Daily Archives: March 15, 2012

Bedford Corners Real Estate by Robert Paul | 3 Perks of Google+ for Doctors: Spend a Little Time, Make Big Online Marketing Gains

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For doctors trying to reach their patients online, using Google+ can provide surprising marketing benefits that help them be more “findable” on the web. Consider that 44 percent of all Internet users search online to find information about health professionals, and suddenly the importance for doctors of having a good online presence should be more clear.

In this article I’ll discuss three reasons why I think that, if you participate in Google+, the newest social network, you can improve the chances your name will come up when prospective patients search for something you’ve written about. If you’re not a doctor but you do know that many prospective clients use the web as a way to find you and your competitors, this article will also be relevant to you.

1. Rise in the Rankings

First, participating in Google+ gives doctors an advantage because content you share on Google+ has an “edge” against other stories. That’s right–Google (the search engine) likes stories that’ve gotten shared or +1’d on Google+ better.

For example, if a doctor writes a post about back pain and shares it via Google+, Google will favor this post in search results for topics related to back pain over comparable results not linked to a Google+ user. That’s important–because the higher up your content appears in search results, the more likely it is someone will visit your site.

2. Amplify Your Web Activity

Second, benefits of participating in Google+ grow as your network grows. Fellow blogger and search marketing expert Brian Whalley elaborates on what this means:

“[As you build up] a large following on Google+, content you’ve shared with your followers will also show up in those followers’ relevant Google.com searches, keeping your business top of mind and increasing its visibility among existing followers across multiple channels.”

3. Stand Out From the Crowd

Third, Google+ helps you stand out in search results because of the social data (such as your headshot, a link to your Google+ profile, and/or the number of people who have +1’d your article) included along with your content as another perk of participating. Social data will make people trust your content and make a searcher more likely to click it.

You might’ve read recent articles pooh-pooh’ing Google+ because there “isn’t a lot to do on it” or because people spend (waste?) less time on it than on its competitors.

But the truth is, these articles miss the point: which is that when you use Google+, you enhance your visibility every time someone searches on Google.com. Who cares if your patients don’t use Google+? They definitely use Google–and that’s where the results of your engagement on Google+ will show up.

Establishing yourself as a trusted medical expert is only going to become more important over time. The cost of care is rising and patients even today often don’t view distance as a deal breaker if it means better treatment at lower cost. Where will patients head to find the best care out there?

More than likely, to the Web.

Author:      Katie Matlack on the Web Katie Matlack on Facebook Katie Matlack on Twitter Katie Matlack on LinkedIn Katie Matlack on Google Plus Katie Matlack RSS Feed

Katie Matlack is a Medical Market Analyst at Software Advice. She joined Software Advice in 2011 and covers health information technology, particularly electronic medical records, for the company. Prior to working at Software Advice she was a freelance writer and contributed to several print and online publications while based in… View full profile

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5 Benefits of Using Twitter for Your Business | Chappaqua NY Homes by Robert Paul

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1. Increasing Customer Satisfaction with Better Customer ServiceYour existing or potential customers can follow your business updates from your Twitter account in real time.   This gives you a unique opportunity to adjust or tweak all your business activities instantly according to your customers’ reactions.   This ability alone can give you an enormous advantage over your competitors who are not aware of the power of Twitter.   Also, you can search Twitter for any conversations that are related to your business and respond to feedback.   This ability gives you an opportunity to control and manage customer service for better customer satisfaction.

2. Breaking the Distanced Corporate Image and Communicating More Effectively 

Regardless of how hard you try, if you can’t make your business values and goals clear to people, all your marketing efforts become worthless.   Twitter can help you in this matter by giving you many opportunities to tell people clearly about your business values and goals.   You can have day to day chats on Twitter and let people follow easily what you are up to.   You can answer their questions instantly and clear up any doubts they may have. As you become closer and more open to people, you break the distanced corporate image and start to communicate more effectively with people.

3. Generating Traffic for Your Local Store and Website

By using Twitter, you can catch your customers’ attention with special offers or the announcements of online or offline events like contests.   When you arrange special offers or events, you can direct people to your local store or website to get more info, sign up, leave comments etc.   For example, if you sell kitchen cabinets online, you may offer promotional discounts for your new cabinet line.   Also, you may ask your followers how they like the new model with a fun questionnaire that is linked to your website and may give an incentive to people who complete the questionnaire on your website.   If your offer is valuable, your tweets can spread in no time on Twitter and let you stand out from the crowd easily.

4. Following the Trends in Your Industry and Watching Your Competitors Closely 

Obviously, Twitter is a marketing platform where the main activity is sharing information.   When you do a search related to your business or industry, Twitter will give you dozens of links to websites or blogs.   In fact, this is one of the benefits of Twitter which enables you to learn about current trends in your industry.   You can research local and global trends on Twitter and reach up-to-date information very conveniently.   Also, you can search to find out about your competitors’ current activities and strategies and follow if their activities and strategies are successful or not.   You can use this opportunity to repeat their successful strategies and also watch for the chance to collaborate with them.

5. Strengthening Your Connection with Your Local Community 

As mentioned before, Twitter offers beneficial opportunities both globally and locally.   If you have a local business or a local branch, you can include this location to your tweets to make it known by your followers.   Also, you can share useful local information, offer solutions to local social issues and support local events or causes.   All these efforts will create awareness for your local business and strengthen your connection with the local community.

As a conclusion, Twitter phenomenon offers your business great benefits.   Businesses that successfully use Twitter as a marketing platform can improve customer service, communicate better with customers, increase traffic to offline store or website, follow trends and competitors closely and connect with their local community.

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Chappaqua Real Estate by Robert Paul | The Return of Word of Mouth

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What if we were to stop thinking about social media in terms of likes, followers, pins, re-blogs and ROI $ and instead thought of it as a storytelling tool or a customer service platform?

Thinking of social platforms as a meeting place for like-minded individuals (‘fans’) to discuss their common interests (‘the brand’) enables companies to not only enhance their commitment to each individual customer, but also to inadvertently facilitate the storytelling process. Giving people a place to share their stories not only generates rich brand-inspired conversations, but plays off one of the greatest marketing techniques of all time: word of mouth.

In the age of social media, consumers are the true brand owners; what they have to say about a brand will ultimately shape its reputation both on and offline. A positive review on Amazon or Yelp can be much more influential in determining a brand’s success than any PR or ad campaign. By leveraging their online communities, companies can use this grassroots marketing movement to their advantage.

One company that’s getting this right is Steam Whistle Brewery. I recently had the opportunity to speak with their community manager, Marina Arnaout, about the company’s consumer-centric approach to social media.

Much like their do-one-thing-really-well approach to beer making, using social channels to connect with consumers is a natural extension of the Steam Whistle brand. “For us, social media is about engaging in transparent, two-way conversations with Steam Whistle drinkers. It’s never been about finding a way to put a numerical value on a consumer,” said Marina. “At the core, social media is really about customer service. It’s real-time, it’s constantly on, and it’s definitely the future of our industry,” she added.

This fan-centric approach – focusing on fan engagement levels instead of ROI $ – has helped Steam Whistle cultivate a passionate community of brand ambassadors both on and offline. Want proof? Check out Trip Advisor, where fans of the brewery have ranked it as one of the top ten tourist attractions in Ontario.

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