The graph below shows an upturn in the number of searches Twitter gets from Google in Ireland.
As you can see Twitter is on the rise.
And so too are the number of people looking for businesses on Twitter.
I often use Twitter to help get in contact with businesses - if I have a problem with a product I will simply tweet the company and they typically respond within minutes.
But what about when you are looking for prospects or clients? How easy is it to find a restaurant in your area?
Well it’s not really that easy to do. If you were to use the advanced twitter search you could enter a keyword and a location and pull up a series of results based on that criteria, but what if you did this search:
This will return all tweets with the words Restaurant in them. I want to FIND businesses that are restaurants, not people tweeting looking for or talking about restaurants.
So how do we find businesses on Twitter based on their bio and location? It’s simple – we turn to Google (surprise surprise).
Google indexes Twitter accounts and includes the Twitter profile data. This data includes a bit called the Bio. See image below:
Notice in Bio you can see the word Restaurant. Also notice in Location you can see Dublin.
So I want to use Google to return to me Twitter accounts with Restaurant and Dublin in the profile. Simple
The concept is simple but the search syntax is not so. In a bid to make this easy I’ll paste the query I use into this blog post, but please note that if you do these searches rapidly Google will trigger a “Sorry… this looks like an automated query” page. No problem, just enter the captcha and you’re good to go.
The query:
(intitle:”restaurant * on twitter” OR intext:”bio * restaurant”) intext:”location * Dublin” site:twitter.com
Simply paste the above query into Google and it will return for you your desired results.
Or for those who don’t like my wit: Google.ie
So that’s how you can find businesses on Twitter by location.
I have an Excel spreadsheet I use which incorporates this search query in beautifully. The video below demonstrates how to use this spreadsheet.
If you’re interested in a copy of the spreadsheet its yours for €5
If you have a great heating and plumbing business going or simply starting with one, you definitely need ways to market it or improve your sales. By marketing your heating and plumbing business, you can reach the maximum potential of your business. There are a lot of benefits once your business becomes well-advertised and well-marketed.
Never lose hope if your business does not live up to your expectations. You must always look on the bright side of things. There are so many ideas which you can use in order to gain better profit. Read the rest of this entry »
For those of you that download my BlueBird report (optin here to receive it) you’ll probably be making inroads with your Twitter feeds and hopefully generating some great leads in the Twittosphere. So a big congrats to you for that.
Your next step is to download my Twitter appliation. Read the instructions and watch the video below to learn how to use the tool.
This Twitter tool is only available via my newsletter.
You can also download the tool and instructions for my Twitteire Application
Ok guys and gals make sure to optin with your name and email address above and you’ll get my Twitter report emailed to you within a couple of minutes, but you need to confirm your optin so make sure to check your emails for my confirmation email.
This is something I’ve long hypothesised about and believed it was possible to turn a local result where 2 box appears and make it into a three box over time.
I have been long planning this little project and have helped a client out in the process.
To start with I created a new Google Places listing for my client. then I researched what keywords and locations produce 2 box results. In all fairness though this was pretty easy for me to do using my MapPI tool (soon to be released – contact me for a preview).
So the day I created the listing I also created a short Camtasia video where I would record the progress of the listing as it would appear on Google for the chosen search term.
I would then check the Google results each day to see if the new listing appears and whether the two box turned into a three box.
Well, the results are in. I did in fact turn a 2 box listing into a 3 box listing and it took a little over 2 weeks to do.
The beauty is the listing is also appearing for a plethora of other search phrases (as predicted), thus helping boost website visits.
Below is the video – please note there is no sound with it.
Also, this was done on Google.ie Maximize the video to see the whole picture
I’ve been asked “but how do I find those people so as I can offer my product to?” and my answer is simple: “go search for them!”
There are various strategies people use to find what they need on Google’s search pages, and this strategy is one that will dig up hungry enthusiasts looking for what you have to offer.
I use this technique to look for forums and discussion boards where people are talking about Vedic Maths. On finding these discussion sites I register a free account with them to become a member of the site.
The last thing I do is start promoting my product on post number 1. People will ignore you, flame you and possibly get you banned for promoting yourself.
Rather than doing this (which the majority fall foul of doing) I sign up and post useful, helpful replies to people. Then after possibly ten or 15 posts I’ll add a signature to the bottom of each post that will offer people a link to a maths ebook that will help them with their maths studies. This provides me with greater credibility amongst the board members and doesn’t invoke a “spamming the discussion” response. This has worked wonders for me and my ebook and I suggest you too try this subtle but highly effective approach.
So – just how do you find these discussion sites?
Simple, we go back to Google again for this (read this fully before trying*).
In the Google search box I type in:
intitle:”forum” + “vedic math” + (”powered by vbulletin”) OR (”powered by phpbb”)
What I am asking Google to do here is return results that have the word “Forum” in the page title, along with “Vedic Math” and the words “powered by vbulletin” or “powered by phpbb” in them.
Why those two? Well I know that discussion forums typically have the “Powered By” text on each of the sites pages. Returning results with those words in them along with my main keyword search phrase strongly suggests that they are related to what I am looking for.
*I suggest that you only try these search queries once every few minutes as Google will flag up a message as they think the queries are automated.
Marketing Dry Cleaners Part Two
This second post makes up the two part post for marketing ideas dry cleaners can use.
Here’s part one: Dry Cleaners Marketing Ideas
This little marketing idea can really help build you some credibility in your area – and if you’ve got a website it won’t cost you anything (assuming you’ve incorporated a lead capture generator… contact me if not) then you can create a blog post or send out a monthly newsletter with the latest tips to help remove those stubborn stains from your garments.
But where this technique really has a kick is if you are able to promote your service whilst at the same time give away some free advice.
Let’s look at graduation parties. That’s right – each year thousands of young men and women have a graduation party where they wear ball gowns and tuxedos, and each year these often hired in clothes get in an awful state.
As a dry cleaners this is an ideal opportunity for you to offer some free advice.
Ring up your local hotels and find out when the next debs or grad is on in that hotel. When you find out this information you can now start to plan your free advice information line.
A couple of days before the main event you send out a flyer door to door to the homes in the neighbourhoods of the schools that are having their debs or grad.
The headline could say something like
“Grad students – Those stains do come out”
On the flyer you mention the most common forms of stains (beer wine etc) and then you go on to tell them what you do to remove the stains without damaging the fabric (soak it in water immediately when the stain is noticed – really impractical to do as they will need to wear it but hey, you’re offering free advice).
Then, at the end make them an offer they can’t refuse:
We’ll remove the stain for you and return it to your suit hire company, all for €30 (local returns only). Discression is assured.
This works on the basis of having an arrangement with the local suit hire company that you have the suit, it will be cleaned and returned the next day or whenever suits you both. Keeping it local helps to strengthen the relationship and trust.
If a deposit is given for the suit then you could give it back to the student and you then claim it back from the tailor. Of coure this is after ensuring the suit is in good order.
Make it easy and efficient for the customer and you’ve got them for life.
This post is not to be taken as advice. These are merely ideas.
Marketing Ideas for Dry Cleaners – Part One
Picking up a coat from my local dry cleaners I was anxious to know did that packet of Cadbury’s Buttons I had left in the pocket melt and destroy my lovely coat? Luckily the dry cleaners had removed it and had them there for me! But – that got me thinking – what weird and wonderful things have dry cleaners found in laundry left in for dry cleaning?
Needless to say this led me on to device a marketing idea that could be implemented into a dry cleaners marketing strategy.
“The 5 unbelievable things found inside nurses uniforms”
This is a catchy headline for a flyer and one that is easily attractive to the reader. Of course there had better be five interesting things but you get the idea with this angle. Add a photo or two for effect and bang – there’s a great story all in itself.
If there’s a large hospital nearby then this story popping through the letterbox might pique a few interests but out in the country where the nearest hospital is 20 miles away it mighn’t have such an impact.
If you do the dry cleaning for small hotels or B&Bs then you could always spin a line or two:
“The two dirtiest curtains we ever did see”
From this article you go on to explain how the dirt came about on the curtains and how you tackled those stubborn stains, and all done in time to be collected that very same day :=)
Putting this in action
Create an A5 brochure and organise the drop of some 2000 flyers to local houses. On that flyer have your main phrase clearly written and then bullet point the sections of that main header.
Remember to sign off with your USP, a call to action and of course your complete contact details and if possible a map to your location.
Each day thousands of euro is potentially being leaked by the way in which staff handle inbound calls to your business.
Leaking profits can be the difference between being 50k out of pocket, paying staff wages, electricity bills etc and all it really takes is a little time and thought to block up the leaks and ensure you’re getting maximum results as best as is possible.
Let’s try this scenario:
A customer rings in to ask if you have any rawl plugs in stock – the staff member, who perhaps is having a bad day says “sure – there’s plenty”.
Great – so your customer heads in to pick them up, only to discover there are none left and they’re on back order!
You’ve now got a disgruntled customer who you’ll probably lose business with for the time being.
This has personally happened to me when I was looking for a particular book which had just been released. I was assured immediately on the phone that there were dozens in stock. When I arrived half an hour later there were none.
So one tip you, as a business owner, can employ is to occasionally phone into your business – or better yet get someone else to do it for you.
Before calling it’s best to set the scene.
This is how it’s done:
Find a product on your shelf that is over €100 and there’s only one left, or make it so there’s one left.
Next work out who is going to be on the phones when you are ringing – if there is going to be one or two manning the phones then make sure when you call you get their name which will aid you with your follow-up later on.
Ok – so let’s walk through this:
You (or someone you are working with) phones into the business.
“Hi, I’m looking for a pump for a fishpond that can handle 7000 litres per hour. I was in last week and noticed you had some for €499. Are there any left in stock”
Sales rep: “Yes, we have several in stock.”
You “Well, I need two of them and will pick them up today – are they definitely there?”
Sales rep” Yep, I saw them there earlier I know that there are some left”
You “great I will pick them up in an hour. What’s your name?”
Etc.
So if the sales rep doesn’t go to investigate this to ensure there are two left, then this customer is going to be furious after coming all the way in to pick them up. Let’s be realistic, the chances of someone coming in to buy two pumps before you go in is very unlikely. Besides, you know there is only one left as you removed the rest of them out the back.
These types of scenarios go on each and every day. It takes very little time to walk over and check the shelves to ensure the customer can make the purchase. Plug up those leaks!
Now you know that perhaps some training is needed to ensure that your staff does check that products are available.
You could trial cordless phones for a month. This way when a customer phones in the sales rep can “walk and talk” the customer over to the shelf, confirm they are in stock, ask them would they like it put aside, and then have the opportunity to say something like “we also have some pond cleaner liquid here too. Will you need some of that also?”
Remember without customers you won’t be in business. There’s no point in having them come in the door if they can’t buy anything from you!
Last month I received an email from a concerened internet marketer in Aberdeen about the huge number of “unconfirmed” email opt-ins he had on his list and wanted to know what I do to help increase this number.
