importance to us.  We have at least 20 that are of secondary importance. 

We, and you, could determine these rankings the hard way by individually keying the search terms into the search engine.  As my 7 year old says, "That's one way to do it."  However, you can automate the process, for free, by using Rank Checker from SEO tools.  Visit http://tools.seobook.com/firefox/rank-checker to download.  It checks Google, Yahoo, and Bing.  Give it a try.

Happy Monday

We can all present information in a way that is fun, unexpected, and will be consumed.  Take a look at what Virgin America has done.

Are We Marketers Making It Too Complicated? Revisited

Ian Brodie, whom I very much admire, commented on a recent post entitled "Are We Marketers Making It Too Complicated?" 

To summarize the post: a friend, who is also a competitor, is part of a firm that has no internal marketing staff/support.  He was telling me about his need for an e-mail newsletter.  He didn't care to track metrics for the newsletter.  He had better things to do - like servicing clients and making money for the firm and himself.  His whole goal is "just to get my name out there on a consistent basis."  

The point of the post was this question for internal and external marketers: are we making marketing too complicated for our stakeholders who are not as enthused with the possibilities as we are?  Many of these stakeholders just want to get their name out there.  The metric they value is how many calls are coming in with new business.

Ian, a marketing and business development consultant, commented:

My gut reaction to the "I just want to get my name out" comment was "but you need to know who's actually reading it, who's interested, who may be taking action...".

But, as you say, that may be a step too far for your friend.

Professional marketers and advisors need to be one step or two ahead of their client's thinking - gently leading them to a better place. But if we're too many steps ahead we run the risk of losing them. It's very easy for us to get excited about the latest buzz when our clients and colleagues are still struggling with the basics.

In this case, maybe it's best to focus on the simple stuff first - but provide a future proof path for the inevitable. 'cos sure as eggs is eggs, in a few months time when your friend is comfortable that his newsletter is getting out OK, he's bound to ask "how do I find out who's actually reading it?". And if the answer is "well, we didn't implement that and we'll have to start again from scratch if you want to know it" he's not going to be happy. (emphasis mine)

Ian makes a great point that all marketers (internal or external) should remember: We should stay a step or two ahead of our stakeholders "gently leading them to a better place."  (I love that language.) 

Pay attention to the word "gently."  It has been my experience (it may not be yours) that most of my stakeholders struggle with the basics of marketing.  This is no surprise. It's not their primary responsibility.  They are exceptionally good in their role as financial analysis.  That is their area of expertise - not marketing.  It's my job to gently lead them to that better place - acting as a coach, cheerleader, or sometimes as a bulldozer (I guess that doesn't qualify as gentle but it is sometimes necessary).

The perceived need among fee-earners in professional services firms will likely always revolve around the desire to just "get our name out there."  That's okay.  Marketers need to remember that there are plenty of ways to do it and gently lead these professionals and their firms to the most effective.  Thanks Ian for the comment!

 

Info You May Have Missed But Shouldn't Have

• 11 Things to Stop Doing to Get Results in 2010 (Larry Bodine's Blog)
• My Favorite Tools and Processes to Automate the Routine (Duct Tape Marketing)
• 4 Essential Traits for Social Media Success in Your Career (Mashable)
• Why Key Account Programs Don't Work (Ford Harding)
• "What's the ROI of Social Media?" is the Wrong Question (Michelle Golden)
• How To Use LinkedIn to Generate New Business: Poll Results (Ian Brodie)

Are We Marketers Making It Too Complicated?

 
I haven't been on the blog much in a week or so.  I was out of town at a trade show and sick to boot.  Being sick while traveling is never any fun.  But what is fun is reconnecting with friends who just happen to be competitors. 

I was talking with one friend who runs a CPA/business valuation practice.  We were talking about their need for a new website and e-mail newsletter functionality.  He mentioned that the marketing firm they were working with was proposing solutions that he deemed to be overkill.  Per my friend when talking about their needs for an e-mail newsletter:

Why do I care how many people opened the newsletter or click through?  I suppose that's nice to know if you plan to do something with the information but I'm just trying to keep my name out there.

That's it.  He wasn't interested in optimizing the newsletter or in using it to drive a lot of traffic to his website.  He just wanted something with his firm's name to show up in the in-box of his referral sources, clients, and prospects on a consistent basis.  Just trying to have something to send on that consistent basis was enough of a challenge for him.

His expertise is valuing businesses.  It is not marketing strategy.  He is focused on what he does best and what pays the bills in the short term.

My point for marketers, whether consultants or inside firm marketers, is this: do we make it too complicated sometimes?  We talk to each other a lot about the latest in social media, web development, etc. but do we spend enough time talking to our stakeholders about what their wants and needs are and tailor solutions that work for them?  

Don't get me wrong, I focus on metrics and on what I do best - marketing strategy and tactics.  Yet, for some firms, it's okay just to get your name out. 

Graphic: Hugh MacLeod - www.GapingVoid.com