Author: CheriMartinen

July 23, 2014

Google Analytics for iOS App now Available

Google Analytics is one of the industry’s top tools for tracking traffic on your website, and until recently there was not an app available to be able to use it on your iPad or iPhone. But the times they are a changin’ and you can now download the Google Analytics app from the App Store.

This is great news for the Apple users out there! Just like the Android App before it, the iOS version allows for real-time tracking of visitors to your company’s website, and all from the comfort of your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

So why should you use Google Analytics? Here are three reasons:

Get to know your audience.

Analytics allow you to get to know your audience. Who is visiting your site? Where are they located? How long are they staying? Which platforms are they using to access your site? Knowing the answers to these questions will allow you to adjust your strategy to better cater to your clientele.

How are visitors finding your page?

As we’ve already stated, analytics not only track who is visiting your page, but also where they are coming from. Do you send out a lot email blasts? This tool will help you determine whether or not that strategy is working. Or maybe you have gone the paid route and advertise on Google, Yahoo or Bing. Google Analytics will help you determine just how effective these campaigns really are by tracking the influx of traffic to your site.

What works on your site?

So now that the audience is there, what are they doing? Analytics will help you figure out what works on your site and what doesn’t by monitoring each page’s interaction with users.

So what are you waiting for? Go get that app!

Photo – © Marek – Fotolia.com

July 14, 2014

5 Ways to Step Up your #Hashtag Game

Hashtags are a big deal these days, you see them everywhere – Twitter, Instagram, football fields and heck, people are even naming their babies Hashtag! Who knew the ‘#’ sign would blow up the way it has?

While it might seem sometimes that hashtags have jumped the shark, they still serve a vital purpose in social media. Did you know that once you hashtag one of your tweets, Google + or Facebook posts, it is available for absolutely anyone to see? We’re not just talking your followers, we’re talking everyone! The moral here? Think before you hashtag.

So without further ado, check out our list of 5 ways to step up your hashtag game!

#Hashtag Tips

Use only 1-3 hashtags per tweet, each of which has a maximum length of 1-2 words.
Only use relevant hashtags. One trick we see people using is to hashtag their tweets with whatever the latest trend is, only for that hashtag to have no relevance to the topic at hand. Really, it is the equivalent of spam. Don’t be a spammer.
Don’t limit your hashtag use to just Twitter! Using hashtags on Instagram, Facebook, and Google+ will help you reach a wider audience.
Do use hashtags to strengthen your brand. At AIMS, we like to hashtag our tweets with #implementnow. It is quick, it is simple and it is easy. Have a question for us – or a comment? Hashtag it #implementnow and we are sure to see it. Something as simple as that is great for branding, as it becomes associated with your business.
Don’t hashtag every word. It really won’t help you establish a brand, and to be honest, it is really quite annoying. Your goal should be to engage your followers, not turn them away.

Photo – © kuklos – Fotolia.com

July 8, 2014

They’re baaaack! The Importance of Long Tail Keywords

They’re baaaack!

The Importance of Long Tail Keywords

SEO is ever changing, ever evolving, but sometimes what goes around comes back around. Which is why we are now seeing the reemergence of the long tail keyword as a common SEO practice.

How are long tail keywords different from a normal keyword? For starters, they are longer and more specific, which makes them perfect for those of you looking to optimize your website to generate more local traffic. Think about it: There are MILLIONS of ‘Insurance’ websites out there, but not nearly as many ‘Auto Insurance Oregon’ and even fewer ‘Teen Auto Insurance Portland’.

Of course, you don’t want to get too specific with your long tail keywords or else nobody is going to find their way to your site. For the insurance agents out there that make up the majority of our clientele here at AIMS, we recommend that when updating your business insurance pages you optimize at the state level. That means if you are located in Pennsylvania all of your commercial auto insurance page is headed with ‘Pennsylvania Commercial Auto Insurance’ and the content itself should be populated with 3-5 of the same long tail keyword.

Personal insurance pages however should be more location specific, so ‘Philadelphia Life Insurance’ instead of ‘Pennsylvania Life Insurance’. The best way to look at it is that there are more individuals than businesses, so you need to be even more specific when trying to draw in one of the many individuals out there. Businesses on the other hand are more likely to shop around, so even if you are located in Philadelphia, a Pittsburgh business may be just as willing to insure with you so long as your rates are competitive.

Remember, SEO is just one part of your search engine ranking. To get higher up on Google search results list you must also produce quality, fresh content on a regular basis and have a user-friendly design.

Good luck!

Photo – © Artco – Fotolia.com

June 24, 2014

Thumbs-Down to Too Many Thumbs-Up Stock Photos

Thumbs-Down to too many Thumbs-Up Stock Photos

We all know that a thumbs-up is the international symbol of approval (hello, Facebook!), and it is showing up in more and more stock photos. It doesn’t seem to matter what we search for, we ALWAYS find at least one. Really, any topic, any time.

The problem with these photos is that they don’t always inspire confidence. And to be honest, they can be pretty cheesy. So we thought this week it would be fun to share with you some of the thumbs-up photos we come across each week. Check them out below, as well as our first thoughts when we saw them!

Searched for: Health Insurance

Our thoughts: Nothing says, “I got this” quite like a doctor giving you the double thumbs up.

Searched for: RV Insurance

At first glance: Oh look, thumbs up in front of an RV! Of course I can trust them! Their RV must be the best!

Searched for: Motorcycle Insurance

At first glance: Oh man, this is just not good. First of all, I searched for “motorcycle insurance” and she’s not even wearing a helmet? Sorry girl, we just can’t return the thumbs-up to you.

Searched for: Life Insurance

At first glance: So, thumbs-up for an empty life insurance folder, huh? Even she doesn’t look too sure about this.

Searched for: Teen Driver Safety

At first glance: Sorry sir, you are most certainly not a teen driver, and not even a thumbs-up can assure that you are. Actually, I may trust your safe driving skills less because of this. Nice try though.

So there you have it. A small sampling of the thumbs-up we deal with every day.

June 17, 2014

Why Social Media is like owning a Pet

You don’t just buy a dog and not feed it or take it on walks. (Well, some people do, but that’s a whole other rant.) The same thing can be said for Social Media. Do NOT set up a social media account if it is not something you are going to take care of! Like a pet, it is something you need to pay attention to, feed and play with on a regular basis.

Why? Here are four reasons:

4 Reasons Social Media is like owning a Pet

1. Social media needs to be fed

As any pet parent would know, nutrition is important and social media accounts are hungry. Their favorite food? Fresh content. Without it, you can’t expect your social media accounts to grow big and strong.

Social media is dependent on interaction between users. After all, aren’t we all just searching for that illusive retweet or social network share? If you can’t engage your followers, you can’t grow your brand, and you can’t get clicks if you don’t have anything to say.

2. Social media accounts need to go for ‘walks’

Walks are important for pets. Not only are they a great form of exercise, but they also play a major role in socialization. Social media is similar in that you really need to get out there and meet the neighbors, so to speak, so that you can get feedback on how your social media branding is being received.

Is it interesting? Are you getting clicks? Is your content being shared? These are questions you can get answered by engaging with other users, or better yet, by networking with others in the business. Just like pet owners at the dog park share their experiences, you can share yours with others in a similar situation. Conferences are a great place to do so!

3. Social media needs grooming

Social media is like a show-dog; it needs grooming. You can’t just put it all out there and hope that people are going to engage. You need to entice them.

How? By wrapping it up in a pretty package. That may mean mixing it up – add pictures to your blog posts, tweet an interesting video, share relevant materials. Sometimes, that may even mean cutting down on your posting.

I know, we just harped on the importance of feeding your social media accounts, but it is possible to go overboard. Have you ever followed a company on Facebook or Twitter only to be bombarded with a litany of advertisements or overt marketing messages? Yeah, it’s off putting. Knowing where to draw the line is important.

4. Sometimes social media needs to be ‘fixed’

You know the signs that your pet needs to be fixed, right? They may be a little over zealous or territorial, perhaps even aggressive. So you take them to the vet and get it taken care of. The same thing needs to be done for your social media accounts.

How do you know your accounts need to be fixed? Let’s start with the most obvious one: You have no interactions. Another? You are losing followers. If ever there was a sign that you are doing it wrong, then that is it. Now, we all lose followers, but if you are losing at a higher rate than you are gaining, it is a problem.

Recognize the signs and get it fixed.

Photo – © Annykos – Fotolia.com

June 9, 2014

Is working from home right for you?

Working from home isn’t right for everyone. There are a lot of people who need the structure that office life provides – having somewhere to go and be held accountable on a daily basis. But if you’re like me, then working from home is the dream.

Now, I run my own business, and if something doesn’t get done, I’m the one who has to answer for it. Which is fine, I understand my position and what I’ve gotten myself into. For some though, that is too much pressure, not to mention all the distractions (Oh, I’ll just do a quick load of laundry…no wait, the cat needs to be fed first…but now we’re out of food and I need to make a grocery run..).

When I talk to others out there about working from home, one of the biggest concerns I hear is that people are afraid that it will be too hard to separate work from home life. But do you know what? That is the least of my concerns, and do you know why? Because I’ve set boundaries.

Here are a few rules I follow when working from home:

Set working hours and abide by them.
No work is allowed outside of the office – and especially not in the bedroom.
Get dressed every day. That might seem kind of like, duh, but really, it is important to get up, take a shower and get dressed as though you are going to the office.
Take a lunch break. This is also a duh, but I like keeping to a schedule. Not only that, but it is important to take that time to decompress.
TAKE WEEKENDS! I will admit, sometimes I do work on the weekends, but only when it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I make sure that I take a few days to myself.

So what do you think, could you follow these rules? Do you already work from home and have a few tips to add?

Photo – © vectorfusionart – Fotolia.com

June 3, 2014

The Great Email Signature Debate

Adding your signature to an email is a great way to help establish branding. The problem however is that a lot of people out there take it too far. They want to make themselves seem accessible, so much so that that they become too accessible.

We here at AIMS value our quality of life, and often times that means disconnecting for a bit, be it a few hours or even, heaven forbid, an entire weekend (holidays included). But if you are listing every possible way to contact you on your email signature then you just might run the risk of losing that little bit of personal freedom you do have.

Not only that, but it can really come off a little bit desperate. It’s like you’re back in middle school PE lined up waiting to be picked for a kickball team and you’re that kid bouncing around in the front row begging to be chosen.

So how do you balance accessibility without seeming overly eager in your email signature? Here are a few tips.

What to Include:

As a general rule, your email signature should never be longer than the email itself. So keep it short.

Your name
Your business name and position within the company
The best way to contact you (work phone, email)

You may also include a SMALL logo and your business address if it something you are comfortable sharing (i.e. work from home).

DON’T do this:

Include personal handles for social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc.), your business social media handles are okay if kept small
Personal phone number – Unless you like having your clients waking you up at 4 a.m. (Don’t have a business phone number, get one for free from Google.)
Quotes, inspiring or otherwise – Remember, keep it concise
Make your entire signature an image – Yes, it will look exactly how you would like it too, but if it won’t load on certain browsers or devices it is useless

May 28, 2014

Get Noticed On LinkedIn

Job seekers and professional organizations alike are putting in more time on their LinkedIn profiles. In the professional market it may as well be the new Google. What is the first thing you do when you are thinking about partnering with another company or hiring someone? You look them up.

Now, Facebook stalking might give you a better idea about an individual’s personal life, but it won’t tell you much about the business side of things. The same can be said for a company’s business page. If you really want the nitty-gritty, you need to check out their LinkedIn profile.

Why LinkedIn Works

Don’t have a LinkedIn profile set up for your business? Better get on it. LinkedIn is one of the best ways to get your brand noticed. Like Facebook, Twitter and Google+, you create the exposure for yourself. The difference is that this is the page where you really get into the meat of what you do.

I mean really, how many people out there are actually reading your mission statement on Facebook – or even on your website? Chances are very few. But LinkedIn is where those same people go to get that sort of information. They want to know who you are, what you do and why.

How to Get Noticed on LinkedIn

So how do you go about getting noticed on LinkedIn? Here are a few tips:

Use an engaging photograph.

If you’re a company, use the logo that best reflects your character (we know some of you have multiple logos). As an individual, the photo should give some idea of who you are. Into climbing mountains? There is nothing wrong with a mountaineering pic. Wanting to look professional? Suit up in your headshot.

Write a better summary.

You summary is the first thing that pops up when someone opens your profile. Give them something they want to read. I can’t stress enough just how boring it is to read all about your experience, but nothing that clues me in on the culture of your company or you as an individual.

Reel them in with your first sentence. Instead of “I graduated with a degree in…”, talk about an experience that has shaped you or a person you admire that has made you into who you are today.

Follow others.

The more companies you follow and the more individuals you connect with the more likely you are to spread your content or message. This is after all the primary premise of social media: engage with one another.

Publish and/or share good content.

You don’t have to pump out new content everyday, but you do need to share periodically. It isn’t enough to just exist. You can provide updates on current events within you company or even just re-share that great article you read on the importance of influencing others…or whatever it is that interests you and is relevant to your business.

May 21, 2014

Add some Mystery to your Subject Line

You know how sometimes you get an email and all it says in the subject line is “Newsletter” or “Monthly Newsletter”? Yeah, it’s pretty boring. And if you’re looking for more clicks, it’s not one of your better attempts at doing so.

How then, do you write a better subject line?

Maybe it’s surprising, but I actually like to look for inspiration for this in the promotions tab of my Gmail account. After all, about 50 different companies are blasting me daily, so it doesn’t hurt to see how the big boys are doing it.

When I’m doing this evaluation I’m looking for one thing and one thing only: Did I click on it, or did it meet an imminent demise?

Scrolling through, I immediately notice a pattern – DISCOUNT! FREE! WIN A TRIP! But guess what? I didn’t click on any of those. In fact, they were trashed pretty darn quick. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t in the mood for them, maybe it’s because I know there are better things to be spending my money on or time doing right now. Either way, it does tend to go against the traditional marketing-grain that these were the emails I ignored.

Instead, I opened one from a tour agency with the subject line “Past, present and future – all at once.” And guess what it was? Their monthly newsletter. The word “newsletter” was nowhere to be found and here I opened it anyway.

Why did I open it? I’m not entirely sure to be honest, but I think that it has a little something to do with intrigue. In a world where quite literally EVERYONE is throwing a deal at you or touting the best this, that and the other thing, it was refreshing to actually have to guess what was on the other side of the subject line.

Am I advocating that you abandon tried and true marketing methods? No, but I do suggest mixing it up sometimes.

May 14, 2014

Conferences Spur Great Ideas

As an internet marketer, I spend a lot of time online. A LOT. Which means I tend to jump on any opportunity to disconnect. Conferences for one are a great way to step away from the computer and make a new kind of connection, the kind that seems to have been devalued in the tech age, human connection, or networking.

Sometimes I attend conferences special to those in the insurance industry; sometimes I go to a WordPress camp; other times I’ll hit up a Rotary conference. And you know what? I truly look forward to each of my visits with these wonderful organizations.

New people means new ideas, and to be quite on honest, in this industry, you’ll take any helpful advice you can get.

A new strategy for content marketing? Great, let me hear it.
Tips for getting OfficeAutoPilot to work better for me? Go on.
Tricks for updating my WordPress website? Tell. Me. Now.

What I’m getting at here is that conferences are more than just social hour; they are a hotbed of information. Often times, you’ll even meet the source of these new tips and tricks. And really, what could be better than learning from the best?

Some people shy away from conferences, but I think that they are essential to growing your business. For the insurers out there, Agency Revolution puts on a great conferences that brings together some of the best and the brightest in the insurance industry. I’ve been to the conference myself, and the exchange of ideas is phenomenal!

A few of my clients work in the fitness industry, and I can tell you that, as a group, they are some of the most open to exploring new ideas for training, or even drawing in more customers to their gyms. For them, attending conferences is a no brainer.

No matter what your market, odds are it is competitive, so why not cozy up to the competition and see how they do it? You just might learn something.

If you are going to Ontrapalooza this year I will see you there!