Google & Swag, Oh My! Google’s “California Get Your Business Online Workshop" Comes to Santa Barbara

Google sent some of their top talent to Santa Barbara on Monday to offer free web hosting for a year and enlighten folks on growing their small business on the web.  Google shared tips on maximizing search engine efficiency, since nearly 98% of people looking for businesses look online first and 62% of businesses do not have a website.

Business owners, community leaders, and career-savvy individuals like Proven Strategies Marketing CEO Keith Yeager enjoyed a lively seminar at the cool and comfortable Canary Hotel in beautiful downtown Santa Barbara.  Upon arrival, we were each presented with cool Google mesh/silky bags in various colors containing free goodies (like Google pens).  My bag was yellow.  Once given our swag and personalized badges, we were ushered into the sacred temporary tech chamber, a makeshift Google workspace.  No slides between floors, but certainly a vibrant energy. Plus, we were treated to jars of jellybeans as well as pastries, juice, coffee, tea, and water with lemon.  Not the famed Google kitchen, but certainly a nice spread for the event.  Smooth jazz and light pop sounds filled the air.  After we snacked and sipped and networked, we then moved to individual workstations set up with clean notebook computers for each participant.

As we took our seats, the music changed to a more dramatic and dynamic sound track and the Blue Shirt Team of Google experts entered the room, accompanied by the television lights and camera courtesy of KCOY-TV’s ace reporter Christian Hartnett (check out my interview which aired that evening).  The blue shirt Google gurus had come from California cities Mountain View and Venice. 

The great thing about this was its interactivity.  The presenters from Google demonstrated their points with very professional and engaging visual aids on various SEO topics, and there were tech helpers stationed throughout the room to answer questions and lead participants through the examples and exercises.  The main topics included:

Get your business online

Grow your business online (1 hour)
Learn the basics of how other people find your business online, with methods like search engine optimization (SEO), web analytics and more

Run your business more efficiently with online tools, including applications for improving collaboration and communication.

Create a business listing on #Google (30 minutes)
Help customers find you on Google.com
Help customers find you via Google maps, Google Plus, and on mobile devices.

Build your free website (1.5 hours)
Google walked us through the steps required to create and publish a website for our business using Intuit Site builder
Each person was set up with a free website account, registered a domain name (“address” on the web), selected a website template and learned how to customize it; and learned how to publish (take online, or go “live”) the completed website

I have to say I learned a few steps to improve my own website with great tips that I received from Google’s Brita, Wayne, and Matt. I want to especially thank Scott Levitan for taking time to so thoroughly answer my questions afterwards.  We discussed the “pay per click” advantages.  And Scott’s pre-work provided the room the dynamic and upbeat atmosphere.

You can’t go wrong with Google, the masters of the search. Yes, you’re taught how to build a free website, and yes there are ways to upgrade services at a price.  Using their tools will only make your online presence stronger, and I would hope that translates into more profits for you. Give Google’s website builder a try.

Until next time – go well, be well, and stay well!

Keith Yeager – Proven Strategies Marketing

http://www.psm3.co/home.html

Photos from the event http://www.psm3.co/photos.html

Keith Yeager is the CEO Proven Strategies: Marketing, Business and Communications Services

I Attended "Becoming Savvy Facebook Marketer" Event

The Song Remains the Same

So – I took Facebook up on their offer to attend a session on growing a business and "becoming a savvy Facebook marketer."  I arrived on a beautiful, blue-sky morning to Fess Parker’s Doubletree Hotel, across the street from the beach here in Santa Barbara.  The line of attendees for this exclusive, invitation-only event was long, but moved along quickly – a palpable buzz in the air (both from the interested folks eager to grow their businesses and the bumblebees pollinating the blooms along the walk. 

With laptops, notebooks, and tablets in hand we found our seats in the ballroom and began networking – face to face at a social media event!  I was privileged to sit with folks from San Luis Obispo, Camarillo, and all points in between.  We represented the central coast. 

The Facebook team, clad in matching t-shirts and having provided fresh deli sandwiches, were enthusiastic and professional.  Our local U.S. Congressional representative, Lois Capps, personally welcomed the crowd (and more tax dollars for our district!), in a way that felt sincere.

The formal presentation kicked off at noon on the big screen – covering three main points:

◦                     Finding New Customers

◦                     Driving more in-store traffic

◦                     Building customer loyalty

As I sat there listening to the presentation, I realized that this was simply a new twist on an old, tried and true model.  Not so long ago, I sold television advertising time.  I flashed back to a presentation put on by my colleagues and I to roughly the same demographic – business owners, bank managers, shopkeepers – except that we were selling 30 second television spots rather than pay-per-clicks.

One woman at my table groused that there had been very little solid “advice” about growing a business or building customer loyalty.  It struck me that she didn’t understand what had just happened.  Facebook was selling Facebook to those of us in the room. 

I’m not saying it was a waste of time – it was a beautiful day in a beautiful place, we met new people, we got a “free” lunch, and we learned something about Facebook’s advertising strategies.  But ultimately, we deceive ourselves if we really believe that Facebook has provided these lovely sandwiches so we can have more fulfilling lives or more profitable businesses.  Facebook was selling itself to us. 

What’s the take-away here?  A few things are worth noting. 

•    Just because social media is the new big thing (and can be very powerful), it’s still one more channel to reach your future and existing customers and clients – media may change, but the song remains the same

•    Remember that Facebook wants to make money, as do you.

•    Facebook apparently didn’t trust the hotel catering, as the sandwiches were brought in from an outside deli!

All in all – it was nice to think about Facebook and advertising, to meet locals trying their best to make it in this economy, and to have a great sandwich at the beach.

Until next time – go well, be well, stay well!

Keith – Proven Strategies

PSM3.Co

Keywords:  Marketing Concepts, Brand Marketing, Target Marketing, Communications, Social Media, Facebook, Santa Barbara, Advertising