Health CEO » business web http://www.chrispalumbo.com Chris Palumbo, founder of elements fitness and lifestyle brand, discusses lifestyle, trends, and the fitness industry Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:57:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Is your business a local celebrity? http://www.chrispalumbo.com/2008/09/12/business-local-celebrity/ http://www.chrispalumbo.com/2008/09/12/business-local-celebrity/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:20:47 +0000 elements http://chrispalumbo.com/?p=222

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As the chairman of elements group, I have the privilege of collaborating in many diverse areas of our brand’s growth. Franchise training is one of my most favorite, and one of our most important jobs, as we continue to build a brand described as “the category leader in fitness clubs for women.”

The following is an excerpt from a training exercise I did, which could relate to any business trying to improve its visibility within a market…

Is your club famous yet? Lets talk today about how to really build
buzz locally, and drive more traffic to your elements club organically.

We have mentioned the importance of the web in consumer’s buying
patterns. Women use the web to research, explore, and 78% make buying
decisions prior to ever visiting your club (or business).

Web 2.0 is a term given to the new, interactive nature of the web,
focusing on Social Networking, blogging, and consumer reviews.

Not only is it important for your business to have a great, clear
website, but it is equally important to compliment a website with local
business presence, and consumer reviews.

The more (positive) consumer feedback you have on your business, the
more credible the business becomes, and the more confident a consumer
will be in making a decision to join on her first visit.

We spoke last week about how to build and maximize your Local Yahoo
Listing, and how to add consumer reviews.

This week, I would like to focus on one of the internet’s top
Consumer Review websites, www.kudzu.com. Kudzu, names after the
voraciously fast-spreading vines the grow in the south, is a great way to
describe the effects of consumer reviews.

Having your club listed on sites such as Kudzu will increase your
exposure locally. By following our guidance on how to properly setup the
listing, consumers who type keywords such as “Atlanta fitness, local
gym Atlanta, great fitness club, etc…” will be able to quickly locate
your club, and ad.

The more times your club is mentioned, the higher your listing will be,
and the greater the chances of being prominently displayed.

To begin, build you free listing on Kudzu. Next, choose one of their
Annual Optimization packages:

Tell your story and get more exposure for only $750/year:
· Higher placement in search
· Add photos and video — to showcase
your work
· Marketing description — to tell your
story
· Your information submitted to major
search engines

Stand out from the competition for just $2000/year:
· Highest placement in search
· Maximum exposure to your profile
· Quickview preview — to stand out in
results
· Enjoy phone support

In a smaller market, I believe an enhanced profile is fine. If you are
in a more competitive market, or larger urban area, elements recommends
you invest into a “preferred profile”

We can provide to you photos, videos, and other items which will create
a more complete listing.

After your listing is complete, you will want to print and distribute
the attached form to prospects and members, asking them to rate their
experience. You will want to diligently check your reviews, and
personally comment on any which may need to be better explained.

Our team will also be adding periodic reviews and comments to help
support the listing, and your optimization (placement) levels.

Both Kudzu and yahoo require a business to have a physical location
prior to being advertised. We recommend building the listings AS SOON AS
you have a signed lease. There are many ways to begin consumer reviews,
building prospect lists, and selling to consumers (BalanceD or Online
store) prior to opening.

There are many advantages to being part of a franchise. In my opinion, the ongoing and in-depth training, on each and every aspect of your business, is one of the most important. An important part of your due diligence, before purchasing into any franchise, would be to really understand the types of support and training that is provided both prior and after you open your doors…. this is the secret that separates the good franchise systems from the truly great ones.

]]> http://www.chrispalumbo.com/2008/09/12/business-local-celebrity/feed/ 0 Making your Business famous… http://www.chrispalumbo.com/2008/08/26/tips-rich-famous/ http://www.chrispalumbo.com/2008/08/26/tips-rich-famous/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:07:13 +0000 elements http://chrispalumbo.com/?p=199 Making your Business Famous

Is your business famous yet? It is important to understand how to really build buzz locally, and drive more traffic to your business organically.

We are all well aware of the importance of the web in consumer’s buying patterns. Consumers use the web to research, explore, and 78% make buying decisions prior to ever visiting your club (or business).

Web 2.0 is a term given to the new, interactive nature of the web, focusing on Social Networking, blogging, and consumer reviews.

Not only is it important for your business to have a great, clear website, but it is equally important to compliment a website with local business presence, and consumer reviews.

The more (positive) consumer feedback you have on your business, the more credible the business becomes, and the more confident a consumer will be in making a decision to join on her first visit.

A great way to quickly enhance the visibility of your business is to “partner” with top consumer review websites. I recommend to our franchisees to to focus on one of the internet’s top Consumer Review websites, www.kudzu.com. Kudzu, names after the voraciously fast-spreading vines the grow in the south, is a great way to describe the effects of consumer reviews.

Having your business listed on sites such as Kudzu will increase your
exposure locally. By following our guidance on how to properly setup the
listing, consumers who type keywords (to use a health club example) such
as “Atlanta fitness, local gym Atlanta, great fitness club, etc…” will
be able to quickly locate your club, and ad.

The more times your club is mentioned, the higher your listing will be,
and the greater the chances of being prominently displayed.

To begin, build you free listing on Kudzu. Next, choose one of their
Annual Optimization packages. In a smaller market, I believe an enhanced
profile is fine. If you are in a more competitive market, or larger
urban area, you might want to consider investing into a “preferred
profile”

Be sure to upload photos, videos, and other items which will create a
more complete listing.

After your listing is complete, you will want to print and distribute
the attached form to prospects and customers, asking them to rate their
experience. You will want to diligently check your reviews, and
personally comment on any which may need to be better explained.

Ask loyal customers and staff members to periodically review and comment
to help support the listing, and your optimization (placement) levels.

Both Kudzu and yahoo require a business to have a physical location
prior to being advertised. We recommend building the listings AS SOON AS
you have a signed lease. There are many ways to begin consumer reviews,
building prospect lists, and selling to consumers prior to opening,
which we can address in a later column.

Chris Palumbo, Founder, elements diet | fitness | lifestyle

Making your Business Famous
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