Hyperlocal Marketing

Posted on by August 1, 2013

7-13-small-daily-deal-sitesWhat About the Smaller Daily Deal Sites?

Many small business ownesr are asking not only if Groupon and LivingSocial able to remain afloat, but are they an option for smaller business such as theirs? Or will a smaller daily deal site be more likely to be the ticket to help with your hyperlocal marketing? There are a number of benefits to using a few of the smaller daily deal sites rather than the market beasts, Groupon, LivingSocial Facebook and Google. We’re going to take a look at why sites like Woot, Yelp, eLocal, Local Response, ZipLocal, Signpost, CityMaps, Yipit, and ShowMeLocal might be able to give you a far more agile and consumer-focused result. read more

Lemon Picnic Pasta

Posted on by July 30, 2013

lemon-picnic-pasta-with-basil

This has become one of our very favorite pasta dishes for summer. Why is it called “Picnic Pasta”? Because this dish is best served warm or at room temperature…which makes it perfect for taking on a picnic! (No refrigeration necessary). I hope you love it as much as we do!

Click here to get the full recipe and instruction.

Video Webinar Marketing

Posted on by July 30, 2013

7-13-google-hangoutsGoogle Hangouts – The Best Free Webinar Tool Out There!

Google is fast becoming somewhat notorious for launching new programs and then casting them aside whenever the mood changes. Witness Google Wave, Google Buzz and now Google Reader. (I’m still ticked about that one!) Despite many predictions of a similar fate for Google , Google Hangouts, their latest wonder-app, might just save the collective Google bacon.

Google Hangouts – So what is it exactly?

A super easy tool for teleconferencing that could replace or augment your existing webinar or online seminar solutions. Connected to your Google account, a hangout is a snap to launch, and it has several attractive features for marketers. You and up to ten other participants, along with any number of other viewers can see your hangout live. It can be broadcast from your Google page, YouTube channel, or a page on your site. Google records the Hangout, and then a few minutes after you’re done, delivers a YouTube URL to you, which you could then use in many ways. read more

Copy Writing

Posted on by July 25, 2013

7-13-4-steps-to-effective-copywritingConvince Your Readers with Persuasive Copy

There may very well be no more fundamental task for a content provider than to be persuasive with your copy. Sounds easy, right? Right until you’ve tried it, perhaps. You will discover a reason top copywriters get paid the big bucks. Never fear yet. You needn’t break the budget to hire your own Shakespeare just yet. There are several basic components of copywriting with persuasion which will make a huge difference, and best of all, you can learn them! read more

Flat Design

Posted on by July 23, 2013

6-13-flat-designThis Just In! – The Web Design World is Indeed Flat!

Everything comes full circle, even web design. You might not have seen it yet, but there’s a new trend out there, and its called is flat web design. It’s sweeping the industry, and the thing is it’s actually existed since Microsoft unveiled it in 2006.

So why is a design “flat”?

Flat design is seen as simple, bright solid colors, a lot of white space, plus the absence of drop shadows, gradients, and textures which have been a major element of a web designer’s arsenal for a while now. Often typography plays a leading role in flat web design. Flat web design is a “smooth” solution whose aim is to eliminate as many decorative elements of a “3D” type look as possible. read more

Buzzword Watch “SoLoMo”

Posted on by July 18, 2013

6-13-solomoWhat is SoLoMo and Why Do I Need It?

If you haven’t yet incorporated the concept of SoLoMo, (social, local, mobile) it’s high time to get connected and realize exactly how and why this is a most important direction for your small business to embrace.

So what is SoLoMo and why do you need it?

The melding of these three distinct technologies was bound to happen. As mobile devices get more and more sophisticated, letting geo-location services to track every move, it was only a small step into empowering businesses to send notifications to nearby customers. Research conducted recently by the Pew Internet & American Life Project reveals that around 74 percent of smartphone users use them to get information, and approximately 18 percent are using them to check in on local businesses with services like Foursquare. This has led to both an opportunity and a challenge. A growing number of mobile users are searching for local products and services, and if your company is not using its social media to connect and draw these individuals who are out there roaming the streets seeking something to do, eat or buy. It’s your job to make sure they find you before they find someone else! read more

How to Use Twitter Hashtags in Your Small Business

Posted on by July 16, 2013

6-13-golden-hashtagWhat are #Hashtags and How to Use Them

Know exactly what a #Hashtag is? If you’re not a social media expert, and particularly Twitter, you might not have a clue what a #hashtag is. No need for that being the case any longer. A hashtag is a # paired with a word or phrase to perform a number of functions. Twitter users add hashtags to tweets as search conventions, a method of categorizing, and marketing tactics. #Hashtags can also be used in other social media platforms.

#Hashtags guidelines read more

Small Business Innovation

Posted on by July 11, 2013

6-13-innovation-in-businessHow to inject a dose of innovation into your company

While on the surface it would make sense that the smaller, more agile entrepreneurial companies amongst us would be the more innovative. You would think this would be true. And you also would be wrong. It’s not for a lack of trying or desire. It’s simply that smaller businesses lack the R & D budgets, the staff, and the vision that larger companies can commission. Needless to say, the challenge for small business innovation is to break past the glass ceiling keeping it from innovating, and get into the game! Less than half of small businesses were brought into being as a result of a “new idea,” according to a study by Erik Hurst and Benjamin Wild Pugsley of the University of Chicago. They state that most new business is another “Me-too” venture, offering the already crowded marketplace another grocery, plumber or florist. Little innovation required, and thus little growth. read more

How to Take Advantage of Instagram at Your Business

Posted on by July 9, 2013

6-13-instagram-graphicInstagram – A Picture of the Social Photo Sharing Site

Marketers hunting for a way to engage and grow their reach would be well advised to consider the meteoric growth and popularity of Instagram, a free online photo sharing and social network platform acquired by Facebook in 2012. Instagram allows members users to upload, edit and share photos with other associates through the Instagram website, email, and social media sites including Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Foursquare and Flickr. On Instagram, you can follow other users’ photo streams, be followed back by those users, and search for friends by name or find any friends that might have previously connected to you on other social networks. read more

How to Leverage Facebook Graph Search

Posted on by July 4, 2013

6-13-facebook-graph-searchHow Can You Use Facebook Graph Search in Your Business?

Facebook is at it again, and this time it’s called Facebook Graph Search. It is their endeavor to sway their search results from the keyword-based model like Google’s, to one where Facebook can make use of its greatest asset, the social interplay between all of its users. Still coming out, Graph Search may not be open to you yet, (still only available in the US, and there’s a waiting list) but it’s coming sooner than you think. And if you have a business that uses Facebook at all, you must learn how this can benefit you. read more