I think that most of the time when a small business comes to mind, we think of people who are a one man band, so to speak. Many small businesses are a sole proprietorship or have just a very few employees. Small businesses also typically come with smaller budgets and more time requirements.
There's no doubt that social media has infiltrated every part of our lives. This includes parents, kids, family members, coworkers, and just about anyone else that you can think of. When Facebook (arguably the first "real" social network) began, membership was restricted to college students. Now, just about anyone can join.
Three of the major players on the social media scene are now offering the ability to buy ads or promote posts. These social media networks have become a huge force when it comes to marketing for all different kinds of businesses.
When people talk about consistency in marketing, they tend to focus mostly on marketing materials. Are the visuals and messages cohesive? Do the look and feel read consistently across all materials, print or otherwise? Clearly, customers need to have a reliable experience of who you are in order
Oh Google+. You had great hopes to become the next big social media site. Has it happened yet? Well, not really. Google+ is the social network brought to you by arguably the biggest Internet conglomerate of all time.
In the past few years, the focus of your so-called "reputation" has shifted from how you present yourself in person and on the telephone to how your present yourself in a digital environment. I would say this this is a classic case of being both a curse and a blessing.
So you've decided to start a website for your business. You hire a designer, design a great looking site. You find a reputable company to host your site. You get a great URL. You go live with your site. So why isn't your awesome website getting any traffic?
These days, everyone has their "device" of choice. There's always been a great divide of sorts when it comes to people who favor Apple products versus those who prefer PCs. Now, there are so many different types of tablets, laptops, smart phones, and desktop computers. In an office setting,
I pride myself on being on the up-and-up when it comes to social media and Internet marketing. I should be, I blog for quite a few social/marketing/business blogs each month! But this week, I came across a topic that was unfamiliar to me.
Let’s face it, whether you are a business or just a casual user of social media or a blogger, sometimes coming up with original content can be downright difficult. Lacking inspiration and not knowing where to find it can be very frustrating. I’m actually guilty lately of referring to
LinkedIn is now arguably one of the most important social networks to be a part of, particularly if you are a part of the professional world. LinkedIn allows professionals from all over the world and nearly every industry to connect.
Social media has had a massive impact on marketing and the way that consumers view businesses. While many businesses are taking part in social media marketing, many fail to see the market research potential that the platform offers as well. These tips and tricks offer simple, easy to implement ways
While browsing the web recently for news and how I could translate stories I read into blog topics, I found an article titled Social Media Marketing: Get Out Now, You're Doomed to Fail.
Some of the first killer applications for personal computers were electronic address books that replaced the Rolodex. They were simply contact management systems, electronic databases that made it easier to keep all of your contacts up to date. In the era before office networks, laptops, smart
We spend a lot of time talking about how to make social media work for business and what kind of marketing targets social media users. But we don't often take a step back and see the true impact that the addition of social media networks has had on our everyday lives.
While so many companies, large and small, are turning to social media as a primary marketing tool, are they really listening to what their customers have to say on the networks? "Listening" via social media is an interesting concept. Since social media is a real-time medium for interaction,
All of us in the business world get stuck sometimes. Running a small business and being innovative in everyday workings of that business can sometimes be draining. We are not always on our game when it comes to being creative. Lack of inspiration can happen in any business. Writers get
Nearly every company will face some kind of crisis or unfavorable event. We hear about ways that companies handle bad situations all the time - mostly via social media.
We've heard it time and time again: Twitter is a great community-building tool. And I agree, in part - there is the potential for Twitter to be a fantastic place for deep, meaningful connections and powerful communities. But it's not quite there yet.
Have you ever thought about how great innovators are able to come up with new insights that lead to brilliant ideas? It's no coincidence. Utilizing observations, experiences, facts and emotions, while examining their relationships, is the key to groundbreaking innovation. Create new ideas from ones that are already out there.
Life is full of challenges and sometimes we can lose perspective (and enthusiasm). A lack of belief in ourselves and what we can accomplish can stand in the way of long-term success. Instead of shying away from our potential, we have to embrace it.
Everywhere you go, people you see are glued to their cell phones. It's undeniable. As a society, we seem to be feeling the need to be more and more connected every day. It's not uncommon to see a family sitting at a restaurant table, no one speaking but each one using some kind of cell phone.
Learning is an ongoing process that every business owner partakes in. We tune, adjust, and apply new methods to our business models. But where do we get these ideas from? Some are inherently learned through our own practices, while others are taught by those that have endured them before.
Cloud computing has transformed the way we do everything. From business to pleasure, the 'anytime, anywhere' availability of these apps makes sharing, collaborating and staying on top of things simple, providing everyone with the sophisticated technology that used to be beyond the reach of the Ordinary Joe.
At the age of 28, Mark Zuckerberg is the world's 29-richest person and his company Facebook has over one billion users worldwide, only eight years after it was set up. Yet Zuckerberg "never wanted to run a company," he said. "To me a business is a good vehicle for getting stuff done."
