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I've been doing some updates on the Duct Tape Marketing site - if you haven't dropped by for a while you should. Duct Tape Resource: The Natural Advantages of Small Business I Love Small Businesses
There is something equal parts terrifying and energizing about doing work for someone when you know that the check they write you is drawn from funds right out of their pocket. I suppose the day I came to this conclusion was about 15 years ago. I had done a small project for a Fortune 500 company and sent them a bill for $1,565.85. About 90 days later I got a check for $156,686.00. (One more zero and maybe I'm not writing this blog!) I called them up to ask the best way to send it back and they scolded me for not having an accurate billing mechanism?? Increasingly, I find myself championing small business and what I call the Natural Marketing Advantages of Small Business. I've gotten such great response to a talk I give by the same title that I decided to propose it as a ChangeThis manifesto. Go to ChangeThis and see if The Natural Marketing Advantages of Small Business deserves your vote! And look for a mini video on the topic that I'm working on in the coming weeks Featured Resource #1 - Duct Tape Marketing Article Directory I have begun to collect many of the columns I have written for this newsletter and other publications in an interactive article directory. This allows you to search, comment on, subscribe via RSS and contribute to a growing collection of small business focused content. Check out the article directory. Join my free article directory - I am also inviting anyone who writes articles focused on small business to become an author in my directory. Visit http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/article and click on the "Become an Author" link. Complete the information and once you are accepted you can log in and post articles you have written. This is a great way to find new readers and web traffic and the search engines will place a high value on links back to your site from Duct Tape Marketing.
When Local Search Meets
Social Search I guess we can call these types of sites directories, but what was clear from the discussion is that people aren't really looking for directories, they are looking for answers, recommendations and user experiences. Social sites ask members and visitors to rate their experience, good and bad, with a business and post that information for others to view. Depending upon who you listen to, actual purchases made over the web only make up about 3% or all commerce, but buying decisions are made every day through research on the web.
Prospects are turning to sites like Insider
Pages to find sources for everything
A screen shot from an Insider Pages search for "remodeling contractor" - Kansas City, MO from plumbers to piano tuners in most every community in America. Highly rated small businesses appearing on social sites are starting to get noticed! This is a great new medium, their is no cost involved and the benefits far outweigh the little bit of work you may put in to start building your online reputation. Smart small businesses are starting to encourage online reviews. (Merely point out to your happy customers that they might want to share the love.) Other businesses are printing and using their online reviews offline. Businesses with the most ratings and reviews seem to do the best. Coupons and offers are a great way to get noticed too! You need to start exploring this avenue now, if for no other reason than to manage your online reputation. Some businesses fear the impact of a negative review. I mean, you can't make every customer happy, right? Most of the social directories have processes in place to fight spam and competitive revenge type reviews, but nothing works like a good offense. Make sure you are building reviews from happy clients. Send offline customers online and teach them how to use a site like Judy's Book.
Some of the more popular
social/local directories include:
Sidebar:
I owned a retail business,
home services repair business, consumer oriented professional services
business or sold pretty much anything to homeowners. Smart business owners, particularly those types mentioned above, should take a look at not only participating in these new online communities, but actually moderating them by becoming an active city editor. This is still new territory and getting in now and becoming a leader in your community is a great way to get out in front of the moving train. Social bookmarking - the other side of social search Another, somewhat related, trend in this category is social book marketing. Social book mark sites allow online surfers to "tag" and describe a site they like. Doing so allows the visitor to easily find the site by category and also exposes this site to other that might use this book mark tool. Many web site owners and bloggers find that encouraging and making easy for readers to book mark your pages using some of the more popular book mark tools is a great way to find new readers. Some of the social book mark sites are so popular that a listing, even briefly, in the newly bookmarked section can send a handful of new readers your way instantly.
Some of the most popular social
book mark sites include: The image to the right shows how I have added links on my blog posts to each of these book mark sites to make it easy for people to add my blog posts.
~ ~ ~ Duct Tape Coaches - Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coaches - coming to a town near you (already spanning the USA, UK and Canada!) If you like what you read on the Duct Tape Marketing web site and newsletter you might want to see if there is a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized coach that can help you take your business to the next level. Find a Coach Think you might want to become a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach? Find out more here Next Training Intensive is January 2007 To become a coach Email John Jantsch or call 866-DUC-TAPE (382-8273) and visit Duct Tape Marketing Coach to get details and listen to an audio overview.
Featured Reading
Business, all business really, is about relationships. Everyone can improve their relationship building skills. This is a great and quick read.
Featured Listening
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Featured Resource - The Duct Tape Marketing Workshops - Does Your Group Need a Practical Small Business Marketing Speaker?
Featured Resource #3 - Digital Version Now Available for Immediate Download
Resource - Get Local Search Engine Traffic
Get your local business found online automatically by local prospects with a Duct Tape Marketing Local Search Engine profile. One of the best ways to get your business found in your town by local prospects. More Featured Resource #3 - Blog Lightning - How To Create and Promote Your Blog In A Flash Drawing from my experience creating blogs, including my award winning Duct Tape Marketing Blog, I have launched a complete step-by-step guide that takes you by the hand and shows you exactly what to do to instantly create and promote a successful blog for your business.
Featured Free Magazine Request Your Free Magazine Duct Tape Marketing Podcast
Tune in each week as I interview some of the brightest business experts, authors and entrepreneurs. Subscribe and get the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast delivered to your iPod or other mp3 player.
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One
of my favorite sessions of the Search Engine Strategies Conference I
recently attended was a panel presentation from a collection of companies
creating local/social search directories. The panel included Chris DeVore,
CEO and Co-Founder, 
Social
online directories like
