5 Online Marketing Steps You MUST Take Before 2014!

Transcription

1 5 Online Marketing Steps You MUST Take Before 2014! You've been blogging. Your PPC account is clicking along. Your website isn't even that old. Are you in good shape for 2014? Many new things are brewing in the online world. Don t get le behind. Here s the Countdown to Vacation Rental Managers Association

2 #5 Social Media Is Here To Stay! Unlike your website, marketing and PPC marketing, social media is a 2-way marketing channel. Use it. Consider creating contests to gather new addresses for your marketing campaigns. Also, while other marketing channels are strictly outbound, social media can be inbound as well, and when potential guests interact with you on your Social Media sites, you need to respond. Last but not least, on the outbound side, the more that you post relevant information, and that information is shared, the higher the likelihood that one of your posts will show up on a search result page, leading visitors to your company.

3 #4 Get Local. Your Google Plus (Google+) local listing can dominate the right side of the Google search results page like the picture below. Have you claimed your listing for your company?

4 #3 Go Mobile. Morgan Stanley predicts that in 2014, mobile internet usage will overtake desktop internet usage. Over 43% of all s are opened on a mobile device. Gain a significant advantage over your competitors by accessing the mobile market easily and effectively with your website, marketing, pay-perclick, social media and other marketing channels. Review how your website looks in a mobile device. Check out your marketing s in mobile devices. Optimize your PPC campaigns as much as possible for mobile, especially when Google AdWords changes your account by July 22nd. (See next item). Make sure that your Google+ local listing has your website address so that people can click on it to go to your website from a mobile device.

5 #2 Make Sure Your AdWords Account is Optimized for Changes at Google. On July 22, Google is changing all AdWords campaigns to enhanced campaigns. Enhanced campaigns allow you to better customize your bids, ad extensions and ads displayed based on the user s location, search intent and search device. At a minimum, if you do NOT want an ad to show up in a mobile device, adjust your bid to minus 100% (-100%) before July 22 rolls around. Also consider creating mobile-specific ads. Maybe your guests research on their phone and then complete their reservation process through their desktop computer. If so, consider creating a mobile ad with the message: Catalina Vacation Rentals (855) Search More than 200 Condos & Homes Find Your Escape & Book Today! Catalina Vacation Rentals Condo Rentals Home Rentals Directions to the Island Remarketing is becoming very popular. Are you seeing your competitors ads on other websites after you visit their website? It doesn't cost a lot to set up some remarketing ads, and you can appear "everywhere" during "owner season," as property owners are shopping for a VRM company.

6 #1 Google Rewards Consistent, Rich Content *** If you do nothing else this year, do this. *** Since Google began rolling out the Panda algorithm update, it is more vital than ever before to have high quality content on your website. The more that your website's SEO elements are aligned with your PPC ads, your blog, your Google+ Local page, your Facebook page, and all other Social Media pages, the better your website will rank in Google. Develop a content publishing calendar and publish your message in the right channels at the right time. Also collect and use those reviews, and let Google and other search engines know that they are reviews by tagging them with schema tags on your website. Con nued on Next Page

7 #1 Google Rewards Consistent, Rich Content If you struggle coming up with content, think about doing these things: Short, concise blog posts about what is going on in your local area. Unique property descriptions that are different from the property descriptions in your Property Management Software. Event calendar with descriptions of the events, as well as other information that visitors need to know. An updated list of area activities. A concierge service section on your website. About that consistent brand message: How do you know which message is most effective? Listen to your existing customers about WHY they came to you. They will tell you why they chose you and not your competition. Let the world know that you offer the things that distinguish your company from the competition. Your brand is what people think of when they hear your company's name. Effective branding produces an emotional response in people who come into contact with your company. Your goal is to pay attention to the feelings that your advertising, reservationists, and customer service employees evoke in the people that they touch. Tailor your message and ads to evoke the same feelings that cause your guests to book with you.

8 Vacation Rental Managers Association Author: Susan Blizzard CEO, Blizzard Internet Marke ng h p:// Collabora on: Amy Tran Director of Marke ng, Catalina Island Vaca on Rentals ons.com h p:// ons.com/