Just came across this great Facebook page that deals with Private Investigator Marketing. It's from L. Scott Harrell and CompassPoint Investigations, (now owned by Ruben Roel) so I know that the information he is posting to the page is not only important to building my private investigations business but is timely and relevant, too.
Before starting a new video marketplace, Scott was a fantastically popular and successful WORKING private investigator for 17 plus years, he understands what it really takes to build a successful private investigation agencies, as opposed to the other guy who's still trying to sell you phonebook ads, animal parts and a directory listing.
So far I've seen very original ideas about social media marketing, original idea about using Facebook to find and target media outlets for publicity and exposure. He described what EdgeRank and News Feed Optimization is and why it matters. I also liked the articles on building sales brochures and how to develop highly targeted marketing lists for certain types of investigations!
There is a lot more on this Facebook page that I could possibly get into here, and if I tried there would probably be a dozen more marketing and advertising ideas there before I got through.
Check out the Marketing for Private Investigators page, right now... you can't beet the price of FREE!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Becoming a Fan of an Online PI Magazine
I am a huge fan of Pursuit Magazine and think that it is the only worthwhile magazine for private investigators these days since the industry's only "print publication" has grown stale and often employs non-investigator authors for content that's been rewarmed dozens of times then repurposed for the industry. The only good articles, in my opinion, are the ones being provided by NALI.
You can't just put the phrase "private investigator" into a few general purpose articles and call it an industry publication! It takes much more than that to be a professional publication, so I dumped them and said "NO!" to their ridiculous subscription fees and circus-like layout.
I want real content, written by real investigators. I want fresh articles and want them delivered to me via email or to be available online on a continuous basis. I've become a fan of Pursuit Magazine on Facebook and hope you will too. Just check it out...
You can't just put the phrase "private investigator" into a few general purpose articles and call it an industry publication! It takes much more than that to be a professional publication, so I dumped them and said "NO!" to their ridiculous subscription fees and circus-like layout.
I want real content, written by real investigators. I want fresh articles and want them delivered to me via email or to be available online on a continuous basis. I've become a fan of Pursuit Magazine on Facebook and hope you will too. Just check it out...
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Updated State PI Licensing Laws
Pursuit Magazine, a free online magazine for professional investigators, has just posted the best list of private investigator license laws I have seen to date.
Today, I surveyed 6 websites in comparison for this information and I found NUMEROUS legal errors, outdated laws and dead links in all of them except for Pursuit's list... this is obviously because Stephanie Mitchell, the Editor, has a background in thorough legal research as a former paralegal.
They point out in their resource that a state P.I. license is not currently required in several states including Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, and Wyoming, though some local jurisdictions in each state do require professional licensing at the county or city level. There are changes underway in Missouri and Pennsylvania.
My question is why would someone who cuts my hair or paints my wife's toes need a state license but someone who deals with the public trust not need a license and state mandated continuing education? That seems kind of silly to me, quite frankly!
All of that aside, Pursuit Magazine continues to innovate and push forward the standard of training and freely distributed industry information- great job!
Today, I surveyed 6 websites in comparison for this information and I found NUMEROUS legal errors, outdated laws and dead links in all of them except for Pursuit's list... this is obviously because Stephanie Mitchell, the Editor, has a background in thorough legal research as a former paralegal.
They point out in their resource that a state P.I. license is not currently required in several states including Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, and Wyoming, though some local jurisdictions in each state do require professional licensing at the county or city level. There are changes underway in Missouri and Pennsylvania.
My question is why would someone who cuts my hair or paints my wife's toes need a state license but someone who deals with the public trust not need a license and state mandated continuing education? That seems kind of silly to me, quite frankly!
All of that aside, Pursuit Magazine continues to innovate and push forward the standard of training and freely distributed industry information- great job!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
One Online Private Investigator Magazine's Approach to Social Networking
Great Editor's update by Scott Harrell at Pursuit Magazine concerning Social Networking with PIs.
I think that it is great that they are embracing the whole media vertical thing rather than being a one dimensional print-based magazine.
I would also point out that I just saw a list of types of private investigator services as well on the Be A Private Eye Blog and thought that also was really good information; especially now that many people are either getting into the private investigation business as a new career or established PIs are branching out with new and improved service and product options.
They discuss various types of services under the categories of Surveillance, Insurance, Corporate Investigations, Civil and Domestic Cases, Skip Tracing and Locating Missing People, Forensic Computer Examination, Criminal Defense Investigations, and Political and Discovery Assignments. The list does a great job at enumerating all of the different choices a new private investigator has when trying to figure out what types of PI assignments in which he or she might want to specialize.
The options are endless and the subject really deserves its own entire article here. The blog lists the most obvious ones. I absolutely recommend that investigators find their niche and specialize in only a few types of investigations! There are several important reasons for this, but it can be summed up this way: when you are the most notable investigator in your region of the country for a specific type of investigation, you will find MANY additional opportunities to make a lot more money than if you advertise yourself as a “jack of all trades.” This has been proven across the country time and time again and was something I learned while working for CompassPoint Investigations.
I think that it is great that they are embracing the whole media vertical thing rather than being a one dimensional print-based magazine.
I would also point out that I just saw a list of types of private investigator services as well on the Be A Private Eye Blog and thought that also was really good information; especially now that many people are either getting into the private investigation business as a new career or established PIs are branching out with new and improved service and product options.
They discuss various types of services under the categories of Surveillance, Insurance, Corporate Investigations, Civil and Domestic Cases, Skip Tracing and Locating Missing People, Forensic Computer Examination, Criminal Defense Investigations, and Political and Discovery Assignments. The list does a great job at enumerating all of the different choices a new private investigator has when trying to figure out what types of PI assignments in which he or she might want to specialize.
The options are endless and the subject really deserves its own entire article here. The blog lists the most obvious ones. I absolutely recommend that investigators find their niche and specialize in only a few types of investigations! There are several important reasons for this, but it can be summed up this way: when you are the most notable investigator in your region of the country for a specific type of investigation, you will find MANY additional opportunities to make a lot more money than if you advertise yourself as a “jack of all trades.” This has been proven across the country time and time again and was something I learned while working for CompassPoint Investigations.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Ruffin Blaylock has Joined Pursuit, the Private Investigator Magazine
I just read Ruffin Blaylock's new article on using assault rifles and shotguns in bail enforcement and it was extremely insightful. Bounty Hunters often wonder if they should be carrying firearms and what types specifically are good for bounty hunting work and Ruffin's article exemplified experience and practical experience.
He'll make a great editor for the new online pi magazine's bail recovery category.
I forgot to mention that Pursuit Magazine, a private investigator magazine, has also set up a new MySpace account separate from the CompassPoint Investigation's account. Be sure to drop by and check out the new layout and add them as a friend. I understand that they are sending out subscriber-only notices and special content /sneak peeks to their MySpace friends so that might be a good resource for PIs.
He'll make a great editor for the new online pi magazine's bail recovery category.
I forgot to mention that Pursuit Magazine, a private investigator magazine, has also set up a new MySpace account separate from the CompassPoint Investigation's account. Be sure to drop by and check out the new layout and add them as a friend. I understand that they are sending out subscriber-only notices and special content /sneak peeks to their MySpace friends so that might be a good resource for PIs.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A New Kind of Private Investigator Directory... and It's Free.
From the PrivateInvestigatorsInc.com website:
"Caution: Getting listed in this directory is all about visibility, search engine marketing and helping potential customers find you rather than finding your competitors. If you are OK with that then we invite you to submit your listing for consideration."
This is a new type of directory in that it is built in WordPress, a blogging tool, rather than upon the old directory scripts that everyone is putting out. In plain English, this means that the directory listings at the PrivateInvestigatorsInc.com website will be better optimized for search engine consumption than a typical directory listing.
I'm excited about it as I can see the REAL value to this type of listing. Scott Harrell understands search engines and understands how to reach the top of search engine listings as he has with almost all of his websites. He explains that this listing is not so much about being found in the website itself as it is generating the right kind of search engine traffic to the listed agency's website thus improving the visibility of the agency website rather than the directory.
Personally, I'd rather have potential clients find my website rather than find me and my competition in a PI Directory.
Find a Private Investigator in... makes sense. The listings are currently free but they do ask that you provide a link back to the website, which is a very small price to pay for the exposure.
Get listed in the Private Investigator directory today... go to Find a Private Investigator in and get more information.
"Caution: Getting listed in this directory is all about visibility, search engine marketing and helping potential customers find you rather than finding your competitors. If you are OK with that then we invite you to submit your listing for consideration."
This is a new type of directory in that it is built in WordPress, a blogging tool, rather than upon the old directory scripts that everyone is putting out. In plain English, this means that the directory listings at the PrivateInvestigatorsInc.com website will be better optimized for search engine consumption than a typical directory listing.
I'm excited about it as I can see the REAL value to this type of listing. Scott Harrell understands search engines and understands how to reach the top of search engine listings as he has with almost all of his websites. He explains that this listing is not so much about being found in the website itself as it is generating the right kind of search engine traffic to the listed agency's website thus improving the visibility of the agency website rather than the directory.
Personally, I'd rather have potential clients find my website rather than find me and my competition in a PI Directory.
Find a Private Investigator in... makes sense. The listings are currently free but they do ask that you provide a link back to the website, which is a very small price to pay for the exposure.
Get listed in the Private Investigator directory today... go to Find a Private Investigator in and get more information.
Friday, October 24, 2008
PI Magazine has a Real Competitor (Finally) and it's FREE!
I've written about Pursuit Magazine before but I just saw the new website layout and I was floored by the beautiful layout and all of the information available. Visiting PI Magazine online is a bit like attending the circus or Las Vegas- cluttered and the inability to focus on anything because of the blinking banners and the overload of advertising. I can focus on the content at Pursuit Magazine and enjoy the experience when I have some downtime to really learn something.
Who gives away that much free information anyway? Is Scott crazy?
I love the videos section- there is some seriously EXCELLENT material there. The Sitemap is an excellent resource and I have set up an RSS feed through the subscribe function so that I am notified every time a new post is made.
My understanding is that they are still going to send out the electronic copy of the actual Magazine every other month too, which is awesome.
Great work. I hope you all will visit them and tell them what a great job they are doing.
Who gives away that much free information anyway? Is Scott crazy?
I love the videos section- there is some seriously EXCELLENT material there. The Sitemap is an excellent resource and I have set up an RSS feed through the subscribe function so that I am notified every time a new post is made.
My understanding is that they are still going to send out the electronic copy of the actual Magazine every other month too, which is awesome.
Great work. I hope you all will visit them and tell them what a great job they are doing.
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