Let's Work Together!
Connect with Almu Corazon on
  • Home
  • Get To Know Almu Corazon
    • ABOUT SIMPLE&SOCIAL
  • SERVICES
    • Strategy One-on-One
    • Digital Growth >
      • BE VISIBLE
      • DIGITAL AUDITS
      • VIDEO TRAINING
    • Mindful Growth >
      • SELF DISCOVERY
      • MAKE IT HAPPEN
      • BUSINESS MEDIATION
  • Articles
  • Contact

5 Simple Solutions to Get Your Blog Ready For The Holiday Season

11/18/2016

Comments

 
Author @AlmuCorazon
Picture
Is your blog ready for the holidays? If you lost track of your online performance and you want to revamp Q4, you are in the right place. In this article I am sharing a simple 5-step action plan to get your blog and your content marketing in shape for the holidays. Remember, "out of sight, out of mind." Which means, if we are not feeding our online audience with content related to our products and services, our audience will forget about us and move on to our competitors and those with an active online presence. 

If blogging is important to you and SEO is a priority, also check the following articles I wrote on how to position your brand to increase sales, how to expand your e-newsletter’s ROI, how to write content marketing to increase results, and the psychology of color to improve your website and blog.  

If you follow other planning processes and strategies to get your blog ready for the holiday season different from the below, I invite you to share it in this article’s comment section, so others can benefit from a collective free advice.

Let’s jump-start our blogging game together! 

Step 1- Answer the Following Questions: The information collected by answering these questions will be used to create content marketing. The more we blog and the longer the articles are, the better organic SEO we get. This happens because we are providing more information -- more keywords, links, and content -- for crawls to scan and track in connection to our brand. So when people search on Google for topics related to our expertise, products and services, our probabilities of appearing are higher. 
  1. Do we have holiday tips, know-hows, DIY or any ideas to share with our target audience? 
  2. Do we have products or services that our clients can benefit from during the holidays?
  3. Can we create a "Holiday Bargain Roundups”? — in other words, can we agree with our affiliate providers to create a shopping list of related bargains to add value to our customers?
  4. Are we doing anything special during the holidays we could share with our audience, such as unique family holiday recipes, games, celebrations with our company members or DIY and crafts? or want to share tips for snapping the perfect family picture or video?
  5. Do we have old posts we could use this year?
  6. Can we offer any discounts?
  7. How could we incentivize loyal customers?
  8. How often can I blog? If I am too busy, can I at least blog once a month?

Step 2 - Plan an Agenda to Build an Editorial Calendar: Planning out our content is very important, not only during the holidays, but also yearly — ideally it is best to blog on a monthly basis, or at least quarterly. Mapping out content in alignment to holidays, social interests, market trends and audience preferences makes our information relevant to our readers. I find inspiration searching on Pinterest or Instagram and through brainstorming with my staff, my clients and online friends.  

1.- create a business calendar/agenda. This way the content we build is organized based on our business objectives. 

2.- on a piece of paper create a list to highlight the below. Once this list is done, mark the dates and content ideas on the business calendar: 
  • business milestones and deadlines, 
  • content marketing options, 
  • client needs, 
  • products/services benefits, 
3.- write down if during the holidays we plan on…
  • sharing the information collected on the first step described above
  • taking some days off. It is important to highlight this information because we want to make sure to schedule content around our days off that doesn’t require us to get back to our audience. Such as quotes, pictures of our team members, sharing a milestone, etc.
  • conducting promotions or special campaigns
  • decreasing the number of postings due to high season needs. This is a good eye opener — relying on our staff and gradually train them to help us manage our online properties is the way to go. For solo entrepreneurs, scheduling content in advance is the best practice!
4.- repurpose content from previous years. Select posts that generated high level of interaction, traffic and leads. Enhance them to add value to our loyal reader by…
  • editing content where needed to avoid publishing outdated information
  • adding more backlinks and images -- including pinnable images and sharing capabilities
  • fixing any links that might be broken (links to other websites, affiliate links, or links to your own content)
  • including call-to-action (CTA) – such as inviting readers to subscribe to the newsletter, "follow us on Facebook, Periscope, Twitter," visit our store or buying a product we promote 

Step 3 - Get Your Blog In Shape: Make the blog holiday friendly. There are several ways to do this, besides current holiday themed content. We can,
  • Add menu items for holiday themes, such as “Gift Recommendations,” “Holidays Go-To Solutions," or “Holiday Recipes” 
  • Create engaging linked images of relevant holiday posts on the sidebar
  • Offer a special "Holiday Gift Guide" by creating a list of the “Top 20 Year’s best Product Reviews" that relate. Be sure to create an image on our side bar announcing the guide and promote it across our social media profiles/pages
  • If applicable, add links to your online store, Facebook picture albums and videos, tagging brands and partners on social media or reaching out to brands that fit your niche

Also, we can’t forget about updating our blog’s SEO widgets, settings, tags, meta info and keywords to strategically address all the holidays. This update helps us increase our brand visibility organically. Because before paying for online ads on Google, Facebook, Yelp or in any other social platform, we need to optimize our organic efforts, otherwise we won’t get a good return on our investment. 

Step 4 - Schedule your Content in Advance: Consistency in sharing our voice online is one of the most important things when blogging and building a brand. There is too much content circulating digitally; so, our audience most likely is following us because of our unique essence. Below are two lists of content ideas you could schedule on future posts:

- 10 Tweetables — use hashtags and name-tags to increase your post’s visibility such as #thinklocal, #smallbiz and @AlmuCorazon — substitute “X” for your offer (brand, promotional campaign, product or service, special holidays such as Black Friday, New Years, etc) and, substitute “link” for a link to your website or other online properties:
  • Check out my top 10 list of allergen-free recipes for the #holidays “link”
  • Looking for “X”? Follow us on “X” to get special discounts #BlackFriday2016
  • Subscribe to our newsletter to receive special #coupons for “X” 
  • Get ready for the #holidays w/ our special "X" - “link” ( )
  • Not sure what 2gift this holiday season? Take a look at this list “link”
  • Increase #SALES this #holidays by following this 5 easy steps “link”
  • Stop by our store, take a picture and post it on @Instagram & @Facebook using "#X" to get 15%off this holidays!
  • What Every Foodie Wants for #Christmas “link”
  • Top 10 gifts to “X” fans -> “link"
  • We are inviting u2 our “X” #Holidayparty2016, enjoy free “x” from “@“ & enter to win a “X”! “link”
- 10 Holiday Season Prompts — add a picture, video, livestream, infographic or any other visual content to the posts I suggest below in order to boost their reach. Use hashtags when promoting them on social media — if you need more ideas or guidance give me a shoutout on Instagram or leave a comment on our Facebook page or below in the comment section: 
  • What holiday(s) do you celebrate? Why? Share one of your favorite holiday memories.
  • What are some of your childhood holiday traditions?
  • Are you traveling this holiday season? Where are you going?
  • What is your favorite Christmas/holiday tradition?
  • What is your favorite game to play during the holidays and why? Do you have any funny anecdote?
  • What is your favorite Christmas/holiday song (food/drink) and why? Mine are…”X”
  • Do you have a cleaning tip that saves your attire every year? Explain how to use it
  • What is the best gift you’ve ever given or received? What made it so special?
  • Share your favorite recipe, a family twist to a well-known recipe

Step 5 - Cross-promote Content with Influencers and Brand Advocates: Cross-promoting our content marketing and brand assets are a proven practice that can work across multiple digital platforms and social networks. As it increases our brand visibility and reinforces our connection with loyal customers. We can achieve this on scheduled posts as well, we just need to make sure to name-tag and hashtag the scheduled content. But, there are right and wrong ways to cross-promote. Be careful, we don’t want to become “spammy.” I invite you to give me shoutouts on social media @AlmuCorazon; and, if you would like to promote your products/services on my Facebook pages Simple&Social and Spanish Flavor, send me a note via email or a Facebook message in advance to discuss the opportunity and make sure your post is in alignment with our community sharing guidelines. 

Your Turn!

I hope these 5 steps and ideas will help you decide how you want to continue with your blogging program during the holidays; so that, you don’t wind up hunched over your computer screen while everyone else is passing the gravy boat.

As mentioned before, if you follow any other strategy to plan your blogging activity, please share it below to help other readers. 

Leave us a comment and share this blog post so others can benefit. Cheers!

Comments

How To Unlock Hidden Reviews On Your Yelp Business Page

6/24/2016

Comments

 
Author Almu Corazon
Picture
Couple of months ago I was a speaker at a panel of experts to discuss Yelp and online reputation management do's and don'ts. There were a lot of small business owners in the audience complaining about hidden positive reviews. This is one of the biggest issues small companies face with their business pages; and, a common question I get from my clients “#Yelp positive reviews not showing up.” I bet you have experienced this or someone you know has amazing reviews but Yelp doesn't place them in the regular section, and instead places them in the "hidden" section. In that event there were few business owners who shared how much they dislike Yelp because the way they manage reviews. Like many others, some of them had old negative reviews visible and recent positive reviews hidden.
 
Unlocking hidden reviews on Yelp requires a basic understanding of Yelp's algorithm. Make sure your future reviewers are aware of this. Let’s spill the beans! Here are 5 points that Yelp’s algorithm considers as red flags, therefore labeling reviews as inadequate and sending them to the hidden section:
 
  1. The Yelper used inappropriate language.
  2. When found any connection between the commentator and the business owner other than being a client, such as a competitor, disgruntled employee, family member, friend, or has any other type of connection through social media. Remember your browser stores cookies and pieces of information of your navigation paths, habits, website visits and so on.
  3. The Yelper's profile is incomplete; e.g., missing a profile picture, bio, location or contact and verification information.
  4. The Yelper has very few or zero previous reviews, no pictures uploaded or no comments, likes or dislikes at all.
  5. The Yelper has a track record of engaging in negative conversations; e.g., leaving negative reviews, posting negative feedback to others’ reviews, disliking content on Yelp.
 
The two most common reasons Yelp’s algorithms consider a review to be inadequate are: 1) Yelpers have very few or zero previous reviews; 2) Yelpers don't have a complete profile; there is a lot of Yelpers missing a profile picture – to dig a bit deeper, if you click through to your hidden reviewers individual profile pages, I bet you can find few commonalities among your reviewers, such as they have very little information filled out and minimal engagement with others. It's almost as if they created a Yelp profile just to write a review for your business!
 
Hey, Yelp reviews are important. Regardless of the stigma that is associated with the platform, Yelp is a powerful marketing tool for small businesses. It is still the number one business directory worldwide. Though, if your customers are not active on Yelp, it will be better to get their review in some other way. Otherwise, in order for the wonderful reviews to get unstuck from the hidden area, you will need to reach out to your previous reviewers and let them know that they need to increase their engagement on the platform and fill out the rest of the profile information… I know; I can feel you going like “What! That’s too much work! Ridiculous!” I am with you!
 
Also, in order to gain control on your online reputation what works best is when you see a happy client, ask him to take a video sharing his great experience, ant the reason behind his happiness. Or just ask if you can take the video for him. You could ask your clients, what is it about your business/products/services that moves them to come back for more. Then, upload that video on your website, on YouTube, on your Facebook page and on G+ for others to see it.
 
Though, if you feel unstoppable and want to give it a try, you could contact those reviewers with hidden comments letting them know how much their thoughtful review means to you and to your business; and, that you would love for their feedback to appear in the regular section. But in order to achieve it, they will need to increase their engagement in Yelp and:
 
  1. Complete their profile 100%. A comprehensive Yelp profile including a clear profile picture, full bio with location, links to their social media profiles, business website, pictures, likes and dislikes.
  2. Make some friends on Yelp. Suggest them to sync their Facebook and Twitter profiles to identify any of their Facebook and Twitter friends that might also be on Yelp.
  3. Check-in to their favorite businesses. They will have to download the app in order to check-in. (It takes less than 5 seconds.)
  4. Bookmark places of interest. Saving those places is the best reminder to visit them on your free time!
  5. Upload a photo or two of their most recent dining experience. Suggest them to take a picture of the food they order or the exterior and interior of the business. This also creates a beautiful diary of images on their profile.
  6. Comment on other Yelper's reviews. If they see a place they like or a funny picture or an insightful or well-written review, suggest them to leave a comment to let the author know.
  7. Write some reviews. This is key to earn Yelp trust. Those Yelpers who write reviews become credible and unbiased sources for Yelp. Remember, Yelp is looking for engagement. The more they engage, the more visible they become.
 
I call the above "The 7 Wonders" - If you feel like asking your reviewers to do all the above is too much, I don’t blame you. Sometimes it is not realistic.
 
Now, who doesn’t want engagement! Imagine that you have a store or a restaurant, wouldn’t you want to have it filled with happy customers? Wouldn’t you want your business online profiles, pages and website filled with insightful and engaging content and audience interaction? Well, Yelp wants it too. Yelp wants to know that users didn't sign up just to write one glowing review or one very negative review. Yelp’s business is driven by user engagement. So, if your clients are not Yelpers pros, forget about it! Invite your clients to send you a short video and give them an appreciation gift, like a meaningful item associated with your brand, a discount, or a free product!

Additional effective outlets to where you can ask for online reviews and improve your SEO and overall online reputation are reviews on your Google business page and Facebook page.

What do you use to collect client reviews?
​

Comments

Without Local SEO, Your Business Isn’t Going Anywhere

6/3/2016

Comments

 
Author Almu Corazon
Picture
Brick and mortar businesses recognize the need for a consistent online presence. Nowadays, businesses build a website, either using DIY website builders or hiring pros to do the job. Not to mention, most businesses already have social media presence and acknowledge the importance to have a blog and engaging content marketing. But, most online businesses do not know how to capitalize digital efforts to lower costs and increase sales.

Before paying for any online advertising, increase online visibility organically. Then, search engine marketing (SEM) strategies are recommended to assess what solutions are most cost efficient depending on goals and market tendencies. If the local traffic you wanted to get from search engines haven’t been that impressive, here are some suggestions to follow in order to organically and strategically position your brand to attract local traffic and dominate your niche in your area:
  • Optimize on-page SEO elements to correspond with local details (phone numbers, addresses, etc.).
  • Create original content that your local audience can strongly relate to.
  • Use and optimize images that will cater to your specific market.
  • Update your meta tag information and SEO plugins.
  • Centralize your content on your website.
  • Be proactive in getting reviews.
  • Engage your online audience in conversations.
  • Get links from other local entities.
  • Link back to your website.

Click on the slide presentation below to discover more tips. This infographic covers on page elements, creating local content, optimizing images with local terms, getting reviews, ensuring citations are correct and getting local links. Check it out!
Let's focus on the DO's:

--> Do On-Site Optimization and Links:
  1. Review and correct on page SEO elements. This includes contact details, phone numbers, website URL, blog info, logo and local keywords.
  2. Create quality local content that serves target audience. Your content has to serve the target audience in your area. It has to be better that what the user can find online elsewhere. Create actionable content that flows from start to finish. 
  3. Leverage social media: Take advantage of the growing social media that has 4.2 billion monthly online users on the top 8 social networks. Try to build a brand and promote content to attract customers. 
  4. Optimize images: Include local keywords and city name in image file name and alt tags.
  5. Create local pages/places: Sign up to Google+, Bing and Yahoo business pages to enhance organic search rankings. Optimize your business information on online directories such as the Yellow Pages.
  6. Ensure NAP (name, address and phone numbers) listings are correct. Google MapMaker can help you access personal information and ensure correct NAP listings. 
  7. Have a physical address in the city you want to rank for: A physical address will help your local rankings. Add a Google map to the webpage to increase the quality of your entry.
  8. Use a local phone number: A local number and address will help with local listings, as this information will attract more directories amplifying your visibility.

​--> Do Reviews, Citations and Links:
  1. Proactively get reviews: Reviews can boost rankings, so ask for it from satisfied clients.
  2. Review and organize your business categories: Categories allow users to find your business online.Amongst the thousands of SEO tips and tricks available online, local SEO efforts is the most overlooked, especially by bloggers, entrepreneurs and small business owners. These tend to focus on buying keywords on Google and/or ads on Yelp and Facebook missing the importance of hiring an expert who will design a custom SEM strategy to find out which local online venues will bring them more money back. 
  3. Get citations from high quality sites: Citations are the NAP listings. Look for competitor citations and replicate them.
  4. Get local links: Links are the recognized online currency. Local links can help you boost your local ranking making your business more visible on search engines. Make sure the links are from high quality sites.

Sometimes it is best to forget about targeting “general” keywords and shift our focus to our physical surroundings. You may be unsure how to go about it, so the quick, effective and easy-to-follow guide to local SEO I am sharing in this article will help you getting started!

On the comment section share your experience with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. What has been the most profitable investment you have made?
Comments
    Simple_and_Social Newsletter Almu Corazon
    Subscribe to 
    Simple & Social
    ​Free Membership
    to receive a newsletter with latest opportunities and updates directly from Almu Corazon
    Become a Member Today!

    Want to join our Community of Advisors?

    If your practices are in alignment with the Simple & Social™ integrated services and  education programs connect with me and find out how you can join me.  


    Simple and Social transforming thinkers into creators
    Transforming Thinkers into Creators - We are all going through constant changes and growth, join our programs and workshops to master the art of transformation.

    Categories

    All
    @AlmuCorazon
    Almu Corazon
    Branding
    Career & Self Transformation
    Digital Intelligence
    Family Constellations
    Multigenerational Alignment Solutions
    Nutrition - GREEN
    Organizational & Self Leadership
    Personal Alignment
    Professional Positioning
    SEO


    RSS Feed


    Archives

    June 2018
    November 2017
    May 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014


    @AlmuCorazon_IntegratedCoachNYC
    @SolutionsSolis_LuisSolisMINAWARD
    IntegratedCoachingBlog

    SimpleandSocialKnit
    Knit with Simple & Social in Spanish & English

    Simple&Social Programs

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.