“So you’ve got a nice website but no ranking and few visitors?”

Professor Tweet says…

Don’t feel alone. This is the exact position of thousands of small businesses. The web has happened suddenly and a lot of people have not had the time or resources to make their internet presence work as it could. Would you like to know what to do, how much it costs and who you can trust to make your website work for you?

Who is this guy?

My marketing experience spans three decades in Radio, TV, print, and now the web. From TV ads as a spokesperson to behind the camera and microphone, copywriting, jingle writing, concept creation, voice, directing and producing. Search Engine Optimization? It has been my good fortune to do Charlotte SEO , search engine optimization work that has helped rank multiple websites in Google’s top three organic search positions for competitive keywords.

What are all these internet terms like

• keyword,
• backlinks,
• and bot,

you keep hearing? What does it REALLY cost to get good Google rankings? What about Yahoo and Bing and other search engines? How long does it take to reap the rewards of being a top ranked website?

The questions seem almost endless.

The internet has truly opened a Pandora’s Box of new advertising questions. And none of this is going away. It’s only getting more involved. But, there is a way to navigate.

I usually sit down with a client or talk with them on the phone. We go over their needs, expectations, hopes and desires for marketing in general. When the subject turns to the web, we will look at where their business’ internet presence is today and where they would like it to be (and why).

A lot of business owners have not planned a budget for internet marketing. Truth is, it can be so effective, when implemented, that a budget creates itself from the winnings!

• what is the process?,
• will customers convert?

These questions do have answers and they can be positive.

Does it work?

When done with careful attention, internet marketing can work very well. The web is a major part of marketing and advertising today. It’s your choice to use it to your advantage  or stay confused. Keep this in mind – The largest marketing opportunity in the history of the world is right now, today in local internet marketing. Are you ready?

Contact me today to find out more about

Charlotte Search Engine Optimization

and put the web and marketing to work for you.

They are not just temporarily transitioning, they are actually gone.

So we need to create new positions as jobs. The best way known to do that is through entreprenurial start ups. (Big businesses don’t create new jobs.)

Of 400,000 new start up businesses in America, about five percent make it to a sustainable place.

Still not enough
We need to double the start ups just to have enough new job creation and that is not happening.

What does it take to turn all this around? Leadership of the entreprenurial kind. Some people are wired to be natural entreprenuers. Kathy Kolbe points out that those with a ‘quick start’ or high risk ability and a penchant for taking action are more natural entreprenuers. She also points out clearly and this is worth emphasis– that people who are not wired that way can do it as well. They just need to be aware of their natural tendencies and cover those less natural bases with creative means.* Kolbe herself has written books and does not naturaly like to write detailed work. I have heard her use the work ‘agony’, when describing writing. But she did it.

It takes people with two drives-

extremely optimistic AND determined to carry through with their ideas. That’s pretty much what is needed in our world right now.

When I say optimistic, I don’t mean temporary- static, sparky rah, rah. I mean vision with follow through.

Leadership, such as government, can support these spirited people but government does not need to BE the leader– A better role is support.

Right now is the opportunity in America. If we don’t do it, China, will. China is doing it anyway, but the window is now open for the US to rally.

There is a big difference between resources and resourcefulness.

The entreprenuereal spirit is resourceful. Some folks seem to naturally just use resources. That just gives out. These new businesses MUST become sustainable if we are to see a difference in jobs.That means we have to have people who are good at resourcefulness starting new businesses and making things happen. Just using and spending current resources does not accomplish that.

Observation- It seems to me that many of the 99 percent Occupy wall Street people are looking only at resources and see them dwindling. That’s likely how these people are wired.
Because of their way of visioning and possible non-ability to build a new sustainable enterprise, they need someone to blame. That is an old psychological pattern- When YOU ARE the problem, project it outwardly and blame someone else. Find a good culprit. If my only perspective was one of ’spending resources until they are gone’, I’d be worried , too, because I see them going fast. And I guess I would place blame as well.

But that cannot be the the answer. It gets us nowhere. We need to rebuild new jobs from scratch.

The formula-

New businesses driven by people who are both
optimistic and determined.

So there you have it. What Kyle Whitford Media and Marketing is all about. Helping others build business.

See Dave Logan’s TED talks for good ideas on how this plays out.

Charlotte Marketing SEO Search Engine Optimization

“We’ve been producing newsletters for various clients for a couple of years now. These monthly releases are read by thousands of readers.” Whitford said.

“We offer clients a variety of autoresponders and newsletter services such as  the well respected Aweber and Constant Contact.

Our writers are polished professionals and have expertise in research so they can write on multiple topics and in various styles..” Whitford added.

Newsletters are a popular way to reach out to existing buyers and bring in new prospects. The format is  quite versatile. A newsletter can feature articles, greetings, a letter from the owner, coupons, seasonal event schedules, and featured products and services.

Some newsletters are one page reminders while others are multi page ezines.

For information on a newsletter for your company, contact Kyle Whitford Media and Marketing.

The company also offers news and media releases for feature articles in newspapers, as well as expert search engine optimization, web design, radio commercials including award winning jingles and g television ads,plus print ads and custom logos.

Kyle Whitford Media and Marketing maintains associations with worldwide professional firms and specialists providing  top products and services.

Want a creative twist on search engine optimization, marketing, writing, concept generating? Listen and read this-

About 17 years ago I learned about an inventor, entrepreneur, all-around good guy named Doug Hall.

Doug is involved in marketing and has his own radio show, more on that coming up.

He is responsible for all kinds of marketing ideas for people from many walks of business life. If you’re familiar with Celestial Seasonings Tea (that you see in the grocery store with its own section) a lot of the packaging is the work of Doug Hall and his Eureka Ranch, where creative brainstorming sessions are conducted.

A typical session is described like this- The participants gather to toss around ideas in free form style. They will play games and involve toys to facilitate thinking outside the box. Then, they switch gears and seriously compile the ideas for consideration. This method has resulted in hundreds of marketable concepts for clients of Eureka Ranch.

Brain Brew is Doug’s radio show. It started airing on PRI- Public Radio International, then has recently switched over to the internet radio site. The show is still an excellent source of ideas and friendly banter. I am featuring it here so you can sample it for the special flavor and inspiring moments that occur.

Enjoy and check out more of Doug’s work here.

The Brain Brew radio show over to the right will be a fixture here. You’ll get the same show by clicking the radio boxes either in this post on in the side bar. Thanks to Media Guide Pro for tips on marketing.

I know this old marketing trick is worn out and it still works. But this one came about in a real way.

Living back and forth in NYC and North Carolina gives me a chance to take advantage of events to stay in touch with
SEO, marketing and how it applies to Charlotte, the Carolinas, and the the world.

I made this video in NYC during the past Christmas Season. My intent was to post it for you, and all my loved ones and relatives.

Well here it is. ( finally) This quick Holiday Greeting to you is sincere even though it is now summer.

As cold as it was in NY last December, this scene is always welcome. People having fun, enjoying the

Holiday’s and celebrating life. I appreciated the moment then and enjoy the memory through this video. Hope you do as well.

And the winner is…

Of all the ways to present an idea, there is one that is most effective.

This method has been

• studied,
• analyzed,
• pondered,
• researched
• and tried

until it just flat out wins the prize for best, most effective way to communicate.

No kidding

Here it is, from human developmental specialist Bill Torbert. Bill is an associate of Suzanne Cook-Greuter, one of my favorite people on the planet.

Step one- Frame what you are about to say- Put it in context. This is important because most people have not a clue where you are coming from ( out of the blue usually ). When you frame it with context, they know.

Step two- Advocate. Tell what you want. If you want to change a local street name to Conan O’Brien Boulevard, then say so.

Step Three- Illustrate. Show what it will look like or describe it in a way that brings it to life.

Step Four- Ask for others input. Be open to new twists on your idea. Solicit feedback and opinions.

Using this formula will get you the best communication possible more often than not. It’s a way to stack the odds in favor of accuracy when you’re trying to get an idea across.

Bonus info

Here’s the interesting thing about these four steps. The middle two are self centered and the way manyfolks ( including me) usually jump in to a typical talk.

The outer two are other centered and create a balance for the overall communication.

To be blunt-

Jerks use the middle two pretty much all the time.

More diplomatic people use all four together in an artful style of talking that gets best long term results.

This style of talking and writing can be used

• on the phone,
• in sales letters,
• emails,
• and with family members.

It gives you the best chance of having the best communication is simple to do.

Here’s an example of how you could use it-

Let’s say you have a sudden need for food for an event.

You walk into a chicken place and have two choices.

1-     You can use steps two and three and blurt out ” I need 50 pieces of chicken put in boxes and ready to go in 20 minutes.”

2-      You can use all four steps.

(1)”Hey, how are you? We have a group of 30 people to feed, they are already gathered at the community building and getting hungry.

(2)I would like 50 pieces of chicken to go.

(3)If you could pack the chicken in boxes and recommend some extras like side dishes that would help too.

(4) I’d also welcome any suggestions you have from the menu as I’m sure you’ve got experience in this sort of thing.

As simple as this method is, it can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your message.

Next…

Some people don’t want to use it. It doesn’t fit their style.  The funny thing is, they end up using the middle two steps and get a short circuited, limping result and wonder why.

Using this full method takes patience and extra effort. It feels a bit long winded sometimes, but it works.

–Marketing strategist viewpoint.

Charlotte Marketer Plays Key Role in Academy of Country Music Radio Personality Nomination.

URL- http://www.KyleWhitford.com

Charlotte, NC

02-08-10

Marketing strategist, Kyle Whitford is pleased to announce his association with The Academy of Country Music’s  Major Market radio personality of the year nominee, Catherine Lane.

WSOC 103.7 radio’s midday personality received her nomination Friday, February 5^th , 2010 . The submission was conceived, produced and directed by Kyle Whitford with Catherine Lane.

This marks the fourth major national radio personality nomination Whitford has  produced in recent years.

• His submission for the Jeff Roper Morning Show won The Nashville based Country Music Association’s personality of the year, large market, in 2003.
• A CMA nomination for Catherine Lane of WSOC 103.7 for Major Market personality of the year in 2008,
• Catherine Lane’s segment included in the ACM Major Market Radio Station of the year winner in 2009,
• and now the latest nomination for ACM Major Market Personality of the year.

“I am excited to be a part of this prestigious media honor.” said Whitford “

Catherine Lane is one of six national radio personalities to be nominated in the Major Market category. Charlotte is market number 25 of the top 25 US radio markets comprised of such cities as Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Dallas.

_________________________________________________________________

Kyle Whitford Marketing offers creative concepts for advertising, radio and TV production,

Search Engine Optimization , Search Engine Marketing and consulting.

Charlotte seo

Working in Charlotte media for over 25 years, I have been involved in hundreds of advertising campaigns. The  marketing of any product or

service requires a media mix including SEO and any other media that gets the message delivered to the prospect. But there is more. Read on and

see why  if you don’t cover all the bases you are making a mistake. Why?

First consider the purpose of advertising. Is it to get a message out? No.

The purpose of advertising  is to motivate qualified people to take focused action and trade their value with you.

The shallow thinking of just getting a message out accomplishes little. Graffiti does that. The words ‘Bob loves Mary’ spray painted on an

overpass gets the message out. Thousands of people see it and register the idea, ‘ Bob Loves Mary.

Big deal. From an advertising standpoint, it goes nowhere.

Marketing is not easy. It is NOT a matter of putting up a Craig’s list ad or even buying a radio , TV campaign.

First there needs to be some purpose driven thinking behind why you are even marketing the product or service.

I have seen the same wrongheaded scenario literally thousands of times but it is hard to blame anyone who does makes this mistake.

Here’s why.

• People are in contact with advertisements all day for many years.
• They start to assume they know what advertising is about.
• They assume that since they saw a funny TV commercial and laughed out loud,  it must have been a good commercial, right?

Wrong.

Totally wrong thinking. A good or effective commercial  message is one that actually motivates a prospect to

complete the buying  process.

Doesn’t matter if the commercial is funny or well produced or uses the latest fad or spokesmodel. What matters is  the end result and potential

follow through. ( This is also true of web design but that’s another post for another time.)

When your goal is to market a product or service successfully, it helps to stand back and look at the big picture. Ask-

• Who and where is your potential audience?
• Are they already in the market ?
• Are they saturated ?
• How can they be reached most effectivly and efficiently?
• To what message would they be receptive ?
• What’s their language, ( literally and metaphorically),
• do they perceive that they can afford it?

Good SEO is just one spoke in the marketing wheel.  ( I like that cliche so it stays.)

The reason SEO was even born is because the audience was already using the web to search for

products and services. Helping potential customers or ‘followers’ find what they are looking for is one of the uses of SEO.

So we are back to square one.

The purpose of advertising  is to motivate qualified people to take focused action and trade their value with you.

That’s why using whatever means are available is the key. Of course over time traditional channels have developed to carry advertising messages

to consumers but there are plenty of alternative ways as well.

• T-shirts,
• coffee cups
• and other carriers.

So back up and take an overview of your marketing plan.

Mass media tends to cover more ground less effectively than SEO , but within mass media there are opportunities to get highly focused in similar

ways to SEO.  (Example- a specific sports cast on a sports radio station.)

To maximize your effectivness all these options need to be explored.

So which Charlotte SEO has made this mistake more than once? That’s right. Of course, I have.

It is easy to get so close to your work that you miss the big picture.

Even with the sweeping changes the web has wrought, the various forms of media will be here for a long time.

( always wanted to use the word- ‘wrought’.)

The way of the world is- transcend and include. That guarantees radio, tv, and print will be viable forms of communication for many moons to come.

At least that’s what the smoke signals said this morning

But there is plenty of evidence that people like traditional ways of doing things.

There is a place for cliche. I find it year after year, decade after decade. People actually want to feel the security of familiar words and phrases.

I have seen and even personally written guideline booklets  on writing copy that listed rules like this: ‘Never use old cliche phrases. Always find a new way to word an old thought’.

But that simply does not hold up in real world writing. I have seen the pattern so many times that I now think it is misguided for a teacher to instruct students to always find a new twist.

Yesterday, I heard a radio DJ announce an ad that started,

“Mothers Day is just around the corner.”

Yes. Every holiday and celebration is ‘just around the corner’.

What an old, tired, stale phrase.  But people want to hear it.

For many, there is a certain security in the familiar. I have come to understand that audiences are in a highly focused mindset.

For my own clarity I think of it as a trance.

People want their values reflected back to them.

They demand it. They will fight for that sense of security.

If their values are predictable, and they all are, then using those values, objectively, gets results.

Values keep people in a happy, secure trance.

Think about it. Most of us feel comfortable with our first language. There is a security and sense of home base in it. The reflex to return to it is a natural gravitation. It feels right.

Same thing with cliche. Sure, it’s old and worn out but that’s what makes it so dependable. It has value and value gives us meaning.

Meaning gives us identity. To take away cliche is to threaten personal identity.

Examples:

• It’s back to school time
• you’ll be glad you did
• drive a little save a lot
• open nightly till nine
• while supplies last
• void where prohibited
• Christmas is just around the corner
• pass the savings on to you
• for the whole family
• that new car smell
• kids 12 and under in free
• dear old dad
• for more information.

Everything is old at some point. Like the old familiar songs. Still people want to learn blues guitar and sing the old way. It’s a release.

When a phrase has been observed long enough, it is no longer a subject. It becomes object.  Like practicing slowly

until you get fast on speed guitar. (OK, enough guitar analogies–hey, at least they are not sports analogies.)

That makes it obvious except to those who still see it as subjective, personally identified with it.

It is amazing, the invisible glue that holds cultures, families, couples, businesses, individuals together.

Values.

Some of the copy samples on this site contain cliches.

Yes, a writer should be able to find new words for an old idea.

But, be aware that it’s not always best.