Four Ways using Google Alerts can Dramatically Support Business by @lisaillman

by Lisa Illman | Featured Contributor

I have been successfully using Google Alerts for years, in not only my business, but also as a tool for sales development. Google alerts are great for entrepreneurs as well as sales and marketing professionals. Four ways Google Alerts have brought me immediate results include the following:

1. New Clients
This is a top notch way to get new prospects delivered right to your in box. If you are a sales person, you will want to set up Google alerts to stay on top of prospective clients that are making the news. For example, if you sell cardiovascular equipment to hospitals in the Northeast, you might want to set up alerts with keywords hospitals, cardiovascular, Connecticut. Use each state you cover for a new Google Alert. Now make a cup of coffee and be ready because you will be emailed newsworthy updates for your prospects and possible contact names shortly!

2. Brand Awareness
Stay on top of your brand and get in front of any negativity that hits the Internet through Google Alerts. You will be emailed as soon as your brand is published. Getting only positive postings on the Internet? Fantastic! You might want to send that blog writer who mentioned your business a thank you email.

3. Competition
You know as well as I do, watching your own business is a heck of a lot more important then staring at someone else’s. BUT there are times you will want to know about new product introductions or price increases your competition has either announced or has been written about. Stay on top of it, have it emailed to your in box. You’ll also get to see their press releases immediately that could announce the departure of a top-notch employee, perhaps a new one for you!

4. Industry Trends
I love to read documents, newsletters and white pages specific to my industry, but sometimes it is cumbersome to sift through all the topics and find something I am following. Set up a Google Alert to hone in on the points of significance. Nobody said becoming an industry expert had to be difficult!

To set up Google Alerts, simply go to Google’s create an alert page. Now add some key words that you are interested in following. If you want to follow your competition, add their company name. If you are looking for industry trends, add the industry with the keywords associated with your interest. You might need to play around with the key words once you start getting the emails by either narrowing your search or broadening it. Now sit back and let Google email you a wealth of good, customized information right to your inbox!

————————————————————————————

Lisa Illman is the president and founder of Kritter Kommunity. Born in 2009 out of her passion for pets, Lisa’s vision for Kritter Kommunity was inspired by her kitty cats, Madison and Abigail. With very little cash to start her business, Lisa and her cat Abigail started blogging and tweeting to gain product exposure. They were able to take 100 orders before their new product was even available. A social media enthusiast today, Lisa and her cat Abigail still post and tweet regularly; they have over 15k pet loving followers on Twitter.

This was just the beginning of Lisa’s journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer for the pet industry. Coming out of the gate with no experience starting a business, Lisa took bold steps without knowing which would be mistakes, and which would take her to the next level of success. Tenacity and passion gave her the courage to pitch her own products to media contacts and landed them on many media outlets like Good Morning America. Relationship building and writing put her in a position to develop a solid reputation with the social media world of pet lovers; her furry muses cheering her every step of the way!

Hands on experience, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Pennsylvania State University, more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and numerous professional awards, Lisa has a strong foundation as she continues her journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer. She inspires others to capitalize on their interests through coaching and writing.

Lisa Illman

Lisa Illman is the president and founder of Kritter Kommunity. Born in 2009 out of her passion for pets, Lisa’s vision for Kritter Kommunity was inspired by her kitty cats, Madison and Abigail. With very little cash to start her business, Lisa and her cat Abigail started blogging and tweeting to gain product exposure. They were able to take 100 orders before their new product was even available. A social media enthusiast today, Lisa and her cat Abigail still post and tweet regularly; they have over 15k pet loving followers on Twitter.

This was just the beginning of Lisa’s journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer for the pet industry. Coming out of the gate with no experience starting a business, Lisa took bold steps without knowing which would be mistakes, and which would take her to the next level of success. Tenacity and passion gave her the courage to pitch her own products to media contacts and landed them on many media outlets like Good Morning America. Relationship building and writing put her in a position to develop a solid reputation with the social media world of pet lovers; her furry muses cheering her every step of the way!

Hands on experience, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Pennsylvania State University, more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and numerous professional awards, Lisa has a strong foundation as she continues her journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer. She inspires others to capitalize on their interests through coaching and writing.