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Nov 23
0

The New Google+: What You Need to Know

By | Google, Google Changes, Google Updates, Small Businesses | No Comments

In recent months we’ve seen a flood of changes and updates overtake the Google world as we know it. Google+ has served as an effective social tool for small businesses for several years. Its integration with Google Maps and Google My Business, in addition to its advantage in Google search visibility, have made it a useful platform on which to promote a business and ensure that the business shows up in search results. However, many recent reports have predicted the Google+ apocalypse, partially because Google’s recent changes seem to be moving away from Google+. But then, this happened: the official Google blog announced big changes to Google+ last week, and with those changes a whole new potential for the future of Google+.

The Separation of Google+ and Local

Google+ is increasingly becoming separated from Google search. Where it used to hold a special place in searches and was always easy to spot in search results, now it’s much more difficult to find. Before recent changes, the typical local search would bring up a 3-pack of the top search results, along with a button at the bottom to view additional results. Clicking one of the links in the 3-pack would lead to a pages known as the “Local Finder” page, where you could see additional information about the business.

Now, the 3-pack is gone and replaced by a results panel on the left, showing all the top results, with a clickable information panel on the right. There is no visible link to Google+, which effectively separates Google+ from search. This is evidence of Google’s shift toward emphasizing Google+ as its own community rather than as a local Google search tool.

The Community

Google is now focusing on making Google+ a stronger community. Google+ communities provide users a way to make connections based on shared interests. Social Media Today reported that as Google has gradually changed the way Google+ works, the G+ communities began to shine as the network’s biggest strength, providing an especially helpful link for “technical and niche communities that have built up strong, loyal, and highly beneficial networks through Google+ groups.” The release of Google+ Collections a few months ago built upon that solid community base.

Collections, Collections, Collections

Google+ Collections allows users to group posts into categories. In some ways similar to Pinterest, users can create collections based on various topics that they are interested in and then share those collections with whomever they want. You can also browse through other users’ collections to find even more content about the topics you like. This new emphasis on collections and communities was built for how users are actually using the site, showing that Google is dedicating time towards redirecting Google+ into a platform that people will continue to use and love. While it’s unlikely that Google+ will ever rival social media power players like Facebook, it’s certainly far from dead. We look forward to seeing how the network continues to evolve and how it will be used.

Want to learn more about Google+, other social media platforms, and how to use them to better your business? Call the online marketing team at Turn The Page today at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001.

Nov 20
0

5 Great Online Sources of Inspiration for Copywriters

By | Blogging, Content Writing, Copywriting | No Comments

A good copywriter is always searching for new ideas, unique angles, and tools and tricks to refine his or her writing prowess. Copywriters often juggle many different assignments over a variety of topics at once. Sometimes these topics fill us with inspiration and the words come pouring out. Other times, not so much. We all hit mental roadblocks in our writing or are required to write about topics that are, to be frank, downright dull. In these cases, the Internet can be your best friend if you know where to look for inspiration. These five websites are like a shot of caffeine to a writer’s brain to help get those words flowing once again.

Power Thesaurus

Do you ever feel like you keep repeating the same words over and over? (Don’t worry, it happens to everyone.) In that case, Power Thesaurus will help infuse some fresh verbiage into your writing. Power Thesaurus is like a thesaurus, except it’s way better. It gives you a whole community of other writers to help you find the best words for what you are trying to say. Individuals in the Power Thesaurus community suggest synonyms and antonyms for basically every imaginable English word, and the community votes thumbs up or thumbs down, ranking which words are the top pairs for each other.

Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator

Hubspot’s handy blog topic generator is a lifesaver for coming up with interesting blog topics for copywriters, especially when you need to write a high volume of blogs in a short amount of time. Even for the most interesting subjects it can be difficult to find, say, 12 unique blog topics to write about in the span of a few weeks. And for subjects that don’t really interest you at all? Summoning up truly engaging and unique blogs can feel practically impossible after expending all your creative energy on writing the first few. The blog topic generator at Hubspot simply prompts you to type in three keywords and then it comes up with several suggestions that you may never have thought of before.

Factbrowser

Factbrowser is another resource for content ideas. Say you have a topic that you need to write about, but can’t figure out an engaging angle. Factbrowser allows you to browse through statistics and facts for a variety of topics, which often will reveal a new and interesting direction in which to take your latest blog or article. For example, if you’re stuck on what to write about mobile apps, this statistic gives an intriguing angle: “34% of mobile app developers say they have been cheated by customer acquisition companies.” Cheating?! What a scandal! (You get the idea).

Idiom Dictionary

The Idiom Dictionary, like the Power Thesaurus, helps when the cat’s got your tongue (see what I did there?). While sometimes idioms become dreaded cliches, they can also infuse a sense of fun and personality into your writing. Plus, the Idiom Dictionary has a lot of idioms that many people have never heard of. Simply type in a word and a long list of idioms will appear to inspire you.

The Oatmeal

Okay, so this isn’t exactly a writing resource. The Oatmeal is a comics website created by Matthew Inman, a talented cartoonist. His comics range from whimsical (“A cat’s reaction to a laser pointer“) to hilariously sarcastic (“Should you buy a selfie stick?“). He also has some truly genius cartoons about grammar that any copywriter will appreciate. This is a website best used sparingly, as it can be a dangerous slippery slope to wasting hours looking at cat comics if you’re not careful. However, his farcical comics often provide the perfect inspiration for original content with a high dose of humor.

Want more content marketing tips? At Turn The Page Online Marketing, we are always working to find better ways to deliver high-quality, unique content. Call us today at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001.

Oct 27
0

Leveraging the World Series in Your Franchise Marketing

By | Franchise Marketing, Marketing Plan, Online Marketing, Social Media, World Series | No Comments

This post was originally published on October 22, 2014. To celebrate their second consecutive trip to the World Series, we are sharing it again!

Let’s go, Royals!

Our Kansas City-based online marketing firm has baseball on the mind for obvious reasons. After an unprecedented
8-game postseason winning streak — no need to talk about Game One — the Royals are representing our home turf as American League champions in this year’s MLB showdown.

As we watch the boys in blue with bated breath, we’re sharing a few of the ways we’ve noticed brands incorporating the World Series into their marketing efforts — and what your takeaways should be for your franchise marketing strategy.

Organically Integrate the World Series (Or Another Sporting Event) in Your Franchise Marketing Efforts

Lee Jeans Uses Local Loyalty

Perhaps the smartest way we’ve seen a brand use the World Series in their marketing plan? KC’s own Lee Jeans is calling for all Royals fans to support the team by donning local blue jeans, rather than denim made by San Francisco-based Levi’s.

Today, Lee Jeans is hosting a Blue Jean Trade-In at their Merriam, KS headquarters, inviting people to drop off used jeans (whether they’re Levi’s or any other brand). The cast-offs will be donated to San Francisco homeless shelters, and to benefit the KC area, the company will be donating an equal amount of Lee Jeans to shelters in the metro area.

Donors get entered to win an $1,000 Visa gift card, and all receive a coupon for 85% off one item at Lee.com, an homage to the Royals’ 1985 World Series win.

Your Franchise Marketing Takeaway?

Sure, everything aligned almost cosmically — the fact that Levi’s is based in San Francisco, home of the Giants, makes the Lee vs. Levi’s rivalry a perfect parallel for the KC vs. SF World Series — but your franchise marketing department can still take a few cues from this campaign even if the dots are a little harder to connect.

The Lee’s marketing team did a great job of cheekily appealing to their hometown fanbase with nods to the Royals’ last Series win — 1985 echoed in the 85% discount — and capitalizing on the call to action of supporting the boys in blue by wearing KC’s own blue jeans. Throw in some charitable donations in two cities and an $1,000 giveaway, and — forgive us, we have to — Lee’s campaign is a home run.

Discounts

One easy way to include any sporting event in your franchise marketing? Individual franchise locations can offer a victory discount to fans. Whether you opt for the Papa John’s route and provide an online discount the day following the win or ask consumers to stop in wearing their team gear to receive reduced rates in person, this promotion is easy to implement for almost any event, and can be customized region to region, making it ideal for franchises.

But what if your franchise has no direct connection to the World Series, no fanbase to nod to? You shouldn’t bench yourself just because your campaign won’t be as resonant. One reliable way to capitalize on any mainstream event that local customers will be watching is offering contingent discounts or giveaways. A classic example is Taco Bell’s giveaway, which they’ve done sporadically over the past few years, most recently offering a free Doritos Locos taco to all guests if a base was stolen during the World Series. Contigent giveaways and discounts like these work regardless of who’s playing. You’ll just want to be sure that the product or service you’re discounting isn’t something that will cost your franchise much.

Ticket Giveaways

Ticket giveaways are the ageless classic: a way to drive traffic to a website or social platform as the masses are motivated to win big. Franchise marketers should take note, though, that the big boost in social followers or web traffic shouldn’t be squandered. Make sure you have a plan in place to appeal to contest entrants so that they’ll stick around to hear your marketing messages even after the World Series concludes. Fair weather fans aren’t only in baseball, after all.

Forge a Winning Franchise Marketing Strategy

The team at Franchise Marketing Group features an all-star line-up of social media strategists, major email marketing maniacs, champion content creators, and more, all of whom can’t wait to help you create a franchise marketing strategy that leverages current public events and trends while providing long-lasting results.

Call (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 today and we’ll knock your franchise marketing plan out of the park!

Oct 07
0

Google My Business Dashboard Gets an Update

By | Google, Google My Business | No Comments

Businesses’ best friend, Google My Business, has gotten a face lift. The search czar began covertly introducing the revamped dashboard on September 29th after very quietly announcing it on Google Business forums (as of this writing, the post only had 334 views). And we have a feeling you’re going to love it.

What is Google My Business?

Google has so many services, it can be hard to keep track of what’s what. In case you need a refresher, Google My Business is, at its core, a way for your company to ensure that the information potential clients or customers find on Google’s SERP is correct. This can include:

  • Your business address
  • Hours
  • Phone number
  • Price range
  • Website URL

It can provide valuable information such as:

  • Directions to your business
  • Reviews
  • Ratings
  • Photos

And it also offers a place for consumers to write said reviews and allows them to access your business information across devices.

What’s New in the Google My Business Dashboard?

This new roll out seems to be all about convenience and ease of use. Overall, what we notice is a cleaner presentation and simple interface. In fact, one of the first differences you’ll likely find in this streamlined dashboard is that locations and brand pages are easily accessed, with those being the only two options in the main navigation.

Once you begin clicking around, another helpful feature you’ll find is the addition of breadcrumbs, which makes navigation much easier in what could be an overwhelming service if you manage a lot of pages.

Another useful component is that you can now view locations in either card view or list view. The new card view for locations gives you the option to choose how many you see, as well as quickly manage or view the location, while the list view offers convenience in selecting and editing multiple
The hamburger menu in the upper-left corner of the new Google My Business dashboard is a dream. It offers another way switch back to look at all listings or brand pages, should you navigate away from one of those views, allows you to bulk import locations from a file or add them individually, as well as bulk download locations. It also offers a neatly-organized summary of errors and issues, including:

  • Duplicate addresses
  • Google updates
  • Missing store codes
  • Unverified listings

This menu also allows you to monitor published locations and those that are permanently closed, on top of showing you any pending reviews your pages may have.

It also provides accessibility and high-visibility to the “Create business account” and “Contact support” features, so you no longer have to fumble around the dashboard.

Got Questions?

We’re really excited about this update to the Google My Business dashboard and we think you will be too. If you have any questions about the face lift, or about anything related to online marketing, we welcome you to contact our team today. You can reach us online or call us at our Kansas City area office at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001.

And for a visual walk through of the updates, check out this video from Mike Blumenthal of Local University.

Sep 23
3
Home Service Ads

Google’s New Home Service Ads Could Spell Trouble for Local Businesses

By | Google Changes, Local Business | No Comments

And you thought the Snack Pack was rough on local businesses. Right around the same time Google rolled out the Snack Pack, the search giant began beta testing in the San Francisco Bay area what could be an even more significant, and potentially devastating, update to its search engine results page (SERP) and local listings.

Google’s New Home Service Ads

Take a look at this screen grab of a search for “san francisco plumber,” juxtaposed with the same search for Lee’s Summit, MO (TTP HQ). Looks a little… different.


The Lee’s Summit search is a prime example of the new Snack Pack of local listings, while the San Francisco one seems to throw that update right out the door in favor of an even more refreshed look. And while a map is noticeably missing from the San Francisco search, that isn’t the most significant change with this beta test. This little pack of three isn’t a group of top organic local listings, like in the Snack Pack - these are sponsored, paid advertisements, known as home service ads, from the plumbers listed.

(Okay, they “may” be paid. Right.)

When you click on “More” at the bottom of the pack of home service ads, rather than seeing an expanded map with additional local listings, like you do with the Snack Pack, searchers are now taken to this page:


Here, you can select the type of plumbing job you need and then send requests to one, two or all of the listed professionals, straight through Google.

What’s Going On?

Like we mentioned before, this beta testing of home service ads is only in the San Francisco Bay area. It’s currently restricted to handymen, house cleaners, locksmiths and, of course, plumbers (home services), but we predict it will rapidly spread not only across the country, but across industries and professions.

What Does This Mean for Me?

While the answer should surprise no one, that doesn’t make it any less disappointing. The expansion of the home service ads beta testing into a full-blown update comes with a few consequences:

  • SERPs will have more ad space
  • They will have significantly less organic local listings
  • Local businesses will have to spend money

If you are a local business, no matter how hard you have focused your efforts, whether by yourself or through an online marketing agency such as TTP, if you have not invested money in paid search for Google, you will be affected.

With more ad space and less room and focus on organic local listings, we expect clients to see a decrease in calls as their links begin to drop and get buried in the paid results.

What Can I Do?

As local business lovers, we’re on your side. We encourage you to contact your Account Executive with any questions or concerns you may have as to how home service ads may impact your business. And if you’re not yet a client, we welcome you to call us at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 to get in touch with one of our online marketing experts.

Sep 15
0
The Value of Content

The Value of Content

By | Content Marketing, Content Writing | No Comments

Did you miss our Periscope of our presentation, “The Value of Content?” Or maybe you just loved it so much, you want to watch it again. Brittany, Director of the Digital Content Creation Department, and Kelsey, Lead Website Content Specialist, discussed the difficulties of measuring the effectiveness of content.

Reach Out to Our Experts

Learn more about what the term “content” entails and why you need to be paying attention to creating and maintaining it across media.

Check out the Prezi below and reach out to our team with any questions! Contact us online or call (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 today.

 

Sep 14
0

Two Years of Google Updates (Infographic)

By | Google, Google Changes | No Comments

Google is always making updates, as is evidenced by their “controversial” new logo, meaning your rankings could potentially be slipping or climbing all across the internet. In this infographic, we take a look at some of their more impactful updates and what they’ve done for websites the world over.

 

For a more detailed look at every update since 2000, be sure to check out Moz’s full list of the Google Algorithm Change History.

Have You Been Hit?

If you’ve seen a dramatic drop in your rankings after one of the past algorithm updates, contact the online marketing experts at Turn The Page, an Inc. 500 company. Call us today at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 for more information.

Aug 28
1

Social Media KPIs: Are You Doing It Right?

By | KPIs, Social Media, social media for business | No Comments

A successful social media presence can mean big things for your business, even if yours is a small business. If people are engaging with you and talking about you for the right reasons, your name becomes ingrained in your potential customer base’s mind. And when your business is the first thing that pops into a potential customer’s mind when he or she needs the goods or services you offer, who do you think he or she will call first? Before you can determine if your social media efforts are working, you must first determine your goals and your key performance indicators (KPI).

Set Yourself up for Success: Be Where Your Audience Is

Setting goals and and KPIs is one thing, but you’re setting yourself up for failure if you don’t first find out what social networks your audience is using, and what kinds of content it consumes. The fact of the matter is that people use different social networks for different things. Pinterest users share things like recipes, home decorating tips and craft-making instructions. A floor covering company may see great results, whereas an HVAC company may not see the best results on Pinterest. Facebook may be better for those types of businesses and industries. According to a 2014 study by PEW Research Center, 71 percent of all online adults use Facebook.

What should my KPIs be?

Once you determine where your potential audience is and what social networks is uses, how do you know if you’re reaching the right people? How do you know if your social media time and effort is worth it? First set a baseline. Know your numbers before shake things up. Most social networks have analytical tools for business users. Once you’ve determined your baseline, track the following KPIs to determine if your efforts are helping your business grow:

Reach

The number of fans and followers you engage and participate with on social media is a good indication of your reach. If that follower base grows rather than shrinks, it’s a great indication that you’re doing something right. If more people unfollow your business than follow it, you may want to consider switching gears and changing your strategy. Try changing the frequency or type of content you post to make sure it’s what your audience wants.

Knowing your follower base’s demographics — which can be determined using the social networks’ analytical tools — can help determine the best type of content to post.

Engagement

Not every follower will actively engage with your business. Ideally, the ones who do will be influential in your industry or, at the very least, loyal customers who tell the world how great you are. You don’t want a bunch of fake followers — not in the Jersey Shore sense of the word, but in the actual sense of the word. You want real and relevant followers and fans.

If your audience is liking, favoriting and sharing your posts, that’s a good indication that you’re posting things it enjoys.

Conversation is a two-way street. You want your audience to be commenting on your posts, and you will want to respond in a timely manner to any negative feedback avoid unfollows.

On Twitter, retweets and mentions are king. On Facebook, shares are king. When your followers take the time to take your message and share it with their own followers, they do the social networking legwork for you. Your followers’ followers are potential customers.

Web Traffic Data

One of the biggest KPIs with social media is whether or not your efforts are generating traffic to your website, which details what your business and its services are all about. Traffic to your website means means sales.

Determining the right KPIs is only step one in successful social media marketing. To connect with a skilled online marketing team determined to make it work for you, contact us today online or by calling (816) 527-8371.

 

Aug 22
0

#411 in 2015’s Inc. 500: Celebrating Our Agency’s Growth

By | Inc. 500 | No Comments

At Turn The Page, you don’t often hear us tooting our own horn. You’re more likely to hear us shouting from the rooftops about our clients’ successes (see our Results Reports!) or singing Backstreet Boys’ greatest hits.

Today’s the day that changes, though, because we have big news to share and it involves a little bragging. We’re giddy to announce that Turn The Page Online Marketing was recently named to Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc. 500, meaning we’re among the top 500 fastest-growing private companies in the nation.

TTP has humble beginnings. The company was founded by CEO Rob Rance (online marketing expert) and CFO Amy Driver (web development guru) after they met at a Kansas City networking group and decided to join forces. They began operating out of Amy’s screened-in porch (or as Rob calls it, her “conservatory”) and soon grew from a team of two to an army of over 3o online marketing experts.

We are so excited to be among industry leaders across the nation and one of just 41 Kansas City-area businesses to make the top 5000. Other notable companies include Fitbit and Microsoft.

We’re pretty proud of the true work hard, play hard culture we have at TTP, as exhibited by our Freaky Friday celebrations. We love that our team of mostly millenials disproves the notion that this generation isn’t capable of working hard and making an impact. We’re sincerely passionate about SEO, content marketing, social media, local search, PPC, website development, and all the services we offer — which is why we’re able to deliver real results.

To celebrate our achievements — and to recognize that we wouldn’t be anywhere without our clients — Turn The Page is offering $411 off a Ready-To-Go website for a limited time only.

If you’re interested in kickstarting or revamping your online presence with one of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, contact us today online or by calling (816) 527-8371.

Aug 12
0
Google Search

Google’s Snack Pack Packs a Punch for Local Businesses

By | Google, Google Changes, Google Plus, Google Search | No Comments

As the new “Snack Pack” continues to spread across browsers, it’s becoming apparent that this new 3-pack listing is part of an official roll out and not just a test. Our Chief Strategist, Tyler Hammer, has analyzed the Snack Pack and offers some insight as to what this change can mean for local businesses.

What is the Snack Pack?

If you’re a small business owner and not a marketer, you’re probably wondering, “What the heck is a Snack Pack?” or “Pudding? Why are we talking about pudding?” The so-called “Snack Pack” is the collection of three listings that you see when you search for a local business. Let’s say you’re searching for an online marketing company in the Kansas City area (*ahem*), so you go to Google and type in “online marketing kansas city” (because nobody searches with capital letters, let’s be real). This is what you would see:


Behold, the Snack Pack. You get the top three results for your search term, their website and directions to their office (if they have either of those). You also get a map of the area with many pins including, of course, ones for the top hits. At the bottom of the pack is a link leading you to more results and an even broader map.

What makes this an update?

Does it feel like something’s… missing? That certain something is four whole listings. Previously (and still for some people), Google would present you with a “7-pack,” or as the name blatantly implies, the top seven listings for your search term. It also linked you to the map, which you had to click on to view.

Also notable for local businesses is that the new Snack Pack no longer links to Google + pages, following suit with Google’s debranding of the service.

Unfortunately, the web address, address and phone number are not visible either, on mobile or desktop. However, the mobile version of the Snack Pack does feature a convenient “Call” button.

What does this mean for me?

Since the Snack Pack is still in its infancy, we don’t know yet what this will mean for business. Tyler has some theories:

  • More people may click on the organic listings below the local Snack Pack.
  • On the flip side, the majority may click to view more, which will drive more traffic to Google listings.

The TTP Strategy Team is going to closely monitor the Snack Pack to identify trends and determine which way people are leaning. In the mean time, according to a heat map study by Mike Ramsey of Nifty Marketing, organic links see the most clicks, except in the case of restaurant searches.

When it comes right down to it, though, Tyler notes, “This changes increases the importance of local search marketing - it’s important to stay higher up in the local pack.”

Why is Google doing this?

Arguments abound but the most popular idea is that Google is doing this to drive more traffic through Adwords. Hey, the world’s most powerful and beloved search engine’s gotta make money somehow, right?

Call TTP

Still a little hazy? Too many strange, seemingly food-related terms to make sense of? Let Turn The Page understand the Snack Pack, and any update Google may roll out, for you. For more information about teaming up with our freaky online marketing team, give us a call today at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 or contact us online.