This is a great video from my marketing hero Seth Godin. If you own a small business and are struggling with marketing, you need to view this:

Had a great conversation with a prospect yesterday about Linking.  He proclaimed he knew enough about SEO to be dangerous and then was asking me how many inbound links he can expect us to generate etc.  He told me how very important getting a TON of inbound links was to his SEO campaign.  I, of course, shared my two cents:

While I do agree and KNOW that inbound links can certainly help with Organic SEO, I caution people not to go nutso with it.  The tendency is to always think, the more the better, the more inbound links, the more Google will love my site.  Here are my three quick observations about link building:

1.) Seek only quality and relevant inbound links and try and steer clear of the folks saying that they will get you 23,210 inbound links for only $19.95.  It can ending up hurting your SEO efforts more than it can help.

2.) Focus on creating high quality content which will in turn entice others to link to your web site.

3.)  Be a participant. On the Internet, you’ve got to give to live now. Spend quality time on other sites you’d like to be a part of and share your wealth of information with others.

The most important take away here is this: Don’t over-think it.  Google wants quality, relevant and timely ‘stuff’ in it’s database, because that’s what Google users want.  I’d encourage you to spend more time focusing on your web site and it’s content and focus on building something remarkable.

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If you enjoyed this blog, you may also enjoy TomJelneck.com and On Target Web Solutions.

I was walking past the elevators at our office building and heard an all too familiar phrase, “Congratulations, you’ve made it to the next level!” said one girl to another, each with official looking lanyards around their neck.   The girls are part of  “marketing” company located in our office complex that hires kids to essentially stalk people in shopping mall parking lots and off load fliers.  Walking Spammers.

Marketing is not forcing your stuff upon others. It’s not about stalking people in parking lots.  It’s connecting, it’s creating a relationship, it’s sharing a passion and a drive. Your web site can connect, your search engine optimization campaign can connect, your social media can connect, your blogging can connect.  The key: don’t force it upon others, pull them to you, endear them and earn their permission and trust to sell / market to them.

That is marketing.

If you like this blog, you may also like my company blog: http://www.ontargetwebsolutions.com.

My company spends a LOT of money on health insurance every month, a ridiculous amount in fact, but hey, everyone needs health insurance right? So, years after being frustrated with this company for ridiculous customer service and their uncanny ability to screw up paperwork at EVERY turn, they decided to thank me for my business.

I literally received a wadded up package / envelope in my USPS box with no name on the shoddy packaging.  I of course opened the odd shaped package out of curiosity and found 2 sheets of crunched up papers, a cheesy mouse pad that I’ll never use and the cheapest broken clicking pen I’ve ever seen, courtesy of my health insurance company.

Their message to me? Thanks for the thousands and thousands of dollars you’ve spent with us, please find a crappy 1 dollar mouse pad and a 2 cent pen that you will never use and end up throwing it away by the end of the day, it’s our way of saying thanks.

If you’re going to thank someone, do it right.  It would have been better if they had never sent anything at all.

Hate your boss? Ticked off at a new work policy? Is the HR guy a tool box? Here’s a quick tip: keep your negative comments about your co-workers, boss, manager, supervisor, etc., to yourself or OFF LINE.

Don’t think that your employer is not paying attention to your tweets, your facebook posts, etc.. In this ever changing world of communication, we need to all learn to think before we type that post or that tweet or post that resume online.

I had a great friend back in College that had a one line statement stuck to his wall: it always caught my attention and to this day is something I truly believe in, it said: To Thine Own Self Be True.

The other day I was at a client’s conference room listening to a ‘marketing firm’ pitch the client on Internet Marketing and all of the wonderful things that this company can be doing for them…. I of course did some homework and discovered that this ‘marketing’ company is actually a printer. I have no doubt that they do amazing print work and can probably print business cards like nobody’s business.  They have been a printer in the Orlando community for several years, but, NOW, they are Internet marketers with a few days of experience with Facebook, E-Marketing, SEO, Web Design, etc.

The cream always rises to the top and if you’re playing in a market you shouldn’t be, it’s time to take a look at your core competency and commit to being the BEST at what your company does best.

As Seth Godin would tell you, products are nothing more than ideas, ideas that have been formulated, produced, tested and distributed.  The really great products get spread by the sneezers, those who love your idea, those who believe in it, and those who who have benefited from it. As technology progresses, it’s going to be harder and harder to get that idea sneezed or spread if it’s NOT remarkable, amazing, unique or just plain genius.

You would think that technology would help us spread an idea virus and it should, the problem is, the Internet has opened up the doors TO everyone capable of spreading an ordinary virus, through either blogging, twitter, facebook, etc.  Rather than get noticed, viruses are now getting buried.  The ideas being spread are simply not remarkable, they are being INTENTIONALLY spread and people see right through the noise and subsequently, ignore your virus and become immune.

To get your product or service to truly stand out, make CERTAIN it is remarkable. Make certain that it is memorable, or indispensable. Make sure that your customer service leaves an impression, or that your follow up is simply brilliant. Do something you know, and do it better than everyone else, never settle for mediocrity.

The true beauty of Internet Marketing is that if you do it right, you are addressing a consumer need at the right place, at the right time by the right audience.  As elementary as it sounds, it is often NEVER achieved by some of the best companies online.  People have problems, you have solutions.  People use Google to solve those problems. Do your answers to their problems show up when they ask Google how to solve it?

One of the most fundamental differences between Internet Marketing and traditional forms of marketing is this: People will seek you out when they need you, when they need to spend money, when they have a problem that you can solve.  The key is of course to answer the problem with authority, with expertise and with relevancy.  Once you start solving problems, you start selling.

Quick Tip: Start that blog you’ve been prolonging and use it.  Start answering prospect issues with your blog by providing rich relevant and unique content composed for CONSUMERS not SEARCH ENGINES.  Address common issues that you’ve encountered over the years, i.e., how to solve irrigation problems in your yard, how to properly maintain a camera lens, etc. You have no doubt addressed many consumer issues in the past, now it’s time to share.

Need an Internet marketing partner for the journey? Call me: In Orlando: 407-830-4550, Nationwide: 866-998-6886.

If you like this marketing blog, be sure to check out my other blog at On Target Web Solutions.com

Many people in business are afraid to share their expertise with the rest of the world. When I first opened On Target Web Solutions, I was timid, I was afraid of the unknown, I was afraid to put my name out there. After a few years under my belt and KNOWING that I know my stuff, everything has become much easier. This initial insecurity is quote common, but can cause several companies to stall and never progress.

People (prospects) seek experts.  They want the best, they want the authority figures, they want the ones that stand out from everyone else.  Your web site and your social media campaign are the perfect tool to set yourself up as the authority in your field online.  You’ve spent years in business, you know your stuff, now share it with the world.

Need help taking your company to the next level online? Call me. In Orlando: 407-830-4550 or Nationwide: 866-998-6886.

It’s supposed to feel like 115 degrees outside here in Orlando today.  That is hot. In fact, there will be NO grass cutting getting accomplished at my home this weekend it’s so damn hot.  All of this heat gets me thinking about the Winter, which of course leads me to think about Christmas.  While I count down and long for the days when the humidity breaks around here, I am very aware of how quickly time passes.  Christmas is coming.  It may be 5 months away, but NOW is the time to take a glance at your marketing plan.

Companies wait until the last minute to solidify their online marketing plan for Christmas and this can result in a huge hit in sales if your competition has been planning ahead.  Take the time THIS WEEK to get your Internet marketing house in order. Here are some tidbits to consider:

: Keywords: Do a keyword audit on your web site, where are you weak, where are you strong, do you need to supplement some product keywords with pay per click campaigns? Take the time to know what keywords folks are typing in and plan accordingly.

: On Site Alterations and product placement: It’s time to start teasing and unrolling the products that you wish to push online for Christmas. Get them in prominent places on your web site and start talking about them on Social Media applications such as Twitter and Facebook.

: ECommerce Considerations: Is your web store software up to date? Are your products all in the store and easy to find?  Is your security certificate still valid? Run a few test orders through and make sure that it is an easy seamless process.

Taking the time to plan your online strategy NOW can dramatically increase your sales when the Fat Man in a suit comes around.

Need some help getting your web site in order? Call my company: On Target Web Solutions at 407-830-4550 in Orlando or Nationwide: 866-998-6886.