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In Speedlinking and SEO, Part 1: What is Speedlinking? we discussed the two possible meanings of the term "speedlinking," and I explained which definition I espouse and why.

Speedlinking, Slow-linking: Which Is Better?

Let me point out here that neither practice (writing link posts - which often contain longer and more highly descriptive link text - and anchoring links with pithy descriptive terms) is necessarily inferior to the other or innately bad for a blog's SEO (when used correctly, at least). Each has a role to play in any successful blog strategy. Yet, each is entirely different, which is why I believe that each should be called by a different name - a name that's more appropriate to its function. Thus, I call writing link posts speedposting (since it speeds up the posting process) and creating links that use shorter and less complex anchor text speedlinking (since it speeds up the linking process).

Speedlinking Defined

To recap, the definition we will use in this series on Speedlinking and SEO, is the following:

Speedlinking is the practice of using just one or two sometimes-insignificant words to anchor a link. The words in question are used either as a substitute for exact titles and/or full names (which are generally longer and more time-consuming to reproduce accurately) or to highlight specific keywords and short key phrases. Sometimes, the words chosen to anchor the link are ambiguous, universal, and nondescript, giving the reader little incentive to follow them. Speedlinking may be used in either a link post or a conventional one, though it's more likely to be used in the latter, since it lends itself well to easily achieving an unbroken narrative flow.

In my previous post, I linked to a few highly respected bloggers who choose to define speedlinking differently than I do. Today, I'll refer briefly to another blogger I also highly respect, who views the issue very much the same way that I see it.

A Blogger Who Shares My Perspective

The only blogger I've found thus far, who uses the term speedlinking in the clearer and more intuitive context described above is Confident Writing Coach Joanna Young. In How to write a links post, Joanna covers this topic, differentiating between simply "linking out" and "speed linking." In this post, she offers a description of speedlinking and demonstrates the practice in a few of its more positive and negative forms. While the topic of her post may be writing a link post, she doesn't use the term speed linking to describe that practice but rather to represent one possible method of linking out from within that link post. Many may find this distinction subtle and consider it unimportant, but I agree with Joanna that the term speedlinking has a very specific meaning and serves an equally specialized function in blogging and SEO.

Outbound Link Text and SEO

The next question thus becomes, "Just how important is outbound link text to our SEO strategy?" Answering this question will help us better understand the impact of speedlinking on our sites' SEO.

Let's start by consulting the Google Webmaster Central Blog to get the Big G's take on outbound anchor text:

Descriptive anchor text (the visible text in a hyperlink) helps accurately inter-connect the web. It allows both users and Googlebot to better understand what they're likely to find when following a link to another page.

Characteristics of Good Speedlink Anchor Text

This would indicate that our outbound link text is very important to our site's SEO. Does this mean speedlinking is bad for SEO? Not necessarily. It all depends on how it's done. With speedlinking, we need to ask ourselves a few questions to determine whether our method enhances or detracts from website SEO:

• Is our anchor text relevant to the link's content?
  
• Is it reinforced by surrounding page content?
  
• Does it use appropriate keywords?
  
• Does the link's URL structure use recognizable descriptors, such as keywords or titles, rather than numbers?
  
• Are the URL descriptors relevant to the surrounding content?
  
• Does the link contain a relevant title tag to further reinforce its anchor text?

All the above factors determine the SEO-ability of our outbound links - whether they are speedlinks or conventional links.

Information to Include in Speedlink Anchor Text

In summary, good outbound linking principles apply to speedlinking just as much as they do to any other type of linking strategy. While the anchor text of an SEO friendly speedlink may be shorter, quicker, and easier to execute, it still contains such helpful descriptive information as the following:

• Keywords or key phrases
  
• Names of individuals
  
• Company names
  
• Website or blog titles
  
• Publication titles (as opposed to article titles, which are generally longer)
  
• Domain names
  
• Combinations of the above (such as "ProBlogger's speedlinking post," which contains a blog title and a key phrase)
  
• Other brief but specific descriptive text

Some Final Thoughts on Speedlinking

Whether speedlinking or slow-linking, the links themselves should generally be deep links (links to website pages other than a site's homepage) unless your purpose is simply to refer your reader to the website or connect a particular individual with his or her website or blog.

Speedlinking can have a positive impact on your site's SEO, just as any other kind of linking can - as long as you give your speedlinking strategy a little forethought. When done properly, speedlinking not only draws the attention of search engines, but like any other outbound link, it can give your site's SEO a boost by encouraging other bloggers to link back to your content.

"Interactive marketing has and will continue to revolutionize and lead revenue growth and brand advancement for our clients," said David Duerr, CEO of Straight North. "Whoast's technology platform and talented people integrated with Straight North's creative and strategic expertise accelerates our vision for delivering the most innovative and productive online marketing solutions to our clients."

Whoast, founded in 2003, grew quickly into one of the premier SEM and Web development companies in the industry. "The emergence of the search marketplace led by Google was the perfect opportunity for us to apply our marketing knowledge and technology skills," commented Aaron Wittersheim, President of Whoast. "We believe this new relationship with Straight North will further expand our capabilities into more markets and opportunities and to enhance our overall value proposition."

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Links and SEO

We all know that website links play a critical role in search engine optimization, but often the precise role specific types of links play is unclear to us. Today's post will focus on outbound links and their part in the SEO equation.

A Few Link Basics

Before we begin, I think we might benefit from a few definitions, so here are a few basics from W3C.org (World Wide Web Consortium), which it provides in its Introduction to links and anchors:

A link is a connection from one Web resource to another. Although a simple concept, the link has been one of the primary forces driving the success of the Web.

A link has two ends -- called anchors -- and a direction. The link starts at the "source" anchor and points to the "destination" anchor, which may be any Web resource (e.g., an image, a video clip, a sound bite, a program, an HTML document, an element within an HTML document, etc.).

Links that point toward a website are called inbound, or incoming, links. They're also called backlinks. Links that point away from one site and toward another are known as outbound, or outgoing, links. Another link type is the internal link, which refers to a link that points to other pages on the same website.

Perceived Link Value

Many believe that inbound links are the only ones that have real value for improving a site's SEO (though some website owners are willing to concede that internal links might have some value as well). Few, however, are willing to accept the notion that outbound links have much of a role to play in website optimization strategies. Yet, according to the experts, this is indeed the case.

Indirect Benefit of Outbound Links

Mike Murray, of Fathom SEO, puts outbound links into their proper context for us, in Outbound Links and Misunderstandings:

Outbound links don't help you in the sense that they could affect the ranking algorithms - at least not directly.

He then clarifies a misunderstanding that many have about the animal:

Outbound links don't hurt you in that you're not penalized for linking to other websites. The only exception is when websites link to non-related website directories or link collections just for the sake of linking.

Direct Benefits of Outbound Links

Keyword Ranking

Joel Walsh, of AgoraBusinessCenter.com, takes this explanation one step further, stating, in his article on SEO and Outbound Link Relevance, that

Outbound links' anchor text affects a page's search engine ranking in much the same way that inbound links' anchor text affects search engine ranking.... though it is slightly less powerful. If you have a particular keyword in the anchor text of a link on a webpage, that webpage will likely show up in search engine results -- even if it appears nowhere else on the page, and even if there are no inbound links with that anchor text.

Tim Grice, of SEOWIZZ.net, has in fact discovered that one can indeed

...rank a page for a keyword with no anchored backlinks and little in terms of content.

How did he do it? He explains, in his post on Outbound Link Theory, that he

created the page for "seo consultant leeds" and anchored the phrase to a couple of well known 'local' training and government sites.

About his results, he says,

...after this little trial my page now sits at the bottom of the first page on google.co.uk for the keyword. 

His conclusion follows:

This suggests that outbound links hold a good bit of weight when it comes to ranking higher in Google. Use them in conjunction with a targeted title tag and generate some optimised inbound links and it could help cement your site at the top of Google for some pretty competitive keywords.

Trust Value

Leo di Milo, of Internet Marketing Techniques and Theories, shares a few insights he's gleaned from other SEO experts about outbound links, in 3 SEO Musings on Outbound Link Structure, Keywords and TrustRank:

I have seen several prominent SEO sites who link up very liberally....

While I can only theorize as to why this is done, I do know that linking to other sites in your niche will help springboard your site in the SERPS.  I believe that it will help get that trustrank that most of us in competitive niches need in order to get to the next level.

It is really all about connections.  It is the way the internet operates.

Relevance

Fathom SEO confirms this, saying,

Links -- like much of the Internet and search engines -- are about relevance. If you're linking out for a good reason, don't worry about it. You may have some real fires to put out elsewhere, not the artificial ones fueled by hype.

Traffic

SearchEnginePromotionHelp.com offers us these further words of wisdom about The Effect of Outbound Links On SEO:

You do not lose visitors by offering links to other pages. Links to other pages will bring you more and repeat customers. All visitors will leave your web site sooner or later. No matter how great your web site is, no one will stay on your web site forever. The question is what web surfers do when they leave your site.

If you don't have outgoing links or if you hide your links, then you send your visitors back to search engines (which give you nothing in return). If you offer your web site visitors links, you can send leaving visitors to other web sites that can send you their visitors in return.

Carefully chosen links to outside resources can improve the experience of visitors who visit your web site. Give, and you shall receive. This is true for many aspects of life and it also works for web site promotion.

 

Good SEO Is More Than Inbound Links

Jennifer Sullivan Cassidy reminds us of the following, in Balancing Inbound and Outbound Links:

There is more to having a good position in the search engines tha(n) hoarding all of your links.  There are many sites that I see have wonderful keyword-rich content, many thousands of backlinks, yet are so afraid of losing their PageRank that they only link to their own sites or internal pages....You're not going to plummet in the SERPs by providing links to someone else.

A Few More Points About Links

Webconfs.com offers the following two important reminders, in Links - Another Important SEO Item:

Besides the anchor text itself, the text around it is also important.

So, always remember that your content must reinforce your link text to make it more relevant to search engines.

Their second crucial point is,

When links are concerned, one aspect to have in mind is the ratio between inbound and outbound links. Generally speaking, if your outbound links are ten times your inbound links, this is bad but it also varies on a case by case basis. If you have a site that links to news sources or has RSS feeds, then having many outbound links is the inevitable price of fresh content.

A Final Thought

Jennifer Sullivan Cassidy leaves us with a little food for thought about the inbound links we all covet:

Unfortunately, in order to get one-way links, which are the jewels of link-building, someone has to be giving away those links.  If we all hoped to get links, but never gave them, then there would be no such thing as one-way links at all.

And where would that leave our SEO strategy?

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1. Create a Solid Profile. This takes a good deal of time - more than preparing a resume. But a strong LinkedIn profile helps people find you and motivates them to connect. I think of my LinkedIn profile as a supercharged, searchable business card. Your profile may be the first or second place potential customers go to check you out. 
2. Ask a Question.  "Answers" is LinkedIn's knowledge center. People ask questions about anything and everything under the business-related sun. Asking a question delivers a twofold benefit. First, you usually get authorative answers that are hard to come any other way. Second, you get your name out into the LinkedIn network, so people can find you and connect.
3. Answer a Question. Do you want to establish your credentials as a specialist or thought leader? Answer a question in your area of expertise, and put some real effort into it. Potential customers may reach out to you strictly on the basis of seeing a spectacular answer. If the asker awards you a "Best Answer", that information appears on your profile and looks quite impressive.
4. Join a Group. Joining a Group that is relevant to your specialty connects you with potential customers, service providers, and collaborators. Some groups are better than others in terms of participation and overall usefulness, but like anything, you'll get out of a Group what you put into it.
5. Start a Group. If you can't find the right Group for you, maybe that means you've discovered a need in the LinkedIn network. Starting and managing a Group takes a bit of time, but it is one of the best ways on LinkedIn to promote your business and make connections.
6. Write an Endorsement. Recommending your connections with a sincere and well written endorsement is a powerful way to help a business associate. And, as with all social media, when you give, you get. As you receive endorsements, they become part of your profile - perhaps the strongest part.
7. Ask for an Introduction. The whole premise of LinkedIn is the idea of six degrees of separation, meaning, that you are six or fewer connections away from knowing everyone in the world. The odds are overwhelming that your network of connections, if diligently nurtured, can the door to any opportunity you can think of. When a connection introduces you, that is about the most powerful way to open a door there is.  

Just as some words and phrases have special power to persuade, others at best seriously weaken and at worst totally destroy the impact of a PR or ad campaign. Therefore, it's critical that a copywriter know the difference.

The Copywriter's Objective

In every promotional communication, the copywriter's goal is to convince the reader to do one or more of the following:

• Accept an idea
• Believe in a company or product
• Recognize his need or desire for the product
• Purchase the product
• Leave the door open for future sales opportunities

Whatever the goal of a specific individual campaign, the copywriter must keep that goal firmly in mind throughout the writing process.

Right Words/Wrong Words

A skilled copywriter achieves goals such as those listed above not only by using the right words (aka power words) but by avoiding the wrong ones. The right words effectively convey the desired idea, elicit a specific emotion, and inspire a preferred action naturally and organically, while the wrong ones convey misconceptions or elicit negative emotions about a product or company, create ambivalence or confusion in a prospect, water down an appeal, or in extreme cases outright block the desired action.  The accomplished copywriter knows that avoiding ineffective language is equally critical to - and goes hand-in-hand with - using powerful, positive, persuasive prose.

The following words have been divided into categories based on the nature of the problem they create for your promotional copy:

Weak Words

Words such as OK, Good, Satisfactory, and Satisfaction weaken your copy and water down your message.

Reason:
These words tell your prospect to expect only mediocre results from your product or service. They also imply that the best he can hope for is to have his most basic needs met.

Alternative:
Try telling him instead how much better your product is than the competition's and why. Then, rather than settling for his mere satisfaction, try helping him envision all the wonderful ways your product will enhance his life. Even phrases such as "satisfaction guaranteed" or "money-back guarantee" are weak - again because the first one promises the bare minimum result and the second encourages the notion that your prospect might not like your product. Instead, try substituting, "We'll do whatever it takes to meet your needs" or "We go the second mile to keep our clients happy."

Negative Words

Words or phrases such as Return, Refund, Objection, and Why not plant seeds of doubt in your prospect's mind.

Reason:
They encourage him to consider the notion that he might want to return your product and/or request a refund, and this is not where you want his imagination to go. Such words practically invite him to create a mental list of objections to your appeal. Even the final phrase, which seems almost positive on its surface, can be one of the fastest ways to get your prospect's mental gears rolling in the wrong direction and start him thinking of all the reasons why he shouldn't purchase your product.

Alternative:
Try saying instead, "Here's why you'll love our product," "You'll be glad you've made the decision to own _______," or "Once you own _______, you'll discover so many new and exciting reasons why you've made the right choice."

Indefinite Words

Words like If, Whether, Maybe, Possibly, Perhaps, Potential (adjective), and Consider drain your promotional campaign's impact and steal your prospect's confidence in you and your product.

Reason:
The above words make your prospect question her need for your product or, even worse, cause her to doubt your ability to deliver the intangible rewards she seeks from the purchases she makes. She'll wonder whether your product is really necessary or its quality high enough to warrant her interest and justify the monetary and energy expenditures required for obtaining it.

Alternative:
Try saying something like "We just know...," "We're sure...," "We're certain...," or "We're completely confident that our product will do all that we've promised and more." Then, to fire up her imagination, ask questions or make statements that inspire her to visualize your product making a difference in her life. Visualization triggers such as the following can turn your prospect into your greatest sales ally, virtually commandeering her own imagination and using it to sell her your product:  "Can you imagine...," "Imagine for a moment...," "Can you see all the ways _____ will improve your life?" "Would you benefit from _____?" and "I'll bet you can think of even more ways to use our product to enhance your well-being." Feel free to use the word "Potential" as a noun, though, since it, too, will make your prospect visualize a better future.

Insecure Words

Words such as But, Hope (as in "I hope you'll consider..."), Mind (as in "Would you mind?"), Interrupt, Bother, and Busy demonstrate insecurity, self-consciousness, and lack of confidence in oneself, one's product, or one's ability to effectively market that product.

Reason:   
These words are tentative and reactionary and they lack conviction. They relinquish control of the encounter to the prospect, instead of retaining the privilege of gently yet definitively guiding his thoughts in the direction in which you want them to go. They invite him to consider your communication an intrusion, rather than the most serendipitous encounter he's been fortunate enough to have in a long time. And they place you in a defensive position.

Alternative:
Try using "Yet," "Still," or "Nevertheless" in place of "But." "However" can also work, if used judiciously. Otherwise, it could sound a bit stuffy. (For the same reason, don't use "Nevertheless" too often.) Feel free to use "Hope" as a noun, though (as in "You'll find new hope as you incorporate our _____ into your life.")  Never apologize for giving your prospect what you know to be the greatest news she's heard all week - even though she may not realize it yet. Instead, let your enthusiasm shine through, as you offer her the opportunity to share your amazing secret. While your prospect may be busy, it's your job to make her feel as if she simply doesn't have the time to ignore your fabulous offer.

Sales Words

Words and phrases like Buy, Purchase, Order, Shop, Customer, Buyer, Budget, Bank Book, Bank Account, Checkbook, Price, Cost, Cash, and Money all remind your prospect that this is a sales encounter and that the bottom line will equal money flowing from him to you. This is definitely not the aspect of the transaction you want to highlight in your sales copy.

Reason:
People tend to be impatient with sales pitches. Chalk it up to too many family dinners interrupted by telemarketers; too many TV shows, videos, and even movie theater screenings punctuated by repeated commercials and trailers; and too many website visits ruined by banner ads, pop-ups, and other types of unwelcome advertising. Even old-fashioned print media seem to contribute more than ever to the advertising overload of today. People have grown tired of advertiser bombardment, and they've learned to tune it out. If you use too much sales language in your own copy, they'll soon become tired of you and tune you out, too. Since people also dislike the thought of parting with their money, do your best to keep their minds off the financial aspects of the transaction until they've made a decision to purchase.

Alternative:
Try using "own" instead of "buy" or "purchase." The word "try" can sometimes work as well, when followed by a strong, positive statement about what the prospect will discover once she tries your product. Instead of discussing "cost" or "price," refer to "a wise investment," "real savings," or "real value." The only time it's acceptable to use the specific sales words listed above is on your website's "Purchase," "Purchase Details, "or "Shopping Cart" page. Just be sure to keep them out of your persuasive sales copy.

Relevant Resources

For further information on the words you shouldn't use in your ad copy, visit the following links:

Sales Words to Use and Avoid, by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Video (5:45): 5 BAD Words You Should NEVER Say (in sales copy)!
Jim Edwards (WebsiteVideoSecrets.com)

Video (10:48):  8 Bad Words Which Cause Sales Suicide
Toe-Cracker (TrevorCrookBlog.com)

Image via MicrosoftOfficeOnline

Effective sales copy is critical to any company's success. We all know that. Yet, we don't always know exactly which ingredients combine to make our copy powerful. In an earlier post (The 10 P's of Powerful Promotional Copy), we discussed the importance of using the right words to create the desired effect in our reader/prospect.

To paraphrase, let's simply say that the specific words we choose to use in our sales copy directly determine the degree of success (or failure) we experience as a result. That means that even if your copywriter understands the basic principles of crafting copy that creates interest in your reader, you'll still require the added element of power words to pack the persuasive punch that will push your promotional copy over the top with your prospect.

Power Words Equal Persuasive Copy

The following words are some of the most effective at eliciting the positive emotional responses that can lead to increased sales for your company:

Power Adjectives:

Free, Big, Today, Glad, Own, Important, Special, Better, Best, New, Revolutionary, Up-to-the-minute, State-of-the-art

Power Adverbs:

Today/today's, Now, Super

Power Verbs:

Save, Test, Serve, Try, Expect, Own, See, Endorse, Invest, Help

Power Nouns:

Discount, Gift, Guarantee, Trial, Savings, Reward, Sale, Blowout, Event, Clearance, Service, Support, Feedback, Future, Solution, Benefit, Secret, Investment, Offer, Answer

Power Word Combos:

Free gift, Trial offer, Free trial, Save big, Clearance sale, Special offer

Power Sentences/Phrases:

Don't wait.
Put us to the test.
You'll be glad you did.
See for yourself.
No risk
Endorsed by
Invest in your future.

Incorporate as many of the above power words and phrases into your promotional copy as possible and watch your sales exponentially increase.

Further Resources

For more information on the best ways to incorporate power words into your promotional copy (and more suggested power words to use), visit the following websites, which offer helpful articles, word lists, and videotaped tips for making your sales communications pack a powerful punch:

Power Writing Words for More Responses, Agents Insurance Marketing USA

Absolutely Stunning Key Power Word Phrases that Sell, AIM, USA

25 Million Dollar Sales Words, Buzzle.com

Increase Sales - Use These Words to Make More Sales, Jeff Schuman, SEO Web Design Talk

How to Attract Attention to Sales Copy With Power Words, by Leva Duell

Video (YouTube - 6+ minutes):  Chuck's Coaching Corner of the Week, Chuck Bauer (chuckbauer.com): Words that Sell - Sales Training and Coaching (Book), by Richard Bayan

Image by luc legay via Flickr

• It's easier and faster to Tweet a link than to blog it
• Twitter users like the practice - easier to zero in on relevant reading via Tweets than by scouring blogs
• Publicizing links on Twitter can produce a large influx of traffic - more than a blog can do in many cases

Image by Kevglobal via Flickr

Image by Joanna Young via Flickr

• Paid Search Marketing
  
• Organic Search Marketing

• Paid Search Marketing
• Organic Search Marketing
• Social Media Engagement
  

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The power of language to influence, persuade, and ultimately convince makes the written word one of the most effective methods of communication and one of the most compelling motivators to action. Yet, to create the impression - and action - we desire, we must carefully and deliberately choose our words and combine them in ways that inspire the precise outcome we hope to achieve.

The following tips for using words effectively in your next sales campaign represent 10 of the most important characteristics of writing that gets results:

 1.  Stay positive. Instead of focusing on the problem or need, word your promotional copy in a way that highlights all the benefits of your product or service. If, for example, your product provides relief for an unpleasant or painful symptom, say more about the relief than the symptom - and if possible, avoid mentioning the symptom altogether. Concentrate, instead, on all the positives your product has to offer: freedom, comfort, well-being, vigor. These are the concepts you want your prospects to visualize as they consider purchasing your product.

 2.  Pack a punch. Use power words. (More on these in an upcoming post.) Say what you have to say in a way that grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let go. Power words elicit strong, positive emotional responses because they speak to a reader's deeply rooted desires, dreams, hopes, and aspirations and relieve his fears, worries, anxieties, and uncertainties.  They confirm her inherent sense of self-worth, satisfy his natural need for validation, and promise to answer that wholly human search for an improved quality of life.

 3.  Paint word pictures. Of course you'll offer facts and other information about your product or service; yet, it's every bit as important - if not more so - to show as it is to tell. Picturesque speech and writing allow the hearer/reader to visualize - and vicariously experience - the reality of the idea being expressed. This makes your appeal come alive to your target audience in a way that merely stating facts or statistics never could.

 4.  Keep it pithy. Make every word count. Use snappy, upbeat, to-the-point prose.  Depending on your audience and message, you may be able to use a reasonable number of highly descriptive adjectives and adverbs to good effect. But never let your modifiers make you lazy or complacent. Don't use them in place of colorful nouns or lively, vigorous verbs that add vitality and momentum to your appeal.  Use prepositional phrases wisely, since they can dilute prose and destroy its impact. Tightly written copy is the gold standard of promotional copywriting. 

 5.  Get personal.  Demonstrate empathy, warmth, and understanding of your prospect's need, desire, problem, or plight. Convey the impression that not only have you been there but you care about the fact that your potential client is there now. Generously offer the solution of a fellow-traveler who has the wisdom of experience to impart. The personal touch will take you far in building rapport with your prospect.

 6.  Ignite passion. Light the fire of passion in your prospect by demonstrating some passion of your own. Passion for your mission, service, product, or discovery can pique your listener's interest. Genuine passion is contagious. If you can effectively kindle and fan that flame to a white hot glow, there's little your prospect won't do to make you her mentor, guide, supplier, and friend.

 7.  Write with purpose. Tell the world what you stand for.  Share your mission, your philosophy, and your desire to be more to your prospect than just another self-serving, profit-seeking organization.  Create a meaningful experience for your customer rather than merely offering an opportunity for him to purchase a product.

 8.  Focus on the present. In sales, the most important time is now.  So, make your message immediate, your appeal urgent; then expect your prospect to respond with the same sense of urgency you've instilled in him or her.

 9.  Make a promise. Then keep it. Exude integrity with everything you say and do. Follow through on every commitment you make, whether stated or implied. Create an excellent track record for your company, and pride yourself in that symbol of success and trustworthiness. In that way, you'll create an atmosphere of reliability that turns prospects into customers and keeps customers coming back.

10.  Prepare a plan.  In sales and marketing - which of course include writing effective promotional copy -  preparation and planning have no successful substitute and no worthy rival. So, plan your sales and marketing copy as carefully as you plan your overall campaign. Use the above nine items to build your well-thought-out plan for turning current prospects into future loyal customers. 

For further insight into writing more effective promotional copy, visit Michel Fortin's post, titled, To Up Sales, Up Words! Then, start planning your next sales campaign! 

Image via Freepixels.com

Market Research: The Promise and the Challenge

Market research can help you not only evaluate the initial development of your product or service; it can also facilitate more effective targeting of your advertising and other promotional campaigns. Nevertheless, market research can be tricky, and knowing the best way to plan and execute an effective market study can mean the difference between success and failure for your product, your service, or even your business.

The following resources will help clarify the market research process.

Market Research Guides and Tutorials

The Small Business Administration's Small Business Planner answers the "what," "why," and "how" of market research, offering a step-by-step guide for creating your own personalized market research program.

In the above guide, the SBA states the following about the process:

Marketing research is not a perfect science. It deals with people and their constantly changing feelings and behaviors, which are influenced by countless subjective factors. To conduct marketing research you must gather facts and opinions in an orderly, objective way to find out what people want to buy, not just what you want to sell them.

Marketing Research tutorials, from KnowThis.com's Principles of Marketing Tutorials series, provide varied and helpful marketing-related guidance, including the following sections, specifically related to our topic:

• Marketing Research
  
• Planning for Market Research 
  
• Finding Secondary Research

Market Research Articles

Inc. Magazine offers numerous marketing research-related articles, from How can I find an affordable market research service? to Grandma got run over by bad research.

Market Research Information Centers

Another great resource for all things market research is Market Research World, which provides information and resources of many types, including a selection of helpful writings in its multi-section Library of Research Articles.

Market Research Videos

A number of videos are available online which provide greater insight into the market research process, from short niche marketing videos to a full-length, in-depth assessment of the all-important customer, offered by Google.

Niche Marketing: Niche Market Research (a 9+ min. video on online market research)
 
Niche Marketing: Finding Hungry Buyers, (approx. 4 min. video)

Conducting Market Research (2-1/2 min. video from Idea Buyers - offers online marketing research resources)
 
How can we better understand customers? (a 50+ minute Google Tech Talk video)

Check out the above group of valuable marketing research resources, and learn how to successfully lay the groundwork for your next product or business launch.

Social Media: A Great Way to Get the Word Out

Doing business on the Web offers you the opportunity to place your product or service before an audience of millions, with the added potential of attracting tens of thousands of customers. But, that's only provided you can get the word out to the right people, and that's where social media come in. Social media provide a simple, dependable, and free method for promoting your business or professional expertise and increasing the visibility of your product, service, or skill.

Brad recently covered various social networking sites here at The Whoa Factor, highlighting the ways they can be used to get the word out about your company, thereby maximizing profits. (See Brad's roundup post, Recap - Can Social Media Help Your Business?) The current post focuses on LinkedIn, another social site which, though similar in approach to other social media, offers an added dimension for business and professional people.

The Changing Social Media Landscape

Social media have undergone a few changes since their inception, the main change being that they aren't just for finding friends anymore. The popularity of social media for connecting with colleagues, employers, service providers, vendors, and potential customers is on the rise in our globally focused, Internet-driven economy - primarily because social networking works. Social media marketing is old-fashioned networking upgraded and repackaged for the new millennium. It's traditional marketing with a new twist. Any company that ignores this modern social/business phenomenon, does so at its own peril.

LinkedIn: Its Mission and Focus

The LinkedIn name provides a hint to the purpose of the site, which is specifically to link businesses and professionals together in mutually beneficial relationships. As mentioned above, unlike most social media sites, LinkedIn was originally intended for more than mere social networking; rather, its primary focus has always been professional networking. And, while other social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc., also offer valuable opportunities for professional networking - in addition to their social connection component - LinkedIn is built around the business networking model.

The LinkedIn website would be the best place to start if you'd like to learn more about the network. When you visit, be sure to check the About page, where you'll find the following rationale for this free networking service, along with a great deal of other information about the site:

Our mission is to connect the world's professionals to accelerate their success. We believe that in a global [sic] connected economy, your success as a professional and your competitiveness as a company depends [sic] upon faster access to insight and resources you can trust.

You'll also find other helpful info on the LinkedIn Blog and elsewhere on the site. Take the time to explore what's available and get a feel for the LinkedIn network.You can also learn more about LinkedIn on other sites, via blog posts and videos posted by various individuals. Some of these resources follow.

LinkedIn Resource Links

CrunchBase offers some background info and stats in its LinkedIn Company Profile, which you may find relevant, as you consider how beneficial the site might be to your own business or professional endeavors.

For a simple explanation/demonstration of how LinkedIn works, check out the following brief YouTube video: What Is LinkedIn?

Another YouTube video that can help clarify the potential of LinkedIn for your company's development is How LinkedIn referrals helped build a company.

To learn more about the practical value that LinkedIn can have for your business or profession, in terms of online visibility and search engine marketing/marketability, visit Guy Kawasaki's definitive post, Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn, at How to Change the World.  It should give you some workable ideas for making the most of your LinkedIn networking opportunities. (Guy's post was later republished on the LinkedIn Blog.) 

If you still aren't totally convinced of the potential value of LinkedIn to your company's or your own success - or you simply want to know more about the site - watch the following 9+ minute YouTube video presentation, by Matt Dickman, of techno//marketer: Inside//Out: LinkedIn. In this video, Dickman provides a fairly extensive overview/review of LinkedIn that you're sure to find helpful.

If you're looking for a new way to network, why not get linked at LinkedIn!

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1. Use your primary keyword phrases.
   
2. Never sacrifice keyword phrases to score style points - visitors come to your b2b or b2c site for information.
3. It's OK to have longish headers and subheads - if they are informative, visitors won't mind at all.
4. Have someone outside your firm read your headers and subheads without the body text - how clearly does he or she grasp your product, service, feature, or benefit?
5. Keep your keyword phrases pinned to your cubicle whenever you're writing - out of sight, out of mind, out of search engine ranking!