What's the difference between how and why people search?

This Saturday my house will play host to my eldest child's birthday party.  What was I thinking?

As a result, I've been rather preoccupied researching the joys of pop cakes, which are basically the lollipop equivalent of a cupcake.

Such is the crossover life of a freelance marketer, that I couldn't help learning a bit more about how we make online choices in the process.

                                          (Photo by SAM_1574 herocakepops on flickr)

Here's how my search went.

1. Google ‘pop cake’

This was a pretty general search, designed to help me know what's out there, as well as whether this natty little confection is one word or two.  I'm at the start of my quest for uber mother status.

Such broad topic search is done early in the buying cycle.  It's top of the sales funnel stuff, returning a wide range of results while Google tries to decide my intent.

2. Google ‘POP bakery’

I've used this company before, so know the brand and can be quite specific in looking for it by name.

We search for brands as we get closer to making the purchase. Brands are familiar, comforting and perceived experts in their field.  We know what we like and trust what our friends suggest.  I'm now honing in for ideas from the professionals.

Pop bakery really are masters of the cake sphere.

3. Google ‘how to make pop cakes’

Inspired by what I've seen, I decide to make my own.  My search has turned to solving a particular problem, which is, I have no idea how to make pop cakes and need to be a domestic goddess by Saturday.  I'm on the hunt for a solution and my keywords have now grown to a phrase.  Google rejoices as being able to return authoritative links on the craft.

4. Google ‘pop cake bakery Edinburgh’

Now that I know I'll never have the patience, nor design prowess to make such stick based wonders, I admit defeat and go with a location specific search.  This tells me that pop cakes are known as cake pops in Edinburgh, a keyword I would never have used. At this stage Google gave up trying to make suggestions on related searches.

The moral of this story ...

We marketers generally dive straight into selecting our keywords, without considering the various stages of search and selection we all go through before making a purchase.  Search in reality is more ongoing discovery than instant fact finding.

Making sure your chosen keywords cover general, brand, solution and location searches, brings you one step closer to appearing on that elusive first page of returned results.

Break out the pop cakes!

Happy customers or Loyal fans - which does your business have?

Happy customers are often on the top ten list of business goals, but what does that really mean?

A customer is happy if their last experience with your brand was a good one.  It's a moment in time thing - I got great customer service or I loved the painless online check out.

Happy, says you met their immediate needs and hopefully left them feeling good about their decision to choose you over the alternatives. With luck, there's a good chance that this customer will come back for more.

What if three months later, that same customer revisits your store or website and the staff have changed or the interface has been updated. Now they might not be able to find what they need. There's no number to call, the customer service is non existent. Are they still happy?

Loyal fans are more than happy customers 

They are completely bought into your brand. They're so convinced of your product that even when you don't deliver to their expectations, they will still continue to favour you, (for a while) because they want to believe in the promises your brand makes.

Humans, like dogs, have an inbuilt need to be loyal.  Maybe you always go to the same garage to have your car serviced, (even though it's not the cheapest) or you wear a particular label (despite it being dry clean only), but in these heady days of limitless choice, our loyalties are regularly tested.

Business goals aimed at making customers consistently happy, through repeatable great experiences lead to loyal fans.











In a world where perception is 99% reality, keeping the promises your brand makes, will take you beyond happy customers and boost returns for years to come.

Think longterm.

Respect is earned.
Honesty is appreciated.
Trust is gained.
Loyalty is returned.

23 Ways To Make Your Small Business Bigger

1. Know your customers.

2. Define your goals.

3. Know your market. Make a list of reasons your customers need the product/service that you offer and what the alternatives are if they don't buy from you.

4. Have a plan for communicating your idea with the waiting world.

5. Produce a marketing plan.

6. Remember you're building a brand.

7. Ask your customers why they buy from you.

8. Be generous and aim for loyal rather than satisfied customers.

9. Check what your website looks like on a smart phone, ipad, tablet, in various browsers.

10. Double check that all the links, buttons and forms work on your website.

11. Build a LinkedIn Company Page.

12. Have a Twitter account. Add periscope too.

13. Decide whether a Facebook page is right for your business.

14. Consider how Pinterest might help customers to see what you do.

15. Add any social media contact details to your website, email signature, voicemail message, business cards etc. The more visible they are, the more people you'll potentially reach.

16. Ask your friends to like/follow/repin until you draw your target audience.

17. Start a blog.

18. Measure the impact of your marketing.

19. Do something to delight your best customers and get them talking about you.

20. Google your business name and know how you rank as well as who you compete with.

21. Set a Google alert for articles and blogs featuring your business name and any associated search terms. This will let you contribute to discussions and engage with audiences you don't yet know.

22. Rethink your advertising.

23. Invest in design - first impressions count.

5 Easy Steps to Content Worth Sharing

What is content worth sharing?

We all know it when we see it, but being asked to produce it seems an impossible task.

Isn't it all subjective anyway?

What makes me laugh might not strike the same chord with you, but with over 3.5 million views and almost 7,000 thumbs up, it's clear that Cheerios have done something right, with their ad above.

While there may not be a mathematical formula for creating content worth sharing, memorable pieces seem to contain at least one of these five elements.

1.  Where possible, include original data

This works best for written content, like white papers, emails and blog posts.

We all love to quote statistics and if you've been able to create some from your own customer data, then that's something worth shouting about. If not, find the most credible source to illustrate your point and refer to it, always remembering to give credit to that author and a link back to the original piece.

2.  Link it to already newsworthy topics

Recognize that at certain times of year, our world gets filled with love hearts, sporting fixtures, music festivals, witches, snowmen, etc and build on what your customer is already thinking about.

You can be more subtle by using locally or internationally trending topics, to help you join conversations already happening and so gain even more exposure.

3.  Provide a fresh perspective, new idea or in-depth analysis

In the advert above, Cheerios could have easily told us the nutritional facts to convince us of the difference it's new cereal could make to our lives, but you have to agree that making their advert a celebration of fatherhood first and then mentioning they have a product to sell, has much more impact.

Whenever you produce a piece of content, ask “so what?” While we all crave new, none of us really wants information.  Inspire, challenge, entertain or even enrage your customers and they'll reward you with attention and engagement.

4.  Appeal to the eyes with charts, illustrations, video etc.

Back to our Dad above to clarify this point.  His monologue coupled with the familiar family scenes helps us see ourselves and make an emotional connection with the character - hey, he's just like me, I should forward this to my wife ...

There are are host of video applications to help even the most creatively challenged, (I count myself here), produce something appealing. Donna Moritz has produced a great round up here.

5.  Leave an impression

Even if you don't have the Cheerios advertising budget, the content you produce can attract people to your brand as long as it leaves them with a positive feeling.

As a marketer you need to build a connection with your audience which helps them know you understand their problem and have the solution.  Content that paints a picture of how fantastic the world will be after they've made their purchase, helps endear customers to your brand and ideally leaves them wanting more.

Couple this lasting impression with a clear outline of the next steps they should take e.g. download this, register for that etc. and you'll be well on your way to making something of value to your audience.  Additionally, make it as easy as possible for them to share their new find with friends and family - even if they're not on social media (is there anyone left who isn't?!).


All companies are now content publishers who happen to produce something else as well, so think like the Editor of your favourite magazine and you're half way there.

What's the best piece of content you've seen?

3 Simple Ways to Build Your Brand

Our world is very noisy. Thousands of pieces of marketing content are hurled at us every day and yet our ability to consume these communications remains unchanged.  What has changed is the attention we're willing to give any one thing, so much so, that it's even got it's own term - continuous partial attention.

Our brains are finely tuned to respond to messages which touch our hearts, teach us something new and, or present content in an unforgettable way.  In other words, nobody is interested in information anymore - entertain us, educate us and leave a lasting impression by all means, but don't expect a response if all you serve are the facts.

So how could your business take advantage of this human condition? Think like a publisher.

1. Make an emotional connection

Who is most likely to buy your product or service?. How are you going to convince them to choose your brand over the alternatives available? Answer -  make them feel something. Since hearts often rule heads, those brands which challenge us to become emotionally involved, often pique our interest and therefore get the sale. They don't call it retail therapy for nothing.
e.g. Hyundai message from space commercial 

2. Add the novelty factor

Using the very prim lady in the advert below, to talk about the delicate subject of poo, is both unexpected and funny. It's often the novelty of a companies approach which grabs our attention in the first instance. We like the new and the surprising, but be sure to tailor this to the audience you're trying to attract. Humour is a delicate balancing act.
e.g.  Poo pourri

3.  Be memorable

Making your brand a household name, is every marketers dream and yet much of the content on offer is full of well worn stereotypes and pat phrases (see this is a generic brand video).  We see the same things so often that they become invisible to us, losing their magic.

The mad men of yesteryear made products memorable by adding jingles and bold images.  Some things never change - Apple think different commercial or Nike Just do it 

Think of what you've liked, shared and talked about today and remember that your marketing has to resonate with real people in disguise as consumers, audiences and personas.

In the words of Viggo Mortensen “There's no excuse to be bored.  Sad, yes.  Angry, yes. Depressed, yes.  Crazy, yes.  But there's no excuse for boredom, ever”.

Go, create.

33 ways to get likes and engage visitors on your company Facebook page (works across other platforms too)

So, you've got a company Facebook page. Tick. Now what can you do to get Likes and engage people outside of your immediate friends and family ...

Well, it's all about engagement.

Each post must be relevant to your product or industry and to the audience you're trying to reach. Inform, advise, entertain, but don't be bland.  Make them care and do it fast.

The following tried and tested suggestions should get your creative juices flowing and if you really want to see those numbers climbing, make sure you add an attention grabbing photograph or video.

1. Post updates at least once a day.  The most successful company pages post up to ten times each day using a mix of images, inspiring posts, questions and links to other resources.  Don't be afraid to show some personality. People buy from people.
2. Give sneak peaks of future plans and ask for further suggestions 
3. Make personal recommendations and ask for your readers favourite/most loved/best X 
4. Ask visitors to ‘like’ a picture and/or submit their own 
5. Set a weekly trivia question related to your product or industry (remember to post the answer)
6. Run polls to solicit opinion and start discussions
7. Celebrate milestones and rally your audience to reach them e.g. help us get 200 likes by June
8. Use images to tell a story/highlight a situation, inviting feedback 
9. Have a weekly discussion topic 
10. Answer an FAQ each day 
11. Be seasonal and timely. Comment on relevant stories in the news, festivals etc. 
12. Share posts from others and third party content 
13. Ask multiple choice questions or those where a yes/no answer will suffice 
14. Educate your users in how to share and endorse your page e.g. Hit the like button and comment yes if you agree or click like if you enjoyed this video 
15. Expand each conversation by responding to responses 
16. Post top tips and challenges e.g. try this and tell us what happens
17. Provide lists e.g. top 10 (insert something to inspire/educate/entertain your audience)
18. Ask your audience to provide one word descriptions for something
19. Align your company page with similar complimentary organisations by liking their pages and tagging them in your status updates 
20. Run competitions.  There doesn't have to be a prize.  Sometimes a mention on the company page is enough reward and it's likely to be shared as the winner tells their friends
21. Use your other social media accounts to highlight your Facebook page and directly ask people to like it.  This works best if you encourage them to do it within a time limit, but make sure there's a good enough reason to pump up the urgency
22. Post photos and invite visitors to guess where/what/who they are
23. Visualise data by turning it into charts or an infographic so it becomes information worth sharing
24. Highlight stories of day to day happenings to help visitors feel they know you/your employees
25. Excite and surprise fans whenever possible to keep them talking about and sharing your brand
26. Share expertise, with an ask the expert day
27. Admit where you've made mistakes and publicly apologise
28. Make sure each post is authentic so you attract a like minded community
29. Invite feedback on new product ideas
30. Ask fans why they liked your page
31. Put your fans in charge of naming something
32. Invite fans to suggest a caption for a photograph
33. Include links to your website and any other web presence you might have

Crank up that newsfeed.

I'd love to know what works best for you?

Are you working with the Adams family or the Brady Bunch?

I've had a bit of a revelation at work this week.  It seems that social media is driven by nepotism. Doh!

Though we tend to think about the various social media platforms as individuals, we should actually be viewing them as families.  Dig just below the surface and they are all interrelated, which means that social media optimisation (SMO), the term used for all the activities you do to ensure visibility of your brand, is now more important than ever.

Knowing how the platforms link, lets you decide where to focus your efforts and the content to produce to increase engagement and build your reputation.  In other words, consider how each social media tool encourages sharing and whether they are trusted by the audiences you're trying to reach, before you rush to create a Facebook page or a Youtube channel.

Choose tactics that play to your strengths as a company and attract your customers, but remember that imagery, video and high quality content need to be part of your plan no matter which platform you use. They may be different families, but they're all run by humans.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list it's worth remembering that

Google owns Google+ and Youtube

Yahoo owns Tumblr and Flickr

LinkedIn owns Slideshare, Pulse and Bizo

Facebook owns Instagram and Whatsup

Twitter owns Vine and Periscope

Just as families favour their own, the biggest social media sites aim to maximise visibility across their channels, so make sure you create content in the most shareworthy format for each group.  Hubspot recently did a great blog piece if you need inspiration.

Which do you favour?