How do you drive the right visitors to your website? The success of any web-based business starts with ensuring the consumers looking for your business find your business. Our Rasmussen College subject matter expert, Josh Braaten, shows you how search engine optimization (SEO) and the resulting online word-of-mouth buzz can improve consumer traffic to your website or blog.

1. Online Word-of-Mouth
How to Excel at Online Marketing Using What You Already Know

2. Rasmussen College Sr. Online Marketer
@jlbraaten on Twitter
WHO IS JOSH BRAATEN?

3. WHO IS JOSH BRAATEN?
…originally from North Dakota

4. SMALL BUSINESSES KNOW HOW TO
CREATE WORD-OF-MOUTH BUZZ

5. SMALL BUSINESSES KNOW HOW TO
CREATE WORD-OF-MOUTH BUZZ

6. AMAZING PRODUCTS CREATE BUZZ

7. AMAZING SERVICE CREATES BUZZ

8. ENTERTAINING CUSTOMERS CREATE BUZZ
OR EDUCATING/ENGAGING

9. WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE WEB?

10. • Search engine optimization (SEO) theories
• Shady SEO agencies with spam tactics
• Google’s Pandas and Penguins
• Keyword targeting and on-page optimization
• 301 redirects and sitemaps.xml
• Indexation and robot spiders
• Canonicalization of URLS
WHY DOES SOCIAL MEDIA COME ACROSS AS DIFFICULT?

11. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Google+
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• MySpace
• Ping
• Tumblr
• Last.fm
• So.cl
• Reddit
• StumbleUpon
• Yammer
• Angie’s List
• Yelp!
• Google Places
• Quora
• Formspring
• Slideshare

12. YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT IT ALL WRONG

13. SEO AND SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLAINED SIMPLY
FOR SMALL (AND LARGE) BUSINESS

14. HOW TRADITIONAL WORD-OF-MOUTH WORKS

15. HOW TRADITIONAL WORD-OF-MOUTH WORKS

16. HOW TRADITIONAL WORD-OF-MOUTH WORKS

17. HOW SOCIAL MEDIA WORKS

18. HOW SEO WORKS

19. WHY DIDN’T SOMEONE JUST SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

20. HOW TO EARN WORD-OF-MOUTH BUZZ ONLINE

21. OFFER AN AMAZING PRODUCT
Example: bit.ly/StarWarsDecals

22. ANY PRODUCT CAN BE AMAZING
Source: rasmussen.edu/accelerated

23. IS YOUR PRODUCT AMAZING?
Source: kissinsights.com

24. DO CUSTOMERS THINK YOUR PRODUCT IS AMAZING?
The internet is kind to great products.

25. OFFER AN AMAZING SERVICE
Book: deliveringhappiness.com

26. IS YOUR SERVICE AMAZING?
Source: http://www.surveymonkey.com

27. IS YOUR SERVICE AMAZING?
The Internet often rewards great service.

28. ENTERTAIN, EDUCATE, ENGAGE

29. 11 TIPS TO START ONLINE WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING

30. 1. LOCATE THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE TALK

31. • Website
• Blog
• Facebook
• Google+ / Local
• Others?
2. CLAIM AND COMPLETE ONLINE IDENTITIES

32. 3. USE COMMON SENSE TO HELP PEOPLE FIND YOU

33. 4. CREATE AND SHARE INTERESTING, HELPFUL CONTENT

34. 5. PICK A SCHEDULE AND COMMIT. REVISE AS NEEDED.
Online Property Frequency Action
Blog Weekly
Write one 200-800 word article that entertains,
educates, or engages customers
Social Media
Facebook: daily
Twitter: 2-5x/day
Google+: weekly
Pinterest: weekly
7:2:1 Ratio:
•7 = Other people’s helpful content
•2 = Your content
•1 = Your products or service
Email Monthly
Send an email newsletter full of the month’s
content and send it to customers

35. 6. ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR THOUGHTS

36. 7. FIX WHAT’S BROKEN

37. 8. SURPRISE YOUR CUSTOMERS

38. 9. THEN REQUEST CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

39. 10. ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR A REVIEW

40. 11. ENGAGE, ENGAGE, ENGAGE

41. OK, NOW I JUST HAVE TO FIND THE TIME

42. QUESTIONS?