How to Start a Triathlon Coaching Business

 

This post was originally published at BetterTriathlete.com

Starting a triathlon coaching business can be an exciting and rewarding pursuit for those passionate about endurance training, multisport, and helping others advance.

Working with athletes - whether beginners or high-caliber triathletes - can be a meaningful career path that brings a powerful sense of fulfillment and community. But like any self-made business, becoming a triathlon coach comes with its fair share of challenges.

The reality of starting any business is that you need paying customers to survive. In this case, a triathlon coach needs to not only acquire new athletes but maintain a relationship with them, whether locally or online.

For most coaches who are not former professionals or notable figures in the sport, marketing, networking, and building a reputation are critical components for starting a triathlon coaching business.

Improve Your Visibility and Grow Your Business

At BetterTriathlete.com, we understand the importance of having a discoverable web presence when building a business. Whether it be your website or your Facebook page, sustaining a business in today's digital age demands having a place where athletes can connect with you.

Not only can these pages generate traffic and grow new opportunities, but they can include reviews, case studies, and testimonials - all things that dictate your online reputation.

One of the most powerful ways to attract new athletes and grow your triathlon coaching business is to improve your visibility. That can be through Google search, Facebook, or other media outlets like BetterTriathlete.com. 

Get Listed and Level Up Your Online Exposure

At BetterTriathlete.com, we offer opportunities for all levels of coaches to grow their businesses. As part of our online triathlon community, we provide qualified coaches with a free profile on BetterTriathlete.com.

Not only does this profile provide greater exposure online (and on Google), but it can help improve the visibility of your own website. We also provide additional content marketing, advertising, and sponsorship opportunities to further help your marketing efforts.

Get Help Getting Found in Google

In addition to being a triathlon media outlet for coaches and athletes, we also provide marketing solutions for coaches and organizations looking to be found in Google. Through custom consulting programs or extended campaigns, we can help grow your rankings and drive more traffic from search engines.

Take for example coach Chris Bagg from Portland Oregon and his Google web presence. He occupies multiple listings for a keyword search that's helping acquire new athletes and build the local triathlon community, all while growing his business.

Why Start a Triathlon Coaching Business?

In the early 2000s, triathlon was one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., gaining massive popularity among amateur athletes and hobbyists looking to get fit or try something new.

While the growth in triathlon is not as strong today, it's still a prevalent sport that requires leaders and coaches in the community. Many triathletes from all over the world are seeking triathlon coaches to help them train more effectively and thrive on race day.

Further incentive to start a triathlon coaching business is that the average income of today's USAT triathlete is over $100k/year. In short, there is no shortage of wealthy triathletes looking for good coaches. These points and other compelling data on the demographics and trends associated with triathlon can be found at USATriathlon.org.

Define Your Triathlon Coaching Business Model

Perhaps you've already incubated on why exactly you want to start a coaching business, or perhaps you're just entertaining the idea and gathering some insights.

As part of the incubation process and developing a triathlon coaching business plan, the process starts with asking the right questions that define your tri coaching business model.

• (As specific as you can get) Why do I want to start a triathlon coaching business?
• Do I want to specialize my triathlon coaching in specific disciplines or distances of triathlon?
• Where do I start with marketing my coaching business and brand?
• How will I carve a niche or distinguish myself as a triathlon coach?
• How will acquire new athletes once I start my triathlon coaching business?
• How will I structure my triathlon training programs for athletes and how much do I charge?

These questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to starting a new coaching business. While you as a coach will need to answer some of these questions for yourself, BetterTriathlete.com can help jump-start your efforts by providing specialized business marketing services and sponsorship opportunities for triathlon coaches.

More About How We Can Help Grow Your Coaching Business

Discover how BetterTriathlete.com can help grow your triathlon coaching business. The resources and opportunities that we provide center on building and optimizing the web presence behind your coaching business.

Our model focuses on web marketing, specifically social media and search engine marketing, and coach sponsorship opportunities with BetterTriathlete.com.

Optimizing Your Web Presence & Cultivating Awareness

Times have changed since the days of buying ad space in a local newspaper or magazine publication. In today's digital age, athletes are actively searching the web for triathlon coaching, whether via online triathlon coaching or local triathlon coaches in their area.

For this reason, it's essential to create a website for your triathlon coaching business. Not only does having a website serve as the foundation to your coaching brand, but it can act as a powerful marketing tool to acquire new athletes and grow your business.

While building a website is integral to starting a triathlon coaching business, success often hinges on well your website is found, or how much traffic it's getting. There are many ways to generate traffic to your website. Some of which are very effective in helping you connect with athletes. Among the most powerful are:

• Search Engine Marketing - this includes organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Pay Per Click advertising. Attaining top rankings and exposure in Google and other search engines can be a momentous way to market your tri coaching business.
• Social Media Marketing - in addition to your website, having an active presence on social media platforms (like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.) can help cast your marketing net and connect with athletes.
• Networking - there are great opportunities to attend certain conferences, seminars, and expos that are related to triathlon. Not only are these events great for networking, but they also contribute to learning and growth as a triathlon coach.

Learn More About BetterTriathlete.com

As part of the BetterTriathlete.com business model, we offer services and consulting in areas of search engine marketing as well as social media marketing. Like a coach designs training programs for athletes, we custom design web marketing programs to help grow your triathlon coaching business.

Does your website need a boost in Google for "triathlon coaches (your city/state)"?

Whether you need general consulting help or done-for-you-services, we provide individually-tailored media and marketing solutions specifically for triathlon coaches. Learn more about our social media and search engine marketing services below.

Details On What We Do

Search Engine Marketing For Your Triathlon Coaching Business

Here's a quick briefing on search engine marketing. Like mentioned above, there are two components: organic SEO and Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising.

As the name suggests, Pay Per Click advertising is a bidding model where advertisers bid by the price of a click, or hit to their website. This is done through Google Ads (or other advertising platforms for different search engines, like Bing.)

For perspective, see the image that shows an approximation of how much it would cost per click given each keyword. This is very approximate data, and depends on the location that's being targeted. But overall, PPC advertising is an effective way to be visible in front of athletes searching for your keywords.

Here is a snapshot of Google search results for "San Francisco triathlon Coach." This is the organic search results, thus the term organic SEO. In short, our organic SEO services are designed to help grow your site's search ranking in Google.

Yes, there are a lot of opportunities to be had with SEO and expanding your site's visibility in Google search.

Social Media Marketing For Your Triathlon Coaching Business

Social media marketing is also a vital component to starting a successful triathlon coaching business. Unlike search engine marketing where athletes are actively searching for triathlon coaches and coaching resources on the web, social media marketing focuses on building your brand, which in turn builds awareness and maximizes your potential to connect with new athletes.

Social media shouldn't be a head-scratcher for new triathlon coaching businesses. Like designing your website and overall online brand, your social media presence should run parallel with all other web properties surrounding your coaching company.

Start with the big social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, and perhaps consider including LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. Managing each platform can be time-consuming, so it's important not to overwhelm yourself with managing each account. You already have a tri-coaching business to manage as it is.

Stay focused and stay within your comfort zone before establishing an account on every social media site out there.  The idea is to keep your account active and regularly share content at least a couple times per week. This will help you get the most from your social media marketing endeavors.

For strategic insights on social media marketing and how BetterTriathlete.com can help, please contact us to learn more.

Opportunities with BetterTriathlete.com

BetterTriathlete.com is a growing community of triathletes and triathlon coaches positioned all throughout the world. While inclusion and having a profile created is typically based on where a coach is located, we also make online coaching an option for both athletes and coaches looking to connect.

What makes BetterTriathlete.com a valuable platform for emerging triathlon coaches is exposure. In short, the coaches in our community can expand their visibility and acquire new athletes. This goes beyond athletes here on the site and potential athletes searching Google for coaches in their given area.

While the BetterTriathlete.com coaches network is currently a work in progress, we are always seeking new additions to our network. This opportunity can help jump-start your triathlon coaching business and help acquire new athletes. 

The Evolution of "Smart" Bike Trainer Technology

Bike trainers, also known as indoor trainers, are devices that allow cyclists to ride their own bikes from the comfort of their homes. Indoor bike trainers are designed to simulate the resistance of outdoor cycling by enabling the rear wheel or hub to affix to the trainer which internally generates resistance.

In the past, bike trainers were relatively simple devices that used fluid or wind resistance to create resistance and provide a realistic riding experience. However, there has been a significant evolution in bike trainer technology in recent years, with the emergence of smart trainers that can be connected to apps such as Zwift and Rouvy.

Early-Stage Bike Trainer Technology

One of the earliest types of bike trainers was the fluid trainer, which used a fluid-filled flywheel to generate resistance. These trainers were popular due to their relatively low cost and the ability to simulate different grades of incline by adjusting the viscosity of the fluid. However, they had some limitations, such as being noisy and not providing a very realistic riding experience.

In the past decade, there has been a shift towards the use of direct-drive trainers, which provide a more realistic and quiet ride. These trainers do not use a flywheel to generate resistance, but instead, use a direct connection to the bike's rear axle. This allows them to provide more precise control over the resistance and a more realistic ride feel.

Enter: Smart Trainer Technology

In recent years, the popularity of indoor cycling apps such as Zwift and Rouvy has led to the development of smart trainers. These trainers are equipped with sensors and can connect to a computer or phone via Bluetooth or ANT+ to provide real-time data on the rider's performance. They can also be controlled by the app, allowing the rider to simulate different courses and terrain and to participate in virtual group rides.

Overall, the evolution of bike trainer technology has led to significant improvements in the indoor cycling experience. From simple fluid trainers to advanced smart trainers, riders now have a wide range of options to choose from to help them stay fit and train effectively, even when they can't ride outdoors.

Best Bike Trainer Options on the Market

Now with the evolution of bike trainer technology focused on direct-drive smart trainers, there are numerous options on the market. Based on an article by Better Triathlete, some of the best bike trainers currently on the market include some of the following.

Tacx Neo 2T

One of the top direct-drive trainers from Tacx (a brand extension of Garmin), the Neo 2T is an innovative design that offers a more realistic ride feel. The trainer's "virtual flywheel" technology effectively simulates different grades of incline and decline, with a maximum incline of 25% grade.

The Tacx Neo 2T offers a wide range of drivetrain compatibility with various axle standards and cassette sizes, including easy smart connectivity to training apps via Bluetooth and ANT+. Not only does this bike trainer provide real-time power measurement accuracy within 1%, but it can measure a maximum power output of 2,200 watts.

Wahoo KICKR

Available in a few direct-drive designs, the Wahoo KICKR is one of the most popular bike trainer models on the market. A lot like the Neo 2T, the Wahoo KICKR offers a wide compatibility range with different axle standards and cassette sizes as well as Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity with apps like Zwift, Rouvy, TrainerRoad, and more.

The Wahoo KICKR also provides real-time power measurement accuracy within 1% is capable of measuring a maximum power output of 2,200 watts. It's also an exceptionally smooth smart trainer that offers a "road feel" feature that closely simulates the gradient changes like outdoor cycling.

Elite Direto XR-T

Another reputable brand in the bike trainer space is Elite, which is based in Europe but still available in the states. Slightly less accurate in power output reading by just a half a percent compared to the trainers above, the Elite Direto XR-T is a slightly more affordable trainer that still packs a punch in terms of capabilities and power.

It's capable of simulating 24% grade inclines and is exceptionally quiet. It's also several hundred dollars less compared to the models mentioned above.

These are just a few examples of the wide range of smart trainers available on the market. Other popular models include the Saris H3, the Kinetic Road Machine, and the Bkool Smart Pro 2.

What are the Best Triathlon Wetsuit Brands on the Market?

As a competitive triathlete, it's crucial to invest in the proper triathlon gear to ensure a smooth and successful race. One important piece of gear for long-course athletes is a wetsuit.

While not necessary for shorter-distance triathlons, wetsuits are especially helpful in long-distance races like Ironman and half-Ironman events as they can provide added buoyancy and insulation in the water. But with so many different wetsuit brands and models to choose from, it can be difficult to determine the best option for your triathlon endeavors.

Let it be known that there are a handful of options that stand out from the back. So what are the best triathlon wetsuit brands on the market? Taking a page from Better Triathlete and the blog's wetsuit round-up, here are the top five brands that consistently produce innovative, high-quality wetsuit products year over year.

Orca

Orca is a highly-trusted brand name in the triathlon community that's well-known for its innovative swimwear and comfortable wetsuits. The brand's triathlon wetsuits are made with premium neoprene and advanced paneling construction, allowing for optimal flexibility and durability in the water. Plus, Orca offers a wide range of sizes to accommodate different body types.

Zoot

As a leading brand in the triathlon space for several decades, Zoot is another highly respected wetsuit maker, offering triathlon-specific swimming wetsuits with advanced technology and a comfortable fit. Zoot wetsuits are designed to reduce drag and improve performance in the water, making them a top choice for serious athletes.

TYR

From goggles and wetsuits to swimwear and equipment, TYR is a household name in the swimming and triathlon world. Their wetsuits are made with premium-grade materials and construction, ensuring a comfortable and efficient swim. Plus, TYR offers a variety of sizes and styles to suit different preferences and needs.

Blueseventy

Arguably some of the best triathlon wetsuits on the market, Blueseventy is a popular choice for triathletes, known for its high-performing wetsuits that offer a range of features and benefits. Their suits are made with advanced materials and construction, and are designed to enhance buoyancy and flexibility in the water.

Aqua Sphere

Aqua Sphere is a reliable brand for triathletes, offering wetsuits with a comfortable fit and high-quality construction. Their suits are made with advanced materials and are designed to improve performance in the water. Aqua Sphere also offers a range of sizes and styles to suit different preferences.

When it comes to choosing the best wetsuit brand for your triathlon needs, it's important to consider factors such as fit, performance, and durability. The same goes for triathlon swim goggles. The brands listed above are all known for their commitment to quality and performance, making them excellent choices for triathletes.

3 Fast-Moving eBike Brands That Are Leading the Industry

Electric bikes, aptly called "eBikes," are more than just a fitness trend. eBikes have become a transformative lifestyle technology that's enabling more people to get on bikes. Whether as a form of transport, recreation, fitness, or sport, eBikes are the outdoor extension of Peloton, but with an added sense of adventure. 

eBike technology has grown from a minor sub-market in the cycling scene into its own category. Today's big bike brands pivoted into the eBike world, like Specialized, Trek, and Cannondale, to name just a few big brands. But there's also been the spawning of many smart eBike brands that focus solely on electric bikes.

Of these fast-moving eBike brands, there's a critical balance in affordability (generally around or less than $2K, unlike the big brands above) but also delivering on the bike's quality, ride feel, and performance. The three brands that are killing it in this area are Aventon, Ride1Up, and Wing Bikes, which are featured in Better Triathlete’s eBike list.

Aventon eBikes

Aventon is one of the most popular American eBike brands in the business that focuses only on eBikes. Based in Los Angeles, Aventon is highly regarded for its powerful motors, practical design, and exceptional ride quality. They're also well-reviewed eBikes for their performance, reliability, and versatility, depending on what model you get.

Unlike most other eBike brands that offer just a single, one-size-fits-all frame size, most Aventon eBike models are available in two or three different frame sizes. This is important for cyclists who want the most dialed and comfortable fit.

In addition to having a wide range of choices ranging from an electric mountain bike (see this list of electric mountain bikes) to an urban city commuter, Aventon eBikes come with varying levels of power depending on the model and motor, ranging from a highly-efficient 350-watt motor up to a 750-watt motor. Additionally, each Aventon eBike comes available in a step-through frame option for those with less hip mobility.

 

There's a high degree of engineering and design that goes into building Aventon electric bikes. So with a bike’s price range averaging between $1k-$2k, it's no wonder why Aventon has become a household eBike brand name. Learn more at Aventon.com.

Wing eBikes

An up-and-coming American eBike brand that goes by the name of Wing Bikes, this company builds some of the most beautiful and best-looking electric bikes on the market.

Characterized by its urban frame design, commuter-friendly anti-theft capabilities, and exceptional ride quality, Wing Bikes has quickly become a highly-reviewed brand that offers a small collection of models that’s not go overlooked in the eBike market. 

Wing Bikes is an innovative brand that makes some of the most beautiful and functional products in the eBike scene. Ultra-competitively priced at right around $1k, the Freedom series from Wing is definitely worth a look. Learn more at WingBikes.com.

Ride1Up eBikes

Ride1Up is a brand that has seven different electric bike models for different types of cyclists. Not only is this producer one of the most prolific eBike brands in terms of options but Ride1Up is also well-known for its high-quality and reliable bike builds.

Each eBike model from Ride1Up is intentionally designed with a specific frame geometry, motor, and attachment points, whether you’re commuting or adventuring. Ride1Up's motors deliver 30-50 miles of range, depending on use, and they're equipped with off-road capable tires.

Keep in mind Ride1Up's frames are universal, one-size frames, with the exception of the Roadster v2, which is available in two sizes - a 52cm and 58cm frame. Otherwise, Ride1Up eBikes have ample adjustability. Each model also comes available in step-through or step-over top-tube options, and the general price range spans between $1k-$2,400. See more at Ride1Up.com.

Last Word on These Rising eBike Brands

Watch out for these eBike brands as they take off in the US market for recreation fitness technology. Aventon, Wing, and Ride1Up are rising brands that are worth investing in, whether it’s their products or their company (if any of them go public).

Atlanta's Captivate SEO Trademarks "It Starts With Search"

Proving to be a prominent player and reputable role model in the Atlanta SEO community, Captivate Search Marketing has recently trademarked the phrase "It Starts With Search." And for good reason.

Spearhead by founder Chris Everett, Captivate Search Marketing has been embracing the search-first mindset with almost all of its Internet marketing engagements.

The company started as Webvolution Designs, LLC, a SEO-focused web marketing firm serving the greater Atlanta. Soon later, the company was re-branded as Captivate Search Marketing. And while the focus still remains on SEO, the company provides a full suite of web presence solutions.

Embracing the Search First Approach to Internet Marketing

What's unique about Captivate Search Marketing over other companies that provide Internet marketing in Atlanta centers on its "search first" approach. While this focus has yet to be trademarked by the firm, it is very aligned with Captivate's It Starts With Search mindset.

"Essentially all of our services, whether pertaining to social media or content marketing, take into consideration SEO and search marketing implications," states Captivate's senior SEO specialist, Tyler Tafelsky.

"As much as the word 'optimization' gets overused, in a nutshell, we're applying Google keyword data and mindful SEO practices to instruct how each campaign is created. We don't necessarily call it 'optimization.' But in a way, we are looking for ways to improve the SEO potential of almost everything we do, whether that involves designing a new website or putting-together a client's content strategy."

The It Starts With Search approach comes at a time when SEO is becoming one of the most valuable and highly-sought marketing mediums for all types of companies. Captivate Search Marketing is rated as one of the best Atlanta SEO companies that's making national strides with it's unique approach, combining both creativity and analytics into something truly effective.

More About Captivate

Captivate Search Marketing is one of Atlanta's premier SEO and Internet marketing companies that specializes in affordable search engine marketing solutions for all types of businesses. The company delivers a wide range of solutions, including: website design and development, pay per click advertising, social media marketing, online reputation management, ecommerce SEO, link building, and other specialized SEO services.

To learn more or contact the Atlanta SEO agency, see the address and contact information listed below.

Captivate Search Marketing
1800 Peachtree St NW #205
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 953-2406
CaptivateSEO.com


Or check out the SEO firm on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn to stay connected.

Cutting-Edge Divot Tool Lends to Epic Design & Functionality

When it comes to golf, innovation is constantly on the forefront of equipment manufacturers. Devices as simple as the divot repair tool are no exception. And the Mark Mender divot repair tool makes for the perfect model.

Meticulously engineered to mitigate improper ball mark repair and thereby minimizing any damage to the greens (commonly inflicted with conventional divot repair tools,) the Mark Mender divot tool is a one of golf's most highly-advanced divot tools that is specially designed to make golf ball divot repair simple, effective, and even gratifying.

The Issue With Conventional Divot Repair Tools

The natural tendency when using conventional divot repair tools is to pull up on the grass along the sides of the ball mark. This tendency can inflict damage on the greens, as well as disrupt the surface for future putts by fellow golfers.

The design of the Mark Mender is a four-prong divot repair tool that's engineering using a spring-loaded squeeze mechanism. This cutting-edge design enables golfers to seamlessly repair their golf ball divots with proper technique.

Designed in such a way that uses an intuitive poke-and-pinch technique, the Mark Mender divot repair tools fixes ball marks seamlessly and triumphantly. This helps all types of golfers take ownership of their ball mark, putting the icing on the cake from their approach shot.

More Than Just A Divot Repair Tool

Mark Mender divot repair tools provide far more than your average divot repair tool. For all the times a golfer needs to bring along his or her pitching wedge to the green, the Mark Mender acts as the perfect leverage or grip rest to keeps grips dry and off the wet, dewy surface.

Also, if you enjoy a good cigar while out on the course, then this creative divot repair tool design is the bee's knees. There is good reason why Mark Mender has a reputation as the best cigar holder in the sport sport. Unlike golf cigar holders that affix to the golf cart, the Mark Mender enables golfers to take their stogie with them as they head out on the green to sink their putt.

As if this innovative divot repair tool couldn’t get any better, the Mark Mender wouldn’t be 100% complete without a customizable magnetic ball marker. Unlike basic divot repair tools with weak magnets, the ball mark affix on Mark Mender does not get lost in your pocket or out on the course.

Golfers can also take advantage of having their Mark Mender ball mark personalized or branded to their brand, business, or cause. The Mark Mender is well known for personalized golf ball divot repair tools will improve your etiquette and clout on the course, but will probably won’t take strokes off your game

From its impressive versatility and functionality, the Mark Mender divot repair tool goes far beyond other ball mark repair devices. It’s one of the few multi-purpose golf tools that is considered a must-have in any golfer’s bag.

Why the Mark Mender is the Best Divot Tool

Are you looking to invest in the best divot repair tool on the market? See for yourself why the Mark Mender has been widely considered as the best divot repair tool in the sport. Creatively and thoughtfully designed and engineered to buffer improper divot repair and prolonged damage to the greens, the Mark Mender is ingenious divot tool that is mindfully designed to make repairing ball marks a breeze.

5 Ways to Promote Your Vegan Business Online

The strategies behind promoting a vegan business on the Internet are not much different than any other conventional business. However, because the universal vegan community is so strong, it can often be easier finding relevant online communities, networking and relationship opportunities, and exposure on other websites.

All of these elements, combined with a solid web presence, can help increase the visibility and growth of your vegan business in many ways. Below we delve into five of those ways, and how you can actively leverage each of these strategies to expand your traffic potential and grow your company.

Establish & Optimize Your Web Properties

First and foremost, it’s vital to have specific web properties to represent your online business. The most common, and often most effective, is a website. Other assets include social media profiles (such as your company’s Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages,) as well as your Google My Business listing and other directory profiles (such as Yelp.)

The type of vegan business you operate will dictate your ideal web properties. For instance, if you sell vegan products and you’re trying to build your brand, then you may want to have a website and social media presence on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. However, if you operate a local business, then you could get away with having only a Google My Business page.

Overall, it’s best to have a website and few social media profiles that best represent your audience. You can even leverage “optimizing” these web properties to be better found in search. For a good example of this, see JustCBD and its online presence.

Be Found in Search

Going back to the local business example, there are certain ways you can optimize your website and Google My Business listing. Otherwise known as search engine optimization, or SEO, there are specific strategies that help increase your business’ search ranking in Google.

In other words, you can optimize aspects of your site and Google My Business listing for specific keywords that reflect your business (i.e. “vegan restaurants in Seattle” or “vegan cat food.”) To learn specific strategies, then Beginner’s Guide to SEO from Moz is a good resource.

As for non-local businesses, choose your keyword targets wisely. It’s often hard to outrank Amazon.com and other high-authority websites. So if you’re thinking about optimizing your website for “vegan protein,” you should probably consider taking that further with something like “organic vegan protein supplement,” "vegan protein powders without stevia" or “vegan paleo protein powder” depending on what it is that you sell. Understanding your potential rank for keywords surrounding vegan protein powders is vital to your success.

Grow Your Online Footprint

One factor that’s going to help your site rank higher in Google is links directing from other sites. In essence, the more links pointing to a site, the greater credibility and authority that site will earn. For this reason, you should invest a great deal of your efforts conducting outreach and further your business presence on other websites.

Grow the online footprint for your vegan business by following some of these action items:

• Get listed on local and business directories. Yelp.com, Yellowpages.com, Yahoo! Local, and Bing are good places to start for local directories. Beyond local, search around for vegan directories or other communities related to your product/service/cause/etc.
• Be active on social media platforms and engage with influential people, businesses, and brands that resonate with you and your company. Establishing relationships can result in wider exposure in front of new audiences (i.e. an industry influencer with 100k twitter followers retweets an article you wrote.)
• Reach out to other vegan websites for networking, sponsorships, link exchanges, and guest blogging opportunities. Contributing to other websites can help increase your online footprint all while generating some quality links back to your website.

Produce Content Regularly

To truly become an authority figure in your online vegan niche, I strongly suggest producing content on a regular basis. Whether that be weekly articles, a monthly video, or a combination of mediums, establish some type of content schedule and stick to it.

This can be both an enjoyable and creative aspect to growing your business. Coming up with great ideas for content marketing is not only fun, but highly effective for SEO and online exposure. When you produce interesting content that gains the likes and shares of your social media audience, you can really empower your company’s growth potential.

Whether it's having a blog for publishing product review posts or a YouTube channel to shoot video reviews, you can get creative by proucing content on products and topics you want to push, such as reviews on Garden of Life RAW protein powder reviews or Vega Sport Protein powder reviews.

Stay Engaged on Social Media

Helping to facilitate the efficacy of your content marketing and outreach efforts is social media. In addition to being found in search, having a strong social media presence is the bee’s knees to building your vegan business.

Like we alluded to above, invest in handful of social media platform that reflect your business model and target audience. If it makes sense to be on SnapChat, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, then do it. But if Instagram and Facebook are all that you need, then so be it. Unless you have advanced social media automation tools or social media savvy employee, managing all these platforms can be time consuming.

It’s time consuming because regularly posting and sharing content; reaching out and connecting with new people and brands; and engaging with your audience by responding to their comments; these are variables that define a stellar business.    

Author Bio

Tyler Tafelsky is a search marketing specialist with eight years of experience in the profession. Tyler is an advocate of plant-based living and leads an active role in the fitness community. His current projects are Better Triathlete where he writes about bikes, training, and recovery.

Image credit: Mayumi T. Photography

3 Google Map SEO Tips for Local Entrepreneurs

Google Maps SEO is now an integral component to any local business or entrepreneur embracing search engine marketing. In essence, having a listing atop Google's local search results is a powerful way to drive in-market traffic. As a result, Google Maps SEO provides valuable returns for all types of businesses operating on the local level.

Among the most popular references to Google Maps SEO is associated with the ever-present local 3 pack listings. Most often displayed just below the pay per click ads and above the organic search listings, the local 3 pack is the most prominent set of search results that are triggered for any keyword phrase with geographic relevance.

While the Google 3 pack is perhaps the most powerful traffic-driver from an SEO perspective, there is another aspect of Google Maps SEO that businesses often overlooked. This the ranked Google Maps search results which are displayed directly in the Google Maps search interface.

The ranked Google Maps search results, which are based on slightly unique (but many overlapping) variables compared to the local 3 pack listings, make up the other side to local Google Maps SEO. Together, the 3 pack and Google Maps search results provide local businesses a great opportunity to optimize search visibility and increase the amount of traffic coming to their site.

In an effort to enable your business to rank higher in both the ranked Google Maps search results and local 3 pack listings, below we share three Google Maps SEO tips that have been proven effective in many different campaigns.

1. Claim, Optimize, & Verify Google My Business Listing

One of the most influential ranking factors to both the ranked Google Maps search results and local 3 pack listings is a company's Google My Business (GMB) page. Formerly Google Places and Google+ Local pages, GMB pages are the next most important web asset for a business's SEO next to its website.

Make sure to verify your business's GMB page via phone verification or postcard submission.

Take the time to not only claim your business's GMB page, but optimize and verify the listing. This includes fully populating the page to 100% completion, uploading optimized images and videos, tagging the listing with most relevant business categories, and linking to/from your website to/from the GMB page. Good copy also goes a long way, so investing in a professional SEO copywriter is often worth it.

2. Audit Your Business's Citations

Citations (or mentions of the business name, address, and phone number) on websites like Yelp, Manta, Facebook, Yellowpages, LinkedIn, etc. are the mechanism Google uses to validate credible businesses that are worthy of ranking in the local 3 pack listings. Similar to inbound links or backlinks, the more (accurate) citations a business has, the greater potential it has for Google Maps SEO.

Volume and accuracy of citations are the pivotal variables. Any misalignment in a citation (such as a missing suite or wrong phone number) can hinder SEO. For this reason, it's important to audit your business's citations throughout the web and ensure they are 100% accurate and consiste. A couple great tools to help you do this are Yext and Whitespark.

3. Cultivate Domain Authority

As mentioned in the previous Google Maps SEO tip, backlinks are an important variable to organic search rankings and defining a website's domain authority. Earning backlinks from trusted and authoritative sources will dramatically help to increase domain authority.

But if domain authority and backlinks are focused on organic SEO, how do they influence Google Maps SEO? There's a strong relationship between organic search performance and local search rankings. In short, businesses that have strong domain authority and rank well in organic search have a higher likelihood of ranking better in the Google local listings.

While this is not 100% correlated, this relationship establishes an enough evidence to make it worthwhile to earn more quality backlinks to your site. While auditing your citations, you can build quick and easy backlinks from local listings and directories. This, however, will only get you so far.

To cultivate strong domain authority that improves both organic and Google Maps SEO, you'll need to invest time (and perhaps money) in link acquisition. Investing in a local chamber of commerce membership (and getting a link and citation from the chamber site;) blogging on other websites; creating social media profiles; and simply requesting inclusion on related "links and resources" pages on other sites associated with your business and industry; these are all just a few ways to acquire links and cultivate domain authority.

While these three Google Maps SEO and marketing tips are just the tip of the iceberg, they are some of the most momentous strategies to help your business move the needle in the search results. Post contributed by Tyler Tafelsky.

SolRx: A Winning Sport Sunscreen With Epic Proportions

When it comes to sport sunscreen, there's heavy debate between the differences in sport sunscreen vs. regular sunscreen. And while many sports sunscreens on the market may not offer very much difference, SolRx is one company that's defining in the industry standard behind high-performance sport sunscreen products.

The magic behind SolRx is its patented WaterBlock technology. This blend is a broad-spectrum sunscreen formula that offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays (compared to other sports sunscreens that only protect against UVA rays.) SolRx WaterBlock is also one of the best sunscreen blends for water sports, as it retains its SPF after hours and hours of immersion.

Especially useful for triathlon and cycling athletes, SolRx is a popular product in the endurance community. But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sport sunscreen products by SolRx. Below we go into greater detail about the qualities and characteristics that make SolRx a winning sport sunscreen with epic proportions.

Enduring Protection After Hours of Water Immersion

One characteristic that defines SolRx sport sunscreen over other competing brands is its enduring protection after hours of water immersion. To prove its incredible capabilities, SolRx teamed-up with AMA Testing Labs (one of the world's leading product testing organizations for skin and health products) to develop a trial that would effectively measure the performance and capabilities of SolRx WaterBlock.

 In fact, SolRx was strict in its testing design with AMA in order to establish a trial that would go above and beyond standard testing protocols of the FDA and other governmental agencies that test these types of products. As a result, SolRx and AMA ran a series of tests that would assess the sunscreen's SPF after 8 hours of water immersion.

The conclusion: SolRx WaterBlock retained 97% of its SPF after 8 hours of water immersion. This information alone has sprouted the popularity and loyalty in SolRx as one of the world's best sport sunscreens.

Parallel to this data, not only does SolRx retain its SPF after hours of being in the water, but it's also one of the best options for the environment. When properly applied to the skin, it is legitimately "impossible" for SolRx to deposit into bodies of water and onto ocean reefs. As a result, SolRx has also earned a reputation as an eco-friendly and reef safe sunscreen.

Sport Sunscreen Products from SolRx 

SolRx defines sport sunscreen vs. regular sunscreen in designing a complete line of products for many different needs. Ranging from dry zinc to zinc oxide sunscreen sticks to lip balm and spray-on sunscreen products, the company offers a number of options to choose.

Among some of the most popular products worth checking out at SolRx include:

• SolRx Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Waterblock Sunscreen (flagship product)
• SolRx Slopes SPF 35 Moisturizing Sunscreen (for extra dry environments, like winter sports)
• SolRx SPF 44 Dry Zinc Sunscreen (exceptional for endurance athletes, lifeguards, etc.)
• SolRx SPF 50 Spray Sunscreen Pump (for easy application)
• SolRx Zinc Stix SPF 50 (zinc oxide sunscreen stick)

To learn more about SolRx or shop these products including many more, visit the official website of SolRx sunscreen at SolRx.com.

How Plastic Surgeons Can Leverage Social Media Marketing

If you’re a surgeon looking to grow your practice, here we share a few suggestions and strategies to help you better leverage social media marketing. As an ideal supplement to SEO and search marketing, social media can help you establish a powerful local reputation, as well as loyal and in-marketing audience.

By changing a few simple things in your social media marketing strategy, you can also get immediate results and acquire new patients. The strategies outlined below offer a few different ways where you can do just that leveraging social media marketing for your surgery practice.

Use Facebook Advertising to Promote Your Services

If your target client base uses Facebook regularly, then utilizing Facebook is a great way to market your practice. Make sure to keep your Facebook page updated regularly with contact information, promotions for procedures and other deals you may be offering.

Facebook is a wonderful marketing tool if you use it consistently. If you’ve already made your page for your business, you can also use Facebook’s advertising services to target your audience. They allow you ensure that those who live in your town or within a certain geographical area see your ads on their Facebook feed. You can track how many hits you’re getting from the ads and make adjustments as necessary.

When using any social media profiles, be sure to remain as professional and courteous as possible to ensure that your reputation is protected. Many who would otherwise come into your practice for services could just as easily change their minds if responses to complaints or questions aren’t handled in a professional and respectful manner.

“Boost” Your Posts to Help Generate Traffic

When posting on Facebook, if you notice that one of your posts is getting a good response, you can “boost” that post to keep it at the top of the news feeds of your audience. This is done either by commenting on, liking the post, or sharing the post itself, or by paying a small fee to Facebook to boost the post for you.

When looking at your Facebook business page, you can gage how far your post is reaching potential clients and determine whether you think a paid boost is worth the money.

Create Content Optimized for SEO Best Practices

By creating posts on your Facebook or other social media sites that include SEO keywords or phrases that you think others are likely to search when looking for your services, you’re increasing the likelihood that your services will sit higher on the search engine list that others.

Many time it comes in the form of specialized “tags” on blogs, or by writing or sharing posts that include that content on your Facebook, you have a better chance at converting readers into buyers of your service. Including those keywords and phrases will make it easier for potential clients to find your page, and make it easier for you to market your practice effectively.

With a little bit of patience, some practice, and this new bit of know-how, you can easily start converting more of your readers into buyers of your services. If you incorporate some of these strategies into your social media marketing system, then you’ll find that the results are far better than what you were getting previously. Try a few, and see what a world of difference it will make.

For more information about social media marketing for surgeons, as well as other Internet marketing solutions, visit OptimizedSurgeons.com.

Loader Scales: 3 Leading Providers in the Industry

Since many of the loader scale systems on the market are expensive solutions that are important for different weighing operations, it is very vital to invest in the right technology. The only way that you can achieve a successful investment is to ensure that you research and pinpoint the ideal loader scales that best suit the needs of your weighing operations.

Many of the loader scale suppliers on the market offer accurate, affordable, durable and high quality scales. Below are the three leading providers of loader scales and related weighing systems for heavy-duty, industrial applications.

1. Walz Scale

Walz Scale is perhaps one of the well-known suppliers of the industrial truck scales and accurate weighing equipment. Having been in the industry now for more than half a century, Walz Scale has consistently delivered top-notch industrial weighing solutions to various companies around the globe. Today, Walz is recognized as one of the top providers of loader scales and other advanced on-board systems for accurate and efficient weighing.

The Walz Scale's on-board weighing systems are a world–class solution for loaders since it makes weighing really simple. The on-board loader scale system offers the best solution to different sized wheel loaders and skid loaders, making it one of the most versatile options in the industry,

With such an advanced on-board weighing system implemented by Walz, extreme accuracy is guaranteed. This then defines the success of the business. Dependable weighing is a core aspect for a company to achieve in any of this business. After a loader is integrated with the on-board weighing system, a touch screen operator console offers an easy operator control and displays load results through a highly visible LED display. The LED message also offers both status and weight metrics to the driver. As a result, accuracy and throughput is both optimized and maintained in the measurement.

2. Cardinal Scale 

Cardinal Scale manufacturing is also another leading global supplier of high quality weighing systems and load management solutions. The company operates on a well drafted business model. Its main success is due to specialization on provision of wide range of quality and advanced weighing systems and peripheral equipment for truck sales.

Apart from that, the company further provides weighing systems that feature greater quality, durability and of high accuracy and precision. With stiff competition from different competitors, Cardinal has stood tall in the market following its unique business niche. Some of the advanced weighing systems that Cardinal suppliers include portable weighing system, steel deck weighbridge scale and hydraulic scales that have a great capacity.

3. Payload Pros

Payload Pros is a well-recognized supplier of advanced weighing system that majorly specializes in the provision of portable scale solutions used in construction, recycling and mining industries. Payload Pros business model is simple and a profit driven. It is a business model that is desired by many different companies. What stands out in this company model is the one exceptional feature of delivering versatility without compromise to accuracy and precision of measurements.

Since a successful business is properly defined by the integrity of all operations undertaken in a company, and that accuracy is a requirement in all the loading scales. Payload Pros truck scales have gone further in ensuring that all their operations are done perfectly and correctly. Some of the well-known products by the Payload Pros include portable truck weight scales, rail car scales and on-board scales. The company further provides truck sale systems for rent to clients who may need a weighing solution on a short term need.

Whether you work in the business of mining, construction, agriculture or recycling, you understand how investing in heavy weighing system can be a daunting task. Therefore, any company that is about to invest in heavy-duty weighing systems, truck sales and related load management solutions needs to work with a trusted provider in the industry.