Networking – It may not be what you think

Paul Rushing — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:35:48 +0000

Read a real good post over at Yahoo Hot Jobs titled ” Top 10 Myths About Networking“. This is focused on using networking to get a job but the same things apply to any networking.

A few points in this article really resonated with me. Specifically as it applies to using the web. Quality is much more important than quantity.

Yes everyone wants more numbers but I know that there are certain posts I do that don’t get huge numbers of visitors but the visitors that do show up are highly targeted and very responsive.

Getting a hundred visitors a day that don’t have an interest in what you are discussing will not sell anymore products. You are lucky in a case like that to get 0.5% to take the action you are looking for or maybe one action for every 200 visitors.

Consider if you get 10 targeted visitors but 30% respond to what you are offering you would now have 3 times the results with 5% of the traffic.

The other item that really stands out is about how hard networking is. It isn’t if you will listen first. Good listeners are always welcomed and considered friends.

Now how do you do this online? A blog can be a good start. You can tell me exactly what you think of this article by leaving a comment. It allows me to not only get information out but to listen to you and respond to YOUR concerns.

Think if you have a question and I supply an answer through this interactive media you are not more likely to do business with me down the line?

Are you using any of the interactive web media for conversing with your prospects. Forums, Q and A blogs, Squidoo lenses, Hub Pages – all of these allow people to interact with you online.

How many of these are you using to reach your potential customer?

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Paul Rushing — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:25:40 +0000

We are a firm believer in what we call search engine saturation. This is good for a couple of reasons. Search engine saturation is when you target more than just the #1 spot but as many spots for your name as you can (at least the top 10).

First, you can protect your good name. It amazes me when I check out a dealer’s name or a brand and city and only find one listing that goes to the dealer. What happens when you piss a customer off that has a bit of web skills or knows how to complain?

You can see a whole article and an example of what this can cost a dealer in this age of the web over at Paul’s blog ISM In Training titled “What does negative information cost you?”. It can be a huge negative.

Second, you can be found on other platforms that have their own search function, are easy to use, and are beloved by the Big G like Hub Pages and Squidoo. These can easily get listed on your first page.

Third, take the time to use the bookmarking sites for all your properties. Not just your main dealer site but your Squidoo lenses, Hub Pages and even your micro sites.

Fourth, a blog network can be easy to add and are relatively easy to update regularly. Every car dealer I have ever entered has a brag board with all their testimonials on them. Do you have a blog with yours online to show what your customers think?

Fifth, a series of micro sites. Easy to find landing pages to create leads on all of your main terms. You can also use these for adding used inventory for terms that you want to compete with.

You sell Honda’s. You probably have Nissan’s and Toyota’s in your used car inventory. Why not target these too. Get your name in front of more potential customers no matter what they are looking for.

Doing some of these things on a regular basis will allow you to own the search engines for not just your dealer name but for as many of the top 10 results in your area as you can. This does not count all the other terms that will bring you potential customers.

Owning the search engines is not hard but it does not happen overnight. Spending some time regularly can pay huge dividends over time.

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Networking – It may not be what you think

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