The Future of SEO

I attended another live webinar hosted by SCORE this week.  The first, "How to Really Start Your Own Business", I discussed in a post called "The Components of a Successful Business Plan".  This most recent session was titled "SEO Basics: Helping Your Customers Find Your Business Online", and was presented by Charle-John Cafiero of CJC Strategists and Alexandra Gebhardt of Human 1.0. 

I was somewhat reluctant to participate in this workshop considering I recently completed a graduate course on digital marketing in which much of the focus was on search engine optimization, otherwise known as SEO.  And considering the webinar was titled “SEO Basics”, I naively assumed I must know everything the instructors were going to cover and it would be a waste of my time.  However, I was extremely grateful that I took the initiative to give it a shot, because what was confirmed is that there is nothing “basic” about SEO whatsoever. 

It is important to remember that the Internet is always changing.  Obviously there is an infinite amount of new content added every second, but it’s not just the content that is changing the Internet- it’s the way we interact with the content, how the content interacts with us, and how we interact with each other.  The Internet has evolved from Web 1.0, to Web 2.0, and now into Web 3.0.  Basically we went from just reading things online; to being able to add things online; to the Internet learning to understand what we add, allowing it to deliver personalized relevant content- interacting with us individually.  It’s basically artificial intelligence coming to life.

Screenshot from SCORE webinar "SEO Basics" June 21, 2012

When performing a Google search, for example, the most similar or most popular matches will be listed in order, called the search engine results page, or SERP.  Obviously it is beneficial for a website to appear at the top of the first page, because the majority of people will choose to visit those pages before they choose a page ranked 82,000^th  (or even 10^th, for that matter). 

What many people don’t know, is that these results are calculated by mathematical calculations called algorithms that determine each webpage’s rank.  So, people try to strategically increase their website’s rank by increasing all of the factors these algorithms look for, such as keywords in titles and descriptions; and the number of back-links, which are links to that website from an outside page. 

For everyone who thought they had search engine optimization down, focusing on increasing the criteria that determine how popular a certain page is, you better reevaluate your approach, because it’s all changing- constantly, quickly, and drastically.  Due to the evolution to Web 3.0, search engine algorithms are now placing importance on different measures than ever before.  Because social networking has become so dominant, naturally, how websites utilize social media and are mentioned through social media are major new factors in determining a page’s rank.

A second factor that is now extremely important is consistency.  Search engines have begun to scour the Internet to determine if information related to a certain website or company is the same, no matter where this information is found. For instance, if a company places its contact information on its own site, a Yellow Pages site, and in a local online business directory, but has a different phone number, physical address, or web address on each, the company’s website and the company itself will lose credibility according to the new rankings, dropping its listing in the search results. 

Because of all of the spam and computer-generated “chatter”, and because the Internet is now able to “understand” if things are genuine, even if a website has more back-links than any of its competitors, but these back-links aren’t shared from established and respected sources, that site’s rank is going to drop as well.  And thinking that having more keywords, even if a title, sentence, or description doesn’t make sense, won’t work anymore either.  The Internet’s artificial intelligence seems to be much more intelligent than for what most people are giving it credit.

Long story short, staying on top of your website, tracking its ranking and search results for various, related keywords, is still not only recommended, but essential to maintain your business’ visibility and not be lost amongst competitors.  I’ll leave you with several other pieces of advice:

·      Constantly work to get your postings shared.  Make your postings appealing enough that people will want to pass them along. 

·      Get reviews.  The more people talking about your business, the better.

·      Include local contact information like your area code and zip code so that your business will be listed in local searches and in local search directories.

·      Maintain a blog.  Alexandra Gebhardt, one of the moderators of today’s webinar, actually believes companies should move away from websites altogether and simply focus on a blog.  Personally, I think that move is too bold still, but she may be onto something.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.  However, she is the expert.

·      Keep a database of all of the information you have shared online, so that you are aware of who has what.  That way, if you do change your number or some piece of information, you know where to go to change it everywhere it is listed.  Remember, consistency is key!

·      Popularize yourself on Facebook- not your personal page, but an official business page.

·      Develop a keyword plan.  Do research to determine which keywords work best for your marketing niche.  Some keywords may be too generic and not worth competing for.  Optimizing your site for specific keywords will guarantee you success in increasing your page’s rank.

·      Never become complacent.  Just as the Internet and search engine algorithms are always changing, so too must your approach to staying at the top of the SERP.

I highly recommend watching the archived webinar on SEO Basics.  I’m sure you will find that the “basics” are pretty complex, just as I did.  Never think you are on top of things, because by the time you adjust to something new, something newer is probably already in the mix.  But try not to get overwhelmed.  There are always workshops, articles, and experts to learn from.  Everyone is in the same boat, so whoever wants it more, will put in the work to make it happen.  Is that going to be you?

From Book to Bank: How To Get Funding for a Business Plan

In an effort to continue along the same path as my last few posts, I decided I would discuss what happens after you finish your business plan.  What now?

So, you come up with a great idea, you do tons of research, determine there is definitely a market for your business and you know you can make money if you pursue it, but there is one major obstacle blocking your way to success- you don’t have the capital to get your business off the ground.  It’s like the old saying: It takes money to make money.  And, unfortunately it happens to be true in most cases.

I decided I would take out some of the guess work, and would share with you some basic information about a few websites I think someone in your position may find extremely helpful.  In addition to organizations like the Small Business Administration, Inc., and the National Venture Capital Association, which are all nationally recognized and are geared toward assisting entrepreneurs, there are also countless other resources which are available to small business owners and for those wishing to get their idea off the ground.  You would think that it’s a dog-eat-dog world and that every man would be out for himself, but to my surprise, I have realized that entrepreneurs have come together to share their knowledge and experiences in order to help those who come behind them.
 

The U.S. Economic Development Administration is a government website that offers federal funding.   This organization seems to strongly consider a business’ location when determining if it is grant worthy.  The EDA feels that creating a solid presence of stable and flourishing businesses by region is going to help the U.S. and global economy as a whole.  They focus on long-term regional economic redevelopment, offering grants and funding to higher education institutions and to those affected by natural disasters, for example.

The Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions also considers a business’ location.  This organization works to serve as the voice of the underprivileged and to make sure that funding is equally available for the less fortunate as it is for anyone else.

Finally, the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions is another organization whose goal is to assist those in low income communities who would otherwise have a difficult time receiving funding and loans. 

All three of these organizations collect money from other institutions to help support the businesses seeking funding.  My point is that even if you are discouraged because you feel as if you are in a bad part of town or that your credit isn’t good enough, there is hope and there is help.

My parting advice to you would be to get involved.  Embrace all of the organizations and volunteers and local, national, and online resources, which have been created to help you tackle this venture that can undoubtedly prove to be overwhelming at one point or another.  What I have learned is that there is a huge ___ to help you along every step of the way.  Take advantage of it.  Sign up for newsletters and subscribe to blogs- the more you read, the more you learn, and the more knowledge you’ll have to pull from when making your business as successful as you can envision it. 

Good luck!

Seasoned Advice about Writing a Business Plan

I am hardly an expert on writing business plans, but I have spent a considerable amount of time and effort researching those who are.  For instance, John Meyer, Julie Brander, and Steve Bloom recently discussed how to start a small business and the importance of a creating a solid business plan, during a webinar I attended that was hosted by SCORE.  A brief background of each of these speakers, as well as a synopsis of what they had to say can be found in my last posting, titled The Components of a Successful Business Plan. 

While researching business plans, I have since collected more information about:

·      how to write them,

·      what to include,

·      what investors look for, and

·      what sections are most important. 

The advice I gathered from countless sources, in addition to the guidance from my current Business Plan Development professors at Full Sail University, Mike Koch and Steve Burhoe, have helped me construct and modify a business plan I am in the process of completing.  I thought I’d share some of the highlights of this advice with you.

MANAGEMENT SECTION

What struck me as the most surprising, is that investors are many times most extremely concerned with the Management section of a business plan.  In fact Planigent, a company that writes and modifies business plans for its clients, says:

many Venture Capitalists will admit “they would sooner back a good idea with great management, than a great idea with only so-so management.”

In fact, it was the realization that my management better be experienced, have proven results, and be knowledgeable about the industry of my future business, that forced me to completely change the structure of my company so that I could include notable and established people in business and in the industry. 

It’s important to note that entrepreneurs with a great idea but no experience shouldn’t be completely discouraged.  Find ways to include key personnel, even if they aren’t going to be full-time or on your payroll at all.  Recruit mentors, volunteers, and professionals who have excellent credentials.  Make sure you mention anyone noteworthy who will be involved in any way- even just as a member of your Board of Directors or as an informal advisor.  Assuring investors that you have key people around you who will guide you to success is key.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I don’t believe there was anything I read or anyone I found who said anything other than that the Executive Summary is THE most important part of a business plan, by far.  The Executive Summary is like a business plan within a business plan.  What I’ve learned, is that investors are busy people.  They are inundated with hundreds of business plans.  They don’t have time to sit down and read hundreds of pages of hundreds of plans.  The Executive Summary is a summation of all of the absolutely critical points in the entire proposal.  It has to function as a way to pull investors in.  If you are able to spark an interest from your Executive Summary, you’ll have a much better chance at enticing an investor to read more.

What I have also learned, is that although the Executive Summary is the first section of a business plan, it should be the last section to write.  MasterPlans, another business plan writing company, explains that the Executive Summary cannot be properly developed until you develop the remainder of your business plan.  This section should ideally only be 1-2 pages, and should highlight all of the key pieces of information from every other section that you want an investor to know.  Writing concisely is crucial.   It is much more difficult to write something brief, than it is to be verbose.

COMPETITION and RISKS

Although you would think that an investor wants to hear that your business has no competition- there’s nothing like it- and also that there are no potential obstacles your company may face, you are dead wrong.  Investors want to know that you have done your homework. Understanding who your competition is, shows that you know who your target market and customers will be.  And analyzing setbacks you may encounter, proves you have thought about what could happen and how you will address it if it does.  Trying to pretend that you face no future problems makes it seem as if you are extremely naïve and not prepared to run a business, or that you are not being straightforward and truthful with the investors.  If they don’t trust what you have to say in the business plan, they are never going to trust that you’ll return them their money.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER:

·      Constantly tweak your business plan.  It is NEVER completed!  Things change every day and you have to account for that in your plan.

·      Proofread!  If your plan has mistakes, it’s a bad reflection on you.  In the eyes of investors, if you are careless with your plan, you will be careless with your company.

·      Make your plan stand out.  Because you are competing for the attention of these investors, do something above and beyond to set your plan apart from the rest.

·      Prove to investors that they will get their money back.  Focus on the financials- how much money will be made and how will money be spent- as well as on industry trends.  Make sure there’s a current and future need for your business.

If you would like additional information on business startups and writing a business plan, here are some free resources to utilize:

·      Free courses offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration about how to start a business.

·      Links to valuable business plan research.

·      Weekly newsletter of Venture Capital News Digest.

·      Business planning resources by BPlans.

In addition, there is a substantial amount of information on the Internet, including business plan templates and advice, by simply performing a search for “Business Plans”.

Good luck!

The Components of a Successful Business Plan

It is the era of the entrepreneur.  Never before have more people taken on new business ventures, or have been so supported and encouraged to do so. 

This morning I attended a live webinar called, “How to Really Start Your Own Business”, hosted by SCORE, “a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship”.

The session was presented by 3 business professionals: John Meyer, Julie Brander, and Steve Bloom; all of whom are SCORE mentors. 

·      Mr. Meyer works for The Company Corporation, and is a small business expert.  The Company Corporation counsels small business owners, and helps them file all of their legal paperwork when starting a business. 

·      Mrs. Brander has over 20 years of experience as a small business owner, and has started numerous small businesses in an array of industries. 

·      Finally, Mr. Bloom is an entrepreneur who teaches classes on small business startup and how to formulate a successful business plan. 

In much of today’s webinar, the presenters discussed the importance of creating a successful business plan, and the most significant aspects of it.  Because business plans are such detailed documents, we only scratched the surface today.  However, the mentors agreed on several key components:

           

·      Make sure it’s clear.  If an investor doesn’t understand your concept, why would he or she invest in it?

·      You must prove your business is unique, and that there is a need for it.  Include extensive data on your competitors, noting their strengths and weaknesses, and how and what you plan to learn from them.

·      No mistakes!  If potential investors see typos, your plan will go to the bottom of the pile… or in the trash can.

·      Make sure it’s personalized.  Make your business plan stand out from the rest.  Demonstrate your fire and passion!

·      Pay attention to the Executive Summary section.  This section is the most important, because you need to give an investor a clear understanding and picture of what you are trying to accomplish.  If you are able to captivate an investor by reading the Executive Summary, you’ll entice them to read more.

·      Make sure you surround yourself with good people.  Investors want to know that the business is in the hands of professionals with proven experience.

·      Make your plan a living, breathing document.  Steve Bloom completed 5 business plans in 2 years for the same company!

·      Show you are an expert.  Read everything you can and learn everything there is to know about your industry and convey that knowledge in your business plan.

·      Prove that your company is a good investment.  Investors want to know they are going to make money, so discuss industry trends and include detailed financials about the company and how it is projected to grow over time.  Also discuss how you plan to utilize their money.

·      Do the research.  Know the facts inside and out, and include as much pertinent information as possible.  Include an appendix that contains all supporting documents.

·      Follow advice!  If investors have suggestions or recommendations, listen to them!

I found today’s webinar to be extremely informative.  Most importantly, I learned that there are plenty of resources to help you turn your dream into a reality, so don’t let insecurity or lack of knowledge hold you back.  There are people to help.

In addition to free mentor advice from SCORE, The Company Corporation also provides guidance.  Finally, please visit: www.bplans.com to view sample business plans. 

Here is a short video about the benefits and services of using SCORE:

You can find contact information for these services below.

The Company Corporation helps small business owners form their businesses.

www.incorporate.com

800.818.6082

SCORE provides over 13,000 mentors and has 364 local chapters throughout the United States.

www.score.org

800.634.0245

Just do it! Good luck!!!

Who Decides which Trailers to Show Before a Movie?

News broke today that a third trailer for Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight Rises, of Batman heritage, will be shown prior to DC Comics/Marvel’s The Avengers, which debuts May 4th.  Because these films are from different studios, it made me wonder who decides which trailers are going to be paired with, and shown before, which films.  I did a little digging to find out.

There are numerous forums that discuss this very issue.  Although I did find some conflicting answers, the best answer I found said that usually one or two trailers are attached to a particular film, and are often shown immediately preceding the feature.  Most of the time, these attached trailers are from the same studio, so that they can promote one of their own movies due to be released in the near future, although sometimes that isn’t the case.  Obviously, that won’t be the case with TDKR’s trailer being shown before The Avengers.   A Warner Bros.’ executive told Deadline's Nikke Finke , “We see this placement as a good strategic decision. We always want our trailers to be seen with films that people want to see — and a lot of people will be going to The Avengers!” 

The other trailers shown are chosen by each theater.  Therefore, most of the time, if you happen to see the same movie at two different locations, you’ll end up seeing a least a few different trailers before it. 

Just to be safe, I wanted to confirm these answers with noteworthy and reputable news sources (no offense to the forum contributors, of course!).  The answer wasn’t by any means littered all over the web.  I had to really search.  But, the information I gathered did support my earlier findings.

A lot goes in to deciding which trailers to show before a movie.  The studio releasing the film typically has rights to two of these slots and theater executives, in consultation with other executives from other studios, select the remaining previews.  They usually try to select previews that target the audience in the theater at that time.  Therefore, they are more inclined to choose romantic comedies to precede a romantic comedy, figuring if the viewers were inclined to buy tickets for the feature film, they will have a better chance of showing interest in an upcoming movie of similar nature than a 10-year old boy would, for example.

The Hollywood Reporter released an article a few years back that says studios basically now bribe theaters to play their trailers.  If theater operators are being paid to play certain trailers, why wouldn’t they want to play as many as they possibly can?

It seems as if it’s the general consensus that more and more trailers are shown before movies these days.  Now it makes sense why.  In fact, in the article, the National Association of Theatre Owners’ president, John Fithian, said, “We're seeing an increased pressure to play trailers, but there is a limit to what the patron can take in and retain. Playing trailers does help both distribution and exhibition, so it's important to get it right." Despite this pressure, NATO doesn't dictate rules to its members on trailer numbers, although they do pose strict restrictions on trailer length- a trailer can only be 2 ½ minutes long.

Studios and theaters manage to shock or outrage their audiences, however, if they are not careful and don’t follow the Motion Picture Association of America guidelines.  Although most previews are edited for content so they are appropriate for audiences of all ages, sometimes there is an oversight, which causes an uproar.

For instance, Warner Bros. hastily attached a raunchy trailer for The Hangover Part II to PG-13 The Source Code, forcing them to immediately pull the trailer from screens once the error was realized.  Just in February, a London theater accidentally screened trailers for The Devil Inside and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance before a cinema packed with children and parents to see Puss in Boots.  Although theaters overseas follow different guidelines, they are similar to that of the MPAA, so such an oversight proved understandably traumatic to all parties involved.  A similar mistake could easily happen here, and I’m sure it has- on more occasions than one.

Red-band trailers are once again becoming the norm, at least on the Internet, and all cinemas are likely to follow.  Regal Entertainment Group decided to start screening red-band trailers, trailers with R-rated content, again, despite a temporary lapse by exhibitors and studios alike.  However, since Internet viewers have found these trailers to be accepted and enticing, cinemas are beginning to follow suit.  Anything that helps bring an audience to watch a film is going to done by both the movie makers and the movie players. 

All-in-all, movie marketing and advertising seems to be a much more intense and important strategy than I ever realized.  Next time I’m sitting in a theater, I know I will definitely be paying attention to the trailers, as I always do, just for more reasons.  Although it’s obviously not an exact science, the more correlations I can make between trailers and films, the more I hope to understand the reasoning behind why exhibitors and studios selected the trailers they did. 

But, I guess I really don’t have to go to the movies to determine the reasoning behind the pairings. The answer that really lies beneath, just as with so many other things, is money, which stems from exposure and power.

Can 'Fashion Star' Really Find Fashion's Next Star?

Currently I am studying digital marketing, which has opened my eyes to the evolution of companies using traditional marketing methods, to relying heavily, or even solely, on the digital landscape.  Social networks and interactive websites are taking over and executives know it.  In order to reach the masses these days, a strong online presence is the way to go.

Ironically enough, there is a new show, just three episodes broadcast so far, called Fashion Star, which, in a way, is going against the digital marketing trend.  Fashion Star is a reality competition on NBC, in which designers create looks every week which are presented to buyers from Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, and H&M.  The buyers decide, on the spot, whether or not to bid for each item of clothing.  If a buyer purchases a garment, that garment will be available to the public online immediately following the show, or in that buyer’s store the next day.   Instead of relying on viewers’ votes- phone calls, texts, tweets, or online, Ben Silverman, one of the producers of the show, has gone old school, according to David Knowles of The Hollywood Reporter, by taking the tech out of the scenario. See it, like it, buy it the next day.

Property of NBC

However, I disagree with Knowles to some degree, because although, yes, the way this show is structured, clothing that airs one day can be bought off the rack the next, each of the stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, and H&M all have portions of their websites devoted entirely to the Fashion Star series.  Consumers don’t have to wait until the next day to purchase the items.  They don’t have to drive to the store, find the clothes, and wait in line.  They can order the clothes online, right from their living room, and can do so the night the episode airs.  So, once again, the technology craze has given us just one more thing we don’t have to wait for and be patient about.  I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s definitely a fun thing.

As you can see in this video, Fashion Star is something that has never been done before. 

So, although Silverman might have taken an “old school” approach, digital marketing is still present from every angle.  Not only is there a Fashion Star website, www.nbc.com/fashion-star, which has pictures, bios, videos, and even interactive games; in addition to portions of Saks’, Macy’s, and H&M’s websites dedicated to the show; but viewers can also visit Fashion Star’s Facebook page, follow the show on Twitter, and post to NBC message boards.

The show hasn’t attracted many viewers, which leads me to wonder if it’s going to last.  Although there are definitely some bugs that need to be ironed out, as discussed in this Huffington Post article, personally, I think the show is innovative and quite interesting.  It allows viewers to see at least a portion of the business side of fashion, which is something Project Runway, the long-running reality show about fashion designers now on Lifetime, doesn’t cover.  Fashion Star’s designers are introduced to different branding exercises each week.  Unfortunately, most of the behind-the-scenes and preparation for the runway show isn’t highlighted, which leaves a lot viewers, including myself, disappointed and expecting more.  At least we have all of the social networking sites on which to vent our frustration.

All in all, Fashion Star is yet another reality competition which has captivated my interest.  Because all of the episodes were taped in advance in order to give the stores time to manufacture the purchased items and make them available to the public the night the show airs, most likely there won’t be any changes until next season…if there is one.  Either way, because of my Entertainment Business degree, I have been able to find ways to validate this guilty pleasure by applying many of the topics we’ve covered in class.  If I happen to purchase some of the items designed, I’ll chalk it off as a “learning experience”.

Print-on-Demand: Publish Conservatively

Apparently I’ve had my head in the clouds.  I have recently been introduced, through my Media Publishing and Distribution graduate course, to the world of print-on-demand.  What a groundbreaking, revolutionary concept!  I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t aware of its existence, but I’m ecstatic it does.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term (I hope I am not the only one out there), print-on-demand services, otherwise known as PODs, offer exactly that- printing on demand.  When a book goes to print, a publisher normally requires a certain number be manufactured in order to make the job more “worthwhile”.  Also, as more copies are printed, the price per book is reduced, so technically, people think they are getting a bargain when they have extra copies made.  However, what many people fail to realize, is that most of these copies are never bought.  They are printed, and then sent to a warehouse to collect dust, until eventually, like an abandoned toy, the books are thrown away or destroyed.  What does this mean for the environment?  Well, it’s not good.

 

Think about all of the unnecessary trees that are cut down and turned into pulp in order to produce these books that are never even opened and read.  Think about all of the energy it takes to run the printing machines and the energy consumed and pollution produced from the factories, as well the gas and emissions of delivery vehicles.  And think about all of the books out there.  For every book in existence, the majority of copies are most certainly not in use.  Even for people who purchase books, how many times are they read before they are put on a shelf amongst all of the others?

Print-on-demand services are going, and have begun, to revolutionize the printing industry.  Now, not only are these services allowing many writers to self-publish, meaning they don’t have to have their work “picked up” by a publishing company who often buys the rights to the manuscript and then publishes and sells it as it pleases, but they also only print copies of the book as needed.  When someone places an order or purchases a copy, the print-on-demand company makes a copy for that buyer.  Books are made as they are needed.  And you can sell your books electronically through these services as well, which opens up the market to even more perspective buyers.

There are many PODs currently available.  Many are very similar, yet many offer certain perks or services that others do not.  So, when researching potential companies, it is important you choose the right fit for you.  Some, like CreateSpace,  an Amazon company, are larger and more powerful.  Obviously working with Amazon, you have the ability to utilize its customer base and distribution channels.  Others, are smaller. 

Xlibris is a pioneer in the industry and has published over 25,000 authors.  I was exploring their services and entered my name, email address, and phone number, in order to receive a free publishing kit.  The following day, I received a call from one of the Xlibris representatives, who was interested in learning more about my book, and wanted to know how she could help get me published.  My point is, is that anyone out there who may be working on a manuscript, or even who has an idea but has been reluctant to pursue it, there are user-friendly services available to assist you every step of the way.  I encourage everyone to follow their dreams.  You never know- you may very well have a bestseller on your hands or in your head.  But, with the advent of PODs, that idea can soon be on paper, and in possession of those who order it- not in boxes in your basement, or warehouses, or a landfill.

And these services don’t just apply to writers and books.  Musicians, filmmakers, and business owners can cash in on PODs as well.  Riverside Graphics Corporation created and follows a Conservation by Design  initiative, which is a 5-step conservation strategy to reduce waste and to recycle what’s left.  They use recycled stock paper for their printing and only print what’s needed- nothing more.  Next time you have to print a company brochure or anything in large quantities, think first before you place your order.  There are more and more companies every day that can, and will, cater to your needs and the needs of the environment.  So, two things to take away from this article: follow your dreams, but do so efficiently.