BT Web Group

Online Marketing, Web Design, Web Hosting, Business Consulting - Located in Lexington, Kentucky

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Marketing is Fuel for your Business

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Happy Giving Tuesday!

If you didn't already know, today is Giving Tuesday.  This concept was created in 2012 and has gained momentum and popularity through social networks.  When the last few days of focus have been on shopping and deals, this day is designed to encourage you to give back.  As a business in Lexington, KY we believe strongly in supporting those organizations that benefit our community.  For the last few years we have donated to an organization that does just that.  The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass has a mission that we can get behind.  Their goal is to create and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and to strengthen families by keeping them together in times of medical need.  We commend this organization and ask that if you are looking to an organization to get behind that you consider donating today.  From all of us at BT Web Group we wish you a Happy Giving Tuesday!

  Written By Mary Beth Evans - Chief Operating Officer Contact BT Web Group for all your Digital Marketing and Web Design needs. We're located in Lexington, KY Please take a moment to like, share, and tell us your thoughts about this topic.  Thank you. Read the full article

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How To Improve Your Marketing

Video Transcript: Today I'm going to talk to you about the number one thing you can do to improve your marketing, and it's actually very simple and very obvious. The number one thing you can do to improve your marketing is to first improve your website. You see, your website is your number one asset. If you think about it, your website doesn't sleep, so technically it could be seen as your number one employee too because your website does so many things. Your website gets the phone to ring. Your website prescreens people. Website tells people about what you do and how you do it. Your website tells people who you are, your story, where you came from, what your beliefs are. Your website does so many things, and most people, they just don't take their website very seriously. It's the most important thing you can do as a business owner to improve your marketing is to first focus on improving your website. Go back to the very basics. Make sure that it's clean. Make sure that it's organized, well written. Make sure it has good graphics. Make sure it's well branded. Make sure that the colors match, the fonts match on each page. Make sure that the font size is not different on different pages. Make sure you have a blog post. Make sure you're updating it regularly. Online presence is everything, and the number one way to control your online presence is to control your website. Clients ask us all the time, "How much is it going to cost to build me a new website?" And the answer is, "It depends." For example, if you're going to build a house, and you're going to go and interview a builder to build this house for you, he's going to ask you what your budget is. So you can build a $100,000 house or you can build a $1 million house. You can put granite countertops in. You can put cherry hardwood floors. You can put carpet. There's so many different things you can do to a website to make it more fancy or make it faster or make it better from an SEO optimized perspective. The thing is you need to do what's best for you and for your business. The whole point of this, the number one thing you can do to improve your marketing is just to focus on your brand, your website, your reputation, because it all starts right there. Make sure you have a couple, one, two, three different colors that you use throughout your entire website. Make sure that your website matches your business cards and matches your print marketing, and matches other things that you use to develop your brand. Make sure your website has good content. It defines who you are as a business, what you do, what services you provide. Your website, in my opinion, should have a lot of information, but not too much. It needs to excite people, but not overwhelm them. It needs to get people to take action when they get there, and know how to take action. It needs to give people options on how to communicate with you. Some people are going to want to fill out a form. Some people will want to call you. Some people will want to send you an email. Some people may just want to first start by joining your newsletter. Some people may want to just download a resource that you have on your website first. So the more options that you can give somebody when they go to your website to communicate with you or to engage with you, the better. Then what you have to think about is once somebody does go to your website, what are you going to do with them next? How are you going to engage with them? How are you going to communicate with them? We had a client yesterday that came in and he had a phone number on his website, no disrespect if he's watching this video, it's fine. The phone number on his website actually goes to one of those answering machine boxes that you plug into the wall, that you plug into your phone, and it dates, and it says, "Leave a message." We're just so far past that from a technology perspective that you need to step it up if you want to be here long term. So your website can do so many more things for you than it probably is doing for you right now. Testimonials from clients, pictures, graphics, before and after, product photography. Your website is your online store. Your website is your brand. Your website is the heart that helps your business run and pump blood everywhere. Your website, it can make or break your business. Seriously, I mean that. Your website can make or break it because it's the message you deliver. Here's something else, a lot of mistakes people make with their website is they build it once, and then they forget it. They don't come back to it. They don't update it regularly. Your website and Google and Yahoo and Bing, they will take much better care of you if you're updating your website on a consistent basis, and consistency is key. Or if you're writing articles or posting videos or updating page content or providing new services, updating your hours on your website, things like that to let the customer know that hey, you are taking care of the website. And if you're taking care of your website, I'm going to tell you what, they're going to think and know and believe that you will also be willing to take care of them as a client. If you're neglecting your website, if your website is not more responsive, I'm telling you what, nine out of 10 people are going to think by looking at your website that if you're not doing that, a good job, you're probably not going to do a good job helping them with their needs as a customer as well. Do not overlook the importance of your website. So if you're looking for the number one thing you can do to improve your marketing right here and now, it's improve your website. Focus on your website because your website will be here long term. Your website will help you bring in new traffic, new leads, new customers, new clients, new referrals and everything. That is today's lesson is focus on your website. You do that, you will start to build a better business. So if you liked this video, do us a favor. Click the Like button, share it, subscribe to our channel, give us some comments so we know how you're thinking, and how we can improve going forward, more videos. We're here for you. If you want your business to succeed, you got to be doing better marketing. We'll talk to you soon.

  Video By Brian Evans - President Contact BT Web Group for all your Digital Marketing and Web Design needs. We're located in Lexington, KY Please take a moment to like, share, and tell us your thoughts about this topic.  Thank you. Read the full article

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Thanksgiving 2018

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Home

Business people…WATHCH THIS VIDEO if you need help with your marketing because 81% of customers look online before they buy so if you want your business to be here tomorrow then you must be online today. We can skyrocket your sales by 70% in 6 months by driving better quality traffic to your website, and if you need help with your website we can do that too. We are BT Web Group, Lexington’s #1 Online Marketing Team. For a free marketing session and an awesome free gift call: 859-263-9045 or visit https://btwebgroup.com/. Read the full article

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Direct Response Marketing Basics

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Digital Marketing Agency Lexington Ky

We're a Digital Marketing Agency in Lexington, KY

Say Hello to BT Web Group! We've also been referred to as an Advertising Agency, Digital Marketing Agency, Online Marketing Agency, Internet Marketing Agency, Social Media Marketing Agency, and Brand Marketing Agency. No matter what type of Agency you refer to us as, the bottom line is we exist to help your business develop new marketing strategies and plans for selling products or services, advertising campaigns, and promotions to reach desired customer segments and generate more revenue. WE ARE a digital marketing agency located in Lexington, KY. OUR MARKETING SPECIALTIES INCLUDE: Digital Marketing, Online Marketing, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Brand Marketing, Marketing Consulting, Web Design, Web Hosting. WE BELIEVE in our clients and their dreams; in standing shoulder-to-shoulder together through thick and thin; in asking not what our clients can do for us, but what we can do to help our clients become better marketers. WE CHALLENGE conventional marketing and the status quo with innovation and simplicity as it relates to digital marketing, branding, web design, and marketing consulting. WE BUILD marketing campaigns that generate revenue; websites that look great AND attract visitors; secure hosting environments; and better opportunities for online success. Our Award-Winning services include: Online Marketing Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Display Advertising, Remarketing, and... TYPES OF WEBSITES WE BUILD are Web Design Development Business sites, E-commerce sites, Non-profits, Blogs, Portfolios, Multilingual, Schools, Lead Generation, and more... Brand Building Brand Awareness, Press, Graphics, Logo, Mission and Principles, Info Graphics, Video Production, Product Creation, and... OUR WEB HOSTING is Fully Hosted, DIY Hosted, for Agencies, for Freelancers, Business, Resellers, HIPPA Compliance, PCI Compliance, and... OUR WEB BASED CRM provides Email Marketing, Contact Management, Marketing Automation, Direct Mail Marketing, Follow up Automation, and... MARKETING CONSULTING ranges from Marketing Strategies (Online and Offline), Lead Generation, Sales Conversion, Website Optimization, Brand Awareness, Brand Reinvention, and ROI Improvement. We are a very creative agency and we prefer to think outside the box when it comes to marketing. We're dedicated to creating, planning, and handling online advertising campaigns and even offline promotions like direct mail, radio, and TV. Yes, these "old school" marketing channels still work too. The service we provide as a Marketing Agency is independent from our clients; yet our clients look to us as being their outsourced marketing department that provides strategic points of view to help sell more products and services. As a Marketing Agency we also handle brand marketing strategies for clients which includes but is not limited to small businesses, corporations, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, start up's, and private agencies. When we talk to new clients for the first time we ask a lot of important questions (that most "other" marketing agencies don't even think about) in order to adequately understand your customer base, your niche, and your competitive position the market. We're then able to recommend key strategic plans to implement a marketing strategy designed to maximize the revenues and profits for your company. The selected marketing strategy we agree upon together can aim to achieve any variety of objectives, including optimizing short-term unit margins, revenue growth, market share, long-term profitability, brand awareness, lead generation, sales conversions or other growth goals. After your strategic objectives have been identified, your target market selected, your desired positioning for the company, and your product or brand has been determined, our Marketing Agency will implement, manage, and optimize the chosen marketing strategy for you 24/7/365. Contact Us For A Free Marketing Consultation Today Read the full article

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Why have a website?

If you're a business owner, then you know how important it is to have a good functioning website. But unfortunately, a lot of people don't realize the overall impact that a website can have on the bottom line of your business. And the fact is, it should not be ignored, because your website is your number one asset. Your website doesn't sleep, your website's your best employee. Your website's your sales person, your website's your support department, and everything else in between. So, let me just explain to you real quick, I'm going to draw a picture so you can show what I mean when I say it's your number one asset. How it should be working for you, okay? So, if you have your website here, most people build a website and then they treat it as a static website, as a brochure site, and they never touch it again. They've got their level here, they have their menu items here, and they have all their content on all the pages here. What you should do is use your website as your online journal, your public display of information on the internet. What people typically do for that regard is they'll use their Facebook account for something like that, or they'll use their Twitter account to provide updates, or their Instagram account, or any other account. Their Google account. Now, all these are very important, but the fact is they're not working cohesively with your website. What you need to do, instead of posting content on Facebook all the time, or Twitter all the time, or Instagram all the time, or Google, or whatever social media channel you use, is you want to put that information on your blog page of your website, or news section of your website, or and update section of your website, or new pages of your website first. So, by doing that, you're going to put that on your website every single time, whether it's once a day, once a day, twice a day, et cetera. Put that on your website first, because you're telling Google right there that you're keeping your website current and active. This is very good for SEO, search engine optimization. Now, search engine optimization, some people love it, some people hate it. It works, bottom line, but you have to do it consistently and create a pattern that shows Google, or other search engines, that you are a legit company, and you are not ignoring your website. You're doing things consistently to provide good information to visitors. So, that way if someone goes to Google and searches a keyword online, how to do this, or a company that services this, if you're continually posting about that type of information, or similar content on your website, then you're more likely to be increased in the search engine results. And more likely to get more visitors and traction to your website. So, what you need to do for your website to work for you is to always use this as your social page first. Put everything on here first, then when you post a blog or any other content, you're going to share that with your social media channels. After that, what's going to happen is people on your social media channels, your audience, it's going to recognize and see that content. Then, what should take place is that content should basically drive that traffic back to your website in order to finish that content, that article, or that video, or something else, with a call to action to bring back visitors to your website from these channels. Back to your website, so your website can finish educating them about your business. And then, your website can have a call to action that says download this. You can now start to build your audience on your list. People can buy from you, engage with you further. Likes are great, shares are great, but the purpose of every piece of content you put out there on the internet is to get that traffic back to your website, which is your number one asset, so that way your website can do the work for you to convert that traffic into leads. And then you, once you've captured that lead, can convert that traffic into a customer. So, bottom line, your website is your number one asset. So, don't neglect it, okay? Have a great day. Read the full article

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Web Design Basics

Web Design Basics By Brian Evans You don’t have to know everything about Web Design and Development but it’s important for you to understand a little bit about the basics. This way you can do a better job of competing for new customers online in Lexington, KY and elsewhere. Your website the #1 online asset for your business. It is your virtual store front. It is usually the first thing people see when considering doing business with you. And, in case you live under a rock, perception is reality these days. This means, if your website is ugly, not user friendly, outdated, not mobile friendly, slow to load, boring, irrelevant, etc. then that is the first impression that you are offing your potential customers. Having an unpleasant website, or no website at all is no longer acceptable in this day and age. If this is you, then it’s time to step up, and make your website perfect, in the eyes of your customers, and also in the eyes of Google! Here’s some very simple web design and development basics that you should try to understand. You don’t have to learn it, but it is important for you to at least understand the basics. Most web pages are made using two core languages: HTML and CSS. These languages when written correctly allow your website display properly on the internet. When you look at a web page, you might wonder how it is made. To display a web page, your Internet browser reads and interprets a special set of instructions. These instructions are written primarily in two languages: HTML and CSS. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines the web standards, or specifications, for these languages. It is important to understand web standards to ensure that the different web browsers display your pages accurately. Let's look at how HTML and CSS work together to make a web page. What is HTML? HTML Stands for: Hypertext Markup Language. It’s a standardized system for tagging text files to achieve font, color, graphic, and hyperlink effects on World Wide Web pages. Web pages display content and have an underlying structure defined by HTML. The content can include text, images, links, or even audio and video. Most HTML elements are written using opening and closing tags that tell the browser what type of content to display. The tags are written in a specific order to define the structure of the page. The example below shows three common HTML tags. •

specifies heading text, good for page titles • specifies paragraph text, good for body text • displays an image specified by a src (source file) What is CSS? CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheet and is used by web pages to help keep information in the proper display format. CSS files can help define font, size, color, spacing, border and location of HTML information on a web page, and can also be used to create a continuous look throughout multiple pages of a website. With HTML you've given a basic structure to your web page, but there's not much design customization to the style or layout. Eventually you want to add colors, format text and images, and reposition elements on your page. CSS is a language that works with HTML to apply this style and formatting to your web page. Use CSS to find one or more HTML elements, and then provide additional instructions for what to do with that element (such as change its color or center it on the page). The example below shows how CSS is used to change the appearance of the three HTML elements. • h1 The heading text is center-aligned. • p The paragraph text is red, bold, and center-aligned. • img The image is resized to 150px by 100px. So why is it important for you to understand? Easy, because these are the languages that Google, and Bing and Yahoo reads and looks for when considering to display your content in their search browsers. There are also 200+ other secret factors (they won’t tell us) that they use to rank your website, but I can assure you that the quality of how these two languages display your website is a BIG factor to your online awareness success or lack of success that your website is having. This web design code on your website needs to be done right, but the good news is that you don’t have to know how to write this code personally. Rather, you should have a qualified Web Design Company do it for you so that you can minimize errors and maximize results. If you ever need any help, give us a call. Contact BT Web Group for all your Digital Marketing and Web Design needs. Located in Lexington, KY Enjoy this article? Please comment below and share with your friends. Read the full article

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Facebook Recommendation

Facebook Recommendations By Mary Beth Curious about how Facebook Recommendations can impact your business? Good, let’s dip our big toe into the vast world of Facebook to see how they are providing these Recommendations to users. Do take a moment and let it sink in that the Recommendations feature has been around since 2016, however its popularity is growing more so now then 2 years ago. Why the sudden popularity boost? It’s because users are more trusting of their network of Facebook friends than they were years ago. It’s simple if you think about it, who do you ask when you have a question or a need to be fulfilled? Answer: Your network of friends and family. Facebook Recommendations allows a user to reach out to their network of friends and family and ask them for an endorsement. Endorsement is defined as “an act of giving one's public approval or support to someone or something.” Example: Jane needs a new of a new roof, she posts on Facebook; Looking for Recommendations – “I need a new roof, can anyone help?” Molly, Jane’s neighbor 4 houses down sees this and recommends and tags a company she worked with for her new roof and gives her endorsement to Jane. This endorsement helps Jane to pick a roofing company based off her neighbor Molly’s recommendation. Simple, makes sense? The same principle was used “back-in-the-day” before the internet; it was called word of mouth. Same concept applies. What’s great about this for businesses is that it’s FREE ADVERTISING. This is a bonus for business owners who provide great services that their customers liked (no pun intended) so much that they tell someone else about it. Let’s put on our Business Hat for a moment and think about how we can benefit from a Recommendation. Currently as a business owner you can quantify some features on Facebook by; the number of likes you received and the number of Reviews you receive. There isn’t currently a way to quantify this Recommendation feature. However, if you are smart, and I know you are, so you will take that Recommendation as a door to be opened, 2 doors to be exact. Here’s what we mean by that... Door number one, the user who recommended you – are they following you? Have they given you a review? Are they a past/current client? Whether you answered YES or NO to any of those questions that user is a springboard. They are following you, great. They have worked with you, even better. Have they given you a review? No? Now is your chance to get that Review from them. Send them a Thank You Message: “Hi, Molly – thank you so much for your Recommendation today. We had a great experience working with you on your roof and hope you feel the same, we would like it if you would take a moment to give us a Review.” Boom, more positive advertising for your company when their 5-star review pops up. Let’s say they have reviewed your company already, no problem. Thank them for the Recommendation and take the opportunity to send them a promotion you are currently running. Or simply send them a $5 gift card to Starbucks as a nice gesture. I would almost guarantee your company will come up the next time a friend or family member mentions the services you provide. Look at that, you’ve gained and kept a loyal customer and a loyal Marketing Consultant for your business. Congrats! Door number two, the user that received your recommendation – treat them just as you would any other customer that reached out for your services. This step must be executed quickly. We all know that Jane has many friends and it’s a matter of time before someone else chimes in with a recommendation for a competitor company. Therefore, it’s very important that you immediately respond and let them know you are here to help. Provide a few ways for them to contact you; your Facebook page is the obvious because you know very well that they will be looking at your Page. Provide them with a phone number and let them know you are available to talk NOW, no obligation. You should also send them a link to your number one online asset, your website, which is the second place they will look you up. Your goal should be to get them on the phone, so you can begin to build rapport with them and convert them into a new customer as quickly as possible. Facebook Recommendations are great, as long as you don’t take them for granted and actually make them work for you. Currently on Facebook you aren’t publicly measured by the number of Recommendations you have, but you are measured by the Likes and Reviews that you received. However, a new recommendation from a friend in your network is certainly the best chance you have to gain a new customer so make it count! Enjoy this article? Please comment below and share with your friends. Read the full article

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Press and Awards

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass recently held their annual Red Tie Gala in Lexington, and BT Web Group was honored to participate and donate to this great cause which generated over $300,000 at this event.  Here's a peek at the thank you letter we received from the Executive Director - Nate Graham. Read the full article

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Time Management

Time Management How is your Time Management these days? If it needs improvement, then read this article and share your thoughts because in case you didn’t know, TIME IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET – and you must safeguard it and invest it wisely. • Statistics: A study of Fortune 500 CEO’s said that top CEO’s might average 45 productive minutes a day – the rest is dealing with time wasting activities. o Every second of your time should be measured as an investment or an expense! o Most people spend 90% of their time on what they’re NOT best at and only 10% of their time on their best ability. SUCCESSFUL people delegate that 90% and are thus able to spend all their time on their “unique” ability. o There is a difference between a workday hour and a productive hour (which of your hours are productive)? • Top 5 Time Management ENEMIES: o Phone o Email (Beware that instant communication is very poisonous to your productive time) o Internet/Social Media o Individual interruptions • How to beat the Time Management Enemies: o Decide that your time will not be wasted. o Have the Self-Discipline use every minute of your time wisely. o Create better systems to help you control your time. o Train others to respect your time. • Your Mindset: o Have the courage to change your mind set about the need to be instantly and constantly accessible to everyone. Rather, have a personal VIP list of only certain people whom you will allow to interject into your time during the day. All other calls and emails can get blocked, controlled, clustered, etc. if necessary. o Avoid “TIME VAMPIRES” (you know who they are) they will selfishly suck up all your time and energy and cause you to lose focus on that which matters most to you. o Deal only with those people who want to deal with you and disregard the rest. You can’t be all things to all people. If you’re drained from time vampires at the end of the day, then IT’S YOUR FAULT. o Be impatient! If you’re patient it simply means that you are willing to accept mediocrity and live with the fact that most people have no sense of urgency. YOU are the one that must create that urgency, set deadlines, create chaos and make people move faster! The right people will rise to the top and make you a lot of money as a business owner. The others will move on because they can’t keep up. • You will become imprisoned by your business if… o Your presence is required at all times for your business to operate. o Your time is required for routine matters. o Your time is consumed playing parent to your employees. • Why time management is so important: o Minimize wasted energy. o Multiply creativity. o Maximize progress. o Enjoy your business. o Think bigger. o Think smarter. o Less stress. • Time saving tips: o You must learn to delegate to others consistently. Do what you do best and DELEGATE the rest. As a business owner or manager, your focus must always be on tasks that are directly related to generating revenue. o Plan work ahead to avoid a time management crisis and constant chaos. o Work in blocks so you’re not constantly interrupted. Clump similar tasks together and do them all at once, such as: returning phone calls, making phone calls, writing letters, training staff, checking emails, etc. o Deal with information only once! In our office we DDT everything. When something comes up that requires attention in the office, for a client, etc. either we DO IT, DELEGATE IT, or TRASH IT. o Tackle and fix problems at one time and as quickly as possible, then move on. o Minimize unproductive meetings. o Train people to handle problems before they get to you and when it does come to you, they should always have a proposed solution. Say to your employees, “If this was your business and I weren’t here what would you do?” o Set aside a place where you can work uninterrupted, both at work and at home. Train people to write down their topics of discussion/questions, etc. and then cover them all at one time when you are ready. o Limit time with people who drain you. Learn to say no, it’ll be ok. o Work daily to systemize your business so it can run without you. (If you’re a business owner, read that line again). o Guard who has your cell phone number and do not take unscheduled calls personally. “if they can’t find you then they can’t interrupt you.” o Delegate to others clearly and effectively:  Clearly define what’s to be done and what your expectations are.  Be certain the person being delegated to understands exactly what is to be done.  Explain why it’s to be done the way you are describing.  Teach how it’s to be done without micro managing.  Be sure they understand the how-to process.  Require progress updates and set a deadline for completion.  Have a mutual agreement/meeting of the minds. o Have a Daily Plan, get in the habit of listing out what you want to get done each day.  Write down your important tasks that need to be completed during each day. Check off items as you complete them and add new ones that need attention. What doesn’t get done today, should be added to your daily plan for tomorrow.  Getting in the habit of writing down your tasks, ideas, events, contacts, conversations, promises made, etc. allows you to forget and still get it done. And, it helps you hold other people accountable to the promises they made to you. o Be punctual. You can’t expect to have others treat your time with respect if you show little or no respect for their time. o Always ask yourself: “is what I’m doing this very minute bringing me measurably closer to my goals?” o Be productive with “pointless time.” For example, while you’re driving in your, listen to audio books, podcasts, educational programs that will make you smarter. o Literally, set a timer with tasks, and put yourself “under the clock” and learn to work faster. It makes you more focused and productive and creates better habits for efficient thinking. • Time Management Quotes. o “A person who can’t tell you where his money goes is destined to be poor & a person who can tell you where his time goes is destined to be unproductive and also poor. – Dan Kennedy o “If you don’t have a system for managing your time then you are destined to frequently have your time wasted. - Brian T. Evans Jr. o “If you don’t know where you are going then you might end up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra o “If you’re early, you’re one time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, you’re forgotten.” – Unknown. Enjoy this article? Please comment below and share with your friends. Read the full article

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3 Big Dangers of Social Media Marketing

3 BIG DANGERS of Social Media Marketing Social Media is a great online outlet to let the world know what your business is up to, what your new products and services are, how to contact you, and how to stay top of mind. The number one reason you use social media marketing is to get new customers and grow your business, right? Of course it is. So, what’s dangerous about that? The answer is nothing life threatening, and if you’re posting regularly on social media, good for you because you should be. And if that’s all your doing then keep doing it, because it’s better than doing nothing at all! The #1 Big Danger of social media for businesses is that 95% of you are doing it wrong, and it’s not your fault. Most marketing companies and marketing agencies in Lexington, KY and around the country don’t’ teach businesses to use Social Media the right way, because they simply don’t know themselves. The #2 Big Danger of social media is the ease of which it is to use. This too is not your fault. Social Media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. make it so easy for you to share with them first before doing anything else. With a simple push of a button from your phone your business message is out and your waiting for your first “like” notification. Again, you’re probably thinking, what the problem with that? The #3 Big Danger of social media is that you don’t own your business page or your friends connected to that page. Your business page is an asset, but it’s not your asset. It’s Facebook’s, etc. At any moment your business page could be terminated. One little mistake, or violation and poof, all of the likes, reviews, and content you’ve created over the past few years are gone forever. Yes, this happens more than you know, here’s a real-life example of an email we received from a local company who had this exact problem: Disclosure: Any identifying information was removed to protect the privacy of the company who sent this email. Email Subject: SOS, We Need Your Help! Email Body: EMERGENCY WE NEED YOUR HELP! Dear Fellow Clients, Our Company is in a state of emergency in terms of advertising and we need your help! A bulk of our advertising has been on FACEBOOK by the means of posting on our page, running paid ads, having followers, likes, and shares. Facebook took down our business page and personal page. This means we cannot login and advertise on Facebook and reach the people we were reaching. We are asking all of you, to please share this email with friends and clients you might know are looking to buy and please share on Facebook! In the meantime, we are talking with Facebook to remedy the problem. Thank you all! Company Name That’s a pretty scary example isn’t it? Imagine if that happened to your business. What would you do? Would your business survive? So how do you avoid these 3 Big Social Media Marketing Dangers, so your business can still utilize the awesome power and reach of social media the RIGHT WAY? First, recognize that in any business, the foolproof way to grow is probably not by using the cheapest and easiest marketing method, i.e. social media to “spread the word” of your business. Remember, your social media page is not your asset. The #1 online asset you do own however, is YOUR WEBSITE. Everything you plan to share on social media should go on your website first and then you can share that content through all your social media channels. Your posts should then create the interest and attention needed to invite your social media “friends” back to your website. This generates very important inbound traffic to your website. Your website should then capture leads, generate calls, and convert visitors into new customers. Of course, you want more “likes” on a picture or post that your business shares. More “likes” and “shares” feel great. We all want them, but as a business owner trying to grow, you probably already figured out that more likes don’t directly equal more revenue. In fact, I bet most of the likes that you get on your posts are from family and friends who love you and want to support you by giving you a “thumbs up.” That’s ok! When you’re ready to start building the online value of your website first and THEN using social media marketing to support that asset, give us a call, we can definitely help. Want to talk about this? Share your comments below. Read the full article

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How To Be Successful - 15 Principles

Do you want to know how to be successful? In business? In life?

If you want to know how to be successful, first you need to identify what defines success for your business. Is it more money? More assets? More employees? More customers? There is not a one size fits all scientific formula that all businesses can follow in order to be successful. However, we’ve identified the top 15 simple principles we believe you need to adhere to as you go about your journey to improving the success of your business.

15 Principles on how to be successful:

Work harder - This is the probably the most important thing businesses and employees can do to be successful. If you’re willing to put in the extra time and effort to work harder than any other business and do whatever it takes to succeed (but always remain honest and ethical) then your business will be successful. Stay organized - Lack of organization is damaging to a business. Always seek to identify areas to create new processes and more effective systems along the way to help your business be more organized. Stop making excuses - Businesses and people make mistakes, it’s ok. Be accountable and responsible for your actions, make it right, and move on. Stop making excuses and start making results. Avoid distractions - Distractions are everywhere, from emails, to social media, to news, etc. Remove yourself from those things that distract you from making your business more successful. Make decisions faster - Making the right decision for your business is important but if you have a pattern of overanalyzing every decision, this can lead to inaction and ultimately have a negative impact on the success of your business. Eliminate wasteful spending - Invest money toward those items you need to help you your business be more successful and achieve your goals. Things like better marketing, better employees, better internal tools. Expenses that do not directly help your business be more successful should be eliminated. Seek quality advice - There is an endless supply of business experts and consultants on marketing, web design, business growth, and success. Seek advice for business improvement, but make sure you also do your homework and accept it only from those WORTHY of giving it. Delegate tasks - As a Business Owner, Officer, or Manager, you must recognize that you need lots of help in order to be successful. You must do a better job of delegating tasks and setting higher expectations on the quality of work that you are delegating. Celebrate small successes - Even small victories deserve to be celebrated within a business. Praise those team members involved in that victory, enjoy the moment of success, but don’t lose focus. Do what you say - If you sell your product or service to a customer, or say you’re going to do deliver on something, your business better do it! Poor follow through, poor communication, and overpromising results is life threatening to the success of a business. Be reliable - You must always be a business that can be relied upon. If your business is unresponsive, has poor or delayed communication, or has weak customer support then this will catch on and you will lose customers, and lose revenue. Keep learning - If your business is having a problem somewhere, or if you don’t know something, seek the knowledge, and ask questions. Always keep learning, always keep growing. Take more risks - Taking risks in business is scary but necessary in order to be successful. Face your fears. Overdeliver - Create the habit of rendering more service to your customer than what is expected of your business. Only providing the bare minimum is not how to be successful, it’s how to be average. Do your best - Get up every day and strive to do a better job within your business today then you did yesterday and make a commitment to yourself that you’ll strive to do a better job tomorrow than you did today. Ultimately, if you want something bad enough and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it (as long as it’s legal, moral, and ethical) then you will succeed. For some business’s success will come quickly because they are able to act quickly. For other business it may take some time. The key is to make sure that each day you are progressing forward. Make this your underlying habit and you will finally discover how to be successful. Want to talk about how to make your business more successful? Share your thoughts. Read the full article

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What’s the difference between Digital Marketing, Online Marketing, and Internet Marketing?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between “digital marketing” “online marketing” and “internet marketing”? As a Marketing Agency located in Lexington, KY we get asked this question frequently, especially when working with new clients who are confused about these terms and are looking for help from us to generate new traffic and customers to their website or physical location. Our answer to that explains the differences of these terms this is actually very important… yet, please be aware that depending on who you ask, you very well may get a different answer than ours. Here’s our answer: Digital Marketing, Online Marketing, and Internet Marketing are ALL THE SAME and in our opinion, the only real difference that may be legitimately argued is the technology that is used to distribute this type of marketing to consumers. These words are used interchangeably by almost everyone, especially Marketing Agencies. Often times a Marketing Agency will try to make one sound more important than the other when in reality there is virtually no difference. Why would another marketing agency do this and try to confuse you? In our opinion, for the purpose of making you think they have an “edge” with online marketing and therefore it’s just a sales pitch to try and convince you to hire them instead of one of their marketing agency competitors. Ask us how we know this. According to BT Web Group, our definition of Digital Marketing, Online Marketing, and Internet Marketing is this - it’s a form of marketing or advertising whereby access to the internet by all parties is a requirement in order to distribute a message from businesses to consumers. This online marketing message is used to get the attention and interest of consumers who are likely to inquire about purchasing a product or service by visiting your website, social media page, or your physical location. So, as you can see they all have the same meaning and purpose even though the terms are used interchangeably. The only difference (which is viable but not differentiating) is the technology that is used to distribute a message from businesses to consumers through the connective channels of the internet. Bottom line is this: Digital marketing, Online Marketing, Internet Marketing (whatever you call it) is a very powerful strategy and arguably one of THE MOST POWERFUL marketing strategies businesses can use to get new customers these days, but it is something that is a learned skill, and requires daily commitment and involvement in due to the speed that online technology changes. Whew… sounds complex and overly sophisticated doesn’t it? Well, in one sense it is because there is a lot of weird html code, cookies, pixels, and algorithms used behind the scenes to gather information and make it all work but don’t let it confuse you or scare you because that’s where BT Web Group can help you if you need it. We’re here help you get more traffic, leads, and customers by using the power and reach of the internet with your online marketing. Contact us for a free online marketing consultation and discover the awesome possibilities that await! Read the full article

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How to Choose the Right Social Media Platform(s) for Your Business

When it comes to social media, everyone seems to have an opinion on where your business should be visible. The fact is, there's not just one right answer; there aren't any cookie cutter solutions when it comes to social exposure. In other words, it's not about choosing social media outlets good for business, it's about choosing the right social media platforms for YOUR business. The first thing to understand is that choosing the platform isn't about where you do or don't like to spend time. Social media marketing follows the same rules as more traditional marketing: Go where your customers are. It's not about you - it's always about them. To accurately identify where your customers are hanging out online, you'll need to understand a few things about your business:

1. Who is your target audience?

This may seem like a common sense question but until you have thoroughly identified who your target market is, you can't expect to find out where you can engage with them on social media. Diving into your target market means you need to understand a number of nuances like their demographics and buying behaviors as well as any other indicators that define why your product or service is meant for them. Once you can identify these factors, you can dive into where those folks are spending their time. According to a new Pew Research Center survey*, for example, Facebook and Youtube are the most popular hangouts online for most Americans. However, almost 80% of 18 - 24 year olds are more likely to be found on new platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. However, even though a platform like Facebook is used widely across a range of demographic groups, certain platforms do have different appeal in some specific subsets. Pinterest is considerably more popular with women LinkedIn is popular with college graduates or households with high incomes Platforms like WhatsApp are popular with Latinos in the United States, perhaps in part due to its popularity in Latin America. At minimum, you need to understand the gender, ethnicity, age, income, education, and living environment (urban, rural, etc.) of your target audience to begin your social media platform selection process.

2. What is your objective online?

When you go into your kitchen, you choose a pan and utensils based on what your end objective (what should the finished dish be?) is. The same holds true for social media. You need to understand what you hope to accomplish. Some common objectives may be: Increasing customer loyalty Allowing for feedback from clients Increase engagement Driving traffic to your website Showcasing products and services Conducting market research And of course, a combination of any of these Each platform will have things on this list that it will allow you to achieve well and yet there are others on this list that are not a good fit at all. Pinterest and Instagram are both very visual platforms. YouTube is great for tutorials since it's in the video format. Taking the time to figure out what your objectives are is critical to sourcing the best platform for your needs. Warning! Don't be fooled by phony numbers! One word of caution we always share with our clients is that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. Numbers of likes do not necessarily translate into more engagement. Be sure to watch for engagement trends (like, follow, share) that then lead to higher revenue. If 10,000 people like your page but no one is buying - something needs to change.

3. How will you achieve your objective?

The final step in this decision-making process is to assess your ability and resources to carry out your social media mission for each network. Plenty of people follow their friends and family on Facebook but that does not make them a social media marketing expert. Do you understand how to properly compose a post (and it is different for each platform!)? Do you know the best times and days to post content? Do you have content (the RIGHT content) for sharing? Do you have the time to commit to a consistent strategy? Do you have the tools and expertise to evaluate metrics? These are just a few things to consider as you narrow down the field of choices for social media platforms for your business. Once you've established the who, what, why, where and how of your social media strategy, you're on your way to establishing your business and its brand online in a powerful way.

Understandably, this can be a complex process yet it's one that you have to do the right way or you will find yourself disappointed. We understand how confusing the social media landscape can be and we're here to help. BT Web Group is here to bring our expertise in social media marketing and trends forward so that you can focus on doing what you do best! Our team is here to walk you through our process, making sure you understand each piece along the way. We'll help you identify the right platforms for your business and then create the customized strategy to help you achieve your business goals. To set up your complimentary social media marketing consultation, give us a call today or complete the form below! * Social Media Use in 2018, Pew Research Center, http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/ Read the full article

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Did you know that 97% of people search for products or services online? What is your online marketing strategy? The old fashioned marketing ways are out, AND the new online marketing strategies are in. If you're a business owner, watch this video to learn how important this is: https://goo.gl/fxkesu