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Hi! This year has been a year of change for PositionMEonline. We would like to bring you up to speed on a number of important positive steps we are taking to improve the way we work with our clients.

Change in Management

An announcement was made in relation to a change in senior management at Reeltime Media Limited (ASX:RMA), our parent company.

The appointment of our new CEO will provide the group with greater direction and leadership to ensure we are servicing clients to the best of our ability. James will be working closely with the team at PositionMEonline, the company he helped found in 2001, to ensure the challenges the company has faced in recent months are addressed. We have made substantial progress in a short period of time and will continue to do so by collecting feedback on our progress from our customers.

Customer Satisfaction Business Unit

In recent months it has been apparent that whilst some clients have been satisfied with our level of service, others have unfortunately been impacted by internal changes in the company.

We acknowledge that this has been the case and have established a Customer Satisfaction Business Unit. This team will review current & former client accounts, attend to outstanding matters and ensure we are providing a high standard of customer service across the board.

Introducing 'Feefo' –
Client Feedback Engine

We have implemented a market-leading 3rd party rating and reviews platform named 'Feefo'. This will enable clients who have engaged with PositionMEonline to leave their feedback online for other potential clients to see – the ultimate in transparency.

Using the results from the feedback we will be developing further initiatives to ensure your future interactions with PositionMEonline are always positive.

We encourage you to learn more about this platform for your business as it provides Google with the data for star ratings that display in their search results

Enhanced Service Delivery Processes

In May this year our parent company, Reeltime Media Limited, acquired a full service web agency named Design Experts. Design Experts had a highly successful and scalable delivery model which was an improvement on the way projects and campaigns were managed at PositionMEonline.

We have recently implemented the same delivery model in PositionMEonline, and are also sharing many of the great Design Experts resources to deliver PositionMEonline projects and campaigns. The team now has a full compliment of Graphic Designers, Web Developers (Business Catalyst & Wordpress), SEO specialists, Google AdWords campaign managers, and Social Media specialists servicing clients across Australia and New Zealand.

Online Ticketing System

In recent weeks we introduced an internal Online Ticketing System using the Award-Winning platform, Zendesk. This tool is being used by our recently improved Accounts team to improve client response rates.

Now Hiring

We are currently looking for more Account Managers, Online Marketing Consultants, Social Media Campaign Managers, Graphic Designers and Admin personnel to be a part of our exciting growth plans. If you know of anyone who would like an exciting career in digital marketing and is great with clients we would love to talk with them.

2014 marks the 14th year of business for PositionMEonline and we are grateful for those who have made this possible. We are confident that these positive steps will ensure many more years of success by being sensitive to your business requirements, and making your company a success online.

Yours digitally,
The PositionMEonline Team

I often ask this question at my live events:

“What is the purpose of your business?”

and get a variety of interesting answers. Varying from “helping my customers solve their problems with my ‘superior’ service”, “making the world a better place” to the ubiquitous, “to make money”.

I point out, that none of these possibly worthy goals is the purpose of your business. It might be the reason you went into business, but not its purpose.

The purpose of your business is to make a profit. If it’s not, you are running a charity, and quite likely, your boss is crazy! Nothing wrong with charities, which are non-profit, or even loss making organisations, but that is not the purpose of a business.

Note that making a profit is not the same as making money. Your profit is what’s left over after paying yourself a decent, market related wage.

How much profit should you be making? I argue, at least 10% of turnover after you have covered all the costs of running your business.

Why a 10% minimum? This is to ensure you cover sales volatility which can easily turn a 5% profit into a loss. Think of it as a margin for error. Some business are able to operate on a 5% margin, but they usually have exceptional cost control systems rarely seen in small businesses. This is typically seen in low margin, high volume businesses. Of course, your profit may be significantly higher than this amount, but 10% should be a minimum goal.

With your profit objective in place, it is now possible to focus on the strategies you will need to achieve this result.

While profit may not be the reason you are in business, it’s the result at being good at business. Think of your profit as a scorecard that demonstrates your reason to go into business was a good one. 

May Your Business Be – As You Plan It!

Personal branding is key to your success and LinkedIn is an excellent tool to help you achieve that. Let’s look at 8 ways to maximize your LinkedIn and your personal branding. 

1. Make the Most of your Profile When you communicate with others on the site, your profile will speak for you. Don’t just upload any photo, upload a good photo. Make sure you completely fill out your profile.

2. Build Your Contacts When you first join LinkedIn you need to build your contact base. Connect present and past colleagues along with your alumni from your university or college. 

3. Recommendations Recommendations are very important. In fact, it is one of the most powerful tools that LinkedIn has to offer. That’s because people recognize recommendations as sincere and trustworthy. 

4. Use Groups There are three ways you can use groups: lead generation, increase your LinkedIn profile development, and personal development by learning from others. 

5. Promoting Events Using LinkedIn to promote your events is a very wise move. You can easily target your audience and you can spread your information quickly all the while establishing your personal brand.

6. Use Your Status Updates The LinkedIn status updates are not used to their full potential. However, that’s been changing a little bit thanks to the integration of Twitter with your LinkedIn profile, a move that was much needed. Update your LinkedIn profile with relevant blog posts and news. When you use your status updates wisely they can play an integral role in your person branding.

7. Using Applications LinkedIn offers a very good learning center to help you get the most out of the various apps that are available including the best way to go about creating your personal bonding.

8. Networking for Lead Generation When you take full advantage of the tools LinkedIn offers you can build a powerful personal brand. It will not take as long as you might think, and it is worth every bit of time you put into it. 

A LinkedIn for Business course will help you nail your LinkedIn strategy and accelerate results.The Australian Digital Marketing Institute (ADMi) offers convenient fundamental three hour courses, with a 30 minute follow-up consultation included. Learn how to build a complete profile, optimise it for search results, and the secrets of using LinkedIn to get more customers. 

Are you tired of working backbreaking hours in your business without getting the rewards you deserve?

For most business owners, working harder is not the answer. They are already putting in the hours. In fact working less hours is a better approach, if those hours are spent doing the right things.

There is a process that business owners can follow to achieve their goals. Here are the 7 Steps to turn your business into a profit machine that runs without you:
  1. Understand the fundamentals of the profit structure of your business. Is it really profitable? Does every sale make you money?
  2. Determine what it will take to make your business profitable. How many sales, at what price for which products or services. If it is profitable, use your understanding of your profit structure to set goals to drive your growth in the most efficient and effective way.
  3. Develop a deep understanding of your points of difference. If you are not clear about your points of difference, how can you customers be clear? If they are not clear, they will only buy on Price. Without this understanding, your marketing efforts are likely to be largely wasted.
  4. Create a Marketing Plan driven by activity that will generate a continuous stream of enquiries so you always know where the next customer will come from. Your Marketing must be measurable so you can control it.
  5. You must have a Sales Pipeline that takes the enquirer to a sale systematically and efficiently. This step alone could double your turnover.
  6. Create Business Systems so that work can be given to others to perform. With the Marketing and Sales system in place, you will have the confidence to bring in new people to your business so you have time to work ON your business.
  7. Set-up a Business Management System that allows the reporting of all aspects of your business so you know that things are being done the way you want, by everyone in your business, all the time, even if you are not there.

These 7 steps will turn your business into a Saleable Asset because it is a Profit Machine that does not depend on you.

May Your Business Be – As You Plan It!

Avoiding Google's Wrath For Sites Not Optimised For Mobile

We've always known a mobile site is important, but Google has stood firm in their announcement that they will punish sites that are not optimised for mobile.

Punishment in Google terms means demoting a site in its search results ranking. If you are competing to appear on the first page for search results, this news is devastating if you do not have a site that is optimised for mobile usage.

How to avoid demotion

Option 1 Build a Mobile Version of Main Site

You can build an additional clean mobile version of your main website that is activated when a customer is using a tablet or mobile phone. 

This option is perfect for existing websites as they are cheap and quick to build. We suggest no more than 6 pages keeping in mind that mobile searchers are generally looking for contact details as opposed to making a purchasing decision based on the website. 
Find out more about this option...
Option 2 Choose a Response Web Design
If you're in the process of building your first website or rebuilding an existing site, you can avoid Google's wrath by choosing a 'responsive' web design. Responsive websites dynamically serve all devices on the same set of URLs and as such are considered a valid form of mobile opitmisation by Google. 

Ask your provider whether they are using a 'responsive' design and demand it if they are not. Or, if it is too far down the track to change, revert to option 1 and you will be covered!
Twitter marketing

Along with Facebook and Google+, Twitter forms the “Big 3” of social media networks. Thus, Twitter marketing becomes a powerful tool for businesses and websites of all shapes and sizes – from the multi-national online retailer to the niche blog. It is certainly a must have for leveraging an online presence, visitors, brand recognition, and/or sales.

Taking advantage of Twitter requires some knowledge of best practices. Of course, knowing what not to do will help you determine a sound Twitter marketing strategy.

The following mistakes will kill your efforts : (1)

  • You Don’t Have a Content Strategy
    Ignoring engaging content that can impact Twitter tops the list for Cournoyer. By placing great content on a blog and leveraging it with Twitter, companies can position themselves as a “thought leader in your field.” It’s a great way to drive visitors to your site.

  • You Tweet Too Often or Not Enough
    Find that right balance with tweets. While some mention twice a day as that “sweet spot,” Cournoyer likes the five to 10 tweets per day mark.

  • Your Tweets Are Too “Me-Focused”
    Talking about yourself too much will get you tuned out. Consider the 4-1-1 principle, which uses one tweet for your own content, another tweet that’s purely promotional, and four that share content from others around the Internet.

  • You Lack Staff Involvement
    Encourage your staff to, at the very least, share content and promote the brand with Twitter and other social networks. You can get your staff involved more with Twitter, putting a face to the business and improving the idea of positioning the company as thought leaders.

(1) Source: 

Google plus marketing

In the past, it has been adequate to place Facebook and Twitter in the same category. They could be deemed as the two essential social networks for any business. While YouTube and Pinterest could also make a case, they are niche social networks – and not necessary for every single type of business.

However, the landscape of social media – as always – is changing. No longer are Facebook and Twitter the only essential social networks. A Google plus marketing plan needs to be a focus for each and every business.

The numbers don’t lie. Google Plus is now the second largest social network, signifying a quick eclipse of Twitter for the new social network. (1) It is important to note that this isn't an either/or proposition – there’s plenty of room for all three. 

Google Plus has a few unique benefits that are worthy of any business’ attention:

  • Searches
    There is a bridge between social media and SEO.  As Google is the largest search engine, and Google Plus is a Google product – you can only imagine how relevant the social network is and will be to search results.

  • Group Hangouts
    Video chat capabilities can help internal communications, as well as product demos and other uses for reaching out to customers.

  • Google Plus Communities
    This new offering can help a business showcase its expertise.

Is your business taking advantage of the emerging social network? It is quickly becoming a powerhouse in this world, offering more of the same advantages of social media, as well as some unique benefits as well. 

(1)  

Mobile websites
Mobile websites are a must-have for businesses serious about getting the most from their online marketing. A mobile optimised site can welcome the mobile user to your business, which is critical due to the growing number of mobile Internet users.  Creating an optimal experience for these users is a high priority.

The following five tips will help improve usability on mobile-friendly websites:

  1. Keep it Simple and Easily Readable
    Minimal loading times, formatting, and other elements can help the visitor.  Simplify the design so that there is not too many graphics and other low priority components that can distract the reader.

  2. Reduce the Amount of Text Users Can Enter
    It’s easy to make mistakes on even the best mobile keyboards. Consider using drop-down menus and checklists as these help guide customers to the information they require.

  3. Understand Your Audience to Get Your Navigation Design Right
    Carefully consider where to place navigation links; there is no one-size-fits-all answer.  A “view full version” button is a good idea, as mobile users are often prepared to search for more detail if it is required for their purchasing decision.

  4. Make Text Links Easy to Use
    Increasing the area of clickable text – or using bigger fonts for clickable text – can make life easy for the user. It will reduce frustration and ensure a pleasurable experience when dealing with your brand.

  5. The Don’ts of Mobile Website Design
    Avoid the use of pop-ups, flash, animation and large pictures - these all inhibit the user's experience and can result in visitors going elsewhere.

Compare some of these tips with your existing website as viewed on a mobile.  With just a few simple changes, you can better accommodate visitors that are on a smartphone.  

Landing pages

Considerable time should be spent on landing pages to ensure that you’re getting maximum ROI. Otherwise, you could be wasting marketing resources. 

Past studies on cognition and emotion to marketing stimuli have given way to neuromarketing. While it sounds quite advanced, it isn’t that complex – and the results make a lot of sense. According to Mona Elesseily, the following three considerations can help capitalise on landing pages from neuromarketing practices:

  1. Provide Clear and Simple Choices
    Too many options can easily overwhelm a visitor. People remember items in chunks of three to four. Elesseily also recommends highlighting the “most popular” or “best value” product for the buyer, making the decision process much simpler. Aim for fewer items.

  2. Anchor to Higher Priced Items
    Expensive items that appear on top of a list get purchased more often. Landing pages can anchor that highest price first, and then show prices in decreasing order. This creates a better buying environment that can lead to higher sales.

  3. Customers Want to Belong
    Helping customers relate can “get them on your side” with advertising. Write specifically to your target audience.   

These strategies can benefit your landing pages and leverage what has been discovered in neuromarketing. 


If you are frustrated by the slow growth of fans to your Facebook Page, a promoted contest or competition can help. 

Facebook contests are a powerful way to obtain:

  • More 'Likes' on Facebook
  • A larger audience to see your posts
  • More engagement from your existing fans

Facebook has strict rules and regulations regarding any promotions run on your company Facebook Page and has been known to shut pages down that do not comply. To avoid this happening to you, here is a link to the full list of Facebook rules and regulations about running page promotions . 

If you find all of this overwhelming, PositionMEonline can manage a contest for you. We will:

  • Setup your contest using an approved Third Party Application
  • Provide all artwork required
  • Setup your Facebook Ad Campaign
  • Provide free campaign credits to promote your contest
  • Provide a success report
  • Provide optional multi-platform promotion (cross promotion of contest on Facebook and Twitter for broader coverage)
  • Provide additional campaign credits if required
  • Manage the administration of your prize for free including mailing prize to the winner (optional)
  • Provide post campaign strategies (optional)