Simple how-to steps for establishing an Online Marketing Strategy for your small business.

1. www.hiddenequity.com Developing Your Online Marketing Strategy

2. Overview Purpose; Online tools to reach your audience; Search engines; Press; Blogs; Social media; Circling the wagon; Checklist.

3. Purpose Developing and creating a mission statement; Corporate culture; What makes you different? Why is this important? Customers buy from those they trust. The mission statement and corporate culture set your organization on a focused path to deliver what you promise. This will build trust over time and ultimately improve your referral rates and closing ratios.

4. Online Tools Search Engines – the new yellow pages; Online Press – adding online credibility to your message; Blogs – developing a following; Social Media – Networking and one-on-one sales.

5. Search Engines Bookmark this page! https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal Keyword selection is critically important to your campaign; Identify keywords that meet your audience criteria AND; Has enough volume to satisfy your traffic goals AND; Is in a realistic competitive environment.

6. Online Press Again, no different than offline; Build relationships with the reporters; Search Google for related articles and blogs; Add valuable and unbiased information that is helpful to the reporter to build trust; Keep them updated with RELAVENT and useful information about your announcements; Send out regular press releases using free online tools such as: http://www.prlog.org/ Carefully balance the frequency of your releases – too many will turn off the press to your message and too few will take the attention away from you.

7. Blogs Can add credibility to your message; Blogs are where you tout your knowledge and/or expertise in your industry; Think of your Web site as the brochure and sales channel and the Blog as the place you provide useful information on current and relevant topics that your customers would like to know; Example: an accounting firm often times will keep their clients posted on new tax laws. The Blog is a perfect place to alert customers; Customers can subscribe to Blogs using RSS technology which allows them to get updates from their email, Web site or social media profile.

8. Social Media Social media’s application to a business is similar to getting involved in a trade group, association, cocktail party or event; Unlike search engines, social media allows you to pull information rather than push; Join, communicate and send your message out to 100X the number of groups you could join in person; LinkedIn and Facebook are the new Whitepages; Twitter is becoming the new broadcast email and can be applied to public relations, search engine optimization and lead generation; Bookmarking sites such as Digg, Yelp and Technorati are the new way for customers to refer business to you.

9. Circling the Wagon Search Engine Optimization drives; Reporters, blogs, social media to your site; Online press drives; Search engine optimization, social media and blogs; Blogs add credibility to your message and drives; Search Engine Optimization; Social media drives; Sales, search engine optimization, credibility and trust.

10. Checklist Before continuing to the next level get the following completed; Mission statement; Corporate culture; Identify your audience and online marketing purpose; Keyword selection; Blog strategy;

11. Follow Us My Company - www.hiddenequity.com Twitter - http://twitter.com/customercrm Blog - http://insurance-software-he.blogspot.com/ YouTube Channel - http://youtube.com/user/InsuranceSoftware