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This video is called, Negative SEO: Should Google do More? By Mike Pitt. If you want to subscribe to our YouTube channel, you can . Mike Pitt is the Founder of Marketing Fundamentals Ltd, which is a B2B Content Marketing Agency in London.

In this video, Mike Pitt answers the question, Negative SEO: Should Google do More? He also explains what is meant by the term Negative SEO.

This video will be of interest to business owners, B2B marketing managers, Content Marketing professionals, Social Media Managers and LinkedIn users who use a website to promote their B2B business.

Negative SEO

If your website performs well in a competitive niche and you generate good volumes of traffic from search engines, you may attract some unwelcome attention from your competitors. One response to your good search rankings and traffic may be for one of your competitors to launch a Negative SEO campaign against your website.

In this scenario, one of more of your competitors deliberates attempts to harm your business by attaching low quality and often inappropriate backlinks to your website. Their intention is to drive you down the search engine rankings and to ensure that fewer visitors view your website. Fewer visitors will mean fewer leads and customers. This attack on your website by attaching spammy backlinks is known as Negative SEO.

In this video, I go into more detail about Negative SEO and answer the question, Should Google do More?

Has one of your website been attacked by Negative SEO? Let me know in the comments  section below. Also, let me know whether you think Google does enough to combat Negative SEO.

It has taken us a while to find the right email partner but we believe that Constant Contact has the flexibility to meet our email needs and yours too.

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B2B Content Marketing Agency London

Marketing Fundamentals Ltd is a B2B Content Marketing Agency in London that creates Content and manages Social Media for Professional Services firms. We hope you find this information useful.

If you would like our help creating and executing a Content Marketing Plan for your business or organisation give us a call on +44 (0) 845 2264 247. You can also email us via mail@marketingfundamentals.com

On our YouTube channel you will find marketing advice, business advice & inspiration. Subscribe if you work in Marketing for Professional Services or are a business owner or solo-preneur trying to grow your business. New uploads on Wednesdays.

Best regards,

Mike Pitt

Founder, Marketing Fundamentals Ltd

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This is video number 259 and blog post number 500.

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At the launch of any company attention must be paid to the creation of a Value Proposition for the business. A Value Proposition is a statement that explains why the customer should buy your products or services rather than the competition. When launching a new company there is usually a lot of clarity around what that value proposition is. Fast forward a few years now, the marketplace including your competitors have visited your website and read your case studies. Any useful information that they can glean about your ‘how’ has now been absorbed  and copied. They have now incorporated the most attractive elements of your value proposition into theirs. This begs the question…

How Different Are You From Your Competitors?

Depending upon your viewpoint, this is one of the most interesting or frightening aspects of business. You cannot rest on your laurels, what served as an effective Value Proposition last year has now become a standard industry offering.  There may well be some credence in the belief that you are still better at X,Y and Z than your competitors but this is a difference that is virtually imperceptible to new leads and prospects coming into the marketplace.

What Should You Do?

Gather together key team members. Take some some time away from your day to day routine and preferably at an offsite location, honestly assess your competitors offerings and compare them with your own. This is likely to be something you are already doing on a regular basis. We do this as part of a monthly competitor review. Use the data you have collected and information that you have relating to your own clients and projects to create an updated Value Proposition. The precise details of this new value proposition can be communicated to new leads and prospects. Your direct competitors need be none the wiser.

B2B Content Marketing Agency London

Marketing Fundamentals Ltd is a B2B Content Marketing Agency in London that creates Content and manages Social Media for Professional Services firms. We hope you find this information useful.

If you would like our help creating and executing a Content Marketing Plan for your business or organisation give us a call on +44 (0) 845 2264 247. You can also email us via mail@marketingfundamentals.com

On our YouTube channel you will find marketing advice, business advice & inspiration. Subscribe if you work in Marketing for Professional Services or are a business owner or solo-preneur trying to grow your business. New uploads on Wednesdays.

Best regards,

Mike Pitt

Founder, Marketing Fundamentals Ltd

Subscribe to

Follow us on LinkedIn

Online courses:

How to TurboCharge Your Business with a Blog
Meet Edgar Social Media Management
TurboCharge Your Twitter Presence
Quora For Business

Follow Mike on Twitter

This is blog post post number 390.

The post How Different are you From Your Competitors? appeared first on Marketing Fundamentals.

1. Customer Acquisition

The hard thing about customer acquisition is that it’s such an individual problem. At the same time, it is integral to the growth of any business. The inability to acquire customers has no easy fix- but a good way to find out why no one is joining is to figure out why some might be leaving.

For now, research suggests that in order to get more customers or clients you need to stand out, have more personality, and create more video (in addition to having an exceptional product or service.)

2. Negative Public Perception

Not all markets are easy to enter. Some come with a lot of negative stigmas. Even so, it’s possible to succeed. When was the last time you paid attention to the payday advance industry? If it’s been a while, you might want to revisit it to observe what they’ve accomplished.

With major news outlets and even the government cautioning their potential customers, this industry has grown to $4 billion in revenue. With locations spanning from Denver to Los Angeles, they’ve marketed payday advances to the ultimate target audience. How did they do it? Their service is very particular- short term loans that are meant to be paid back within weeks. With responsible use, that’s a great tool, but when used irresponsibly, it becomes a burden.

Of course, that wasn’t the only method, pay attention to their ads and you’ll quickly spot a few other things, but coming across as responsible certainly hasn’t tarnished their reputation.

3. Lack of Product Diversity

What if you happen to be in a market with products identical to yours? Well, that means you have to get creative. You’ve probably already heard how Fiji brand bottled water did it- but have you thought about how “hormone free” eggs have managed to carve out a niche when all eggs (and chickens) are hormone free?

Highlighting a benefit that your customers might not realize can put you ahead just for the fact that your competition didn’t think of it. Try to think of your industry and products like a newcomer might. Are there any “standard” features that go under-represented?

4. Proving the ROI

Some marketing campaigns are notoriously tricky when it comes to nailing down effectiveness. This doesn’t get easier when you make multiple little changes or have several campaigns going at once. To quell this challenge, you need the right tools- there’s no way around that. These days there is a software solution for everything- even specific types of marketing campaigns. Finding the right one might take a little time, but it will be well invested.

5. Catering to the Customer

This was the Radioshack problem. Not even a successful, national brand can hop around from opportunity to opportunity. If they do, pretty soon they will be unsuccessful. It’s best to stick with what you are known for and cater to the customers that love you for it- rather than everyone whether your business is relevant to them or not.

Find your avatar, learn what they want and how your business can fit perfectly into their lives. Market to them and soon enough you will have a thriving community of perfect, loyal customers.

6. Everything is On Sale

It’s hard not to join the “race to the bottom.” Everyday whether you are online or off you will see dozens of things “on sale.” The term has lost much of its magic and isn’t saving the stores that use it most often.

As an alternative to steady sales, you can offer loyalty discounts and programs. These incentives won’t cheapen your brand in the eyes of your customers while still enticing them to make another purchase. Alternatively, you can always schedule a price increase or create a new plan if your current numbers are lackluster.

7. Staying Focused and Maximizing Your Budget

Though using the right tools has been mentioned several times in this post, that does not mean you should jump on every new thing you see. “Shiny object syndrome” is a time waster. Stick with what you know until it doesn’t work. If you must, try out a new product once or twice a year. Having limits will reduce temptation.

Similarly, sticking with what works will help keep your budget in check. Making the most of the tracking tools available will keep you from overspending on ineffective campaigns, too.

Conclusion

A career in marketing is challenging. It takes work but marketing is anything but boring. Marketers really need to market to the moon and back with clever strategies. Knowing how to navigate through the challenges without hitting an iceberg will help you keep afloat and stay on track to success.

B2B Content Marketing Agency London

Marketing Fundamentals Ltd is a B2B Content Marketing Agency in London that creates Content and manages Social Media for Professional Services firms.  We hope you found this information useful.

If you would like our help creating and executing a Content Marketing Plan for your business or organisation give us a call on +44 (0) 845 2264 247. You can also email us via mail@marketingfundamentals.com

On our YouTube channel you will find marketing advice, business advice & inspiration. Subscribe if you work in Marketing for Professional Services or are a business owner or solo-preneur trying to grow your business. New uploads on Wednesdays.

Best regards,

Marketing Fundamentals Team

Subscribe to

Follow us on LinkedIn

Online courses:

How to TurboCharge Your Business with a Blog
Meet Edgar Social Media Management
TurboCharge Your Twitter Presence
Quora For Business

Follow Mike on Twitter

This is blog post post number 388. This is a featured post.

The post Top Marketing Challenges and How to Overcome Them appeared first on Marketing Fundamentals.

Our own anecdotal evidence plus research that we have cited in our white paper entitled ‘Getting More Customers (and sales – 12 Ways to Stand out from Your competition’, suggests that failure to attract enough customers is the biggest cause of business failures full stop. Being good at what you do – your core business function – is not enough. You also need to be good at attracting new customers and retaining existing customers for your business to prosper. Below are five reasons why you can never stop marketing your growing business.

Growing businesses – Never Stop Marketing

1. Not a Quick fix
If you are intent on building your business you should appreciate that marketing should not be considered a quick fix to get some sales or boost cashflow. It must be thought of as a long term activity. Many people have compared marketing to a marathon rather than a sprint – a triathalon is perhaps more appropriate!

2. Cumulative Benefits

If you are fortunate enough to be the owner of a business that has grown significantly over the last few years, can you pinpoint exactly when you had the breakthrough? Can you trace it to a particular tweet, exhibition stand? Email newsletter? The answer for most is probably no and that’s because you were engaged in a continuous process of marketing – its benefits are cumulative.

3. Your Competitors

Do you think that your competitors will stop their marketing too? It’s unlikely. Have you ever wandered up and down a local high street and wondered why some restaurants are always pretty busy while their competitors are empty? Sometimes they are next to each other – both experiencing the same economic downturn – but reacting to it in different ways. Often the busier restaurant is marketing itself better. See for yourself and give us your opinion.

4. The World Changes

Simple but true – the world is constantly changing and business is evolving too. Here are some modern day words that would have meant nothing to business owners in 1985- Smoothies, website hosting companies, search engines optimization.

5. Do you Want Your Business to Grow?

If you do – marketing will be an integral part of the growth process. You’ll need your target audience(s) to be aware of the products / services you offer – not only in your locale but also nationally and perhaps internationally. Marketing is as fundamental to your future success as good financial management software and staffing.

B2B Content Marketing Agency London

Marketing Fundamentals Ltd is a B2B Content Marketing Agency in London that creates Content and manages Social Media for Professional Services firms.

If you would like our help creating and executing a Content Marketing Plan for your business or organisation give us a call on +44 (0) 845 2264 247. You can also email us via mail@marketingfundamentals.com

On our YouTube channel you will find marketing advice, business advice & inspiration. Subscribe if you work in Marketing for Professional Services or are a business owner or solo-preneur trying to grow your business. New uploads on Wednesdays.

We hope you find this information useful.

Best wishes,

Marketing Fundamentals Team

Subscribe to

Follow us on LinkedIn

Online courses:
How to TurboCharge Your Business with a Blog
Meet Edgar Social Media Management
TurboCharge Your Twitter Presence
Quora For Business

The post Business Owners – 5 Reasons why you can Never Stop Marketing appeared first on Marketing Fundamentals.