We all need good sales leads. I write many posts about networking, but there’s always much more.

This is a really good post on MediaPost’s Performance Insider blog I like

Four Ways to Increase Qualified Leads

I like networking events. I find it’s a great way to promote myself and my business. I’ve been to quite a few and I’ve found I need to limit myself to just a couple a month in order to get any work done. So I needed to pick the best ones.

The thing about networking is that they are social. That means you need to give and take. People who attend these events with the goal of sticking their business cards in everyone’s hands will not get anything out of them. So what works best for me is not just the quality of the group of people, but more importantly how well the interaction occurs. If you are with the best group of people, but never find out anything about them or them about you is does no good.

For that reason I like the ones where there’s a meal. Lunches are good because they are less expensive, but sitting around a table at any meal with 5 or 6 other people is a great way to get to know them and not just hear their 30 second “elevator speech”.

It’s been my experience that you don’t want to do business with them (although that’s not bad) as much as you want them to refer you to their contacts. No one will do that unless they know you, like you and trust you.

I also try to pick one or two people a month and invite them to meet for coffee somewhere for a one on one chat.

Business Leads Exchange Networking – My Favorite Group

When I speak with a new customer or an interested person at a networking event the question that I continue to get asked over and over is “How can I get more traffic from the search engines?”

I’ve written before that today, the most important factor is inbound links from other sites. The more highly regarded the site is, the more value the link has. Links have been the backbone of the Internet since the beginning, but how they are treated by the search engines is always changing.

The best explanation of how links affect your search rankings that I’ve read lately is on the Search Engine Guide Site, called

Everything You Need to Know About Link Anatomy

My friend Sue has (had) a Char-Broil gas grill for a little over a year when it malfunctioned and could have easily burned down her house. When she called the company instead of trying to defuse and solve a bad situation the company apparently tried to blame her for what clearly seems to me to be a defective product.

How do I know this? Well, Sue has a blog and wrote about it. I had never heard of this problem before so I did a quick generic search (Char-Broil Gas Grill) and found lots of examples of this happening. The first one I found was on the second page of Google, but I believe it’s probably moving up fast and soon may be found right up there with the companies own site on the first page. Imagine that! A potential customer searches for your name and right below your site they see complaints about shoddy products and poor customer service. In my mind that’s no way to build any business.

I have written before about the problem of ignoring or blaming others for your problems and the proper way to handle problems. This situation is yet another lesson in how not to behave. You may say it’s not really the companies problem, but I say that even if it only looks like they’re at fault, in today’s era of social networking and commentary, in the end the company will always lose this fight and maybe big time.

Read We’re Hot Stuff!

My friend from way back in High School, Barb Gerson has a site that she started when she recently went into business for herself called “My Sales Tactics“.

We sometimes write back and forth about some crazy things like the Ohiopyle “Over The Falls Race“, but it’s usually business. She recently asked me to comment on her blog about what, if anything, that I was planning to do to get some free promotion for my business. I think that she wanted ideas on how to get free public relations for the fall season, but I wrote about how I’m increasing my networking activities and using that to promote my business.

I would love to be mentioned in my local newspaper or be interviewed by a radio or TV station, but I really haven’t spent much of my time working on that. I did have a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette call me about the post I wrote to get Pittsburgh to the top of Google for the Best City In The World, but they didn’t mention my name in the article. It is number 2, by the way, and has been for quite a while now which is quite a success, but I don’t know if it will ever make number 1.

While getting mentioned in the mass media would surely increase my site visitors I don’t know if it would help my business as much as having people that know me tell others about my skills. So I prefer to concentrate on networking.

I have noticed since the middle of July that my business seems to be picking up and hopefully the economy is really turning around, but most businesses are still a bit slow and if you have any great (or even not-so-great) ideas about how someone can promote their business I would appreciate you adding a comment and telling us all about it.

Whenever I’m at a networking or social event where someone asks about my business, there is always someone who wants to know what they can do for their site to be number one on the search results page for whatever it is that they are selling or promoting.

My first answer is usually the same one. “You need quality one-way links from high ranking sites that point to your information.”

I then wait for their surprise and follow up, “You mean there’s no secret formula that you can use on my site to (magically) do it?”

I try to explain, “Of course, you need to have the search engines be able to find and index your pages, but then it’s mostly about having good inbound links.”

Sometimes I get a blank stare, sometimes just disbelief, but usually I get The Magic Question. “Why would a high ranking site want to link to mine?”

I usually answer, “That’s exactly what every site owner needs to ask themself. I also believe the best way to get links is to first have content on your site that’s worth linking to.”

I also try to offer more help and send them to this blog where I have written many times about how to promote your site with the search engines. I also read a post recently by Mike Grehan on the ClickZ site that can help.

Read Why Linking Is so Important for Ranking

Iron City Beer has long been a symbol of the City of Pittsburgh. It’s no secret that they and many other local brewers have struggled mightily to save their brands in recent years.

Several years ago Rolling Rock Beer was purchased by Anheuser Busch. They moved them out of their mountain home (Latrobe PA) and spend a gazillion dollars to promote the brand nationally. Rolling Rock is now for sale so I guess the experiment failed.

Iron City recently moved out of the city and into Rolling Rock’s old brewery. It’s much more modern and Iron City is planning to make and sell much more beer to stay alive. One of the things that they are counting on to sell more beer is social media. If you have ever seen a Pittsburgh Steeler road game you’ve probably seen thousands of towel waving fans. Many of them have moved from The ‘Burgh over the years, but still possess their hometown loyalty. Iron City is counting on that loyalty and social media to spread the word instead of a huge advertising campaign.

So far all that I’ve seen is a “coming soon” website OneCityOneNation.com and a pretty good slogan -”One City. One Nation. One Beer.” This should be an interesting one to watch. Successful social media campaigns are very hard to manufacture, but Pittsburgh fans in far away lands are a different breed as well.

Read The Diaspora Report: Ex-Pittsburghers, Iron City beer wants you

It’s been my experience that the companies that are doing well these days with social media are the ones that let their people speak freely online and that alone can provide them with an organization for their people to brag about. Of course, if they aren’t willing to publicly address complaints it won’t work anyway.

So many companies these days are paralyzed by the fear of someone saying something bad about them on their own site that they won’t allow anything, but “official” communication. Rather than letting their people do the social marketing they try to manufacture viral campaigns.

I find that viral marketing is very hard to manufacture and even harder to maintain. Even if you do manufacture a good campaign unless there is also something that reminds the audience of your name it’s not worth much.

Here’s a good article on MediaPost that offers help with social video.

Read Cadbury: Viral Video Done Right

What is a web design specialist, or Internet Solutions Architect as I like to think of myself?

Well, here in Pittsburgh as is true I’m sure in your town, a web design specialist is more than just someone who will design your website and give it back to you. They are (or should be) a person or a company who will work with you before and after you start work and ask questions to find out who you and your company are and what your goals for a site are. Then follow up to make sure that things are working as expected.

It’s important that you think about this in advance, so that you can convey to your designer a good idea of what you expect. A web designer should not tell you what your site is all about. Of course, it’s good if they make suggestions about style and interaction with your visitors, but remember it’s your name, your site and your visitors.

They should also help you with interactive tools to help keep your visitors engaged. Things like blogs, calendars, forums and more. Your designer should also be able help you connect your site to social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. These tools can help promote your site and business.
NOTE: Unless you’re willing to add content to these sections on a regular basis you may be better off without them rather than let them sit there unchanged for long periods of time.

Finally, your website designer should be able to give you reasons why they want to do things differently than what you want them to do. If they have experiences to back up their opinions you should at least consider what they’re proposing, but in the end it should be you with the final decision and if it’s not you should consider someone else.

I was at a networking lunch yesterday with the Business Leads Exchange Group, it’s a wonderful group that I recommend that you check out if you are near The ‘Burgh.

I’ve been going every month for quite a while now and much of my time is spent catching up with members that I know and finding about what they are doing for their business and how it’s working (or not). I always like to offer my opinions and advice when I can.

One of my friends asked me a question that I have heard before, “which works better organic search listings or paid ones?” I quickly answered that I believe the organic listings are better received.

My friend asked me why and I replied that organic listings are usually free (or less expensive if you are buying SEO services), but even if you leave out the cost factor I believe they are more trusted. Maybe it’s because you can’t (easily) buy them.

When he asked me more questions about it, I found myself quoting from a post I read on the Search Insider blog the other day. Rather than me repeating it again I’ll let you read it for yourself.

A Tale Of Two Houses