Net neutrality: What Is It And How It Will Affect Small Business Websites

Everyone knows about net neutrality. Wait, what? We do? Of course not. Up until yesterday, barely anyone had heard of it. The media had no coverage of this vote leading up to it. But with the FCC’s decision less than 24 hours ago to dismantle its regulations on net neutrality, reality has just kicked in. What exactly is net neutrality and why is it so important? Net Neutrality is the ability to communicate openly and freely on the Internet. There are no rules or regulations that hinder a consumer’s usage. We log on, type in a web page, and boom; …

2 Simple Reasons You Should Add Video to Your Social Media Marketing Strategy

I’m often asked whether video for social media marketing really makes that much of a difference for small businesses. Short answer: if done right, it can make a very big difference. In fact, I’ve seen many small businesses—all with great potential in their respective markets—both lose momentum and gain that extra push needed to go to the next level because of the choice they made about including video in their marketing efforts. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Given the choice, would you rather read a blog or watch a video? Personal preference aside, many would choose the video because …

3 Ways To Throw Your Money Away On Advertising

Before you react and think that this is post about how much I hate advertising, it isn’t.  In fact, I think advertising can be a great source of leads and brand awareness for a business.  But too often I see small businesses spending money on advertising for the wrong reasons.  Here are some examples of poor logic when it comes to advertising spend: “But it’s only $50/month” (insert your low monthly cost here…are you sure that is the best way you can spend your company’s $600?) “My competitors advertise there” (and if all the other kids jumped off a bridge?…ok …

How Your Small B2B Business Can Rock Social Media

The questions we typically hear most often from small businesses about social media are: Which social media networks should I consider? What type of content should I post? These are great questions and we have certainly seen a lot of boring Business-To-Business (B2B) content on social media.  It often seems that only Business-To-Consumer (B2C)  businesses know how to sell the sizzle in the steak, so to speak.  What business owners seem to forget when delivering their message to other businesses is that those businesses are run by people.  And people still like to have their attention grabbed, even if it …

Video Marketing Musts

Video Marketing Musts Video Marketing is often underrated and overlooked. But the video content you post is a crucial part of your brand’s strategy. Video is a powerful tool to use to tell your company’s story and to drive calls to action. Did we mention that YouTube is the number-2-ranked search engine? But you can’t just throw up any ole video and expect to have positive results. In order to successfully market via video and YouTube, your videos must be meaningful. How can they be meaningful? Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating your video.   …

How to: Pinterest Marketing

How to: Pinterest Marketing Pinterest marketing is something often overlooked. Pinterest can be used for more than DIY birthday gifts and nifty holiday desserts. If you’ve been using the site already for pinning ideas you think are interesting, you might be surprised to know that marketing with Pinterest doesn’t take much extra. Like other social networks—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—Pinterest gives you the ability to share things you like. And for a business, it allows for free exposure. Pinterest is all about networking, sharing things, and linking to content, which makes it ideal for driving new customers to your product or service. …

Google Circles and How They Work

Several of my clients come to me confused about Google+.  Should they have a page?  Is it worthwhile?  In a word, yes, if for no other reason than the fact that Google loves Google+ and tends to rank its pages quite well in search results.  So claiming your piece of Google real estate and posting content regularly is important. Google’s entry into the social networking world debuted June 2011. One of the features of Google+’s service is the Google+ Circle, similar in design and purpose to Facebook’s Lists or Groups. Because relationships are at the core of any social networking …

social media dos and donts

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts

Social media dos and don’ts are crucial aspects that my clients, who are new to utilizing social media for their businesses, often seek advice on. They inquire about what is considered appropriate or inappropriate to express online, the frequency of interactions, and the appropriate individuals with whom they should engage. To address these queries, I typically provide the following high-level response: Approach your online interactions with the same etiquette you would employ at a cocktail party. Just as you wouldn’t barge into a room shouting your business name or distribute business cards haphazardly without establishing rapport or sharing captivating anecdotes …