Blog

How to avoid social media burnout

Social media is a 24/7 proposition and creativity….isn’t. It’s easy to get burned out when you’re trying to come up with new content every day—or even more often. There are several things you can do, however, to produce good content even when your social media muse is quiet. Get our staff involved. When in doubt, farm it... Read More

Top 5 social media business trends for 2017

The social media industry can be difficult to predict, year in and year out. New platforms come and old platforms go–and the ones that stick around are almost constantly changing. Last year saw an increase in the use of video, the rise in the importance of telling stories and creating mobile content and the decline... Read More

How to organize your content calendar

Creating and keeping track of social media posts can be a daunting exercise for any business owner. It’s easy to let the needed tasks of running a business push this necessary task to the back of the line, leaving you (or your staff) to post content without a lot of thought behind it. It’s not... Read More

Digital marketing trend for 2017: Permission Marketing

When it comes to marketing in 2017, one early trend is becoming clear: if you want attention, you’re going to have to earn it. That’s particularly true in the digital world, where more and more people are hanging out and advertisements are increasingly getting ignored. Banner ad click-through rates continue to decline, your organic reach... Read More

Is your website mobile enough for 2017?

If you’re still planning your marketing strategy for 2017, make sure you answer a simple question, first. Are you mobile enough? Mobile internet users have outpaced desktop users for more than two years, now and trend will only increase this year. That means more and more people will be using their smart phones and tablets... Read More

How to set a marketing budget for 2017

Setting a marketing budget can be a challenge for any type of business, large or small. It can be even more difficult when you are operating a small business, because you often have to make these decisions on your own, without a team of experts to advise you or back you up. As we look forward to... Read More

How long is a web surfer’s attention span?

  How long do you think you have to grab someone’s attention? In the fast-scrolling world of social media, it is not long, at all. What started out as the five second rule for websites has deteriorated even more for social media channels like Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and more. It’s more like a case of ‘blink... Read More

Five ways to improve sales with social media

It’s difficult to walk the fine line between advertising and social media. On one hand, you want your business pages to be fresh and fun, but on the other hand you still want them to reflect your business and, ultimately, bring customers to your doors. With the right approach, you can use your social media channels... Read More

4 ways to improve your CRM

No matter where you are in the business world—just starting, just catching your stride or a long-time veteran—you won’t get any further without loyal customers who trust you. To build up that foundation and to improve on it you need feedback from your customers, old and new. You need a viable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy—or a... Read More

5 quick ways to boost your local reach–for free!

If you’re looking to build up your local Facebook audience for your business, you don’t necessarily have to promote content, boost posts or buy a Facebook ad. Yes, those tools will help—they are, probably, the quickest way to do it—but there are a few ways you can build your audience organically, using tools or tactics that are... Read More

Facebook plans an even deeper ‘Canvas’

Facebook’s most visual form of advertisement is about to get even easier to create. The social media giant announced recently that changes are coming to its canvas ad format that will make it easier for marketers to take advantage of the new concept and tell a more compelling story about their brand. Launched in February of... Read More

Five email marketing tips

Email marketing is still one of the best ways to get the word out about your business and to engage your loyal customer base. Your email list should be populated by customers who have given you permission to send them marketing material directly—you should never buy an email list from a vendor—so you already have piqued... Read More

Should you outsource your social media management?

When you think about your business’s social media presence, you probably keep coming back to one question: should I farm it out, or do it myself? Social media is a 24/7 proposition—and, for that matter, so is running a business. Who has time to do one, let alone both? There are advantages to outsourcing your... Read More

5 customer retention strategies

Customer retention is an important part of maintaining a healthy business. It’s cheaper to keep customers than to attract new ones, and the longer a customer stays with you, the more likely he or she will be to bring other consumers to your doorstep or your web site. In fact, Harvard Business Review reports that... Read More

How to mix business with social media

When you have a business web site and a social media presence to back it up—and we’re assuming you do—it can be difficult to know how best to use them effectively. There are plenty of rules, or formulas, for the mixture of marketing messages to mix in with your content. You’ve probably heard about the... Read More

How to humanize your brand

You’ll have more success if you treat your customers like friends, not dollars. It’s not enough to have a lot of friends or followers subscribe to your social media channels. The number may look comforting and you may be able to brag about it, but what you’re really looking for, as a business, is the quality of... Read More

5 key SEO facts

Search Engine Optimization is the art of getting your business noticed without paying for it. Online marketers will always talk about the importance of Search Engine Optimization. We’ve written plenty of blogs about it, too, and even provide service to increase your rankings. But what exactly is it? Think of SEO like an organic phone book where algorithms... Read More

4 essentials of reputation management

Online reputation management can make or break your business. You can’t put too high a price or place too much value on reputation management. The reputation your business has with your customers—new, old and potential alike—is the foundation for your success or failure. Consider these three statistics: about 82 percent of consumers say they visit review sites... Read More

How to measure your social media Return on Investment

The right tools can make your social media marketing more effective. The value of social media for businesses has been debated for almost as long as there has been social media channels for businesses to use. Even if you don’t spend any money on social media advertising, you still want to know how effective your efforts are—what... Read More

How to write snappy headlines

In today’s quick-paced world, you may only have one chance to grab the attention of your customers or potential customers: your headline. Only 20 percent of the people who see your posts will read beyond the headline. And remember, your organic reach is already dropping, so even fewer people will see your post to begin... Read More