It seems like every day of the week I receive a ton of emails from so-called internet marketing experts trying to either sell me their products, or someone else’s products that they have become an affiliate with or they have found THE secret to becoming wealthy using the internet.
So, how do you weed through all this to find someone who can truely help you grow your business using interactive media?
Whether you own a brick and mortar business or an online business you CAN find someone who understands interactive media if you follow a few simple guidelines. I have many clients that I work with who are bombarded just as I am, so I wanted to make sure that I shared some good advice.
1. Just because someone claims to be an expert, a guru, or a specialist does not always mean that they fully have your best interest in mind. These guru’s most often are wanting to sell a product or service that benefits them too so make sure that you do your homework and don’t agree to sign up for something on the spur of the moment.
If this person is truely interested in helping you grow your business then he will not pressure you into something that is only available for 7 more minutes or for 3 more people.
Look for someone who first understands marketing and advertising and understands business.
2. Obtain information yourself. If you are looking for someone to help you with your Web site or with Search Engine Marketing, do some research yourself and undertand a little about this so you can ask the right questions.
I would bet that half of the emails I receive daily from these “SEO Experts” claim that they know THE secret to getting on the first page of all the search engines. If you see this, run! Run as fast as you can. The only secret is that you have to continuously run your online business as you would your off-line business. There are constant tweaks and changes based on competition, the market, the demand for your product or service, etc.
Just because you are online is not any different.
3. Check out this person or company’s portfolio. See what they have done for others…it’s as simple as that. Ask for references. If none are given then you can easily strike that ‘expert’ from your list.
4. Follow the consultant through social media and see what others are saying, what they are posting about, what groups they are involved in, awards or certifications, etc. If you are looking to put your business in this person’s hands you need to know them. You need to treat this just like you would if you were hiring a new employee.
You need to look for someone that not only understands what services you are asking for but also offers additional services to you that will assist in your business growth.
For instance, I was recently working with a client on an email marketing campaign and during the discussion he saw that it would be great to be able to determine which of his media is working best. One suggestion that I made was to put a different phone number in each of his ads so that he can track which ad is working best. I even recommended a company that I’ve used before that offers this telephone number service. Now I’m not trying to say that I know everything. I’m just trying to make an example.
This is the sort of consultant that you need to find. One that will help you with your overall marketing which leads to your overall business growth. Good marketing consultants have toolboxes full of great resources.
5. Find someone you like. If you are going to put your trust into someone and call on this person on a regular basis you ought to at least find someone that you like to deal with.
Selecting an SEM or SEO expert needs ample time and attention. After all, it is the future of your business that is at stake here. You would not want to entrust your hopes and your investments to someone you hardly knew so why should you not give enough time to see that you select the best candidate? Though no one can give you perfect service, at least through your active efforts, you’ll increase your chances of finding a good one!
