Seo Heroes

SEO HEROES
| Aaron Aders
Mar 20, 2013
Where You Should Market Online

A recent study outlines online channel and social media activity for 33 different
industries.
It's every digital marketer's dream to be present at the exact moment when people begin to
discuss your brand's products and services online. It provides a chance to educate,
entertain, or solve problems for people within your target persona groups. This is a difficult
proposition, however, if you don't know where your prospects hang out on a regular basis.
Understanding where your target personas hang out typically takes a lot of research and
exploration. But a recent e-book by Hubspot, the Online Marketing Opportunity Report,
can help marketers answer this question by compiling data from conversations in social
media, the blogosphere and search engines for 33 different industries.
Overall Online Activity by Industry
Where is the most online activity taking place in your industry between search, social media,
and the blogosphere? Using a proprietary algorithm, HubSpot analyzed data for 33
keywords that describe some common industries. These data points were compiled into
online activity graphs that illustrate where the conversations are taking place.
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Overall Online Activity by Channel
Social Media Activity by Industry
The Online Marketing Opportunity Report breaks up the social media segment into the top
four social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The data is also
segmented across the same 33 industries.
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How to Interpret the Online Activity Charts
This is very powerful information--but it's only a relative measurement of online activity for
any of the 33 industries from the report. These graphs display trends, not exact numbers.
HubSpot is also quick to remind the reader that the most active areas for each industry may
not always be the most lucrative, as a "road less traveled" strategy may prove more
successful in some cases.
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Formulate a Strategy for Each Channel
This is an intense--and probably the most important--chapter of the e-book. The social
media section gives strategic advice for each of the big four social media platforms listed in
the Social Media Activity graph. The blog section outlines how to target users through
search engine results and RSS feeds. The search section is brief and suggests reading
the 2011 Online Marketing Blueprint for full details on targeting users in the search
segment.
Industry Opportunity Analysis
The absolute activity figures for each marketing segment (search, social media, and blogs)
are provided for each industry in the appendix of the e-book. These data include monthly
search traffic, blog posts per month, tweets per month, Facebook fan bases, LinkedIn
groups, and YouTube video statistics for each of the 33 industries. Relative competitive
measurements (on a scale of 0-100) are also provided for each marketing segment.
Combining these data can help marketers find the online marketing channel with optimal
mix of activity and competition that works for their specific organization.
I found the Online Marketing Opportunity Report to be very informative. It can be the best
fit for digital marketers who have had difficulty locating industry conversations and activity
online. Use the findings in the e-book to get the jumpstart you need to find online
conversations happening in your industry.
Aaron Aders is co-founder and chief strategy officer of Indianapolis-based Slingshot SEO, a national
leader in online marketing, planning, and execution. Aders steers the strategic vision behind software
and business processes. @SlingshotSEO
SEO HEROES | Aaron Aders

Feb 20, 2013
Create Your Own Active Online

Community
Google+, Facebook, and LinkedIn can provide a lucrative opportunity if you can
attract an engaged audience. Here's how to do it.
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Facebook and Google+ Groups have made creating and managing a niche online community
a lucrative practice, and many brands are already using those Groups as marketing tools.
These communities provide an incredible opportunity to educate and generate leads from
your target audience. Here are some tips on how to start your own niche community online.
Selecting between Google+, Facebook or LinkedIn
Google+, Facebook, and LinkedIn are the top three social media platforms that allow group
formation and have the largest current user bases. Selecting which platform to adopt rests
on a few critical questions to consider, such as:
1. Which platform has the largest concentration of my target audience?
If, for example, you're a B2B organization, LinkedIn would most likely be a more attractive
platform than Facebook. Or maybe you're a B2C company that isn't comfortable with
Facebook's unpredictability around user communication, so Google+ could provide a better
option.
2. What current groups (if any) exist that are similar to my idea?
Sometimes, it makes more sense to join an existing group that already has a large member
base. Google+ might be the best option in this case, since the platform allows you to join a
Google+ Group as a brand rather than just another individual.
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3. How important is search exposure to my organization?
All other factors being equal, choosing Google+ ties you most closely to the most used
search engine in the world. This guarantees that Google will be aware of all updates and
content that your group generates over its lifetime. This will have positive consequences in
search results for your organization as long as you update your group regularly, keep the
content relevant and drive true user engagement. But if your target audience is concentrated
on another platform, it doesn't make much sense to choose Google+ just for the search
bonus--instead, go where your audience resides.
Building the Group
Be sure to maintain your brand standards when building your group. Visit our Google+
Community Creation Guide to get step-by-step instructions on creating your own G+
Community. The Social Media Examiner also wrote a great post on how to build a LinkedIn
Group. Finally, The Next Web created a short and sweet guide on creating a Facebook
Group.
Maintaining Your Group
It's also important to create content governance guidelines to support the inbound

marketing efforts you offer to your online community. These guidelines dictate editorial and
style guides related to content delivery, compliance, and publishing schedules. This
important plan will put a structure in place that allows for smooth and consistent content
creation. Without regular updates with relevant content, your community will die on the
vine and your efforts will be in vain.
It may also be helpful to download a copy of the Enterprise Blog Optimization Guide, which
offers more details on creating a content governance plan as well as other content creation
ideas, tips, and instructions.
No matter what platform you choose or which plan you implement, the most important
concept to remember is that you must make a commitment as an organization to maintain
and grow your online community. Doing so will foster an evergreen resource that will
generate leads and sales well into the future for your organization.
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Feb 27, 2013
SEO Strategy: Link Building Gets a

Facelift
The search game has changed, and success by simply building a high number of links
is an SEO relic.
The practice of link building has ranged from spammy (like purchased links and link farms)
to what could be considered remedial content marketing. However, the goals of traditional
link building (simply increasing the number of links pointing to your website) have been
rendered useless in a long-term perspective due to the latest and most impactful Google
updates.
Why the shift? Historically, the simple act of increasing the number of links pointing to your
website exploited the shortcomings of search engine algorithms and didn't directly improve
the user experience. Since search engines are mostly concerned with providing a great user
experience, these shortcomings were addressed by algorithm updates such as Google's
Panda and Penguin. Today, cutting edge digital marketing firms have tossed traditional link
building by the wayside in favor of a new concept known as earned media.
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What is Earned Media?
The "earned" in earned media comes from the concept that your brand can earn, rather than
pay for, a placement within an online publications article feed. Earning this placement can
only be accomplished through the creation of a truly value-add content centerpiece (the
"media") that's custom-tailored for the specific community in combination with high-touch
social media networking. To truly be considered value-add, the content centerpiece must be
an online resource that educates, entertains or solves a problem.
This media is offered to the online community in a "teaser article" that highlights the main
ideas behind the content centerpiece. A link to access the content in full is included in the
article for the readers who want to know more. The users who submit personal information
to download or view the content centerpiece are the most valuable of an earned media
campaign.
How Is This Different From Link-Building?
The main purpose of link building is to increase the number of links that point to your
website. Earned media campaigns also obtain links to your website, but this isn't the main
goal. The areas of real business value generation are focused on growing lead lists, online
sales and increasing brand awareness. These goals can only be accomplished through
focusing the earned media campaign around a truly value-add content centerpiece.
What About Results?
Historically, link building efforts resulted in increased search engine rankings. Today, the
algorithmic shortcomings that led to increased search engine rankings in the past have been
addressed by the Panda and Penguin updates. Increasing the number of inbound links to
your website has no value to the user--and this antiquated practice won't be part of the user-
focused future of search engine algorithms.
Results from an earned media campaign include:

- Lead list growth
- Online sales & conversion growth
- Keyword portfolio growth
- Increased brand exposure in search engine results & social media conversations
- Increased online brand relevance, authority and awareness
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Looking Forward
Online content marketing has evolved from link building to earned media campaigns. This
forward-thinking practice builds a continuous business alignment between search engines,
your brand and the user. Earned media allows your brand to partner with search engines by
adding value to the user through original content that educates, entertains or solves a
problem of a specific target audience. If you haven't been convinced yet, here are 800 more
reasons why Earned Media is the new advertising.

Jan 30, 2013
New Rules for SEO Success in 2013

Measuring SEO success by your ranking position for your favorite keywords means
falling behind the curve.
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With users' behaviors and Google's algorithms rapidly and constantly changing, measuring
SEO success by your ranking position for your favorite keywords means falling behind the
curve. Here are the most meaningful metrics for SEO for 2013.
1. Focus on Your Keyword Portfolio, Not Rankings
Search engine users are getting smarter and more specific. Today, over 70 percent of
searches online contain three or more words in the search query. Furthermore, Google
reported that over 20 percent of search queries are completely new queries that had never
been searched before! The long tail is where the growth is happening, and your strategy
needs to be built around this growth.
Focusing on "fat head" keywords is an unbalanced strategy with diminishing returns.

Marketers need to focus on increasing the number of keywords sending search traffic rather
than improving a specific keyword position. This is known as your keyword portfolio.
2. Create Problem-Solving Content
Creating great content isn't rocket science. If you have trouble coming up with ideas, or you
think your industry is too boring, focus instead on solving a customer's problem. This can be
done easily by utilizing your organization's intellectual property to create how-to guides,
white papers, or research studies. If you're in business, then you're solving problems!
Combine people, processes, and software to scale content marketing.
3. Publish Content on Quality Sources
Last year's Penguin update eliminated the value of content published on untrusted websites.

This includes low-quality websites, content farms and many "free" PR websites. Showing up
in Google search is a lot like getting a job--it's your references that make the difference.
Concentrate on earning references from high quality and trusted industry websites. Industry
organizations and online communities are where you should be publishing content on a
regular basis.
4. Distribute and Promote Content through Social Media
Social media is an extremely efficient channel for distributing and promoting your content.
This includes content that you publish on your website, as well as content that you publish
on highly trusted third-party websites. Social media channels enable you to reach millions
instantly, as well as stay on the radar of search engine algorithms for topics related to your
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content. Google and Bing have both admitted to using social signals in their ranking
algorithms, so social media engagement is a must-do for digital marketers.
Never before have SEO and inbound marketing had more potential for digital marketers.
When executed effectively, these strategies will drive leads, attract customers, and grow
your brand's community.
ROARING OR BORING | Kevin Daum

Mar 26, 2013
Try This Proven 3,500-Year-Old Sales

Secret
Everyone has to sell something, sometime, even if it's just an idea. Here's a proven
3,500-year-old technique for making the sale.
Ah, the occupational hazard of being a pushy New Yorker--I am always trying to evangelize
my point of view or lobby for position. Of course, I used to do it the hard way. Overwhelm
my opponents until they cowered or gave up from exhaustion. See, I had always thought all
buyers were similar, and I would try and sell products, services and ideas to all these buyers
the same way with the same approach.
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But several years ago, I figured out there was an easier and more individual way to close
buyers. I didn't have to sell them. I just needed to communicate the right things to the right
people in the right way. I wrote about it in my book ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and
Marketing Jungle. The title is actually an acronym for the method. Here is what it stands
for:
Recognize the buyer type with whom you are dealing
Observe from their perspective
Acknowledge who they are
Resolve their need
Empathy! Of course! Acknowledging other people's position and then approaching the
discussion from their perspective allows them to be more open to seeing the benefits of my
offering. And looking through their eyes helps clearly identify when I am serving them little
or no value. That way I don't have to waste time and effort trying to sell to someone who will
never buy.
But how could I recognize the buyer type? Little did I realize, I was already taught a method
for that since early childhood. A way my ancestors had shared for more than 3,500 years.
Every year around this time, like most Jewish people, I sit down for a Passover Sederand am
exposed to a 3,500-year-old method of persuasive communication. Every Spring in our
culture, we sit down to amazing food and tell... no, sell the story of Exodus from the Old
Testament, to our kids. The story book we use, called aHaggadah makes it clear about the
types of buyers to whom we are imposing our ideas about Pharaoh, Moses, parting
waters, golden calves, burning bushes, Charleton Heston, and 40 years of bread-less
wandering. This is all told in this one night. (Well actually there are traditionally two nights
if you are doing it right.)
In the Haggadah there is a specific phrase about communicating the story to

children:"Concerning four sons does the Torah speak: a wise one, a wicked one, a simple
one, and one who does not know to ask."
This made perfect sense! These were the four buyers with which I could now ROAR!:
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The Wise Buyer
Wise Buyers focus on making an unemotional decision based upon facts so they can be
assured they did not make a foolish purchase.
Wise Buyers ask many questions because they seek truth and need a lot of information to be
comfortable. They want you to be their guide and help them make an educated decision.
The Cynical Buyer
(They're not actually wicked, just reticent and crafty.)

Cynical Buyers know they have been taken advantage of before, and believe they will be
again. They appear skeptical and cringe at being sold because they are fearful and don't
trust easily.
Cynical Buyers will try and gain advantage in self-defense. They want you to earn their trust
with truth and sacrifice. Then they will shower you with their loyalty and referrals.
The Simple Buyer
Simple Buyers are straightforward and direct. They want something specific and that's all
they want, be it pricing, some kind of quid pro quo, or some other specific need, and will not
waste their time with you if you don't correctly address their immediate desire.
Simple Buyers are specific and to-the-point. They want what they want and don't want their
time wasted with up-sell or hyperbole. They just need to know if you can give them what
they ask. If you can't, disengage and move on.
The Disinterested Buyer

The Buyer Unwilling To Ask or Disinterested Buyer is a potential customer who is not aware
of how your offering impacts them. Once you get their attention they will convert to the
Wise Buyer, Simple Buyer, or Cynical Buyer.
Don't confuse disinterested buyers with people who will never be your buyers at all.
Disinterested buyers actually want what you have to offer, they just don't know what you
can deliver. Be creative to get their attention in a way that is meaningful and respectful to
them.
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Since publishing the book, there has yet to be a buyer identified that doesn't fit into one of
these four categories. And the ROAR method has been successfully applied to sales
collateral, websites and yes, even social media and videos like the one below. So go for it.
ROAR! your way to success. No need to wait another 3,500 years.
Like this post? If so, sign up here and never miss out on Kevin's thoughts and humor.
An Inc. 500 entrepreneur with a more than $1 billion sales and marketing track record, Kevin
Daum is the best-selling author of Video Marketing for Dummies. @awesomeroar

Mar 19, 2013
Don't Fix the Present, Create the

Future
Creating an ideal future can often make present problems irrelevant. Here are five
ideas to help you make your future fix-it free.
The title for this column came from a trusted mentor, author, and futurist Watts Wacker. I
heard this at a conference in 1999, and as a mantra it's given me direction through every
hardship, battle, and challenge. Sometimes it drives me to create major change, which can
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be uncomfortable, but it also allows me to look forward and shake off unproductive legacy
thoughts and ideas that may hold me back from my preferred destiny.
My son graduates Georgetown University in less than 60 days. And as I look forward to his
bright future ahead, it occurs to me that he luckily may not yet have too much of the present
to fix. Still, with a tough job market ahead, he could use a few more tools to help him create
a worthy future. And whether you are just beginning like him or on a rocky path to your
desired success, here are five critical concepts you and he should master to get there.
1. Collect People Not Things
No question I am an individualist, but I totally appreciate those around me and am a much

better collaborator than a solo artist. When times are tough, my network helps me cope,
gives me guidance, and presents opportunities when I am ready. They also most importantly
save me from myself when I'm not ready. These people are willing to sacrifice comfort to tell
me the truth so I can be a better person. Our relationships are built on reciprocity.
Naysayers are constantly amazed at the ways unrelated people are willing to step up and
help with resources, connections, insights, and most importantly their time. In good times
we share opportunities and successes together. I respect these supporters by answering
every communication, sharing freely and being open to learn from them. The people whom
are closest are those who, when approached right, will move heaven and earth for my family
and me because they know I would do the same.
2. Find the Economic Model to Do What You Love
There is an economic path in just about any direction. It's not always clear, but there is great
joy in figuring out how to generate money from fun activity. I love tobrainstorm and surface
ways for turning new ideas into cash. Of course the path to get there may take a few years
and you may have to do some real work to make it happen. (I define WORK as the things
you have to do in order to do the things you LOVE to do.) But ultimately most skills and
activity can lead to a decent living if properly applied and the material expectations are
realistic.
3. Gain Through Giving and Gratitude
Little of my success today is my own. I have a circle of brilliant people who engage with me,
challenge me, and help me grow. I do the same for them because a rising tide raises all
boats. I work hard to make sure that I bring respect and value to every encounter whether I
know the person or not. Because of this I have been blessed with many opportunities. It did
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not happen overnight. Today opportunities come as much from people I helped over a
decade ago, as they do from recent contacts. Share your value. Give with confidence,
strength, and appreciation. Then people will want to engage with you and create success
together.
4. Put Your Ego in Your Wallet Where it Belongs
It took me decades to overcome my natural insecurities and stop focusing on achievement

for achievement sake. I realized years ago that money while not innately good or evil, is a
necessary resource to accomplish anything of significance. This lens helps me validate every
opportunity and decision so that I am always heading down a path of independence and
financial security. I really don't care if I am right or wrong. I am happy to be wrong if
someone has a better way that will bring happiness and success faster and more sustainably.
As my beloved Grandmother Ethel (RIP) always said: "I've been rich and poor. While there's
no shame in being poor, I'd rather be rich."
5. Be Responsible for Your Own Experience
I don't understand people who need to blame. There are always factors outside your control.
Everyone has hardships and opportunities. All people have choices to make. Certainly some
are more advantaged than others. But ultimately success depends on how you define it and
how willing you are to escape your own comfort zone to achieve it. It's the journey that
matters since most never know when the end is coming. I choose to make each day
an awesome experience so that I never look backward in regret. Then I can celebrate feeling
one step closer to my desired future every day.

Mar 15, 2013
10 Reasons to Pick Up the PhoneNow

Today fewer people get on the phone, preferring to text, chat, and e-mail. Here are
10 scenarios where a live voice is still the best option.
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I've noticed recently that the Millennial generation's trend of phone avoidance is quickly
spreading to people of all ages. It started withsmartphones. Texting replaced leaving
voicemails and whole conversations now take place with our thumbs. Calling someone has
now become low on the communication priority list and even frequently disparaged.
Certainly written communication has its advantages.
 You can get your message out whether or not the other person is available.
 You can respond without concern for time zones or sleep patterns.
 You don't have to waste time with unwanted chatty gossip.
But the phone has benefits that text and e-mail will never overcome. It's still an important
tool for business etiquette and should be considered equally in today's communication
environment. Here are 10 scenarios where a phone call does the job best.
1. When You Need Immediate Response
The problem with text or e-mail is you never know when someone will get back to you. You
like to think the other person is sitting there waiting for your message, but it's not always
true. These days when someone sees your name on the ringing phone, they know you are
making an extra effort to speak to them. Of course if they are truly busy, in a meeting,
sleeping, or hiding from you, the caller ID will tip them off and you go to voicemail, which
they rarely check anyway. At least now you can express yourself with heartfelt emotion.
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2. When You Have Complexity with Multiple People
My wife Van was recently coordinating an overseas engagement for me and there were six
different people in multiple time zones involved in the logistics. After five cryptic e-mail
conversations that created more confusion, she was literally screaming at the computer.
Finally I suggested a conference call. In 30 minutes, all questions were answered, everyone
was aligned, and Van went from frustrated to relieved. She is now a newly recruited phone
advocate.
3. When You Don't Want a Written Record Due to Sensitivity
You never know who will see an e-mail or a text. True, phone calls can be recorded...but not
legally in most states without prior notification or a judge's order. Unless you are absolutely
comfortable with your message getting into anyone's hands, best to use the phone for
conversations that require discretion.
4. When the Emotional Tone is Ambiguous, But Shouldn't Be
Sometimes a smiley face is not enough to convey real emotion. Emoticons help
broadly frame emotional context, but when people's feelings are at stake it's best to let them
hear exactly where you are coming from. Otherwise they will naturally assume the worst.
5. When There is Consistent Confusion
Most people don't like to write long e-mails and most don't like to read them. So when there
are lots of details that create confusion, phone calls work efficiently to bring clarity. First of
all, you can speak about 150 words per minute, and most people don't type that fast. Second,
questions can be answered in context so you don't end up with an endless trail of back and
forth question and answers.
6. When There is Bad News
This should be obvious, but sadly many people will take a cowardly approach to sharing
difficult news. Don't be one of those callous people. Make it about the other person and not
you. Humanize the situation with empathy they can hear.
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7. When There is Very Important News
Good or bad, if there is significance to information, the receiver needs to understand the
importance beyond a double exclamation point. Most likely they will have immediate
questions and you should be ready to provide context to prevent unwanted conclusions.
8. When Scheduling is Difficult
After going back and forth multiple times with a colleague's assistant trying to find an
available date and time, I finally just called her. Now I didn't have to worry that the time slot
would be filled by the time she read my e-mail. We just spoke with calendars in hand and
completed in five minutes what had exasperated us over three days. Later that day I
watched one of my foodie friends spend 20 frustrated minutes using Open Table and finally
suggested he simply call the restaurant. In three minutes he had a reservation and a slightly
embarrassed smile.
9. When There is a Hint of Anger, Offense, or Conflict in the Exchange
Written messages can often be taken the wrong way. If you see a message that suggests any
kind of problem, don't let it fester--or worse try and repair it--with more unemotional
communication. Pick up the phone and resolve the issue before it spirals out of control.
10. When a Personal Touch Will Benefit
Anytime you want to connect emotionally with someone and face-to-face is not possible, use
the phone. Let them hear the care in your voice and the appreciation in your heart.
SALES SOURCE | Geoffrey James

Jan 23, 2012
10 Questions That Create Success

Want help focusing on what really matters? Ask yourself these on a daily basis.
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Think that success means making lots of money? Think again.
Pictures of dead presidents have never made anybody happy. And how can you be successful
if you're not happy? And buying things with that all money isn't much better. A new car, for
instance, might tickle your fancy for a day or two–but pride of ownership is temporary.
Real success comes from the quality of your relationships and the emotions that you
experience each day. That's where these 10 questions come in.
Ask them at the end of each day and I absolutely guarantee that you'll become more
successful. Here they are:
1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?
2. Have I done something today that improved the world?
3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?
4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?
5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?
6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?
7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?
8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?

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9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?
10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?
Here's the thing. The questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and
your focus determines your results.
These questions force you to focus on what's really important. Take heed of them and rest of
your life—especially your work—will quickly fall into place.
If you found this post helpful, click one of the "like" buttons or sign up for the Sales Source
"insider" newsletter.
Geoffrey James writes the Sales Source column on Inc.com, the world's most visited sales-oriented
blog. His newly published book is Business to Business Selling: Power Words and Strategies From the
World's Top Sales Experts. @Sales_Source

Jan 24, 2012
Why Sales Hates Marketing: 9

Reasons
Here's why your marketing team and your sales team can't get along. Hint: The sales
team is probably right.
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The war between Sales and Marketing is both legendary and debilitating. And yet it's
probably fair to say that the future of your company lies in your ability to make the two work
better together.
With that in mind, here are the nine most common complaints Sales has about Marketing,
along with my advice to resolve the problem.
1. Marketing Acts Superior
Many marketers have business degrees, so they think they're better than sales reps who
don't. However, business degrees are of limited use in sales situations–because very few
business schools offer courses in sales, let alone majors or degrees.
Since what's taught in b-school is (frankly) a mix of accounting and biz-blab, the superior air
of the MBA'd is neither appropriate nor helpful.
The Fix: Make certain that every marketer you hire has at least six months of experience
selling something.
2. Marketing Doesn't Believe in Sales
Marketers are often taught in b-school that good marketing makes a sales force
unnecessary. As Peter Drucker put it: "The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous"
and "the right motto for business management should increasingly be 'from selling to
marketing.'"
However, unless a product is a plug-and-play commodity, your only differentiator is how

you sell it.
The Fix: Make it clear in the charter of the marketing team that they are there to support
the sales team, not to replace it.
3. Marketing Thinks Selling Is Easy
Marketers think that they can create so much demand that selling consists of taking orders.
However, many "demand creation" activities don't create all that much demand–especially
in B2B, where customers generally ignore ads, brochures, and such.
And, of course, anyone who's ever sold knows exactly how difficult it can be.
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The Fix: Have the marketers make sales calls–or field inside sales calls–so they can see
how hard it is.
4. Marketing Avoids Being Measured
Marketers generally get paid when they produce leads, brochures, white papers, and so
forth–even if none of that activity results in a single sale. They successfully get themselves
measured on the deliverables, rather than whether the deliverables have a measurable
financial impact.
The Fix: Compensate marketers on the ability of the current sales team to generate revenue
and profit from the sales leads that marketing produces.
5. Marketing Claims to be 'Driving Sales'
Ugh. I've heard this phrase dozens of time from marketers who are trying to take credit for
sales, even when they had absolutely no impact on making those sales take place. It's a
perfect example of the "law of inverse relevancy," which is "the more you don't plan on
doing something, the more you must talk about it."
The Fix: Make Marketing subservient to Sales on the organization chart.
6. Marketing Pretends It's Strategic
Give me a break. Brand is a reflection of product and service. If those are good, the brand is
good; if not, the brand is bad. Yeah, branding activities help–but the idea that marketers are
"brand managers" who should be directing all activities throughout the company is, frankly,
ridiculous.
The Fix: Reward marketers for behavior that directly results in a measurable increase in
revenue and profit.
7. Marketing Wastes Money
Needless to say, Sales is perfectly capable of wasting money (big time). However, there's also
no question that marketers often expend cash on fancy brochures, advertisements, and
trade show junkets that have little or no business value. And, let's face it, the more that's
spent on marketing boondoggles, the less money there is for commissions.
The Fix: Give the sales team veto power over all pricey marketing activities.
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8. Marketing Pretends It's Engineering
Once again, give me a break. While marketers often attempt to set a firm's technical
direction, most of the time, the marketers have never even spoken to a customer–and have
no idea what's technically feasible.
The Fix: Let your engineers do the engineering. That's what you pay them for.
9. Marketing Argues About Lead Quality
Marketing frequently provides Sales with lists of unqualified or underqualified leads, and
then accuses Sales of being clueless because it can't close the deals.
What the marketers fail to realize that a lead is only good if it's possible (or even easy) for
the sales team to close. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.
The Fix: Reassign (or fire) marketers who can't provide leads that the sales team can close.
Disagree with these complaints? Fine. Make your case in a comment below.

Jan 27, 2012
5 Traits of Highly Successful

Salesmen
Are you cut out to make the sale? Make sure you've got these characteristics--or else
learn to develop them.
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Selling and buying are not purely intellectual exercises. Buyers and sellers are emotional
human beings, which is why great salespeople are always masters at managing their own
emotions. Based upon my observation (and some pretty hefty research in emotional
intelligence), highly successful salespeople cultivate the following five emotional traits:
1. Assertiveness
This allows you to move a sales situation forward without offending or frustrating the
customer. Think of it as being located halfway between passivity and aggressiveness. For
example, suppose a customer is delaying a decision. There are at least three basic responses:
Passive: "Could you give me a call when you've made a decision?"
Aggressive: "If you don't buy right now, the offer is off the table."
Assertive: "Can you give me a specific time and date when you'll make your final decision?"
The passive response puts the sale on hold indefinitely (or give your competitor the opening
to outsell you). The aggressive response creates pressure and resentment: Even if it works,
you'll be seen as a typical pushy salesman. The assertive approach sets up the specific
conditions for the close, without forcing the customer's pace.
2. Self-Awareness
You need to be able to identify your own emotions, understand how they work, and then use
them to help you build stronger customer relationships. This is a four-step process:
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 Identify the emotions that you're feeling,
 Based on experience, predict how those emotions will affect your sales effort.
 Compensate for negative emotions that might hinder the sale.
 Expand your positive emotions that might help you make the sale.
For example, suppose you feel furious that an important customer stood you up. You might
take a break before your next meeting in order to remind yourself of all the times you've
succeeded in the face of challenges. Or you might, as an ice-breaker, tell your second
customer that you're having a tough day and why.
3. Empathy
This entails adapting your behavior to the customer's moods and emotions. It begins with
listening and observing, but simply knowing what the customer might be feeling is not
enough. You must be able to feel what the customer is likely to be feeling.
Suppose, during a sales call, you discover that the customer's firm just announced major
layoffs. You could ignore the news and proceed with the sales call as if nothing had changed,
or you could focus on your own desire to make the sale and ask your contact who will have
buying authority after the layoffs are over.
Both responses to the event make business sense–but if you want to build a better
relationship, you'll be empathetic and imagine your contact's sense of fear and confusion.
Then, depending on your emotional reading of the customer, decide whether the customer
would prefer to commiserate, complain or (alternatively) be distracted from the situation.
4. Problem Solving
The desire to solve a problem helps you create new ways to satisfy the customer's needs,
both financial (the ROI of your offering) and emotional–such as the customer's need to be
convinced that your and your firm are reputable and reliable. Problem solving is a four step
process:
 See the customer situation as it really is. (Never try to solve a problem before you
fully understand it.)
 Help the customer visualize a more desirable situation.
 Devise a way to move the customer from the ways things are today to the way the
customer would like them to be.
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 Communicate that solution in a way that makes it easy for the customer to make a
decision.
While those steps might seem obvious, they're the exact opposite of old-school
salesmanship, where selling entails "giving a great sales pitch."
5. Optimism
Optimism helps you maintain a sense of balance when things go awry. It proceeds directly
from the (often unspoken) rules that you use to interpret daily events. For example, if the
first sales call of the day goes poorly, your performance for the rest of the day will be
different if you have this rule...
A bad first call means that I'm off my game this will be a bad day.
... rather than this rule:
Every sales call is different, so the next will probably be better.
Note that both rules are arbitrary responses to the same event, and neither is more
"realistic" than the other. Even so, if you automatically jump to the first rule, rather than the
second, it will be difficult for you to remain happy.
This principle works on bigger events, too. I've run into about a dozen top salespeople who
saw the weak economy as an opportunity to sell even more,and did so, while their colleagues
were busy hand-wringing.
In future columns, I'll explain how to cultivate these traits in your day to day life, so stay
tuned.
This column is based on an interview with Robert Scher, president of the Scher Group, a
sales performance improvement firm. (He used the term "happiness" for what I call
"optimism," but it comes out to the same thing in the end.)

Mar 12, 2013
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3 Keys to Business Excellence
Excelling in business isn't necessarily rocket science. In fact you just have to master
these three things.
I was recently fascinated by an intriguing video of author and screenwriterNeil

Gaiman giving a commencement speech to the 2012 University of the Arts graduating class.
There were several marvelous insights in the speech, which you can see here. About three
quarters of the way through, Gaiman eloquently articulates the path to business excellence
for freelancers. It applies very nicely to business across the board.
Entrepreneurs, managers, and employees alike take heed, if you want to be considered
excellent at business, you need to master these three simple things.
1. Be Efficient --Turn in work on time.
2. Be Effective--Do great work.
3. Be Congenial--Be a pleasure to work with.
Of course this makes perfect sense. But Gaiman goes on to point out that even any two of
these will keep you in business if you can't master all three. Here is why:
 If you do great work and are a pleasure to deal with, then most people will put up
with a deliverable arriving a little late.
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 If you turn in work on time and you are a pleasure to deal with, then most people will
put up with your work being a little less than perfect.
 And if you turn in great work and you turn it in on time then people are more willing
to put up with you being unpleasant.
Now I agree wholeheartedly that two out of three may be enough to keep you limping along
in the business world, but it also leaves the door wide open for those really amazing
people in business who strive to achieve a hat trick.
Gaiman has done an excellent job of identifying the typical approach to business: Two out
of three ain't bad. That means those of you who are diligent enough to be efficient, effective,
and congenial, can achieve excellence and roar past your mediocre competition with ease.

Mar 5, 2013
Turn Bad Days Into Good Ones: 6

Ways
Do you know how to make lemonade from lemons? Here are six powerful ways to
turn bad days into good ones.
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Everyone has bad days. Some just last longer or happen with greater frequency. If it appears
I am having a bad day I generally hope for all the coming terrible news to flood me now.
Why screw up another perfectly good day? Then I can put the horrible one behind and move
on.
In 2008 I had a series of particularly bad days. Over 2 years, my business collapsed, I was
financially wiped out, a close family member was diagnosed with cancer, and my marriage
of 24 years dissolved. Today I am pleased to report that I (and the family member) have
recovered nicely and my life is amazingly happy and successful. But during the trauma, I
learned some valuable lessons that will help you stay positive in difficult moments no matter
how long they last. Since I don't wish trouble on anyone, I wrote them here so you can learn
painlessly from my experience.
1. Curb Your Optimism
Many people talk about optimism being the path to happiness and I couldn't disagree more.
Obviously pessimism is not helpful in bad times, but there is another approach. Jim
Collin's chapter on the "Stockdale Paradox" in Good to Great was the single biggest comfort
to me in the worst of times. He demonstrated clearly how optimism often leads to
disappointment and depression. When things are going poorly, it's pragmatism and not
optimism that will get you through. As Collins suggests: have "undying faith" that things will
get better, yet "confront the brutal facts" that you may not have much control over how or
when they'll improve. This way, additional problems won't feel like major setbacks and
you'll be able to manage your impatience and persevere through any hindrance on the way
back to happiness.
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2. Maintain Disciplined Structure
Anyone who is religious is familiar with strict ritual in the face of emotional circumstances.
The Jewish faith, for example, has stringent rules called sitting Shivafor dealing with the
death of a close loved one. People are given very specific mourning tasks for seven days,
allowing them to go on autopilot rather than be lost in the emotion of the loss. In my dark
times I created and adhered to a rigid schedule of productive activity like networking,
writing, and physical activity. The networking forced me to engage with people so I wouldn't
feel alone. The writing allowed for creative activity and much needed emotional release. And
the exercise released endorphins and allowed me to manage the one thing I solely
controlled--my body.
3. Lean On Those Around You
When times are tough, many hold it in. You don't want to seem like a complainer and there
may be a degree of embarrassment in the bad circumstances. Find people close to you who
will let you verbalize your issues. My friends were my strength when things got bad. Mostly
they listened but often kept me on track with brutal honesty. After a while I got so tired of
hearing myself complain that I was motivated simply to have good news to share for their
sake. Today I am the first to support friends on a bad day, if only to listen and share truthful
observations.
4. Revel in the Humor
There is humor in everything no matter how traumatic. Humor is the way we get in touch
with our humanity and ridicule situations beyond our control. Given the choice of crying
about a bad situation or finding the humorous side, I go for the laugh every time. Laughter
breaks tension, releases powerful endorphins and allows for a much needed emotional
release. Next time the bad news hits, find the silliness in your situation. This helps with tip
No. 3. If that doesn't work, turn on Comedy Central and give your emotions a much-needed
break.
5. Celebrate Victories (Especially the Small Ones)
No day is ever all bad. Ironically, some of my greatest triumphs and opportunities came on
the heels of difficulty. Certainly the bad news at times felt like someone was swinging at my
head with a baseball bat. But those were the days I would focus hardest on looking for some
sign of forward progress. Any small win became a reason to pat myself on the back. Even
though I often moved one step forward and two steps back, it was the smallest victory that
would give me the confidence to slug it out and continue. Soon enough, that string of small
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victories leads to big ones if for no other reason than opportunity attracts people who win
often.
6. Pay It forward
No matter how bad things got I always knew that my life was still far better than many
others, particularly during the financial crisis. I did my best to find and help others who
were struggling like me. Sometimes I had nothing to share but empathy and experience. But
it helped build my confidence and disposition to support others in finding the path to
recovery. Many of those people today are my most ardent supporters. And now our shared
celebrations of success are that much more meaningful.

Feb 15, 2013
Why You Need Marketing

Automation Software
Don't know what marketing automation software is? This sales tool will help you
turn prospects into buying customers.
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Businesses invest a great deal of thought and effort in maintaining the all-important online
customer experience. But many organizations fail to put the same amount of effort into the
brand experience of prospects and online community members. Marketing automation
software can help create a consistent brand experience with prospects and brand
community members without needing to scale up your workforce.
Marketing Automation Software Basics
Using marketing automation software is like working with thousands of couriers who
deliver the right content at the right time to all of your Internet-based prospects. All your
team needs to do is pre-build great content into your marketing funnel, and the software
takes care of the rest. The software delivers this content to prospects via email to constantly
move your prospects down the marketing funnel and eventually convert them to customers.
To fully grasp the value of using a marketing automation software, understanding the
marketing funnel structure is essential.
The Marketing Funnel
A marketing funnel is built around the concept of the classic sales funnel. Its shape
illustrates a natural consequence of the sales and marketing process, in that there will be
more leads going in the top of the funnel than sales coming out of the bottom. Each prospect
receives specific content, depending on what content drove them to your website and the
current marketing funnel segment in which they reside.
Funnel Segments
A prospect's position in the marketing funnel falls in one of three segments: Top of funnel
(TOFU), middle of funnel (MOFU) and bottom of funnel (BOFU). TOFU prospects know
very little about your company. These are not prospects that you hand off to the sales team
for a phone call. Instead, these prospects should be further educated about your industry
and your brand. White papers and research reports work well as TOFU content.
MOFU prospects know a little more about your brand, but they're still too high in the funnel
for a sales pitch. These prospects should receive content that educates them more about
your organization's expertise in areas of interest for each individual prospect. The marketing
automation software knows the interests of each prospect and can serve the appropriate
content on an individualized basis. Case studies and other client examples are great
examples of MOFU content.
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BOFU prospects are very educated prospects that are close to a buying decision. These
prospects should receive content around very specific offerings, which may include example
proposals or client examples. Only BOFU prospects should be considered for sales calls.
Making It Work
It's extremely important to remember that marketing automation software is only the
messenger. It's up to your content team to fill your marketing funnel with interesting and
engaging content that converts prospects into clients. Be sure to download the Essential
Guide to Internet Marketing and jump-start your inbound marketing strategy.

Jan 2, 2013
6 Steps to Productive Brainstorming

Think big and follow these tips to make the most of your next brainstorming session.
Running a productive brainstorming session is an art form--it can also be the most
productive fun that you'll ever have. However, managers often find that corralling and
organizing ideas at a fast pace without a game plan can be like herding cats. Here are a few
concepts that will set you up for success when leading a productive brainstorm session.
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1. Always Go Offsite
Never try to brainstorm in your workplace. This is a good rule for two reasons: First, you
need to be in a completely relaxed environment to expand your mind into a state of flow. I
have generated many more ideas over a pool table than a boardroom table. Second,
brainstorming should not be something that your business does on too regular of a basis.
Even monthly brainstorming sessions start to feel manufactured rather than organic, and
this can destroy creativity.
2. Solidify Your Central Focus
Start with a central focus for the brainstorming session and keep the focus as benefit-
oriented as possible. For example, a productive central focus could be "Products that our
market demands" rather than "Next company product." Include value-add aspects to your
central focus to keep idea generation focused on benefits rather than features.
Don't be afraid to add constraints! A popular misconception about constraints is that it

suffocates creativity, when in reality the exact opposite is true. Nothing is more confusing or
frustrating than sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper with every color in your crayon box
at your fingertips. Formulate a problem statement to add meaningful constraints to your
brainstorming session to provoke creative ideas.
3. Whiteboard a Mind Map
I have found that the most effective way to take notes during a brainstorm session is to use
the mind map format. A mind map keeps your eye on the central idea while organizing new
ideas in a non-linear fashion that groups ideas by type rather than chronologically. This
spatial organization of ideas is much more intuitive than an outline or traditional note
taking. The final note taking is easy since you can just pull out a smartphone and snap a
photo.
4. Create Ideas, Not Plans
It's important to remember that the purpose of a brainstorming session isn't to create plans
or roadmaps--it's to create and challenge ideas. The goal is simply idea generation at a high
level and allow the group to challenge the idea in various perspectives. A gray area does exist
between challenging ideas and developing an idea. However, with experience will come the
sense of when it is time to move on to the next idea.
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5. Shut Down Blockers and Divers
Blockers and divers can quickly derail a brainstorm session. A blocker is someone who
quickly shuts down an idea by deeming it impossible for whatever reason. Ideas need to be
realistic, but the participants should challenge themselves to come up with at least one piece
of feedback that could challenge or support the idea before shutting it down. Bring a squirt
gun to your brainstorm session to playfully shame idea blockers when they appear!
A diver is the opposite of a blocker. This person will progress beyond challenging an idea
and start a deep dive into developing the idea further. But this simply isn't the purpose of a
brainstorm session. Unless the idea is something that everyone agrees is the solution and is
ready for development, it's best to keep the session moving along.
6. Schedule Next Steps
The easiest way to crush a productive brainstorm session is to end a meeting without
scheduling some kind of follow-up to one or more ideas. If you don't have time to schedule a
next step to develop your ideas further, then you probably shouldn't be brainstorming in the
first place.
Brainstorming sessions give you the opportunity to think big and collaborate, but following
these few guidelines are essential to the process. How does your company brainstorm? Tell
us in the comments.

Jan 16, 2013
How to Write an Insanely Popular

Blog
The most popularly shared articles online, regardless of industry, topic, or even
author, often share these similar traits.
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The most popularly shared articles online, regardless of industry, topic, or even author,
often share a similar cadence, intonation, and anatomy--and that's no accident. Slingshot
SEO's Enterprise Blog Post Optimization Guide reveals the trends and techniques found in
highly shared articles and acts as a roadmap for blogging success.
Once you've mastered these techniques you'll be rewarded with increased traffic,
conversions and a buzzing online community. Below are several important areas, according
to our guide, to consider when crafting a killer blog post.
Title
Even the most interesting and value-add articles can be set up for failure with a poorly
written title. A lot of time and effort should be spent on crafting the best title for your
targeted audience, as this is your first opportunity to sell your post to the reader.
The guide explores 10 techniques for writing attractive titles:
 News Jacking
 Popular Culture
 Humor/Absurdity
 Bold Statement, Declaration, Controversy, Logical Fallacy
 Ego Stroke
 Breaking News
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 How-to
 Top X List
 [Bracket] Title
 Thought Leadership
Structure
Many people who are new to blogging will search for the "holy grail" formula to writing
successful posts. While there's no secret formula, there is a very simple structure that works
well.
The most effective blog structure is rooted in keeping things simple, since increased
granularity can stifle creativity and production. You want as many employees interested in
contributing content as possible.
Your expert employees who love to educate will now have the opportunity to show off their
thought leadership and build web authorship over time. This expert content will help build
your brand community and attract more leads online.
Our guide takes a deep dive into the four basic building blocks of blog post structure. Here
are few high-level excerpts:
 Introduction: The post's introduction is the sales pitch for reading the post in its
entirety. It also sets the tone and expectations for the reader.
 Body: This is the put-up or shut-up stage of a blog post. If it doesn't deliver on the
promises made in the introduction, you can forget about someone getting to the
conclusion.
 Conclusion: Just like public speaking, blog posts should provide a brief recap of the
argument, value proposition or takeaways.
 Call to Action: If someone takes the time to read your content from start to finish,
you're obligated to tell him or her what to do next.
38
Optimization
This section of the guide provides a checklist of common techniques used in SMO, CRO and
SEO. Social media optimization (SMO) enhances success by adding the ability for users to
create social signals by sharing the article.
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) has the ability to grow your conversions without adding
any traffic! Fundamental SEO efforts communicate the value, content and intent of the
article to search engine algorithms.
Setting yourself up for success in SMO, CRO and SEO is crucial for squeezing the most value
out of your blogging efforts.
Content Governance
While organizations need to create quality content on a regular basis, they also need
standards and guidelines. Content governance is the management of the content guidelines
related to style and delivery. This is a balancing act between risk and reward. An example
governance policy, complete with editorial and style guidelines, is also provided in the
guide.
Goals of Content Governance:
 Foster consistency, as opposed to uniformity

 Create principles, as opposed to rules
 Enhance the brand
 Minimize exposure to risk
Final Thoughts
Once you've mastered the art of creating an optimized blog post, the entire process becomes
fun, easy and quick. Combine that with the fact that you're already writing about a topic that
interests you, and you may be surprised by how much high-quality content you can produce
in a short amount of time.
The Enterprise Blog Post Optimization Guide in its entirety is available for free in both
Kindle and PDF format.
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Jan 24, 2013
3 Win-Win Business Relationships

Are you taking advantage of the most important key partnerships in inbound
marketing today?
Key partnerships are important components of any business model, including inbound
marketing. A key partnership is a symbiotic relationship in business--each partner provides
and extracts value to the other partner. In the most ideal symbiotic relationships, the value
extraction is at no cost to the other partner. Think about a bird that gets a free meal from
cleaning the parasites off an elephant's back--both animals benefit at no cost to the
partnership.
Your organization's online marketing strategy can benefit from using specific partnerships
in useful ways. Here are three of the most important key partnerships in inbound marketing
today.
1. Industry Influencers
It's extremely important to be known, respected and followed by your industry's online
influencers. These influencers have earned the right to feel special, since they've built strong
followings of their own through years of mastering the daily grind of your industry. Provide
these leaders with valuable insights, strategies and news about your organization that you
typically don't provide to just anyone on the street. When you provide valuable insight,
influencers will use this information for topics on their blogs or news websites. Stories about
your organization on these industry-influencing websites can increase your online PR and
search relevancy.
2. Strategic Alliances
Forging strategic alliances with other organizations in your industry through co-marketing
is another great way to connect with your target demographic. The first step is to identify
products or services that are complementary to your business. Choose the top companies in
each product or service segment, then reach out to the business development department.
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Set up co-marketing opportunities like webinars, research projects or other educational
collateral. Clients, prospects and followers of both companies will combine into one
extremely relevant audience for both organizations.
3. Suppliers and Vendors
It's also important that you view these as strategic partnerships rather than simply
buyer/seller relationships. Vendors often perform a task that otherwise may, or has been,
done in-house by your team. These vendors can provide an economy of scale for your
organization, and can help you identify exactly what you need at any given moment without
hiring or firing employees. These vendors in particular should be considered partners, since
they are a strategic piece of your business model. Treating vendors like PPC managers and
inbound marketers like partners will create a stronger bond between your organizations and
allow you to obtain more value and attention from them.
Overall, be sure to maintain and truly value these partnerships. Never take on more
partnerships than you can realistically manage. Remember to always provide as much value
to the partnership as possible, as this will be directly proportional to the value that you will
be able to extract in return.

Sep 5, 2012
Top 5 Marketing KPIs for Your

Dashboard
Which key performance indicators you use could influence your results. These are
my top picks.
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Senior marketing managers tend to be extremely busy, which is why they need to set up
dashboards that allow them to quickly analyze inbound marketing strategies and
conversions. Smart Web analytics dashboard KPIs can provide insights into the overall
direction of inbound marketing efforts at just a glance. Here are five important dashboard
KPIs that can provide even the most swamped marketing manager with a clear glimpse into
inbound marketing campaign performance.
1. Site-Wide Organic Traffic
Rather than checking rankings like a nervous stockbroker, your time is better spent
checking a daily update on total organic search traffic. While it's true that you can't get
traffic without rankings, the primary value is driven by the traffic to your website.
Companies that measure success purely by search engine rankings ignore the all-important
click-through rate, which ultimately determines website traffic. Set up your analytics
dashboard to include year-over-year (YOY) increases in organic search traffic. This will give
the senior manager a good idea of the direction of search-related inbound marketing efforts
in a summarized format that corrects for seasonality.
2. Total Number of Unique Keywords Driving Organic Traffic
Your target keyword set should be treated like a stock portfolio and target diversity and
growth. Diversity manages risk and broadens the scope in both your investment and
keyword portfolios. Growth is the obvious goal of any investment, however, it's the
combination of growth and diversity that generates the highest returns with the least
amount of risk. The total number of unique keywords behind any given organic search
traffic analysis should be monitored in a YOY comparison on the executive dashboard.
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3. Referral Traffic Growth
Your inbound marketing portfolio not only includes various keyword sets, it also includes all
other forms of referring sources on the Internet. This includes third-party websites (not
search engines), social media platforms, partner websites, mobile applications, marketing
collateral (such as PDFs) and email marketing campaigns. The analytics dashboard should
include total YOY increases in referral traffic as well as the total YOY increases in referral
traffic sources. Maintain a focus on growth and diversity.
4. Individual Channel Net CPA
CPA (Cost-per-acquisition) figures should be known on a channel-by-channel basis. Savvy

marketers understand that CPA is calculated uniquely for each digital marketing campaign.
Using an optimized attribution model for each campaign to calculate a net figure will
accurately summarize the CPA of each individual marketing channel. A great dashboard
summary would be the overall CPA for PPC (Pay-Per-Click), Organic Search, Referral Traffic
and Direct Traffic. These are generally the top sources of traffic in a well-rounded inbound
marketing campaign.
5. Growth in Total Conversion Value
This last figure is what inbound marketing is all about. However, it's important to have a
broad definition of what a conversion is specifically and an accurate dollar figure of the
value generated by each conversion. Don't just focus on conversions related to sales, or what
Avinash Kaushik refers to as the "one-night stand." Define conversions that relate to
prospect nurture actions, such as marketing material downloads, webinar attendances,
email list growth, or any other online action that adds value to the business. Analyzing the
overall growth in value driven from all website conversions may be the most important
inbound marketing KPI. After all, who cares about rankings, traffic, followers, and likes if
they don't convert into value driven for the company?
These are my top web analytics KPIs, what are yours?

Aug 15, 2012
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Finally! A Way to Calculate Social
Media ROI
Shares, likes, links and retweets are all great, but what's their impact on sales?
Here's a new way to get the metrics you need to measure your online marketing
efforts.
Shares, likes, links and retweets are all great, but when the budget cycle rolls around, these
metrics just don't cut it. Digital marketers need to know the impact on sales that are driven
by such metrics.
Unfortunately, in the past, attributing digital marketing channels to sales has been an
elusive skill that many marketers simply don't have the tools or education to
complete. Today, marketers will find that a much clearer view of the impact on sales from
each digital marketing channel can be easily generated using a new practice known as multi-
touch attribution. Empowered with information provided by multi-touch attribution, digital
marketers can:
• Justify digital marketing spends
• Optimize digital channel budget allocation
• Calculate more accurate CPA (cost-per-acquisition) figures
• Set up new campaigns for success
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From email marketing to social media, multi-touch attribution analyzes every marketing
channel touch point in the customer journey from the initial brand discovery to the final
conversion (purchase). Multi-touch tracking can provide powerful data, but the processing
of this data through attribution modeling can provide even deeper insights into the value of
each marketing channel.
Attribution Modeling
A model is a compromise between simplicity and reality. It's too simple to only analyze the
last touch point that drove the customer to conversion, also known as last-touch attribution.
Conversely, it is far too complicated to analyze and attempt to predict
every possible customer journey.
Considering these constraints, there are a few fundamental attribution models that can be
used to easily determine the value driven from each digital marketing channel.
Furthermore, each model has at its core a set of marketing goals that are taken into account
when calculating individual channel value. Have a drip campaign to nurture users through a
long sales cycle? There's a model for that. Perhaps your team is running a seasonal
promotion with a quick-convert 5-day offer? There's a model for that. Or maybe your only
goal is brand awareness, in which case--there's a model for that! You get the picture.
Next Step: Get Educated
Get started by downloading the free Multi-touch Attribution eBook by Slingshot SEO

Inc. This eBook includes:
• An overview of the multi-touch attribution and the benefits of using fundamental single-
touch and multi-touch models.
• A quick assessment questionnaire to provide insights into which model(s) are most
relevant to the needs and goals of your digital marketing campaign.
• Our Multi-Touch Attribution Study, which analyzed 30 client domains and over 23 million
unique online conversions with over 150 million touch points to give insights on when,
where and how much value digital marketing channels provide throughout the customer
journey.
• A step-by-step guide on how you can implement multi-touch tracking on your website
using the free online tool Google Analytics as well as setting up a linear model analysis using
Microsoft Excel.
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The most informed marketing teams generate the best results. Download Slingshot SEO's
Multi-touch Attribution eBook today to get the knowledge and tools you need to optimize
your marketing spends and increase ROI.

Aug 8, 2012
Boost Sales Using Social Influence

Who in your network is more likely to influence the buying decisions of others? A
study reveals the group you should be advertising to online.
Referrals from friends have a significant impact on typical buying behavior, an effect
commonly known as social influence. Social influence is part of the reason so many
marketers, as well as investors, get excited about the marketing potential within social-
media networks. However exciting the potential, marketers and investors still need to
understand the relationship between social influence and online sales. What effect, if any,
do friends have on one another's buying decisions when engaging on a social network?
A study by Harvard Business School titled "Do Friends Influence Purchases in a Social
Network?" addressed this question by using data gathered from a Korean social-media
website called Cyworld. Cyworld contained a personal page format similar to Facebook and
46
also allowed users to purchase virtual items to display on their pages through e-commerce.
The study addressed the relationship between social influence and buying decisions between
208 randomly selected members in the study group. It also included the real impact on
sales.
Do friends influence purchases on a social network?
The findings identified within the data set three main groups of users, which I refer to as the
Normals, the Joneses, and the Hipsters. These findings are consistent with the middle-
status conformity thesis, a sociological phenomenon that segments individuals into three
groups on the basis of status within the community.
The Normals
These individuals represented 48 percent of the study group. These users had the least
amount of activity on Cyworld. They visited other users' pages the least (low outdegree) and
also had the least amount of other users visiting their pages (low indegree). The Normals
showed zero social influence on buying decisions, resulting in a zero impact on sales.
The Joneses
These individuals represented 40 percent of the study group. They showed a moderate level
of activity on Cyworld in terms of time on site, indegree, and outdegree. The Joneses
showed a "keeping up with the Joneses" behavior by purchasing items that friends within
their network purchased in the past. The study found a positive social effect on the Joneses'
buying behavior that resulted in a 5 percent increase in sales for this group.
The Hipsters
These individuals represented 12 percent of the study group. These users showed the
highest levels of activity on Cyworld in terms of time on site, indegree, and outdegree. The
Hipsters showed a 14 percent negative effect on buying behavior as a result of social
influence. The study postulates that, "To maintain distinctiveness, these users tend to
reduce their purchases of items when they see their friends buying them."
Strategic takeaways
Given the findings from this paper, here are a few suggestions for companies that wish to
boost e-commerce sales using social influence:
47
1. The Normals are irrelevant. Omit these users from your ad spends.
2. The Joneses are the most important group, given that they show the highest conformity
and make the most purchases. Find the Joneses that interact with your industry on social
networks and target them with display advertisements.
3. The Hipsters are irrelevant in terms of direct sales but can be highly instrumental in
driving buying activity from the Joneses.
Find the Hipsters in networks that don't know of your product. The Hipsters will have a
higher probability of sharing your product if it's unknown to their network, thus preserving
their unique distinction. Sharing product samples is also a great way of boosting the
Hipsters' personal statuses, which drive positive downstream effects for your campaign as a
result of their sharing your product with the community. Try to coordinate the Hipsters'
mentions of your product with a display ad campaign targeting the Joneses. You will get
more for your money, because referrals combined with ads show positive
interdependence in online marketing.
Please let me know if you implemented these strategies. What were the results? I would love
to do a follow-up post with more real-world examples!
OWNER'S MANUAL | Jeff Haden

Jul 18, 2012
3 Interview Questions That Reveal

Everything
Employee fit is crucial. Here's a simple way to know if a job candidate is right for
your business.
48
Interviewing job candidates is tough, especially because some candidates are a lot better at
interviewing than they are at working.
To get the core info you need about the candidates you interview, here's a simple but
incredibly effective interview technique I learned from John Younger, the CEO of Accolo, a
cloud recruiting solutions provider. (If you think you've conducted a lot of interviews, think
again: Younger has interviewed thousands of people.)
Here's how it works. Just start from the beginning of the candidate's work history and work
your way through each subsequent job. Move quickly, and don't ask for detail. And don't ask
follow-up questions, at least not yet.
Go through each job and ask the same three questions:
1. How did you find out about the job?
2. What did you like about the job before you started?
3. Why did you leave?
"What's amazing," Younger says, "is that after a few minutes, you will always have learned
something about the candidate--whether positive or negative--that you would never have
learned otherwise."
Here's why:
49
How did you find out about the job?
Job boards, general postings, online listings, job fairs--most people find their first few jobs
that way, so that's certainly not a red flag.
But a candidate who continues to find each successive job from general postings probably
hasn't figured out what he or she wants to do--and where he or she would like to do it.
He or she is just looking for a job; often, any job.
And that probably means he or she isn't particularly eager to work for you. He or she just
wants a job. Yours will do--until something else comes along.
"Plus, by the time you get to Job Three, Four, or Five in your career, and you haven't been
pulled into a job by someone you previously worked for, that's a red flag," Younger says.
"That shows you didn't build relationships, develop trust, and show a level of competence
that made someone go out of their way to bring you into their organization."
On the flip side, being pulled in is like a great reference--without the letter.
What did you like about the job before you started?
In time, interviewees should describe the reason they took a particular job for more specific
reasons than "great opportunity," "chance to learn about the industry," or "next step in my
career."
Great employees don't work hard because of lofty titles or huge salaries. They work hard
because they appreciate their work environment and enjoy what they do. (Titles and salary
are just icing on the fulfillment cake.)
That means they know the kind of environment they will thrive in, and they know the type
of work that motivates and challenges them--and not only can they describe it, they actively
seek it.
Why did you leave?
Sometimes people leave for a better opportunity. Sometimes they leave for more money.
Often, though, they leave because an employer is too demanding. Or the employee doesn't
get along with his or her boss. Or the employee doesn't get along with co-workers.
50
When that is the case, don't be judgmental. Resist the temptation to ask for detail. Hang on
to follow-ups. Stick to the rhythm of the three questions. That makes it natural for
candidates to be more open and candid.
In the process, many candidates will describe issues with management or disagreements
with other employees or with taking responsibility--issues they otherwise would not have
shared.
Then follow up on patterns that concern you.
"It's a quick way to get to get to the heart of a candidate's sense of teamwork and
responsibility," Younger says. "Some people never take ownership and always see problems
as someone else's problem. And some candidates have consistently had problems with their
bosses--which means they'll also have issues with you."
And a bonus question:
How many people have you hired, and where did you find them?
Say you're interviewing candidates for a leadership position. Want to know how their direct
reports feel about them?
Don't look only for candidates who were brought into an organization by someone else; look
for candidates who brought employees into their organization.
"Great employees go out of their way to work with great leaders," Younger says. "If you're
tough but fair, and you treat people well, they will go out of their way to work with you. The
fact that employees changed jobs just so they could work for you speaks volumes to your
leadership and people skills."
Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his
way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up fromghostwriting books for some of
the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden
SWIM WITH THE SHARKS | Harvey Mackay

Aug 14, 2012
2 Little Words to Close More Sales

51
Are your prospects ready to buy? Eliminate the surprise factor and find out well
before the close. Here's how.
If you knew two little words that could improve your sales, you’d use them,wouldn’t you?
When you see your customer has some reservations, it makes sense to get the issues out in
the open, doesn’t it?
And after the ink is dry on the deal, you should make every effort to make sure your
customer is satisfied, shouldn’t you?
So why all the questions? They illustrate a simple technique--sales tie-downs--that can help
you improve your sales process. By getting your customers to agree with you in small steps
along the way, you have a better chance of reaching agreement when it’s time to do
business.
Sales tie-downs are short questions you add to statements throughout your presentation to
get your prospective customer to start saying yes long before you go for the close. You want
to engage your customer and get them used to saying yes.
Too often, sales reps simply regurgitate their presentations and expect to land the sale. It
doesn’t work. Prospects tune out because they aren’t engaged in the process. The remedy is
to ask little questions along the way and monitor the feedback.
You know what I mean? Are you following me? These are tie-downs. End statements with
questions like: Wouldn’t you agree? Is that right?
These questions can be as simple as:
 Aren’t they?
 Can’t you?
 Isn’t it?
 Shouldn’t it?
 Won’t they?
52
Tie-downs have to become a natural part of your conversation before you can use them in
your sales presentations. Be aware of your tone so the questions don’t sound threatening or
argumentative. Practice tie-downs on your spouse or friends. Have some fun using them in
role-playing exercises with other sales professionals. That will help you develop a rhythm
that will include enough--but not too many--tie-down questions.
There’s another benefit to tie-downs as well: They keep you in control and confirm that your
customers understand what you are saying during your sales presentation, and that it’s OK
to continue.
You don’t need a big close, as many sales reps believe. You risk losing your customer when
you save all the good stuff for the end. Keep the customer actively involved throughout your
presentation, and watch your results improve.
Now let me ask you again, if you knew two little words that could improve your sales, you’d
use them, wouldn’t you? I think you know the answer.
Mackay’s Moral: Use sales tie-downs to lasso more customers.
Harvey Mackay, author of The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World, is founder of the
MackayMitchell Envelope Co. He has written six bestsellers, including Swim with the Sharks Without
Being Eaten Alive. @HarveyMackay

Aug 6, 2012
5 Questions Great Job Candidates Ask

Many of the questions potential new hires ask are throwaways. But not these.
Be honest. Raise your hand if you feel the part of the job interview where you ask the
candidate, "Do you have any questions for me?" is almost always a waste of time.
Thought so.
53
The problem is most candidates don't actually care about your answers; they just hope to
make themselves look good by asking "smart" questions. To them, what they ask is more
important than how you answer.
Great candidates ask questions they want answered because they're evaluating you, your
company--and whether they really want to work for you.
Here are five questions great candidates ask:
What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?
Great candidates want to hit the ground running. They don't want to spend weeks or months
"getting to know the organization."
They want to make a difference--right away.
What are the common attributes of your top performers?
Great candidates also want to be great long-term employees. Every organization is different,
and so are the key qualities of top performers in those organizations.
Maybe your top performers work longer hours. Maybe creativity is more important than
methodology. Maybe constantly landing new customers in new markets is more important
than building long-term customer relationships. Maybe it's a willingness to spend the same
amount of time educating an entry-level customer as helping an enthusiast who wants high-
end equipment.
Great candidates want to know, because 1) they want to know if they fit, and 2) if they do fit,
they want to be a top performer.
What are a few things that really drive results for the company?
Employees are investments, and every employee should generate a positive return on his or
her salary. (Otherwise why are they on the payroll?)
In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. You need your HR folks to
fill job openings... but what you really want is for HR to find the rightcandidates because
that results in higher retention rates, lower training costs, and better overall productivity.
54
You need your service techs to perform effective repairs... but what you really want is for
those techs to identify ways to solve problems and provide other benefits--in short, to
generate additional sales.
Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference. They know helping the
company succeed means they succeed as well.
What do employees do in their spare time?
Happy employees 1) like what they do and 2) like the people they work with.
Granted this is a tough question to answer. Unless the company is really small, all any
interviewer can do is speak in generalities.
What's important is that the candidate wants to make sure they have a reasonable chance of
fitting in--because great job candidates usually have options.
How do you plan to deal with...?
Every business faces a major challenge: technological changes, competitors entering the
market, shifting economic trends... there's rarely a Warren Buffett moat protecting a small
business.
So while a candidate may see your company as a stepping-stone, they still hope for growth
and advancement... and if they do eventually leave, they want it to be on their terms and not
because you were forced out of business.
Say I'm interviewing for a position at your bike shop. Another shop is opening less than a
mile away: How do you plan to deal with the new competitor? Or you run a poultry farm (a
huge industry in my area): What will you do to deal with rising feed costs?
A great candidate doesn't just want to know what you think; they want to know what you
plan to do--and how they will fit into those plans.
Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in
the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up fromghostwriting books for some of the
smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

Jul 5, 2012
55
Make Your Team More Innovative,
Instantly
All you need is 10 minutes--and some very thick skin.
Trying to be innovative feels, at least for most people, nearly impossible.
Don't believe me? Try it. Go ahead. Be innovative. Think of something amazingly new and
different. I'll wait.
Give up? (Don't feel bad. I gave up before you did.) Most of us don't have a "creativity
switch" we can turn on and off at will.
Our employees don't either. Gathering your team in a room and saying, "Okay, we really
need some innovative ideas... what do you have?" never works--unless you play "Kill a
Stupid Rule."
Kill a Stupid Rule is one of the tools described by Lisa Bodell, the founder and CEO
of futurethink and the author of Kill the Company.
Playing Kill a Stupid Rule is not only easy, your employees will think it's a hoot. Here's how
it works:
1. Gather a group of employees.
Then break them down into two-or three-person teams. If possible, pair up people from
different functional areas.
2. Give the smaller groups 10 minutes to answer one question:
"If you could kill or change all the stupid rules that get in the way of better serving our
customers or just doing your job, what would they be and how would you do it?"
3. Then sit back.
56
And make sure your skin is particularly thick that day, because many of the stupid rules
employees will want to kill are your stupid rules.
"At the 10-minute mark the teams will be begging you for more time," Lisa says, "not
because they're coming up empty but because 10 minutes isn't nearly enough time to write
everything down. So don't stop them. You'll rarely see employees get as engaged during
team meetings. Giving them more time shows how serious you are about the exercise, which
is important for building your team's trust in you and in the possibility that things will
actually change."
4. Ask everyone to write their "favorite" stupid rule on a sticky note.
Then have each place his or her rule on a whiteboard grid that has two axes: Y is ease of
implementation, and X is degree of impact.
Your grid will then have four quadrants: Hard to implement with low impact, hard to
implement with high impact, easy to implement with low impact, and easy to implement
with high impact.
Some people will automatically assume eliminating their favorite stupid rule has
tremendous impact even if it doesn't. That's understandable.
5. Talk about the results.
Some of the same rules will show up multiple times. Some will be rules only one person
follows. Some won't be formal rules, falling more into the, "But that's how we've always
done things," category.
And some won't be rules at all: Meetings just for the sake of meeting, reports that no one
reads, multiple sign-offs for purchases or approvals....
6. Let the group pick a few easy to implement/high impact rules--and kill those
rules on the spot.
Prove you're willing to listen. Prove you're willing to change.
Prove employee engagement is a verb, not a noun.
7. And don't stop there.
57
Some rules you can't kill on the spot. A few might require first changes in process or
workflow.
No problem. Make the necessary changes; anything you do that streamlines a process and
frees up employees to do real work is time well spent. Then let everyone know when those
rules are killed. That way you reinforce how seriously you take their input and how
important it is to make positive changes.
8. Then keep listening.
When employees know you take their input seriously, you won't need to try to flip the
innovation switch by holding brainstorming sessions to solicit ideas.
As long as you're listening and acting on what you hear, your employees will bring great
ideas to you.

Jun 6, 2012
The Best Way to Make a Decision

Ask yourself this one question... and then forget about what everyone else thinks you
should do.
Fortunately Derek Sivers stepped in and saved me.
(Well, not literally.)
A very nice lady had asked me to speak at a local business function. I was flattered and it
sounded like fun... but I already have plenty to do, and the audience, while large, isn't in the
market for a ghostwriter.
So I was on the fence until I remembered Derek's credo: "No more yes. It's either HELL
YEAH! or no."
58
Since agreeing to speak would have fallen solidly into the, "Oh, okay, I guess so..." category,
I turned down the opportunity.
And I was immediately glad I did.
The key to using the Hell Yeah! approach in business and in your personal life is to focus on
the only person that really matters when you make a big decision:
You.
Sure, seeking input is natural. Most of us are trained to actively solicit opinions, bounce
ideas off others, and run ideas up proverbial flagpoles in order to harness the incredible
power of a group and make awesomely wonderful decisions.
The problem is the main power wielded by group thinking is the power of the middle
ground. Groups grind away the edges and the sharp corners. After all of the input and
feedback and devil's advocacy what remains is safe, secure...
...and similar.
If you want to be different and achieve "different," the only person that matters is you.
Group decisions give you an out. Other people can be least partly responsible. Other people
can be wrong.
When you make the decision it's all on you: Your vision, your passion, your motivation, your
sense of responsibility. You will try harder, if only to prove others wrong.
You will persevere, if only to prove yourself right.
And that's especially true when you start out thinking, "Hell yeah!"
Say you're trying to choose a location for a business. It's easy to decide six or eight "OKs"
equals "awesome!" It's easy to check off mental boxes: "Parking, OK; traffic volume, OK;
storage space, OK..." and decide an average location with no real negatives--but also with no
outstanding features or qualities--is a great location for your business.
But, of course, it's not. An absence of negatives never equals a superlative. Look for
excellent, not acceptable.
Never settle for "good enough."
59
Make as many decisions as you can based on the Hell yeah! principle and you'll be a lot
more successful... and a lot happier.
60

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SEO HEROES

Where You Should Market Online

Overall Online Activity by Industry

Social Media Activity by Industry

Industry Opportunity Analysis

SEO HEROES | Aaron Aders

Create Your Own Active Online

Selecting between Google+, Facebook or LinkedIn

1. Which platform has the largest concentration of my target audience?

Building the Group

Maintaining Your Group

It's also important to create content governance guidelines to support the inbound

SEO Strategy: Link Building Gets a

How Is This Different From Link-Building?

What About Results?

Results from an earned media campaign include:

SEO HEROES | Aaron Aders

New Rules for SEO Success in 2013

1. Focus on Your Keyword Portfolio, Not Rankings

Focusing on "fat head" keywords is an unbalanced strategy with diminishing returns.

2. Create Problem-Solving Content

3. Publish Content on Quality Sources

Last year's Penguin update eliminated the value of content published on untrusted websites.

4. Distribute and Promote Content through Social Media

ROARING OR BORING | Kevin Daum

Try This Proven 3,500-Year-Old Sales

Recognize the buyer type with whom you are dealing

Observe from their perspective

Acknowledge who they are

Resolve their need

In the Haggadah there is a specific phrase about communicating the story to

The Cynical Buyer

(They're not actually wicked, just reticent and crafty.)

The Simple Buyer

The Disinterested Buyer

ROARING OR BORING | Kevin Daum

Don't Fix the Present, Create the

1. Collect People Not Things

No question I am an individualist, but I totally appreciate those around me and am a much

2. Find the Economic Model to Do What You Love

3. Gain Through Giving and Gratitude

4. Put Your Ego in Your Wallet Where it Belongs

It took me decades to overcome my natural insecurities and stop focusing on achievement

5. Be Responsible for Your Own Experience

ROARING OR BORING | Kevin Daum

10 Reasons to Pick Up the PhoneNow

Certainly written communication has its advantages.

 You don't have to waste time with unwanted chatty gossip.

1. When You Need Immediate Response

3. When You Don't Want a Written Record Due to Sensitivity

4. When the Emotional Tone is Ambiguous, But Shouldn't Be

5. When There is Consistent Confusion

6. When There is Bad News

8. When Scheduling is Difficult

9. When There is a Hint of Anger, Offense, or Conflict in the Exchange

10. When a Personal Touch Will Benefit

SALES SOURCE | Geoffrey James

10 Questions That Create Success

1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?

2. Have I done something today that improved the world?

3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?

4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?