Even though it has now been around for decades, email marketing is still one of the least expensive, most effective forms of digital marketing. That’s good news because it means you can connect with your target audience without breaking the bank. You already know the basics of email marketing, but you may not know how… Read More

I’m willing to bet you already know a lot about Facebook ads. Facebook is still the most widely used social media platform with 2.54 billion active daily users as of the third quarter of 2020. Because of Facebook’s algorithm, non-paid content from family and friends are given priority in users’ feeds, making Facebook advertising a… Read More

It’s a new year and most of us are happy to be leaving 2020 in the rearview mirror. It was a tough year at almost every level and marketing is no exception. 2021 promises to be challenging as well, but we hope that also means an eventual return to something that feels like the old… Read More

The first quarter of 2020 brought us an unprecedented situation with a global pandemic that shut down parts of the country and created economic uncertainty and record unemployment. For a lot of businesses, that meant taking a new approach to marketing. Now, more than eight months into the pandemic, the road ahead is clearer than… Read More

Geofencing is one of those things that can sound intimidating if you don’t understand it. That happens with any new technology. It’s unknown and sounds vaguely expensive, and you might think that you need a lot of experience to figure out how to incorporate it into your marketing. I get it. But geofencing is a… Read More

The world of social media marketing is noisy these days. Getting your content to the people who are most likely to buy your products or use your services is akin to trying to flag down a car going 90 miles an hour on a six-lane highway — when you’re in a building on the side… Read More

Everybody who hasn’t been in a cryogenic state for the past couple of years has heard about TikTok. It’s the newest social media platform where users create and share 15-second videos known as TikToks. While a lot of the content includes lip synching or dancing, more local businesses who target young audiences are turning to… Read More

We all know that content marketing is the name of the game for businesses large and small. Content is king and all that. But how does a small business create enough good content to reach their marketing goals? That’s the question. The answer, as it turns out, is easy. All you need is a primer… Read More

You’re probably already marketing your business on Facebook. If you’re not, you should be – but it’s not just a question of having a Facebook page and using it. You’ve got to use it wisely if you want to get great results. It’s not uncommon for small business owners to dive into Facebook marketing without… Read More

Ad campaigns are still effective, but the truth is they’re not as effective as content marketing. Bill Gates proclaimed “Content is king” back in 1996 and his words have proven to be remarkably prescient. Web users expect top-notch content from the companies they follow. Easier said than done, right? Well… maybe. There are lots of… Read More

Marketing is always changing and the changes in 2020 have been profound, mostly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve all had to adjust our work and home lives as a result. With more consumers working from home and budgetary concerns at the forefront for most people, you might be thinking that mobile marketing isn’t as… Read More

As 2020 winds down in the next couple months there are still a lot of questions that we can’t answer. How soon until there’s a vaccine to Covid-19? When will the pandemic end? When will we return to business as usual? For small business owners, that last question looms large. With COVID cases spiking across… Read More

Wouldn’t it be great to find some simple tricks that would help you leap ahead of your competitors and see your small business soar to new heights? Well, I’ve got good news for you. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about growth hacks – little tricks you can use to fast-track your growth and increase… Read More

New customers are great. There’s something undeniably exciting about attracting someone to your business who might not have found it otherwise. That’s the reason that new customer marketing gets all the attention. It’s the glitziest way to grow a business. But guess what? It’s not a very cost effective way to grow a business, which… Read More

The 2020 holiday shopping season promises to be unlike any other. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment rates are high, and consumers may be reluctant to do their shopping in person. But don’t worry! Not all the news is bad. In fact, most experts are predicting a robust holiday shopping season that might not look… Read More

You already know that content marketing is widely considered to be essential for your business. Maybe you’ve already got a blog that gets some organic traffic. What’s next? The sad truth is that most local businesses aren’t blogging about the right things in the right way. As a result, they’re losing business that’s going to… Read More

A well-known actress, Jane Russell once said “Publicity can be terrible. But only if you don’t have any.” It’s true. Your business needs publicity and there is no better marketing tool for your business than publicity, it’s “grade A” online exposure. Publicity is vital to the growth of your business because it gets people talking… Read More

If you tend to keep up with SEO and search trends, then you know that almost everything focuses on Google. And why not? Google is by far the largest search engine, snagging about two-thirds of all searchers. Two-thirds is a lot, but do you notice what’s missing there? If you remember what you learned about… Read More

Marketing your local business can seem like a full-time job. Most business owners can’t afford to have a marketing department which means that you’re adding marketing to all your other responsibilities. Since there are only so many hours in a day, it’s essential to have a few tricks up your sleeve: things that can help… Read More

I hope you’re not sick of me talking about online reviews, because I’m about to do it again. Why? Because they can have a huge impact on your business and bottom line. 91% of consumers between the ages of 19 and 34 trust reviews, and consumers are more likely to trust your company if you… Read More

Most local businesses should advertise on Facebook. That’s what I believe, and the evidence backs me up. It’s cost-effective and, if you do it right, it can help your business to grow. Easier said than done. The issue is that while Facebook ads are effective, a lot of local business owners don’t know which objectives… Read More

You already know that local marketing is the name of the game if you want to grow your business. The challenge – especially during this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic – is choosing practical local marketing tactics that can help you without breaking the bank. I hear you. So, without further ado, here are… Read More

Do you offer a worthwhile product or service? You know you do! But how can you convince the people in your target audience of its worth? That’s the purpose of marketing. It’s your job to prove your product’s worth. There are all kinds of ways to prove that a product is good. Remember the old… Read More

By now, most small business owners know they need to be active on social media. Regardless of your  industry or niche, your customers expect to find you there. And social media’s free, so… it’s all easy, right? I wish it were that easy. In fact, I notice that a lot of small business social media… Read More

SEO matters. You don’t need me to tell you that – although I certainly have told you all about it! Understanding the importance of SEO is one thing and knowing what to do with your SEO metrics is another. With so many metrics to choose from, how do you know where to put your focus?… Read More

In the world of digital marketing, traffic gets a lot of attention. Small business owners understand that without visitors to your site, it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to grow or sustain their businesses. I’d argue that the focus on traffic isn’t helpful unless it’s paired with a focus on conversion. After all, you… Read More

Have you cut back on marketing due to the COVID-19 pandemic? You’re not alone. A lot of business owners are trying to save money by reducing their spending. Cutting back is understandable and may be necessary, but marketing isn’t a luxury for your business. It’s a necessity. And it’s possible to keep things going even… Read More

Is your marketing budget tiny – or non-existent? It’s a common problem with local businesses who put everything they make into inventory and payroll. If you don’t have much to spend on marketing, you might wonder how you can ever grow your business. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can… Read More

Voice search isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s more prevalent than ever before and that’s not going to change. The latest stats show that by 2020, at least 50% of all searches will be voice searches. Even more surprising is this nugget of information. Digital transformation leader Gartner anticipates that in the same time frame,… Read More

You probably already have a Facebook Business Page. If you don’t, you should – in fact, setting one up should be the very next thing you do after reading this article. Why? Facebook has more than 2 billion active monthly users. Regardless of where your business is located or what you sell, the chances are… Read More

Your website is the headquarters of all your online marketing. It’s the first thing most people will find when they search for your business. Between 70% and 80% of all consumers say that they research businesses online before buying products. In addition, 38% say that they’ll navigate away from a website if it is poorly… Read More

You know that content marketing is still king. That’s unlikely to change and that means that it’s your job to create and share the kind of content that’ll bring customers to your business and help you improve your bottom line. The numbers back up content marketing’s importance. Research shows that 91% of all B2B companies… Read More

If you’re a good marketer, you already know that mail marketing remains one of the best ways to market your business. Yet there are still many businesses out there who view it as an outdated, and antiquated way of getting their message out to the masses. Those businesses tend overlook email marketing altogether, which is… Read More

For many local businesses, online marketing is only part of the game. And, if you don’t have an online store, then it might seem like marketing on the web is an afterthought – something that has no relation to your sales and foot traffic. Think again. The truth is that a growing number of consumers… Read More

Social media marketing is a must – but getting organic engagement is becoming increasingly difficult. With sites like Facebook and Twitter tweaking their algorithms constantly, local businesses need proven strategies to ensure that their customers see and engage with their posts. Engagement isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition, but it’s undeniable that some strategies to increase engagement… Read More

Local business owners are busy people – you know that already. In a single day, you could be acting as an HR manager, marketing guru, IT expert, and cashier. That’s a lot for any one person to do. For that reason, SEO can sometimes take a back seat. It’s understandable. When you’re the one doing… Read More

Email marketing remains one of the best ways for local businesses to build customer loyalty and attract new customers. It’s affordable and accessible – but it won’t be effective if you don’t make the most of it. The good news? Every dollar spent on email marketing in the United States generates $44 of revenue. That’s… Read More

You probably already know that Facebook has more than two billion active monthly users. Obviously, not all of them are in your target audience – but many of them are. For that reason, it’s important to understand how to use Facebook to encourage your existing customers to talk about your business and recommend it to… Read More

Loyalty programs are everywhere. I’m willing to bet you have several loyalty cards in your wallet. You may even have loyalty memberships you’ve forgotten about. Customers love them – and with good reason. A well-thought-out loyalty program provides benefits to customers that can range from reduced prices for products to giveaways to exclusive access to… Read More

Is your website hip and modern – or is it out-of-date and sad? If it’s been a while since you updated your site, there’s at least a chance that it’s a dud. That doesn’t mean it’s poorly designed, but it does mean that it’s your job to give it an honest evaluation and update it… Read More

Content marketing is all about content. That’s obvious. What isn’t obvious to many local business owners is that they don’t need to be the ones to create every piece of content they share. The term for using content created by someone else for marketing purposes is called “content curation.” The word ‘curation’ is a clue… Read More

Local businesses have special marketing challenges. Namely, it’s your job as a business owner to make sure that the people who are most likely to patronize your business – the people who live in your service area – know what you have to offer and where to find you. One way to accomplish that goal… Read More

How long has it been since you did anything with your company Facebook page (or Twitter or Instagram)? If it’s been a long time, then you might feel stuck. How can you resurrect your social media presence? Is it possible? Should you bother? The short answer is yes, it’s possible. You’ll need to be methodical… Read More

In the days before the internet, local marketing was simple. You paid for a listing in your local Yellow Pages, printed flyers, and maybe took out an ad in the local paper. People knew who you were and where you were. Then web marketing came along and changed everything. At first, the recommendation was to… Read More

When deciding what type of lead magnet will attract the most signups (leads) for your business it’s natural to want to go right to your best offer – the thing that’ll convince first-time visitors to your site to dive right in and hire you, retain your services you or purchase your product. There’s just one… Read More

Before automation was possible, people had to do everything by hand. It took a long time – and once we realized that we could automate repetitive tasks, we never looked back. So, the question I have for you about automating your business is a simple one: What are you waiting for? The numbers don’t lie.… Read More

Blogging is still one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website and attract new customers. But are you making the most of your local business blog? Maybe not. If you’re not, the big question is what should you be doing? The answer starts with numbers and ends with specific advice. So, let’s… Read More

It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of a chatbot would have seemed like the stuff of science fiction, right up there with Daleks or droids. Not anymore. In fact, chatbots are everywhere these days. They’re readily available, highly effective and – believe it or not – not that expensive to create. That said,… Read More

Who doesn’t love a positive review from a satisfied customer? Every business owner knows the value of positive reviews – and they’ve never been important than they are right now. Did you know that more than 80% of all consumers say that they trust a product review from a stranger as much as they would… Read More

Does hearing the words “Facebook content” immediately tire you out mentally?  Do you cringe at the thought of having to drum up original posts every single day? Let’s be honest.  Nobody really wants to do that. And there is an easier approach to Facebook content curation.  It’s what we call the 70-30 approach: posting 70%… Read More

You’ve got to spend money to make money. Right? Well… maybe. The truth is that it it’s not that simple. Many of the tried and true marketing tricks you read about do require a substantial budget. But some don’t. In fact, there are ways to increase your sales even if you’re running on a shoestring… Read More

Attracting new customers is the most important marketing goal you can have. That’s what you’d think based on the way a lot of people approach marketing. But is that the correct approach? Is your time (and money) well spent if you focus on attracting new customers? Brace yourself, because the opposite is true. You’ll get… Read More

Marketing in a time of economic crisis is no joke. But you already know that. Let’s face it: it’s difficult, at best, to know how to handle your marketing when unemployment numbers are high, spending is low, and uncertainty is everywhere you look. And yet, for all that, marketing is a must if you want… Read More

Audits. Nobody likes them, am I right? I get it. I really do. But audits serve a purpose – and if your business is closed right now because of the COVID-19 pandemic, then this is the perfect time to change ‘audit’ from a dirty word to a tool that can help your business thrive. Not… Read More

Adaptive marketing is crucial. If you can’t quickly change your approach when it’s not working, you can be throwing money down the drain. Even when it is working, you should still have a plan to switch it up.  When you have a good marketing message and a recognizable brand that are performing as they should… Read More

Video marketing is still the king of the hill when it comes to driving clicks and sales. The numbers don’t lie. According to Social Media Today: 72% of consumers prefer to watch a video to learn about a product or service. 78% of consumers watch a video online at least once a week, and 55%… Read More

Regular internet users will see thousands of adverts every week.  How many of them will actually be remembered? This is the battle that marketers are fighting. With these hacks, you can increase the number of leads coming in, leaving you to concentrate on the conversions. Use Pop-Ups Intelligently A well-placed pop-up, shown at the right… Read More

You want to grow your business. That’s a given. New customer acquisition is expensive. Another given. What a business owner to do? If you have an unlimited marketing budget, you can simply put it into attracting and nurturing new customers. But I don’t know many small business owners who have that luxury. Fortunately, there are… Read More

What do you do when business is slow, and profits are down? If you think that the answer is “stop marketing,” then it’s time to think again. While it’s true that marketing might seem to be less essential than other areas of business, the truth is that a solid marketing plan could spell the difference… Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire world. Business owners have had to scramble to find ways to stay afloat even as they’ve had to work from home and halt in-person sales and services. It’s a lot for anybody to deal with at a time that’s already stressful. The solution for most business owners is… Read More

Business technology is moving at a very rapid rate. One of the blessings of this tech is eCommerce. However, several businesses are adopting the eCommerce business model, thereby creating the need for marketing strategies that will make you stand out. When referring to eCommerce strategies, this goes beyond owning a website or running a social… Read More

Improving your website’s traffic is something that, as a business, is an essential thing to work on all the time. The more you can build up your traffic, the more opportunities you have of turning in those potential leads to sales. Whether you’re selling a service or product, every effort you can make to help… Read More

When it comes to getting your brand out there, growing your visibility, and establishing a reputation within your industry, then press releases can be a vital part of your marketing strategy. Aside from having newsworthy events to write about, presenting them as well as possible can make a big impact on your chances of getting… Read More

Marketing can feel a lot like giving a pitch to clients and customers alike. We must tell our potential audience just how worthwhile our services are to use, how reliable our products and services are, or how competitive our prices may be. All of this can seem like an array of promises that consumers are… Read More

It’s easy to assume that customers and clients want to buy from big businesses and this is true. They definitely don’t want to take a chance on an unproven business. The tales of the underdog may be fascinating to hear but they are not what clients want to see when they buy from a company.… Read More

Are you exploring new ways to market your company? It’s always a smart idea to think outside the box, but you also need to realize that some tried and true methods are still relevant. Many people are questioning whether content is still a heavy hit in terms of marketing and promotion. The answer is definitely… Read More

There are many ways to market your business. While many companies typically adopt a broad approach to their marketing, and thus advertise their companies across the country and beyond, it’s important not to overlook the local side of things, too. Treat your local customers well, and make them know that you’re there for them, and… Read More

If you want to make sure your business thrives, you have got to have an efficient marketing campaign. Without one, I’m afraid you may have the best product or service in the world, but it simply is not going to sell. You need to set aside some revenue to focus on marketing, advertising, and public… Read More

The show must go on. Even when the whole world is struggling through a health crisis, businesses know that they have to find a way to continue making money. While governments are helping out, it may not be enough for your company. And, in some cases, the money isn’t available right away, meaning that mounting… Read More

Marketing is such a hard thing to get used to, and often we leave it up to the professionals to do. It’s rare that a business handles its own marketing unless of course, they are a business that’s in the marketing niche, or if they have a marketing team in house. If a business has… Read More

Marketing trends change all the time. As a local business owner, it can sometimes be hard to keep up or even know which ones you should be following. Are any of the past or current marketing trends worthwhile? In marketing, you’ve got to pick and choose. Very few people have an unlimited budget that allows… Read More

2019 has been the year of the chatbot. Businesses who have adopted the chatbot trend have been able to support and scale their business operations by offering convenient and efficient communication to their customers. Implementing chatbots has also helped businesses increase their sales, by providing 24/7 chat support to customers who need questions answered before… Read More

Cyberattacks can strike no matter how big or small your website might be. In fact, they strike more frequently than you might think, with one study showing that most websites face around 58 attacks every day, even when patched. The kind of damage resulting from these attacks can vary, from things like financial loss, compromised… Read More

These days, a solid email marketing campaign is a crucial tool in any robust online marketing strategy’s toolbox. Subscribing to a weekly newsletter is easy—all it takes is one click. But what happens after the person in question is signed up to your mailing list? How can you ensure they actually open as many emails… Read More

Marketing isn’t the same as it was ten years ago. With digital advancements, marketing is no longer all about billboards and full-page spreads in the local magazine. Are you making the most of online marketing opportunities? If you’re not, you’re losing out on plenty of attention from potential customers and clients. People are spending more… Read More

Take a second and look around. Brand imaging is everywhere, especially on social media. There’s no denying that social media engagement has become crucial to a digital marketing strategy, but managing your brand across multiple social media platforms is a lot of work, not to mention time consuming. Small businesses run up against the same… Read More

Chatbots, which are pieces of AI technology designed to have automated conversations, are a hot topic right now, and with good reason. Anyone who spends any amount of time online knows that more and more business, both small and large, are fighting for your attention. It has become crucial for businesses to find ways to… Read More

Just like with the content on your blog, the quality of the content you publish on social media is just as important.  So is having established goals and objectives regarding why you’re posting in the first place. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s simply not enough to post great content… Read More

There is one thing that will make or break your law firm in terms of profit this year. Do you know what it is? The answer is conversions, but I guarantee that it isn’t in the way you think. Conversions equal profit, right? Yes. But what has an even bigger impact on your success isn’t… Read More

Actively participating (aka: not spamming them with backlinks to your content) in LinkedIn groups within your niche and/or location can be a great way to get your name out there and make new connections. Don’t shy away from starting a new conversation or joining an existing one. Ask questions, share ideas, or/or provide insights into what’s… Read More

Where would we be without engineering? Probably stuck back somewhere in stone age technology. Engineering firms, and the services they provide, have been critical to creating the world as we know it. When you provide such an essential service, it is easy to push aside the idea that, just like every other industry, you need… Read More

Creating successful lead generation strategies for your accounting firm can be a frustrating process. In the accounting industry, your services are needed and required, but they also aren’t something that most clients are excited about fitting into the budget. Your potential clients know that competition among accounting firms gives them the upper hand. You need… Read More

Having a great elevator pitch in your arsenal is a must. Your audience has a short attention span, so if you want them to buy what you’re selling, you need to be able to present your idea quickly and persuasively. It’s your chance to make a great first impression that generates interest around your idea… Read More

As content creators and marketers, we are always in hot pursuit of our target audience. And, while love is in the air, there is no magical rhyme for getting your audience to love your brand. After all, matters of the heart require more than just luck.Here are 14 proven strategies to win over your audience… Read More

I personally think that being consistent is the key ingredient to branding. Too many companies want to be all things to all people, which is the exact opposite of targeting a specific audience. That’s why you have so many businesses rebrand, because they don’t know what they want to be, and they’re constantly trying to… Read More

Branding is the process by which a company stamps its business culture and what it stands for in the mind of a customer. When you think of Apple, you think of sleek products with interesting designs. When you think of Red Bull, you think of action and adventure, and exploring new things. Branding isn’t about… Read More

You need to make sure your site is responsive, so that people who access it on mobile devices have the same quality experience that they would if they were on a desktop. While this may seem obvious, a lot of B2B sites aren’t optimized for mobile, so you’re seeing businesses lose a chunk of mobile… Read More

An online community interacts, engages, and becomes a vital part of a business. That’s why the first step is to offer great content. It’s beating an old horse, I know, but quality content is still the best way to distinguish your business from the competition, to build credibility and authority, and to attract prospects. Great… Read More

Do you know the biggest mistake some businesses make when it comes to content? They post that content on every single social media platform they can imagine, and hope for the best. But this scattershot, one-size-fits all approach doesn’t work, because it ignores something very valuable in the marketing process: the audience. You can’t put… Read More

I think the surge in video content can – and will be – a big game changer for small business owners. Videos play well on desktop, but they are fantastic on mobile devices, and since more than half your target audience now consumes content on the go, video is powerful way to reach them. For… Read More

I think, on average, pay-per-click (PPC) is overrated when it comes to marketing ROI. Why? Because I think marketers almost become obsessed with paying for quality leads, so they overspend, and when they step back, they often realize that could have saved a chunk of that money by building organic leads instead. PPC is a… Read More

In July of 2017, WhatsApp boasted 450 million active users per month. With so many users and thousands of businesses looking to reach them, the new Business API has potential. The API can help companies reach their target audience through advertisements that lead to chat boxes. It can assist in shipping confirmations, appointments reminders, and event… Read More

I think influencer marketing has worked wonders, because it has helped me establish my credibility and authority as an agency owner. Getting on the radar of an influencer can take a lot of work. It also requires patience and diligence, because establishing your credentials with someone who is already an authority requires a specific strategy.… Read More

I think it’s really important for financial services companies to market with one question in mind: How do we help our customers better understand what we offer?  Because more so than many other businesses, the financial services industry has a lot of technical jargon and concepts that many consumers simply don’t understand. So how should… Read More

People always used to say that there’s no such thing as “bad PR.”  But in a day and age when videos of people being dragged off airplanes go viral in a matter of minutes, I think that even PR folks with nerves of steel can agree that this is simply no longer the case. If… Read More

Controversy sells, and it always has and it always will. Marketing expert Jeff Bullas calls this ‘contagious content’ that ‘people can’t wait to share.’ But as the owner of a business, you have to be very careful how you use controversial content, because if you stop over the line into being offensive, you will not… Read More

Branding is how a business expresses its values and vision to customers in a way that is distinct and unmistakable. And one of the branding methods businesses can use is to tell the ‘story’ of their company. Done properly, a company’s story can help advance its goal, and that was true for marketing expert Beth… Read More

The irony about content marketing is that many people focus on the ‘marketing’ part to the detriment of the ‘content’ aspect, which really defeats the purpose. Because the quality of your content will largely determine the effectiveness of your marketing, and if your content isn’t up to snuff, you better figure out what’s wrong. As… Read More

If you think Google is the only real way to promote your business online – you’re mistaken. The reality is – social media is bigger than ever. And it looks set to continue to grow. While you shouldn’t ignore Google completely – you might be wasting a lot of time (and money) trying to improve… Read More

More than just a hot buzzword, influencer marketing has now become an essential aspect of branding. But a lot of companies still view influencer marketing with a wary eye, mostly because they are not sure what it entails and how it could benefit their business. Simply stated, influencer marketing refers to strategies in which businesses… Read More

What’s one of the biggest mistakes you’re making right now? No, it’s not your prices or your content marketing strategy, it’s something much more important: You’re not targeting your market in the right way. You can’t achieve great marketing returns if you haven’t properly targeted your market, because the “who” determines the “how.” Marketing guru… Read More

I think the biggest advice I could give for SBs marketing on Facebook with limited resources is to forget the sale and remember the person. Hunh? What I mean is that you can’t hard sell on social media, users are way too savvy for a sales play that is naked and greedy. So what do… Read More

I think it’s really important for financial services companies to market with one question in mind: How do we help our customers better understand what we offer? Because more so than many other businesses, the financial services industry has a lot of technical jargon and concepts that many consumers simply don’t understand. So how should… Read More

If you’re trying to entice new customers, gamification is effective because you are rewarding consumers for sampling your products and services. So for example, if you have a rewards offer for new customers that offers them a free product or service of equal price for every two products or services they buy, you are offering a valuable… Read More

A big content marketing trend for 2017 is live streaming and how it can help brands engage and convert prospects into long-term customers. Facebook Live has really upped the live stream game, and you’re seeing huge brands as well as smaller companies utilize this social media tool. Live streaming can be used in several effective… Read More

One of the most common bad social media practices I run into is brands that have no idea to whom they are marketing. So they end up with campaigns that are scattershot and one-size-fits-all, which ultimately results in consumer confusion. The most important thing companies must do before starting any type of social media campaign… Read More

IDEA 1: Show Properties Virtually With so many visual platforms to advertise properties, there’s no excuse for you not to provide 360-degree panoramic virtual tours of your available properties on your website. Virtual tours provide every detail a tenant would want to see before they commit to a live walkthrough, but it also sets up… Read More

I think one of the most effective ways to tell your company story is to post a video on your blog, site and social media platforms that gives users a peek behind the scenes. For example, you can post “Meet the Team” videos in which your employees talk about their work process, a typical day… Read More

Influencer marketing can – and does – work wonders. Don’t believe me? It’s helped me establish my credibility and authority as an agency owner tremendously. Getting on the radar of an influencer can take a lot of work. It also requires patience and diligence, because establishing your credentials with someone who is already an authority… Read More

If you use Google regularly, you may have noticed that when running a Google search, your search results often vary between browsers, even when the device is the same AND the search terms are the same. Why does this happen? It happens because Google’s algorithms return different search results based upon a variety of different… Read More

Every Realtor knows that buying a home is a much more complicated and emotional process than simply browsing through Zillow listings and finding a good deal. A home that captures the imagination and creates a sense of wonder will attract interested buyers faster, and elicit a much more powerful sense of urgency to close. By… Read More

No matter where you lie on the political spectrum, the feat that Donald Trump pulled off in November to win the presidential election was impressive. Why? Because Trump didn’t so much as run an election as sell a brand, and that brand did exactly what he intended: identify a target audience, and deliver exactly what… Read More

Once a small business owner gets his blog up and running, content curation and content marketing can help him (or her!) get more SEO out of his blog and posts. Content marketing is creating new material like newsletters, blogs, eBooks, and videos that people can use or learn about a specific subject. This content can… Read More

1. What goes into developing a brand voice? First, I think you absolutely have to identify and correctly target your consumer group, because without knowing WHO you are selling to, you can’t know HOW to market your business. For example, if I’m selling a product or service that appeals to young, active Millennials, I can’t… Read More

Local marketing is becoming more important, whether you own a brick-and-mortar or whether you are solely digital. Geotargeting simply means using geography to target your market in a hyper-specific way. The first thing to do when employing this strategy is to establish your perimeter. So for example: Do you want a one-mile, three-mile, five-mile or… Read More

1.  Newsletters should always be a good mix of content, coupled with some sort of call-to-action.  Straight sales pitches are NOT newsletters and you will have people unsubscribing faster than you can say “told you so”  if that’s the method to your madness. 2.  Pay attention to design and layout.  Newsletters that are just haphazardly thrown together are not going… Read More

For retailers who are heavily invested in natural search marketing, the recent decision by Google to switch the location of paid ads from the right side of the search results page to the top of the page, was a blow to the gut. Why?Because it means that natural search results will be pushed further down… Read More

1. What are your best tips for developing your brand image? I think you have to first identify your target consumer group and know exactly what their wants and needs are before you can brand your company. Because properly researching your market allows you to understand what is most important to them and how you… Read More

It’s interesting, because for nearly a decade, Google has been the industry leader in local searches, and it’s kind of dominated that service to the exclusion of every other company. But here’s the thing. Facebook has a billion consumers, and when they launched Marketplace in October 2015, Google had to take notice. A billion? That’s… Read More

I’m not sure there’s any magic formula to improve your Facebook Ads conversions, but there are some solid strategies that can help you optimize your ads to draw more visitors and therefore more conversions. The biggest thing is to display a clear message as part of your ad. Users have short attention spans, so your… Read More

Big data has become kind of the trending “thing” lately, and it’s easy to see why. With big data, you are getting specific information on your customer’s buying habits, whether it’s social media data, mobile usage data or specific data about customer wants and needs, you are building a profile of what your ideal consumer… Read More

It’s always hard to predict what’s going to trend in the digital marketing space, but I think overall we’ve been seeing a push toward more personalized marketing that is hyper-specific to the wants and needs of a targeted audience. I think a lot of marketers were comfortable a few years ago with a kind of… Read More

The Total Market Approach (TMA) to cross-cultural marketing has become fairly widespread, especially with the bigger brands such as Coke and Nike. It’s kind of a no-brainer to use TMA these days, because there is so much diversity in consumer groups, and in some ways, trying to appeal to every unique need or niche is… Read More

I think blogging content is so important in marketing for a small business that I would recommend that entrepreneurs hire a dedicated person to handle all their content. I think it’s worth it, even if it means moving your budget from some other area and transferring it into your blog creation, because I’m a firm… Read More

The key to any type of content you create for your business is this: don’t be boring. And that’s especially true when creating corporate videos. I think the first way to accomplish that goal is to use humor. Attention spans are short, and comedy is always a way to hook interest and keep people watching.… Read More

First, you must offer quality and useful content by creating a blog. It’s not enough to just have a website that offers your services, you must have a blog that has actionable content targeted at consumers who know very little or nothing about the construction business. Why? Because when you educate consumers at a basic… Read More

Social media engagement has become one of the most important ways for digital marketers to reach their targeted audience, because so many people engage, debate and make purchase decisions on these platforms. And that’s especially true on special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, which offers companies a date tailor-made for social media outreach through a… Read More

Without brand auditing, you really have no idea if your branding efforts are working within your target market, and where the weaknesses are in your marketing efforts. So what are some effective ways to conduct a brand audit? Well, first I think you have to understand and define what you’re auditing. To me, the most… Read More

What is SEO? SEO is an acronym for search engine optimization, and what it means is all the strategies a company uses to drive visitors to its website. That can be everything from the effective use of keywords to creating content that users find valuable. It’s important to remember that SEO is not a marketing… Read More

I think one of the big trends in law firm Internet marketing is offering content that differentiates itself from the competition. So many big and small law firms are online now, and they are trying to brand themselves in different ways. So what’s the takeaway for 2017? If you’re a law firm, you have to… Read More

Newsletters should serve as a vital part of any small business’s marketing plan, because they promote products and services in a capsulated format, which can help draw subscribers to your site and generate revenue when they engage with the products and services that you offer.  Newsletters help your business grow by educating the subscribers on… Read More

It seems as if web designs have gone kind of all over the place in the past five years, but I think you’re starting to a few trends that will take hold in 2017. First, I think because attention spans are at an all-time low, web pages are going to be simpler, less cluttered and… Read More

Every chiropractic business needs a website and a blog at minimum. The website should be easy to navigate, well organized and emphasize videos and images. But you must also have a blog that is informative and entertaining, and that has actionable and useful content. What is useful content? Any content that a consumer can use… Read More

One of the key aspects of an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is the usage of keywords that convey relevance and value to visitors who search for the services and products you offer. In a recent article, marketing expert Bryan Eisenberg talked about the 5 R’s of SEO as being content that has reach,… Read More

One of the most important parts of online reputation management is maintaining what are known as your local listings. Your local listings are the information you will find about your business on websites and applications designed to give consumers localized information about the area around them. Some of the most well known places where these… Read More

As the owner of an online business, you can read all the advice you want about SEO, CRO, ROI, and all the other acronyms that provide great tips about boosting  the number of visitors to your website. But the truth is that it doesn’t matter how many people you entice to your site if you… Read More

A key, and sometimes pivotal point in the life of any startup is when the time comes to put the initial team together. Finding the right group of people to pull your idea out of its infancy and guide it through to the next level is of the utmost importance. A great team can help… Read More

Email marketing – sometimes you wonder how many people actually still use their email. Everyone is guilty of using an old email to sign up for something just so an employee will stop hassling you or you can use the website without having to worry about bombarding emails. Many businesses probably wonder on a daily… Read More

So you’ve spent years honing your products and services to the point where they are as good as can be, and now you’re ready to unleash them on the world. Except, that market that you’re targeting is already inundated with so many companies that it’s going to be difficult to make your business stand out.… Read More

No matter how great your products and services are, your business won’t survive if you can’t get the word out to prospective consumers. But in the digital age, there are so many different ways to advertise that it can be quite a challenge figuring out whom to target, when to target them and on what… Read More

If there’s one thing that holds true about digital marketing, it’s that there is no shortage of people, pages and blogs with advice about how you should handle your digital marketing. On one hand, this is a good thing. There’s a constant flow of new ideas and places to look for inspiration when you’re not… Read More

So you’ve made it over that first marketing hurdle. You’re no longer the only one reading the content you’ve created. It took some time, but the persistence paid off and you’re starting to see some consistent traffic coming in. There’s only one problem — most of the people who are hitting your pages seem to… Read More

One of the biggest changes that is emerging as a result of the widespread and ever-growing use of mobile devices is the use of voice search. Almost every device we use these days has some form of digital assistant that understands voice commands. iOS has Siri. Windows has Cortana, and Google, in a slightly more… Read More

Over the past five years, email marketing has become one of the most effective ways to reach your targeted audience, because it offers so many different ways to present your content. But as online marketing guru Barry Feldman discovered when he interviewed email marketing expert Hunter Boyle, one of the main reasons emails fail to… Read More

One of the biggest realities of the Internet is how it revolves so much around user-generated content. Today, just about anyone can be a publisher, and more importantly, it can be done for cheap. But that in and of itself is also problem. The ease of creating and publishing content means readers now have to… Read More

Let’s continue with our series on how you can use Pokemon Go to boost your business. In part one, we talked about how to find out if you happen to be near one of the game’s Pokespots or gyms. We also talked about how to take advantage of the Pokespots by purchasing and using lures… Read More

Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere for the last few weeks, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Pokemon Go. As a truly unique form of mobile gaming, the new app has attracted an unbelievable amount of attention as well as an enormous base of players, both children and adults, all over the world. So far,… Read More

So you’ve had your website up and running for a few months, and you’ve been working hard to build a list of email subscribers, just like all the big name marketing gurus say you should. You’ve already got more names on that list than you thought you’d ever get. It’s amazing how many people actually… Read More

Even though social media has existed for quite some time now, it’s still a relatively new concept in the grand scheme of things. We’ve never had such an easy way to connect with so many people so quickly. Like any technology that is still evolving, there is a lot of misinformation about social media that… Read More

Social media can work wonders for your business. With literally billions of users checking in on social platforms every day, the possible reach is virtually endless. It goes far beyond any other marketing medium we’ve known. Navigating social media can be a bit like traveling through the wild west. Much of what happens is in… Read More

With any new business, marketing is always a top priority. After all, if nobody knows about your business, you aren’t going to have one for long. Getting the word out to as many people as possible is of the utmost importance. There’s no denying you’re going to have to do some work to get things… Read More

Your website is looking good. You’ve got top-of-the-line design. You’ve got real content. People are interested, and maybe they’re even sharing and talking about what you’re doing. Are you ready for it? Do you have what you need to turn those visitors into bonafide leads? Once they’ve shown interest in your free content, it’s time… Read More

SEO is an ever-changing part of running a business online. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out, or if you’ve had one or more sites online for years. Search engine optimization is one of those things that you need to keep up with and maintain constantly. A big part of keeping up with SEO… Read More

At one time, SEO and marketing were two separate things. Search engine optimization was just a small part of an overall strategy. Today, the two are virtually inseparable. If SEO is not a part of your marketing strategy, you might as well not have a strategy at all. In modern business, you absolutely must have… Read More

If you want to take your paid advertising to the next level, you need to be using Google AdWords. I’ve written at length about this versatile platform, and why you absolutely need it. It’s the Holy Grail of internet advertising, and if you’re a savvy business owner in {ip:cityName}, you’ve likely already made it a… Read More

You can manage just about every aspect of your business online. You probably already rely on the Internet to build robust marketing campaigns, manage your payroll, and track inventory, but if you’re anything like my clients, you’ve likely failed to focus on one very important area: reputation management. When our mothers and fathers were starting… Read More

How many overwhelmingly positive SEO experiences have you had? Where the page you painstakingly optimized actually performed as expected? The traffic flowed steadily, you received a number of quality backlinks, and even generated a number of sales. It’s pretty hard to do in the hypercompetitive world of 2016, and it feels amazing when you succeed… Read More

Last week I wrote about the importance of hiring a talented copywriter. As I mentioned, nothing hurts a business quite like sloppy copy. It makes you look unprofessional, it can cost you potential sales, and it can really make it difficult for you to advertise successfully. Continuing in that same vein, I’d like to address… Read More

You’ve got a website. You’ve got an email platform to capture leads and stay in contact with your fans. You’ve got a company blog, vibrant pictures, a bunch of great products – and you’re still not getting ANY website hits. It’s maddening. There’s nothing worse than pouring a lot of time and energy into creating… Read More

It’s really no question at all – your business’ website should absolutely have a blog! I know what you’re probably thinking: Blogs are a waste of time. Blogs are for Game of Thrones conspiracy theories, not businesses. My company can’t possibly benefit from having a blog. Wrong, wrong, and wrong again. No matter how “unsexy”… Read More

Look, I get it. Social media is everywhere, and it often feels like it’s better at promoting divisiveness than it is at boosting connectivity. Whenever I log on, all I seem to see is people using it for – in my opinion, anyway – all the wrong reasons. I cringe every time I see my… Read More

No matter where you look, you’re going to find marketing advice in every corner of the web that tells you how you need to take advantage of social media if you want to succeed today. So off you go and now you’ve got your Facebook account, your Twitter account and maybe you even signed up… Read More

Don’t Delete Negative Comments Nothing will speed a customer through the stages of unhappy to infuriated faster than having their comments deleted from your website or social media pages. If there’s one thing you never want to do, it’s to make an already unhappy customer even more unhappy. If someone is unhappy or even angry… Read More

Don’t Hide From Problems Not responding to a problem at all can do just as much harm as responding badly. Ignoring a customer on the Internet is the same as ignoring a customer who’s walked into a brick and mortar store. Have you ever walked into a store with a problem or a question and… Read More

Marketing is much more than flashing an ad in front of someone and turning them into a drooling zombie who absolutely must have your product. Maybe in a perfect world, but alas, we do not live in that world. I’m sure this comes as no surprise to you. Learning to think like one of your… Read More