Hello everyone!

April is fast approaching, which means the Small Business Marketing Unleashed Conference is just around the corner.

I've spoken with many of you and I know you're ready to take your marketing to the next level, but aren't quite sure how to do it. I also know many of you are hesitant to invest in a conference because you're just not sure what you'll get out of it. That's why it's important to know that Small Business Marketing Unleashed isn't just another Internet marketing conference.

This is a show put together based on years of feedback from our readers.

• Designed to bring you up to speed on search marketing and social media
• Hands on training in our intensive workshops
• A flash drive packed with templates and worksheets
• Limited attendance, your questions won't get lost in the crowd

The early bird price of $850 ends Friday, March 14th. If you've been holding out until the last minute to register, we can't blame you. After all, why write that check any sooner than you have to? That said, keep in mind that our intensive workshops are limited to just 50 attendees per class. You'll want to register now to make sure we save you a seat in the classes that will help you the most!

Jennifer Laycock
Editor-in-Chief, Search Engine Guide

A Sampling of our Sessions

Link Building Workshop

It's not enough to know why you need links, you have to know how to get them. Link guru Debra O'Neil Mastaler will help you identify solid link partners and will figure out the best ways to approach them. Learn how to look beyond reciprocal links and directories and start focusing on creating a long lasting link marketing strategy that will not only boost your search engine rankings, but will drive traffic and sales as well.

Paid Search Workshop

In this intensive workshop, Christine will walk you through setting up and managing a paid search account on one of the major engines. She'll help you decide how to break your keywords up into targeted groups and to write relevant ads that will help lower the cost of your campaigns while increasing your conversion rates.

Viral Marketing Workshop

In this workshop, you will gain a better understanding of the concepts, ideas and implementations that are required to launch a viral marketing or link baiting campaign. Jennifer Laycock will walk you through the actual brainstorming process she uses with clients to help you gather information needed to create your own viral campaign.

Usability and Conversion Workshop

If you've ever tried to find the spare toilet paper in someone else's bathroom, you've experienced a usability issue. Just like the owner of that bathroom, we sometimes get so used to our own sites, we can't see what needs to be fixed. In this workshop, Matt Bailey will walk you through common problems that can make your site a hassle for visitors to use. Find out how even the smallest change can make a dramatic impact on your site's conversion rates.

A Common Sense Approach to Online Marketing

While it's easy to get overwhelmed about going up against big businesses in marketing realms like search engine optimization, blogging, viral marketing, community building and analytics, a good dose of common sense can really level the playing field. This panel sets the stage for the rest of the show by helping you change your perspective on competing with the big boys.

Site Architecture

You may have heard it said that having a search engine friendly site is key to success on the web. That's fine and dandy, but what in the world is a search engine friendly site? Find out how to code your site to make a difference in how well you rank in the search engines. Learn what tags and attributes are essential to gaining those top rankings. Even if you know nothing about HTML, this session will arm you with the knowledge to help your programming team get your site in shape.

Building a Community

There's no doubt the best endorsements come from happy and loyal customers. So what if there was a way to build a community around your web site? A community that helped keep your content fresh, your ideas flowing and the links 'a coming. Turns out, there is. Find out the best ways to build up a loyal readership and how to get your visitors more involved from the queen of community herself, Wendy Piersall.

Blogging for Business

Many businesses are trying to figure out whether they need to integrate blogging into their marketing plans. What will be the ROI from blogging? Does it actually impact your sales, or is it only good for building links. Learn how blogging acts as a component of your small business marketing plan. You'll leave this session armed with with a better understanding of how blogging can impact your marketing plan.

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Practicing What We Preach: A Social Media Marketing Lesson Since Small Business Marketing Unleashed is all about teaching you how to market yourself on a budget, we thought it would be a good idea to market the show on a budget as well. Check out our promotional video, then read Jennifer's article about how (and why) we put it together.

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Because what fun is a trip without any parties?

Charity Speed Networking Unleashed!
Sunday, April 20st - 6pm to 9pm

Come early for a chance to meet the speakers, other attendees and local small businesses; all while raising money for the Youth Development Center of Houston, Texas. $10 gets you in the door for a night of "speed networking," drinks and munchies. 100% of proceeds from tickets and from a silent auction during the event will be donated to the Youth Development Center.

Event open to the public. $10 at the door.
RSVP to vickie@searchengineguide.com

Fiesta Unleashed!
Monday, April 21st - 6pm to 9pm

We know your brains will be packed full of information after a day of sessions on Monday, so unwind and join us in the courtyard of La Hacienda for a Mexican feast! Sponsored by Search Influence, our Monday night mixer will let you unwind under the stars while munching on fajitas, jalepeno's and heaping baskets of chips and queso. Make a new friend and we just might reward you with a surprise of puppy proportions.

(Event open to conference pass holders only.)

Why not start networking before the show?

Facebook Group for Small Business Marketing Unleashed
Planning on attending the show but want to know a little more about the other attendees? Check out our Facebook group and add yourself to the list of attendees. Check out the other attendees, add them to your friends list and come prepared to track down your new pal at the show.

Flickr Group for Small Business Marketing Unleashed
Join up and share your pictures from the Small Business Marketing Unleashed event.
 

Newsletter Information

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© Copyright 2008 K. Clough, Inc. - Search Engine Guide - 17531 Hamilwood Dr. Houston TX 77095

More Conference Info:

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