Social Media
Online Reviews — Simple Keys to Increasing Sales
by jimIn a recent report, Nielsen published findings that indicate an interesting fact for businesses: Online reviews are among the most trusted sources of information for… read more
Putting marketing experiments work for your local business
by katYou don’t have to be a mad scientist to conduct experiments. In fact, if you own a local business, conducting marketing experiments can be a great way to find new ways to promote your business. read more
Content Strategy, Email Marketing, Front-End Development, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, Web Marketing
Listening to Your Customers with Analytics & Monitoring
by katUnfortunately, a content marketing plan is only half of a complete social media strategy. Social media is a conversation between businesses and customers. A plan that only covers the talking part of the conversation is missing a vital ingredient: listening. read more
Content Strategy, Market Research, Social Media, Web Strategy, Website Analytic Reporting
Why I Can’t Give You The Login For Your Business Facebook Page
by katThink of a Business Page like a car. A car can’t go anywhere all on it’s own. It has to have a person to drive it. You create a Business Page while logged in as a person, using a personal profile. That profile is automatically connected to the page as an Admin–someone who owns the keys to the car. read more
Chicago Gets First Groupon Foursquare Deals
by katFriday, the anticipated integration between check-in utility Foursquare and daily deals service Groupon began displaying their first deals in Chicago Friday, with an anticipated national rollout to follow later this week. read more
Google+ Has the Buzz, But Will It Last?
by katThis week, the web marketing chatter has been all about Google+, the search engine’s latest foray into social technologies. Will it be a game changer,… read more
Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media
Is a Daily Deal Right for Your Local Business?
by katDaily deals, social buying, coupons 2.0: no matter what you call it, the trend seems to show no signs of slowing down. But is it right for your business? Maybe, maybe not. As with nearly any marketing tool, it depends on your goals and objectives. Before you jump into a daily deals campaign, ask yourself some questions. Social buying and daily deals are red hot right now. Make sure you think through the potential complications, and you could build your repeat and referral business dramatically. Fail to think it through, and your business could get burned. read more
“But I Don’t Want to Be a Media Company!”
by katI’ve found, though, that a lot of SMBs are very resistant to this idea that every company is a media company. After all, most didn’t get into business with the idea of becoming a media company. They wanted to sell industrial machine parts, or coffee, or imported home goods, or whatever passion drove them into entrepreneurship. read more
Bing, Facebook, and What Social Search Means for SMBs
by katSearch engine marketing is great for positioning your business in front of customers looking for your products or services, who don’t necessarily know your business name. Social media marketing is great for getting trustworthy, personal word-of-mouth recommendations for your business. For quite a while now, it’s seemed like these two great marketing tastes are moving towards a collision. read more
Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Social Media Campaigns
Social media marketing: to outsource, or not to outsource?
by katIn my experience, a rich and productive social media program has many moving parts and many goals. Some of those moving parts, and some of those goals, are best outsourced and others are best kept in house. read more
Content Strategy, Social Media, Social Media Campaigns, Web Marketing
Does your business need to get social?
by katBusiness owners and managers at all levels, from SMBs to global brands, often ask me why they should invest in a social media marketing effort. It’s a fair question: many of the tools of social media were built for personal, not business, use. The truth is, there are several use cases where social media isn’t a good solution for the marketing problem at hand. read more