How To Take Advantage of Local SEO

When 50% of Google users actually go to the store in the same that they searched for it, it’s time for your startup to take advantage of local search engine optimization (SEO). Here are some tips to help you get started:

(Curate from Tech.Co)

Even if you have an exclusively online business, you can take advantage of the local market. All you have to do is provide Google with the right information about your business and you can start targeting a local audience online.

“You need a physical presence in order to do this. That’s why you must provide some sort of address and phone number. It doesn’t matter if you don’t serve customers in-person: This is the minimum required to appear on Google’s radar.”

Start taking advantage of local directories online and make sure your business’s information is up-to-date.

“Directories were previously thought of as a relic of old SEO. But they’re making a comeback in local form. Make sure that your business is in as many local online directories as possible. Unlike how they used to work, you can’t pay a guy to upload your website to 50 of them.”

You can drive more local traffic to your website by incorporating locally-targeted keywords into your content and digital ads.

“Your keywords should have a local flavor. For local keywords, you should concentrate on placing both your niche and your locality into the same string. If you are targeting with hyperlocal SEO you may even include the neighborhood or the street. Try to make them fit in as naturally as possible.”

Startups in particular can benefit from using local SEO because everyone loves to help a local, up-and-coming business.

“Make no mistake, local SEO is important for absolutely everyone. But it’s even more important for startups because they are starting from nothing. You have no presence online and you can’t leverage previous reputation. Typically, startups have little money to begin an SEO campaign. Optimizing for local SEO is annoyingly time-consuming and tedious, but it’s free. As a startup, you have lots of time and not a lot of money. Use the resource you have a ton of to your advantage.”

Why Press Releases Aren't Enough for Your Startup

While sending out a press release can help spread the word about your business, press releases are impersonal. They’re focused on delivering facts and information, not personality. Instead of focusing all of your energy on writing press releases, writing quality blogs that reflect the voice and tone of your business will send your audience a better message about you.

(Curated from Tech.Co)

Most startups are tweeting and posting into the void, which is an effective marketing strategy. But you can make your business stand out by getting personal with blogs. Writing quality content your audience will be interested in will help you build a reputation as a thought-leader.

“Blogging is more intimate and personal. Getting a reader away from the barrage of tweets and rolling tide of their Facebook feed is best. Startups can use blogs to explain their story and create a connection. When the traffic comes to your site, for the love of all startup culture, be honest and authentic.”

Unlike Twitter, you can use your blog to tell your whole story. You don’t have a 140 character limit so you can get into the fascinating details. Telling your story and building your image through a blog will help your audience feel closer to you.

“People want an honest and authentic story, and press releases just don’t create that. Startups rely on their social media interns and PR companies to create the coveted organic reach by stuffing links into everything. Smart people know you’re desperate and ignore everything you say.”

You can also use your blog to generate engagement and have real conversations with your audience. You can also see which content your audience responds to more to help hone your marketing strategy and your product.

“Press releases come across as monolithic and boring. Oscar Wilde said if you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they’ll kill you. This means using your blog to understand your audience and empathize with them. Shared humor creates empathy and understanding. Humor also alleviates stress and boosts morale. Startups must hold true to their core values and mission while not creating an insular tribe of “Us vs. Them.”

What other tips do you have for startup companies launching their own blogs?

How Your Business Can Learn from Beyonce's Lemonade

No matter who you are, whether you founded a startup, own an established small business, or work for a large corporation, you can learn something from Beyonce and her most recent album, Lemonade. Here are a few lemons you can use to get started:

(Curated from Fast Company)

1. Find what makes you stand-out from your competition or something that can put you ahead. Beyonce uses innovative videos to go along with her music and she’s way ahead of the game, which gives her an impressive edge.

“Beyoncé has long experimented with ways to amplify video’s impact. With her second solo effort, 2006’s B’Day, she released an alternate "visual album" version that included a separate video for each track—something she would repeat with her self-titled 2013 album. In hindsight, it’s clear that Beyoncé was testing video’s potential, getting comfortable with the format in a post-MTV digital world as a way to expand her artistic vision and marketing muscle. Her 2008 song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," with its Bob Fosse–inspired black-and-white video, is among the earliest—and biggest—examples of music-video-as-Internet meme, transforming the song from a hit into a phenomenon.”

2. Once you control your brand and your story, you can establish a reputation of reliability and creativity with your audience. Beyonce is in control of her narrative even when a video of her sister Solange attacking her husband Jay Z in an elevator reached the public. She used that video to create Lemonade.

“Most successful brands deal with public blowback at some point. Recently, Chipotle has been scrambling to overcome fallout from a series of food-poisoning incidents, while Facebook is battling the perception that its news-feed system privileges liberal content over conservative posts. There are lots of ways to deal with these kinds of PR debacles, of course—crisis management is an entire public-relations subindustry. But Beyoncé’s response to the elevator video has been a fascinating experiment in PR disaster–as-opportunity narrative redefinition—a transformation of lemons into Lemonade.”

3. Learn to take risks carefully. Because she is an investor in Tidal, Beyonce could have forced all of her fans to subscribe in order to see her new album, which would have alienated many. Instead she used an extremely delicate strategy to encourage her fans to subscribe to Tidal while also giving them as many opportunities as possible to see Lemonade without the subscription.

“When disruption hits, some businesses cling to the old, hoping to ride things out. Others race to the new without fully comprehending the implications. Beyoncé straddles both approaches.”

4. Last, Beyonce excels at being unpredictable. That you will be impressed is the only thing you can be sure of when it comes to Queen Bey.

“Throughout the business world, marketers are looking at Lemonade’s success and wondering how to concoct something similarly effective and iconic. "We’re asking ourselves, ‘So what’s our Lemonade?’ " says Airbnb’s Mildenhall. "Because we don’t ever want to become predictable. Every time we engage with our consumers, our target audience, our community, we want to surprise them, to inspire them, to delight them. And we want to do it in a way that then drives a disproportionate share of popular conversation."

How do you turn lemons into lemonade at your business?

Image by Arnie Papp

3 Management Skills You Can Learn from Movies

When it comes to running your own startup company, you have to be able to manage others effectively. It’s difficult to be an effective manager without letting your employees take advantage of you or dislike you. Here are some management lessons you can learn from the movies:

(Curated from Entrepreneur Magazine)

1. Film: 9 to 5

While this iconic film mostly focuses on sexism in the workplace, it also teaches managers not to take credit for the work of others. When you encourage your workers to share their ideas and give them the credit they deserve, you’ll earn their respect and improve productivity.

“Dabney Coleman's Franklin Hart Jr. truly checks all the boxes as far as terrible bosses go. Not only does he bully and harass his female employees like newbie Judy (Jane Fonda) and long suffering secretary Doralee (Dolly Parton), but he lies and pretends that great ideas from veteran office manager Violet (Lily Tomlin) are his own, and passes her over for a promotion to hand it to a male colleague.”

2. Film: The Devil Wears Prada

What can you possibly learn from the dragon boss played by Meryl Streep in this film? While she is intimidating and often harsh, she is still a good teacher. You don’t have to insult your workers to help them learn as she does in the film, but take their mistakes (and yours) and turn them into lessons.

“A good manager takes mistakes and if she can, turns them into learning opportunities for everyone to do better in the future.”

3. Film: Working Girl

In this classic film, new managers can learn how to foster a culture of sharing and collaboration at work. Instead of stealing ideas and doing everything you can to get ahead, you should share ideas and work as a team to accomplish your goals and achieve more as a group than you could ever do alone.

“An effective manager understands he or she needs to be collaborative and that valuable ideas can come from everywhere. And yes, Tess did assume her boss’s identity to get ahead -- but come on, those are minor details.”

What advice do you have for new managers?

How to Stay Productive No Matter What

We all strive to stay productive throughout the day. Being productive means doing what we said we would do, in the time we promised. But what do you do when the day takes an unexpected turn and throws off your schedule? Here are four ways to stay productive and achieve more.

(Curated from Entrepreneur Magazine)

1. Be Prepared

Meetings run late and plans get cancelled. Consider this free time a way to get ahead or caught up on your to-do list.

“Instead of wasting this time being upset or feeling let down, use this time for good. See it as a gift instead of a waste. “Found” time can be used to do things like writing a “thank you” or “I noticed” card, sharing appreciation with someone you work with.”

2. Breathe

Having a full schedule can be overwhelming. It’s ok to get lost in the moment or stressed out. Just remember to breathe and conquer your to-do list one item at a time.

“Remembering to breathe deeply can calm the hectic moments and allow you to re-focus on where you want this day to go. This reflective pause helps us experience improved concentration and an increase in energy. Relaxed bodies also have greater self-confidence -- just what you need when things seem to be spinning out of control.”

3. Stay Present

Constantly thinking about what you need to do next doesn't allow you to take advantage of and enjoy the moment. Complete tasks one step at a time before moving on to the next.

“When we are constantly in the future or in the past we miss out on the beauty of the present. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who didn’t seem to be taking in what you were saying? Don’t be that person. Be present. Fully engage in whatever you are doing to assure your best work and quality productivity.”

4. Self-care

If you want to be the best you can be, take care of yourself first. In order to create a more productive mindset, you must learn to check up on yourself throughout the day.

“Do you need some caffeine? Do you need to get up and dance or do some jumping jacks to get the blood flowing? Do you need some fresh air? Getting to experience what your body is yearning for can make a real difference. Rejuvenating is not only good for your productivity, but is good for the soul.”

What are your best tips to stay focused and productive?

What Makes A Successful Entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur can be a long process with tough challenges. Many entrepreneurs possess certain  characteristics and attributes that allow them to stand out from the competition. Here are six attributes most successful entrepreneurs demonstrate.

(Curated by Entrepreneur Magazine)

1. Determination

No matter how many setbacks, stay determined and never give up. One of the many reasons entrepreneurs fail is because they gave up after a mistake.

“Great entrepreneurs will tell you that they may have pivoted many times, down to their last dollar, but have never given up. I look for that same determination in every new founder.”

2. No Excuses

Don’t make excuses, turn challenges and setbacks into lessons learned for the next client.

“Successful entrepreneurs are always ready, willing, and able to learn from challenges, rather than trying to find something or someone to blame. Howard Schultz readily admitted that early success created hubris and entitlement in his team, which took a major initiative to correct later.”

3. Update

Constantly update your products or services. Don’t decide to make changes when your competition does. Always stay ahead of the competition and make changes, even if they become lessons learned.

“Steve Jobs was quick to obsolete his own best-selling products every few months, to keep the momentum and the Apple brand image growing. That’s a challenging but winning long-term strategy.”

4. Relationships

Build relationships with your team, clients, and potential partners. A successful business relies on talent and relationships with others. Surround yourself with strong and positive people.

“There really is something to the saying that a successful business depends on who you know, as much as what you know. That ability and determination to nurture win-win relationships with peers, potential partners, and competitors, separates long-term entrepreneurs from short-term flashes.”

5. Desire for Change

A desire to change is sometimes more important than profit. Long term success comes from motivation for a higher purpose.

“Steve Jobs often attributed his long-term success to a desire to change the world, but suffered setbacks when he took his eyes off revenue flow for too long. Even the best cause does not sustain a business alone, and a higher cause is needed to drive long-term success.”

6. Hard Work

Work hard, stay focused, and learn along the way. A successful entrepreneur puts in longer hours and works harder than the average person.

“Not only do they put in more hours by habit, they get far more done than others. Yet they are known for their extreme focus on selected critical elements, and their extreme depth of knowledge on key subjects.”

What are other traits successful entrepreneurs have?

Unexpected Ways Your Business Can Outperform the Competition

As an entrepreneur, you’ll always have to find new and innovative ways to stand out from the competition. The Internet is just another level of business where you need be competitive.  Here are 4 simple ways you can compete successfully in your industry:.

(Curated from Entrepreneur Magazine)

1. Keep Your Promises

Many businesses and entrepreneurs make promises they either don’t or can’t keep.  An easy way to stand out from the competition is to simply honor what you say, keep your promises, and do great work.

“Stand out from your competition by doing something that should be a standard practice in business today but isn’t. If you can’t deliver—then don’t promise. Be realistic in what services you can provide and in what time frame.”

2. Be Original

It's easy to copy the success of others. Become someone clients and businesses know and trust by modeling you success after other entrepreneurs and not stealing it.

“When you are original you stand out from everyone else that tries to be like everyone else. If an idea is someone else’s, give credit where it’s due. Take the strategy and make it unique to you and what your business does. People will respect you more for telling the truth.”

3. Don’t Lose Focus

Everyday there is a new form of technology that may help your business. There will always be a new social media platform to join. Only use the tools that will help you achieve your goals in a realistic manner.

“One measure of success is your ability to filter. There will always be a new gadget or social network or strategy, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for your business or where your focus should be right now. Everything has its place and time and it’s vitally important to never lose your balance. Focus on what will help your next steps. Focus on one thing at a time. Focus on what will help your customers the most.”

4. Maintain Consistent Service

Customer service is important for any business. When a client asks for help, provide consistent  assistance. Listen to your clients and provide useful information to solve their problems.

“There are a thousand different things to focus on and that have to get done in a business. You stand out when your focus is on your customer’s needs. Listen to what leads and customers are saying their biggest struggles are and then map out a strategy to help them.”

What are other ways you can stand out from the competition?