Thursday, June 12, 2014

Estimated Tax Payments: Your Questions Answered

Estimated income tax payments are a fact of life for most of us who run our own businesses.
Unlike those who are employed and receive paychecks where taxes are withheld by the employer, most business owners and the self-employed will be required to periodically send an amount called “estimated t...
Estimated Tax Payments: Your Questions Answered

Facebook ads to become more relevant, say why they’re being shown

Have you ever looked at some Facebook ads and wondered why they’re showing up in your News Feed or on your sidebar? Now, you can find out.
Facebook announced Thursday morning that the company is making advertisements more relevant, but also allowing the user to see the science behind the...
Facebook ads to become more relevant, say why they’re being shown

(late) May recap and and an exclusive interview dropping 2 big bombs

First off, I did an interview with Zac Johnson in late May where I discussed things that I have never talked about. I also dropped some pretty big bombs:

The new direction with PAR Program, which is a big shift and pivot from what we are doing now.
The finale on how I raised $500+k for the...
(late) May recap and and an exclusive interview dropping 2 big bombs

The Secret Mobile Stocks

Many of you may think AT&T Inc. (NYSE/T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE/VZ) are some of the best ways in the stock market to play the mobile sector, but there are other choices; it’s just that you need to leave our friendly borders.
The biggest growth area for mobile is found...
The Secret Mobile Stocks

England Needs LESS Football Talent to Win World Cup

And your website team also needs to be less talented
Strange as it might seem, packing your team with talent is not the route to success. You might assume that in the World Cup that starts today, the team with the most talent will win. But that might not be the case.
New research shows that...
England Needs LESS Football Talent to Win World Cup

SlideShare Best Practices: How to Turn Written Content Into a Winning Deck

At the recent Authority Intensive 2014 conference, there was a lot of talk from the stage and amongst the attendees about SlideShare.
And with good reason.
SlideShare was the “quiet giant of content marketing” way back in 2011, even before being acquired by LinkedIn. Now? It’s one...
SlideShare Best Practices: How to Turn Written Content Into a Winning Deck

Online Banner Ads: Out with the Old, in with Interactive

The world of online advertising is evolving. Soon those rectangular display banner ads that sit at the top of your screen will disappear and new interactive ads will take their place.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which is made up of 600 media and technology companies and is responsible...
Online Banner Ads: Out with the Old, in with Interactive

Think You’re Lucky? The Power of Optimistic Thinking Could Mean Cash!

When National Geographic took to the streets to ask people if they felt lucky or unlucky, little did the people know they were partaking in an experiment of positive thinking – and $20 was at stake.
In the experiment, passersby were asked whether they considered themselves lucky or unlucky. T...
Think You’re Lucky? The Power of Optimistic Thinking Could Mean Cash!

How Telemarketing Transcends Its Own Conventions

Anyone who’s watched Maleficent will see just how drastic the liberties were taken with the classic Disney Villain. That thought didn’t stop Angelina Jolie from perfectly reenacting one of Sleeping Beauty’s classic scenes.
More to the point though (and at the risk of the...
How Telemarketing Transcends Its Own Conventions

Startup Conferences: Are They Worth It?

Startups exist to fill in a business need, disrupt an otherwise stale business model or sometimes simply to validate whether an idea is viable. Thus, any exposure, connection or resource would be valuable in helping a startup along. But with tight resources, startup founders would often have to...
Startup Conferences: Are They Worth It?

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Dinner At FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach

FIG & OLIVE is a chain of high-end restaurants founded by Laurent Halasz. Mr Halasz grew up in Mougins, in the South of France. With his mother, Francine, they have been inspired by this region and ingredients to create the style of cuisine of FIG & OLIVE. They have done very well...
Dinner At FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach

To Err Is Human. To Forgive Divine. To Blame It On Someone Else Is Just Business.

When the waiting time for loading video got sluggish, Netflix used social media to advise consumers they should blame Verizon. “The Verizon network is crowded right now,” they tweeted, but informed customers that Netflix was in the process of adjusting for smoother playback. That’s the mes...
To Err Is Human. To Forgive Divine. To Blame It On Someone Else Is Just Business.

Why Influencers Are Essential to Content Marketing Success

All marketers face the same problems every day, figuring out ways to captivate their audience with quality content. The concept that content is king is well known to all, but the real problem that businesses face now is that firms have to focus on generating a non-stop stream of quality...
Why Influencers Are Essential to Content Marketing Success

These High School Entrepreneurs are Building the Next Google

The next Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs or Larry Page could still be in high school. Three 17-year-old students at Horace Mann School in Riverdale, N.Y. could be among these future tech entrepreneurs. The three have already developed a search tool some say could change the online landscape...
These High School Entrepreneurs are Building the Next Google

New Magazine Tells of Smart Hustling Small Business Entrepreneurs

Is there a difference between a small business entrepreneur and other small business owners? Ramon Ray, technologist at Smallbiztechnology.com, says he believes there is.
Today, Ray will help launch Smart Hustle Magazine, a weekly digital publication with a print (yes, as in paper) version...
New Magazine Tells of Smart Hustling Small Business Entrepreneurs

Taking Stock of Your Career: How Your Resume can Remind you to Stay on Track with Professional Goals

It is always a good idea to periodically review and update your resume regardless of whether you are currently seeking a new position. You never know when an opportunity will arise that catches your interest or allows you to advance in your career. You also never know what life may bring or...
Taking Stock of Your Career: How Your Resume can Remind you to Stay on Track with Professional Goals

How to Add Urgency in Marketing

Urgency in marketing often leads to higher sales and more successful advertising or promotional campaigns. When you create urgency in the minds of your customers, you are in a sense forcing them into a quicker decision. You are turning a purchasing decision that would otherwise not be an...
How to Add Urgency in Marketing

Facebook gives embedded posts a visual renovation

Post by ESPN.

Facebook rolled out embedded posts last year, and today the company has announced a more aesthetic redesign.
Now, photos and videos that are embedded will come out on top and be the main focus. In addition, these kinds of posts from Facebook will be able to load faster....
Facebook gives embedded posts a visual renovation

Make a Cool Video, Enter to Win a Caribbean Cruise, From eSmallBusinessLoan

Sponsored Post

You work hard. Couldn’t you use a getaway to the beautiful Caribbean?
eSmallBusinessLoan is kicking off a summer-long online contest and campaign, called the “Who Gives a Fund Campaign” (#WhoGivesaFund). And the grand prize is a round-trip flight to beautiful Miami from wi...
Make a Cool Video, Enter to Win a Caribbean Cruise, From eSmallBusinessLoan

Is There a Science to Sharing? Making Branded Online Video Content People Want to Share

This week, Unruly Media have launched their 2014 Science of Sharing report – exploring the trends behind the rise in sharing of branded video content online by consumers. This has increased 22% in the last 12 months and continues to grow. The report is worth a read to understand the trends that t...
Is There a Science to Sharing? Making Branded Online Video Content People Want to Share

How can brands on Facebook avoid the ‘un-like’?

Contests can be great for Facebook pages, but they can also really hurt. When brands use the like button as the barrier of entry and give away something unrelated to their business, like an iPad, they only receive fans who don’t care about the company, are only interested in the prize,...
How can brands on Facebook avoid the ‘un-like’?

IRS Adopts Taxpayer Bill of Rights

The IRS this week announced the adoption of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. According to the IRS, the document is intended to provide American taxpayers with a better understanding of their rights.
The document is called Publication 1, “Your Rights as a Taxpayer.” It will be sent to millions of t...
IRS Adopts Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Coke is Killing the Press Release. Should You do the Same?

For years, people have been proclaiming the death of the press release, yet thousands of press releases still get sent out every single day. But when Coca-Cola announced that it was on a mission to “kill the press release,” people started to take notice, and some questioned whether they should f...
Coke is Killing the Press Release. Should You do the Same?

How to Sell Globally Locally

I grew up in Queens, NY. I hated that place at the time.
If midwest is the heart of America, Queens was definitely the anus of America.
Dirty, dangerous, crowded. Not quite the slums, but not quite what you would call pleasant either. I remember stories of muggings, thefts, in-home invasions,...
How to Sell Globally Locally

Could Marketers Join the Collaborative Economy?

If you have been following business press over the last couple of years, you have probably seen a lot about companies like AirBnB and Uber. These companies are part of a growing business revolution that is being called the Collaborative Economy. One of the leading minds in this growing arena is...
Could Marketers Join the Collaborative Economy?

What Facebook’s New Pages Layout Means for Your Business

Facebook is at it again. Just a month after the social media giant changed its algorithm, it’s now tweaking the layout and design, adding a new feature and making page metrics more accessible.
The visual experts at Shutterstock, a site that specializes in stock photography, call the new...
What Facebook’s New Pages Layout Means for Your Business

4 Instances When Demonstrating Your Authority Can Be a Disaster

It might seem blasphemous to say so on Copyblogger. But authority isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.
Yes, it’s an important term around here, and the dust has hardly settled from the first Authority Intensive event. And yet I’m suggesting that you be be...
4 Instances When Demonstrating Your Authority Can Be a Disaster

5 Essential Tips for Growing Your Business

To say that getting a business off the ground is hard work would be an understatement. Whether you’re still drafting your first business plan or recently opened your store, starting and running a business can be an exhilarating – and terrifying – experience.
Six years ago, I launched my In...
5 Essential Tips for Growing Your Business

New LinkedIn Profile Features: 4 Tips to Optimize Your Presence

Never one to rest on its laurels, LinkedIn recently announced some interesting new profile features that can help you stand out, be found and measure the impact of your LinkedIn presence (disclosure, LinkedIn is a TopRank client).
Here are 4 ways you can take advantage of the new LinkedIn...
New LinkedIn Profile Features: 4 Tips to Optimize Your Presence

3 Surefire Ways You Can Achieve Public Relations Success

The lines between advertising, marketing and public relations have always been a little blurred, with many firms providing a combination of two or more of the services.
But the Internet has almost removed the lines completely, as advertisers reach out to customers on social media and press...
3 Surefire Ways You Can Achieve Public Relations Success

Pay-for-Placement PR: Does It Work?

Is is effective to compensate PR agencies based on the number of articles placed in earned media? With native advertising now thrown into the mix, it just might be.

Public relations experts have long debated the value of pay-for-placement strategies.
The question: is it advisable for clients...
Pay-for-Placement PR: Does It Work?

The Consumerization of Software Development in Business

For far too long, enterprise software has lagged behind its consumer counterparts.
When compared to the progress in digital media and consumer software, some of the applications used to power the world’s biggest companies look as if they are stuck in 1990. Yet this is no longer the case...
The Consumerization of Software Development in Business

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

How Ranking #3 Can Generate More Sales Than Ranking #1

Ready to increase your sales?
No matter who told you that unless you rank at number 1 in Google homepage, you’ll not make money online – that person had lied to you. This is no time to argue because I’ve all the facts to backup what I just said.
The harsh truth is that you should ...
How Ranking #3 Can Generate More Sales Than Ranking #1

Avoid The Email Spam Folder With These Email Marketing Essentials

Email marketing is the online marketing strategy that has stood the test of time. Many think it’s on its way out the door, but it’s not going anywhere, simply just changing! As online trends develop such as lists, the use of images, and automation, they become applicable to email...
Avoid The Email Spam Folder With These Email Marketing Essentials

Are Marketers Measuring The Right Things?

Tell me if you have heard this before; “we need more, and/or better leads.” The chances are, if you’re in hi-tech marketing you may hear it on daily, weekly and monthly basis. Why? According to Forrester consultant Tom Grant, it’s because of the need to feed the funnel.
In his rep...
Are Marketers Measuring The Right Things?

This FDA Ruling Could Devasate Small U.S. Cheesemaking Businesses

The U.S. Federal Drug Administration has sent a shock wave through the artisan cheesemaking community by saying that cheese can no longer be aged on wooden boards.
The FDA claims using wooden boards, a time-honored technique in cheesemaking, leads to health risks from microbes. The issue...
This FDA Ruling Could Devasate Small U.S. Cheesemaking Businesses

Your CRM is Only as Good as the Data You Gather

Recently I have had a spate of discussions about information and a general lack thereof in the typical CRM. To be clear, neither I nor the people I have been speaking with are suggesting that CRM solutions inherently lack information. What everyone seems to agree on is that most CRMs have only...
Your CRM is Only as Good as the Data You Gather

Does "Employees More First" Disparage Customers?

Image courtesy of great dream
What does “employees more first” really mean?
A while back, I wrote a post called Putting Employees More First. It’s based on the well-publicized quote from Hal Rosenbluth, where he states, “… if you genuinely want to put customers first, you must put employe...
Does "Employees More First" Disparage Customers?

5 Ways to Boost Your Retail Sales This Summer

For many retailers, summer isn’t exactly the high season. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a bust.
With summer about to go into full swing, have you thought about how you’ll boost business for your retail store this season?
Boost Summer Retail Sales
Get Outdoors
If your...
5 Ways to Boost Your Retail Sales This Summer

Janrain added to Facebook PMD roster

Facebook today has welcomed two new companies to its Preferred Marketing Developer ecosystem — first Adphorus, now Janrain.
Janrain, a Portland, Ore.-based consumer profile management firm, announced Tuesday that it has been accepted as a Facebook PMD in apps.
Larry Drebes, Janrain CEO, c...
Janrain added to Facebook PMD roster

The 5 Game Changing Benefits of Networking

We live, work and play in two worlds today – in person and online. They are equally important, inter-dependent and mutually beneficial.
I have built my current business and brand from ground zero engaged in these two worlds. The importance of consistent, qualified, dedicated networking can n...
The 5 Game Changing Benefits of Networking

Istanbul-based Adphorus qualifies as Facebook PMD

Adphorus, a social advertising solution, has become a part of Facebook’s Preferred Marketing Developer (PMD) program, qualifying for a badge in the ads category. It is one of the first companies in Turkey to be qualified as a PMD in ads.
Adphorus is a Facebook ad optimization platform...
Istanbul-based Adphorus qualifies as Facebook PMD

An E-Commerce Site Redesign That Literally Paid for Itself

Website redesigns can be hugely impactful for businesses and other organizations. There are cases all over the internet of site redesigns causing massive drop offs in visitors and conversion rates. For example, the news site Digg lost over a quarter of their regular traffic after an untested...
An E-Commerce Site Redesign That Literally Paid for Itself

GoDaddy Files Plan to Go Public, Raise $100 Million

Domain registrar and Web hosting company GoDaddy Inc. filed for a $100 million public offering Monday.
While the company may be best known for race driver Danica Patrick’s flashy persona, the Scottsdale, Ariz. company is expanding in lateral directions to serve small businesses, by adding...
GoDaddy Files Plan to Go Public, Raise $100 Million

Survive a Layoff … and Enjoy It

So, you got laid off huh? Maybe you loved your job and are now gripped with the fear that you’ll never be able to find something you love as much ever again. Maybe you were miserable at your job but “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” Maybe you saw it coming and fel...
Survive a Layoff … and Enjoy It

Study: Facebook great at delivering reach — through advertising

Facebook can deliver great reach for brands and companies — it’s just becoming increasingly evident that you have to pay for it. A study by Neustar, a real-time analytics firm, shows that Facebook’s advertised reach efficiency exceeds that of exchange services, advertising portals a...
Study: Facebook great at delivering reach — through advertising

How to Integrate Email Marketing with Social Media?

With the advent of social media, it might be easy to think that email marketing has become outdated or even redundant but statistics gleaned from a 2011 StrongMail survey suggests otherwise.
In fact, according to their data, over 68% of business leaders affirmed that they would be looking to...
How to Integrate Email Marketing with Social Media?

Do NOT miss Elite Retreat 10!

Ladies and Gentleman -
I can finally say the time has come to announce where we will be hosting our 10th Elite Retreat event!!! I know, I have been saying this for the last two years but the time has FINALLY come. Get excited! We have the best line up of speakers yet.
This year’s Elite...
Do NOT miss Elite Retreat 10!

Pinterest Beta Tests Do-It-Yourself Promoted Pins for Business

Following the lead of other social networks like Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is ramping up its marketing features. Back in September 2013, Pinterest announced it was beginning to experiment with sponsored pins. Now the company says it is rolling out a do-it-yourself promoted pin feature in...
Pinterest Beta Tests Do-It-Yourself Promoted Pins for Business

5 Tips For Better Conversion Rate Optimization

In the world of inbound marketing, conversion rates are a very important ingredient. Just like a great chef working to perfect his recipe at every step, a great inbound marketer has to optimize every single piece of the puzzle. This includes conversion rates. Many different types of conversion...
5 Tips For Better Conversion Rate Optimization

Is Metagaming Silently Killing Your Marketing?

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. ~ André Gide

Setting sail away from the safe harbor of best practices is a fear that we, as marketers, must learn to embrace.
Scary situations arise when you set foot in uncharted territory. In March, ...
Is Metagaming Silently Killing Your Marketing?

Are Your B2B Communications Boring?

If you’re a business to business company, have you recently taken a good, hard look at your business communications?
Have you especially looked at your email marketing through the eyes of your customers?
I’m guessing if you have, you might find some surprises. You might find that...
Are Your B2B Communications Boring?

6 Ways to Use Mobile Marketing to Capture More Leads

Have you adjusted your lead generation strategies to handle mobile visitors? Are you aware that mobile web browsing directly competes with desktop browsing?
If you answered ‘No’ to these questions, your business is in desperate need of a mobile lead generation strategy.
More and more p...
6 Ways to Use Mobile Marketing to Capture More Leads

Rock Your Business With These 21 Website Building Tools

These days, every small business needs a website. But it’s a misconception that you need a lot of money to create an effective Web presence for your business or brand.
Read on to see some free or low-cost website building tools that will have your website looking shiny and professional in...
Rock Your Business With These 21 Website Building Tools

Uh Oh! Sleep Deprivation is Linked to Unethical Behavior

How much sleep did you get last night? If you work at a small business, it’s probably less than six hours.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, twenty percent of Americans report getting fewer than six hours of sleep each night. Anything under seven hours is clinically defined as...
Uh Oh! Sleep Deprivation is Linked to Unethical Behavior

The Animated Google Doodle “That Will Make the World A Better Place”

Animation is on Google’s mind – or their homepage to be exact – and it’s an animation first.
Today’s (June 9th, 2014) animated Google Doodle is the first time that a student-created piece has been animated for the homepage.
The Doodle is the winning entrant for Google’s 7...
The Animated Google Doodle “That Will Make the World A Better Place”

5 Cheap Ways to Establish Company Culture

Creating a solid company culture is often one of the most overlooked aspects of building a business. The fact is company culture has a lot more to do with the bottom line than most business owners think. In a study by the Hay Group they found that companies with engaged employees earned, on...
5 Cheap Ways to Establish Company Culture

Monday, June 9, 2014

You Could Win a $25,000 Makeover for Your Business!

You’ve created the perfect product or service and are getting great feedback from your initial customers. So it seems as if you’re on to something and are offering your customers a value at a price they feel is reasonable.
There’s only one problem, though. You’re...
You Could Win a $25,000 Makeover for Your Business!

Is It OK Buy an Email List for Marketing?

Canned Ham??
We, as a people, are pretty fed up with SPAM. Our email inboxes filter it out for the most part. If we didn’t ask for it, we certainly aren’t going to read it. Let alone click on it and send money to the company that sent it to us.
In fact, sending me unsolicited...
Is It OK Buy an Email List for Marketing?

5 Simple Tricks to Finish Incomplete Tasks

It doesn’t matter what tool you use to manage tasks.
You’ll always leave one or two undone.
During days, even weeks.
A client is making things difficult for you.
Or some huge task is overwhelming you.
What if I don’t get it done?
The temptation is always there. Just skip a...
5 Simple Tricks to Finish Incomplete Tasks

The $28,000 Dot Com Lunch at BCD Tofu

I just got back from one of the best dot com lunches ever. I met up with some fellow Internet marketers at BCD Tofu in Irvine. This is my go-to lunch places for Monday.
What made this lunch so great? For one, I was able to discuss my ideas and share with other people. Networking is a big...
The $28,000 Dot Com Lunch at BCD Tofu

How to Turn Your Home Brewing Hobby into a Business

Michael Langone, the entrepreneur behind HopBox.co, combined a variety of different skills and interests when launching his home beer brewing business.
Langone started brewing while attending college in Syracuse, N.Y. Back then he was studying to become an architect, and didn’t expect to...
How to Turn Your Home Brewing Hobby into a Business

19 Remarkable Guides on Business Strategy, Leadership and Motivation

It’s a (sometimes forgotten) truism of business that no company can cut its way to growth. As the economy continues to slowly recover from the great recession, smart leaders, having pared back spending during the lean times, are looking at how to invest for growth. Entrepreneurs are...
19 Remarkable Guides on Business Strategy, Leadership and Motivation

PayPal President David Marcus joins Facebook to improve mobile messaging

Not long after a new Facebook messaging app was discovered, Facebook announced that PayPal President David Marcus has joined the company as Vice President of Messaging Products.
He will work to improve the Facebook Messenger app, but a Facebook spokesperson confirmed that WhatsApp will continue...
PayPal President David Marcus joins Facebook to improve mobile messaging

Facebook’s latest messaging app: Slingshot

Facebook recognized that Poke was a dud, but it apparently isn’t ready to give up on new messaging apps. Facebook has released a new app in the iTunes Store — Slingshot.
Through Slingshot, users can take a photo, add images and text and other creative accoutrements, then “sling” it to a fr...
Facebook’s latest messaging app: Slingshot

Formula 1 Tips for Leaders and Managers

There is a phenomenon common in many vehicular sports that occurs when the driver’s gaze is focused too near the front of the vehicle. With the field of vision narrowed, the pace at which the world around you moves seems to speed up. This forces you to act very quickly to changing...
Formula 1 Tips for Leaders and Managers

How to Manage Remote Developers

It’s increasingly rare for every team member to work the same hours in the same location. In many ways this is beneficial – developers can work on projects they’re passionate about when and wherever they want, while employers can hire talented, driven developers regardless of g...
How to Manage Remote Developers

Case Study: How Pepe Jeans grew international influence, engagement through Facebook

Pepe Jeans London is one of the world’s largest fashion brands. With over 300 stores on 5 continents, it is also one of the most global. And no one region dominates their global presence, rare even in the internationally-driven fashion world. Add to that the fact that the brand’s...
Case Study: How Pepe Jeans grew international influence, engagement through Facebook

Building Your Content Marketing Workflow Part 3: Approval Structures

Building a content marketing workflow isn’t easy. But you can’t be a successful content marketer without one.
So far in this series, we’ve covered the first two steps in the workflow process: identifying needs and assigning roles and responsibilities.
This week, we’ll...
Building Your Content Marketing Workflow Part 3: Approval Structures

Battling the 57% – Buyers Buy Different Things

There’s a statistic out there that buyers have, on average, progressed 57% through their buying process before they engage a salesperson. That ‘average’ piece seems to have been lost, and a commonly held-belief now is that this 57% is a fact in all cases.
How you act before and a...
Battling the 57% – Buyers Buy Different Things

30 Crowdfunding Sites to Take Your Venture to the Next Level

Small business owners frequently do not have the capital to pursue new venues, and they can find it difficult to secure loans from banks. Startups and entrepreneurs may find many lending doors closed to them when they need it most. Crowdfunding is one way to obtain needed funds to bring your...
30 Crowdfunding Sites to Take Your Venture to the Next Level

Infographic: What happens in a Facebook minute?

A lot happens in a minute — especially on Facebook.
An infographic by SumoCoupon shows what Facebook’s billion-plus users do in the average minute, such as share 3.2 million posts, send 150,000 messages and upload 243,000 photos.
Check out the infographic below to find out more.

Top i...
Infographic: What happens in a Facebook minute?

There are Times When Business is Personal and Not Just Business

Some people believe one needs to make decisions based upon the bottom line 100% of the time. If it benefits you, great. Otherwise, discard the idea. Emotional decisions in business benefit no one. On the other hand it is said, what you put out into the atmosphere will be received back many...
There are Times When Business is Personal and Not Just Business

ALG Google Employee Responds After Google Dismisses Publisher Theft Allegations

Back in April, a person claiming to be a Google AdSense employee leaked information posting all of Google’s policies and making some strong allegations that Google is outright stealing money from publishers.
Shortly after Google responded to Techcrunch saying it was all made up… b...
ALG Google Employee Responds After Google Dismisses Publisher Theft Allegations

Here’s How You Find Out How Good You Are At Marketing

Ever wondered how good you are at marketing? Of course you have. At some point in our lives, we’ve all wondered how good we are at marketing. With the advent of social media marketing, things got a little more complicated. Social media and digital marketers often boast about how many...
Here’s How You Find Out How Good You Are At Marketing

How Often Should You Change an Advertising Message? (Way Less Than You Think)

In 1996, Richard W. Lewis, New York City ad man and executive at TWBA, wrote in his best-selling book The Absolut Book:
The Absolut Vodka advertising campaign has been running nonstop for 15 years, since 1981. This is remarkable because in the advertising business, campaigns can change...
How Often Should You Change an Advertising Message? (Way Less Than You Think)

4 Tips to Keep Your Seach Strategies Up-to-Date

Search engine optimization (SEO) is consistently evolving, including how it’s referenced. “Most people have migrated to the term ‘search’ or ‘integrated marketing,’” says online marketing consultant and WebScout founder Laura Greeno. Buzzwords aren’t the only aspects of S...
4 Tips to Keep Your Seach Strategies Up-to-Date

The B2B Funnel is Now a Sieve

The buying process has gotten messy for B2B marketers. This easy access to information means that engagement one second can turn into disinterest in the next. Every new channel puts a hole in your funnel. (Although I’ve never liked the funnel construct, it’s appropriate for making...
The B2B Funnel is Now a Sieve

Angel Investments Update Since the Economic Downturn

Last year, I wrote a post that used data from the Center for Venture Research (CVR) at the University of New Hampshire to explore how angel investments have changed since the financial crisis and Great Recession.
Now that the CVR has released its 2013 estimates of angel investing activity in...
Angel Investments Update Since the Economic Downturn

Ever Wish You Had the Same Data As Amazon? Terapeak Says You Can

You have an eCommerce business. Maybe you sell antiques on eBay. Maybe you have a thriving toy business selling through Amazon. When deciding how to set your prices or maybe even what to sell in the first place – it would be great to have more information.
For example, what is the average price ...
Ever Wish You Had the Same Data As Amazon? Terapeak Says You Can

Fypio – In the Startup Spotlight

Ever attempted to find a new home to purchase and felt like you were wading into deep water without a flotation device? Tried to discover that hidden jewel of a home that makes your heart melt, yet felt overwhelmed by the real estate details like square footage, lot size, realtor commission,...
Fypio – In the Startup Spotlight

140+ Statistics on Content Marketing in Europe

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While close in proximity, the dynamics involved with characterizing a topic like content marketing for a large group of countries like Europe is more than ambitious.
However, the demand and interest for i...
140+ Statistics on Content Marketing in Europe

Chui – Smart Technology Doorbell – In the Spotlight

Ever contemplated living in the future where your face was your security password? Or thought about futuristic technology that enabled the following scenarios:
-Opening your front door to an invited visitor, even if you were halfway around the world
-Having your home’s entry system turn...
Chui – Smart Technology Doorbell – In the Spotlight

B2B Marketing Basics from Classic Propaganda

Propaganda has been a political tool since the dawn of time. So are its main goals of swaying public opinion and influence decisions. Some might look back at the period’s posters and laugh but that doesn’t change how propaganda shares some similar techniques used in today’s...
B2B Marketing Basics from Classic Propaganda

Sunday, June 8, 2014

4 Easy Twitter Strategies for Content Marketing Success

As one of the most popular social media platforms for companies in the digital marketing world, Twitter represents a key tool in your business’s content marketing arsenal.
To ensure that your Twitter marketing campaign remains fresh and effective, consider these four easy-to-follow...
4 Easy Twitter Strategies for Content Marketing Success

4 Ways to Create Engaging Content Users Care About

With so much information readily available competing for readers’ attention, it’s important to create engaging content that benefits the end user. This will develop a loyal reader base, and in turn will gain more exposure once picked up by influencers within your industry.
In this...
4 Ways to Create Engaging Content Users Care About

A Letter To You If You Want To Earn More Money Online

Dear fellow marketer,
I made up my mind today to write you this letter because I want you to take action as soon as you’re through with it.
You see, life itself may not be as Rosy and beautiful as you planned, but only you can decide to take it personal or look through the thickest of...
A Letter To You If You Want To Earn More Money Online

Do You Know the True Value of Social Media Marketing?

We’ve all heard about the importance of social media marketing. But if you think good social media eliminates the need for a great product, great customer service or other traditional marketing, think again.
Gary Vaynerchuk is arguably one of the most visible proponents of social media...
Do You Know the True Value of Social Media Marketing?

Small Business Tip – The Key to Getting Repeat Business

So you’ve made some sales and are finally growing your business. That’s a great start! But what is the key to securing repeat business?
There are several easy steps you can undertake to ensure that you’ll retain repeat business. Here are three of the most important.
1. Give...
Small Business Tip – The Key to Getting Repeat Business

Boost Your Local Search Presence With These 5 Tips

Local businesses are turning to local SEO in order to drive visitors to their physical locations as well as driving online sales. With so many consumers armed with mobile and tablet devices it is making local search engine optimization such an important piece of every local marketing...
Boost Your Local Search Presence With These 5 Tips

Lumiary Lights the Way for Marketing Your Online Business

When you are running your own online business, you need to be a master of many trades. But if marketing is not one of them, don’t worry. Meet Lumiary, the company that says it will pull in all of your marketing stats and analytics, and save you a lot of time overall.
Lumiary
Launched...
Lumiary Lights the Way for Marketing Your Online Business

Facebook Fit Event for Small Business Kicks Off in New York

Facebook’s first “boot camp” for small business owners was held earlier this week. The event took place at Skylight Clarkson Square in New York City and Small Business Trends was in attendance. Although Facebook has done smaller events for years, this one kicked off an official nationwide ...
Facebook Fit Event for Small Business Kicks Off in New York

“Cash From The Crowd” Could Float Your New Venture

Entrepreneurs find the American TV program Shark Tank very popular, yet many will never face the scrutiny of Barbara Cochran, Daymond John, or Mark Cuban. Instead, they’ll face a larger and potentially tougher audience – the general public who support crowdsourcing new ventures.
Moreover, ...
“Cash From The Crowd” Could Float Your New Venture

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Easy Access and Smart Incentives to Drive Revenue

How can an account creation tool and a 5% discount be used to create over $300,000 in incremental revenue within 30 days? Recently, a Social Annex client used two simple tools to provide a rapid boost in revenue. There were no tricks or genius marketing strategy, just a very practical approach...
Easy Access and Smart Incentives to Drive Revenue

Why Your AdWords Quality Score Needs More Attention

Your AdWords quality score is extremely important, yet it is something that many companies completely ignore and make no attempt to improve. This is the equivalent of tossing money out your office window every day. Low quality scores can end up costing your business a tremendous amount of...
Why Your AdWords Quality Score Needs More Attention

Tech Start-Up Tips: Big-Picture Thinking with the Founder of FeedBurner

1871 in Chicago is known for being the place where digital start-ups get their start. That means hosting events with tips for burgeoning entrepreneurs, networking events, and also their monthly “Founders Stories,” at which local founders of various tech companies are invited to come and share th...
Tech Start-Up Tips: Big-Picture Thinking with the Founder of FeedBurner

Awesome Contests and Events – What Are You Waiting For?

Welcome to our latest curated list of events, contests and awards for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and growing companies — below. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.


Featured Events, Contests and A...
Awesome Contests and Events – What Are You Waiting For?

Dot Com Lunch – Made In The Shade Edition

Now that the Living Dot Com movie premiere is over, we can resume our normal Dot Com Lifestyle schedule. That schedule include hosting the Dot Com Lunch at Pho Pa Co in Irvine, California. If you’re in the area, you should consider joining us. It’s free and you’ll meet some...
Dot Com Lunch – Made In The Shade Edition

ACT Now to Develop Brand Advocacy

As social commerce is quickly turning into visual commerce, brands have to act fast in order to keep up with this new generation of shoppers. More and more competitors are entering the market, testing your customers’ loyalty. In order to stand out of the crowd, brands have to ACT. ACT:...
ACT Now to Develop Brand Advocacy

Kill Your Global Digital Marketing in 1 Step – With Focus on Language

Focus on the facts
Let’s assume…..dangerous, right? But we need to start somewhere.
So let’s assume that you set out to create content marketing which will support your B2B sales effort for capital equipment to US manufacturing facilities.
Now note – we’re assuming that you...
Kill Your Global Digital Marketing in 1 Step – With Focus on Language

A to Z of Personal Branding

I saw this great presentation on slide share about Personal Branding created by Barry Feldman.

Everyone of us is a brand now, whether we acknowledge this or not. Just like any other brand, we need to be intentional about what the brand stands for and for whom.
The two most important questions...
A to Z of Personal Branding

From Our Community: An Open Letter to Seattle, Dealing with Mean People

It’s time for another edition of the community news and information roundup. Here’s what’s being talked about on the small business blogs and in the small business communities we follow.
Mr. Mayor, Franchises Aren’t Big Business (The Franchise King)
You may have heard....
From Our Community: An Open Letter to Seattle, Dealing with Mean People

A Measure of Your Team’s Health: How You Treat Your “Idiot”

Every team has someone who at the bottom of its bell curve: an individual who has a hard time keeping up with other team members. By my observation, how your team members treat that person is a significant indicator of your organization’s health.
I’ve been very lucky. Over the past...
A Measure of Your Team’s Health: How You Treat Your “Idiot”

The Art (and Science) of Lead Forecasting Requirements

The ability for marketers to forecast the number of new leads to be generated is essential for any analytically driven B2B organization. There are two different methodologies to forecast leads, each with its pros and cons. In this post, we will explore both so you can adopt the one that makes...
The Art (and Science) of Lead Forecasting Requirements

How to Turn a $300 Investment into a Design Business

Terrence Kelleman started his business completely by accident. With no previous business or marketing experience, he turned a small investment into a multi-million dollar design business.
While working as an eCommerce photographer at the Museum of Modern Art, he found some magnetic puzzle...
How to Turn a $300 Investment into a Design Business

How to Make Your Presentation Memorable

Having a webinar is a great way to get your audience excited about your brand and your offerings. It gives you the opportunity to make a connection that is hard to make through an email or a web page. But since many attendees won’t take action right away, it’s important to make your...
How to Make Your Presentation Memorable

Have You Tweeked Your Bull-Shi-Tometer Lately?

We all have them… Our catch phrases, pitches, prognostications that help us make client feel comfortable that we know what the heck we are talking about. Can you show a customer where you give them value and a return on investment? Can prove your product or service makes feel better or makes t...
Have You Tweeked Your Bull-Shi-Tometer Lately?

Become the Sales Person You Never Thought You’d be With “Conversations That Sell”

“I hate selling! What can you do so that customers will come to me and I don’t have to sell?” I can’t begin to count how many times clients say this to me. They say it a lot and my response is generally something flippant like, “I can help you find a job.”
Do you think that...
Become the Sales Person You Never Thought You’d be With “Conversations That Sell”

Friday, June 6, 2014

Catfish, Clients, Hacks, And Flacks: A PR War Story

What Is Your Best Corporate Communications Agency War Story?
I worked for the Catfish Institute and it was a great account, said social communications expert and author Gini Dietrich in our interview*.
Everybody gives me that look when I say, “It was a great account to work on.” The president wa...
Catfish, Clients, Hacks, And Flacks: A PR War Story

Driving with John Chow – The Secret To A Happy Life

This episode of Driving with John Chow is the first video filmed with the new Sennheiser EW 112P G3-A omni-directional microphone system. The on/off switch on my Sony Bluetooth mic broke, and I broke it even more when I tried to fix it.
The Sennheiser are professional level broadcast mics...
Driving with John Chow – The Secret To A Happy Life

DDoS attacks. What Are They and How Can They Hurt My Email Campaign?

I’m sure most of you will be familiar with DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks and might have even been affected by one, but if not, here’s a quick break down. A DDoS attack works by flooding a network / server / router with so much traffic that it can’t respond to...
DDoS attacks. What Are They and How Can They Hurt My Email Campaign?

Before You Launch Your Business…

Here’s the frustrating—and exhilarating—thing about being an entrepreneur: You can read all the books and articles in the world, you can see a business coach and you can develop a relationship with a great mentor… but really, there’s no way for you to know exactly what to expect from ...
Before You Launch Your Business…

Your Employee Support is All But Supportive

Are your customer service representatives friendly and fully-trained? It’s great if they are, but I’ve got news: it’s not enough. Customer-facing employees need to be empowered to make certain judgment calls, and possibly most important of all, they need to have a life-line...
Your Employee Support is All But Supportive

New Microsoft Office Version, Digital Payment Options and More

In this week’s small business news roundup, a new Microsoft Office version is on the way. And some new digital payment options could make a world of difference to your business. Entrepreneurship takes plenty of time. That makes it hard to keep up with the news that’s important to...
New Microsoft Office Version, Digital Payment Options and More

Recruiters Are Not Mind Readers!

As a recruiter, I know that recruiters are some of the most well- networked people around the globe. We work hard to make meaningful connections. Yes, we are the gatekeepers. Since I have been in the industry for 20 years, I know the chances are high that most recruiters know SOMEONE that can...
Recruiters Are Not Mind Readers!

Different Ways to Display Infographics on Your Site

Whether you’re hiring someone to create an infographic for you or you are creating it on your own, it’s an exciting content-type to start working with. Infographics are a great way to keep a readers interest and help explain complicated or boring subjects. So once you finally have...
Different Ways to Display Infographics on Your Site

Facebook removing ‘Page Post’ from naming of ads

Facebook has already simplified the way it offers advertising, now the company is trying to remove some of the redundancy from the naming of ad types.
Sources told Inside Facebook that Facebook informed marketers recently that it is dropping “page post” from the name of its ad products. For ins...
Facebook removing ‘Page Post’ from naming of ads

Pinterest Announces 2 New Businesses Tools: DIY Promoted Pins & Analytics

Pinterest recently announced the addition of two new tools for businesses: Do-it-yourself Promoted Pins to help drive visits back to your website, and a refresh to analytics to provide deeper insights into how Pins are performing.
Do-it-Yourself Promoted Pins
Promoted Pins were announced back...
Pinterest Announces 2 New Businesses Tools: DIY Promoted Pins & Analytics

The Business Owner’s Guide to an Effective Lead Generation Engine

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock these past few years, you know that lead generation is now more than just buying lists and cold calling. Inbound marketing and new technology have breathed new life into lead generation, giving us access to a variety of tools at our fingertips....
The Business Owner’s Guide to an Effective Lead Generation Engine

How to Use the Social Network Polyvore to Drive Your Product Sales

If you think you have covered all the social network platforms to promote your brands, then there’s a little surprise for you. Have you ever tried using Polyvore, a social networking platform, for your online store? If not, then it might be time you explore this big powerhouse to drive...
How to Use the Social Network Polyvore to Drive Your Product Sales

Five Tips Friday: Making a Good Ad

Whether your ad is destined for a print publication or a website, one thing is for certain. You want your ad to be effective. What exactly does that mean today, though? Many people have written off advertising because they feel that social media marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and social...
Five Tips Friday: Making a Good Ad

5 reasons why small businesses need to master Power Editor

CIMMFest (Chicago International Movies & Music Festival) celebrated its 6th annual fest in May. As a non-profit with 75 bands and 75 films in a variety of Chicago venues, had big ticket sales goals but a relatively small budget to drive ticket sales.
In the months leading up to CIMMfest 6,...
5 reasons why small businesses need to master Power Editor

How To Choose a DSL or Cable Internet Connection for Your Small Business

Sponsored Post

Ten or 15 years ago, a business didn’t really have many decisions to make regarding getting access to the Internet. In fact, 15 years ago, many small businesses would not even have had websites or appreciated the need to be on the World Wide Web.
Fast forward to today — t...
How To Choose a DSL or Cable Internet Connection for Your Small Business

Free Shirt Friday: Falcon Asphalt Repair Equipment @HotBoxRecycler

This week’s Free Shirt Friday comes to us from Falcon Asphalt Repair Equipment.
Falcon Asphalt Repair Equipment (aka Falcon Road Maintenance Equipment) manufactures portable, affordable asphalt recyclers for routine pavement repairs —– point repairs, utility cuts, patches, potholes. Fal...
Free Shirt Friday: Falcon Asphalt Repair Equipment @HotBoxRecycler

Engaging Your Sales Organization in Collaborative Innovation

As a practice leader at Mindjet, I get to see the many creative, thoughtful ways in which clients apply their practice of collaborative innovation with their stakeholders.
Here, I share with you a compelling scenario on which I engaged a client. You may find their approach useful as a way to...
Engaging Your Sales Organization in Collaborative Innovation

Advice from a Social Pro: Engaging with Your Community [VIDEO]

In this episode of “Magic @ Ball of Social Media,” our video series where experts answer small business social media questions, we sit down with Ekaterina Walter, co-founder & CMO of Branderati. She’s also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Think Like Zuck, and co-author o...
Advice from a Social Pro: Engaging with Your Community [VIDEO]

Why You Should Curate Content (And How to Do It Right)

Why are we doing a four-part podcast series about content curation?
Because it’s a concept that is easy to understand, but not always easy to execute. It requires commitment, strategic thinking, and that most precious of resources: time.
But when you do it right, and do it...
Why You Should Curate Content (And How to Do It Right)

5 Questions to Ask Your Next UX Design Agency

User experience design, also known as UX, is a broad category covering human interactions with computers, as well as those physical experiences such as using a shopping cart. Think of all the places your customers interact with your product, either digitally or in real life—a lot, right? E...
5 Questions to Ask Your Next UX Design Agency

Didn’t You Hear Me? I Thought I Said Mush!

Often, when I’m stuck for an idea, I take something odd and throw it in a business meeting: Anthropomorphic house plant, giant robot, DNA…
Then, instead of trying to come up with an idea, you’re solving a problem. What is the anthropomorphic houseplant talking about? Is the giant r...
Didn’t You Hear Me? I Thought I Said Mush!

Online Marketing News – Mobile-Only Madness, Marketers Top Networks, Fark Beats Google+

30 Must Read Blogs About Content Marketing - Catherine Pham’s from InfograpgicB2B brings us 30 of the best blogs covering content marketing, including the TopRank Blog. These blogs provide tons of valuable insight into content marketing and how it fits into the overall marketing...
Online Marketing News – Mobile-Only Madness, Marketers Top Networks, Fark Beats Google+

Trustpilot To Business Owners: Online Reviews Are Your Friend

If you own a brick and mortar business, Yelp is the best way to spread the word through word of mouth from your customers. But if your business is online, consider directing satisfied customers to a Web service called Trustpilot. The site claims to be gaining 300,000 new users and 400,000 new...
Trustpilot To Business Owners: Online Reviews Are Your Friend

How to Use Memes in Marketing Content

The term “meme” usually brings to mind a silly BuzzFeed article or social media post. But when employed correctly, memes can be surprisingly effective in PR and marketing.
A meme is a popular Internet trend that pairs an image with a clever phrase to create a relatable or funny situation. Memes ...
How to Use Memes in Marketing Content

Onboarding is Not a Middle School Dance

Remember the last time you started a new job? I do. I felt transported back to the middle-school dance where I got dropped off by my mom. I can’t dance. And nobody asked me to, either. There I was at my new job, left to fend for myself. Left to figure out who to contact for network...
Onboarding is Not a Middle School Dance

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Dispelling Myths Around eCommerce Payment Options

At Magento’s Imagine Conference I gave a presentation on the eCommerce payment landscape. Retailers need to recognize that the dramatic changes occurring are providing real opportunities. Payments have moved on from the traditional four options: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover. ...
Dispelling Myths Around eCommerce Payment Options

10 Myths About Change Management

As an Organizational Development (OD) and Change Management practitioner, I often find myself having conversations with leaders where I need to address change management myths. Many leadership concerns regarding change management are common issues, though, many are perpetuated by myths.
So what...
10 Myths About Change Management

$10,000 Per Day – The Secret To Making Big Money Online

Making money online is great, but let’s face it, most bloggers and Internet marketers will end up making very little. When asked why they make so little, most will tell you they’re a small site and don’t have enough traffic. Therefore, it’s not shocking that a lot of...
$10,000 Per Day – The Secret To Making Big Money Online

Patreon Offers Crowdfunding for Content Creators Like You

If you’re familiar with crowdfunding and sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, you know these are often intense projects that require a lot funding in a short amount of time. Traditional crowdfunding is a great avenue to quickly launch and market new products, but it might not be the best...
Patreon Offers Crowdfunding for Content Creators Like You

Facebook comes clean about organic reach; why don’t you see every story?

The biggest axe today’s marketers have to grind with Facebook is the decline of organic reach. As the percentage of a fan base reached through free posts dwindles into the single dights, many business owners are wondering if Facebook is even worth the effort. More people feel that this is...
Facebook comes clean about organic reach; why don’t you see every story?

15 Easy Steps to Ignite Employees as Brand Evangelists

Organizations large and small struggle with getting their voice heard. Marketers want to increase brand awareness, brand humanization, brand equity and of course do so in a way that positively impacts the bottom line.
What many business leaders and marketers do not realize is that their most...
15 Easy Steps to Ignite Employees as Brand Evangelists

How Online Publishers and Advertisers Are Hacking Print — And What They Should Aim For Moving Forward

After 17 years of success online, leading independent music publication Pitchfork just put out its inaugural print edition. In the introductory letter, The Pitchfork Review sets forth the desire to stand the test of time and proposes that readers can one day pass the issue on to their children...
How Online Publishers and Advertisers Are Hacking Print — And What They Should Aim For Moving Forward

Google Says the Wrong People Could be Reading Your Gmail

If you use Gmail for business and regularly send messages with sensitive information, did you know it may not be safe?
Google now says 40 to 50 percent of Gmail sent to recipients on another email provider aren’t encrypted end-to-end. This means there’s no way to guarantee that only...
Google Says the Wrong People Could be Reading Your Gmail

Facebook deepens video capabilities, allows advertisers to go for reach & frequency

Facebook is trying to offer more tangible value to marketers who utilize video, adding a call to action prompt to page-posted videos that allows viewers to get more information about a company or product after viewing the video. The company is also allowing marketers to optimize campaigns based...
Facebook deepens video capabilities, allows advertisers to go for reach & frequency

After Months of Testing, Square Now Officially Offers Cash Advances

The testing began back in May with a small number of merchants. Now the new merchant cash advance program, from credit card reader and online eCommerce services provider Square, is officially up and running.
Called Square Capital, the program seems pretty simple.
According to the...
After Months of Testing, Square Now Officially Offers Cash Advances

Disruption in Digital Marketing and Communications – Insights from 19 Major B2C and B2B Brands

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to theTopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
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I recently had the pleasure of presenting at an Integrated Marketing Communications conference called INTEGRATE with an audience of Master’s Degree students and faculty at the University of West V...
Disruption in Digital Marketing and Communications – Insights from 19 Major B2C and B2B Brands

Case Study: Auto brand, SPMD SocialCode beat Facebook ad CPA benchmark by 27 percent

Facebook is proving that it can generate sales leads. A new case study released by Facebook Strategic Preferred Marketing Developer SocialCode shows that an auto brand working with SocialCode was able to use Facebook ads to beat CPA benchmarks by 27 percent.
The auto brand wanted to test...
Case Study: Auto brand, SPMD SocialCode beat Facebook ad CPA benchmark by 27 percent

3 Content Distribution Tips For Your VC-Backed Startup

As is the case with all aspects of marketing at a startup, spinning up content production is tough. Getting it distributed to the right audience (or any audience for that matter) is even tougher, especially in the early stages.
While every startup can scale content production, organically build...
3 Content Distribution Tips For Your VC-Backed Startup

“What Fresh Hell is This?” An Overview of Updates to AP Stylebook 2014

The AP Stylebook 2014 is here! I previously shared a rant about AP’s decision to allow the use of “over” rather than “more than” to indicate greater numerical value. So I’ll consider enough to have been said on that.
But, as always, there are other interesting changes that accompany ...
“What Fresh Hell is This?” An Overview of Updates to AP Stylebook 2014

Spotlight on Bloomforth: Bundling Small Business Services in the Cloud

This week we shine the spotlight on Bloomforth. The company, founded by CEO Quy Vo, has 16 employees and is still a new startup, just 4 months old. Its ambitious goal is to create small business cloud software that handles newsletters, point-of-sale, inventory management, appointment booking,...
Spotlight on Bloomforth: Bundling Small Business Services in the Cloud

Melamed Style Marketing – Establish Your Authority By Caring About Your Prospects

I was only 7 years old at the time. My brother’s friend scored field passes to the Denver Broncos training camp. (No, he didn’t win it in a radio contest, he earned it by surviving a plane crash.) I was wandering around the field, dodging practice routes and scrimmages. I...
Melamed Style Marketing – Establish Your Authority By Caring About Your Prospects

Android Users, You May Be the Next to Get a Tablet Version of Microsoft Office

If you’re a fan of Android but need some core Microsoft software like Word, Excel and PowerPoint for business, there’s some exciting news coming out of Redman.
A touch screen tablet version of Microsoft Office is coming for Android and could be here by the end of 2014.
Now, to...
Android Users, You May Be the Next to Get a Tablet Version of Microsoft Office

5 Things You Need To Consider When Hiring A Digital Apprentice

If you run a digital business, chances are you’ll have already considered taking on an apprentice to join your team. Why? Because they can help to bring a new voice to your company, it’s a great way to do your bit to tackle youth unemployment, there are a number of different digital...
5 Things You Need To Consider When Hiring A Digital Apprentice

How to Cross-Promote Your Email Content [Guide]

Email marketing is a valuable tool for any business. When it’s combined with cross-promotion techniques, your results can be even better. To help business owners tackle the logistics of cross-promotions, we’ve created this handy guide to walk you through the process.
What does...
How to Cross-Promote Your Email Content [Guide]

3 Signs Your Content is Too Sexy to Be Taken Seriously

When you’re deciding what content to create for your business, the lure of sexy is tempting.
A new “Top 10″ post goes viral. Or maybe a controversial blog post gets featured on a top site and catapults you (and your business) into the spotlight.
A sudden influx of views, shares, a...
3 Signs Your Content is Too Sexy to Be Taken Seriously

How to Increase Customer Loyalty With SMS Marketing

With mobile phones becoming ever more sophisticated there has been a change in customer behaviour that businesses must be aware of. Mobile phones have become, not just a communications device, but a personal hub of information; an essential tool to daily life with calendars, alarms,...
How to Increase Customer Loyalty With SMS Marketing

5 Ways to Run Effective Facebook Ads at Different Stages

How well can you utilize Facebook Ads as a part of your online marketing? Answering this question is probably an extremely difficult task. However, I have tried to simplify it by formulating two alternatives:

By understanding who you need to target.
By understanding the creative part of...
5 Ways to Run Effective Facebook Ads at Different Stages

Is the USDOJ Trying to Shut Down Businesses it Doesn’t Like?

What if the government suddenly decided they didn’t like your business? Then they went to your bank and warned them you were a bad risk and that the government had its eye on you?
Suppose the government brought so much pressure to bear that before long, your bank closed down your account...
Is the USDOJ Trying to Shut Down Businesses it Doesn’t Like?

8 Reasons Equity-Based Crowdfunding Isn’t the Answer

What is one big pro (or con) that I should be aware of before seriously considering equity-based crowdfunding for my business?
1. Con: Inexperience and Time
There are two potential cons to consider. First, understand that your backers may not be as experienced and patient as traditional angel...
8 Reasons Equity-Based Crowdfunding Isn’t the Answer

How to Create the Perfect Landing Page for your Email Marketing Campaign

Email is the best way to establish a commercial relationship with your customers. Not social media and not your blog. It’s email.
Kissmetrics explains that people expect offers by email
“With email, you can ‘train’ your customers to expect offers while simultaneously teaching them ab...
How to Create the Perfect Landing Page for your Email Marketing Campaign

WhatsApp: 5 things Co-Founder Brian Acton said about the Facebook deal

Wednesday night, WhatsApp Co-Founder Brian Acton spoke at the StartX OpenX closing party in Palo Alto, giving some interesting information about his company’s acquisition by Facebook. It was Acton’s first public speaking appearance for WhatsApp, as the company has generally avoided...
WhatsApp: 5 things Co-Founder Brian Acton said about the Facebook deal

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

What is My Email Marketing Missing? Getting Back to Basics

From personalized subject lines to custom content videos, emails are getting flashier. After all, marketers are continually looking to improve results with an edge over the competition. There’s always a new tactic, technology or theory that promises to drive more opens, clicks and...
What is My Email Marketing Missing? Getting Back to Basics

Your First Assignment: Apply for the Job

Applying for a new job? Whether you are a passive or an active candidate, there’s a fine line between following the directions, and standing out or doing something different when you apply for a job. Consider that, in this case, following directions is your first assignment.
In a recent...
Your First Assignment: Apply for the Job

85% of Small Businesses Get Customers Through Word of Mouth

Verizon, in conjunction with Small Business Trends, conducted a survey of Philadelphia small business owners in May of 2014. One of the questions was:
How do your customers find out about your business?

The answer was telling – and not because it was a surprise. It was telling because it is a...
85% of Small Businesses Get Customers Through Word of Mouth

Facebook notifies advertisers of high-performance ad sets

Earlier this year, Facebook informed advertisers that the company is tweaking and adding levels to the campaign structure — going from campaign to ad sets down to individual ads.
Now, for advertisers who go beyond ads and into ad sets and campaigns, Facebook is posting a notice on the News Feed ...
Facebook notifies advertisers of high-performance ad sets

Four Mistakes by Sales Teams That Drive Prospects Away

We’ve all been there – the cold, impersonal, off-putting dinner time sales call. You might even joke about how bad it was with your team at work. The joke however, may be on you because unfortunately, many sales people (some in your business) are repeating blunders on the sale over and o...
Four Mistakes by Sales Teams That Drive Prospects Away

Possible Perils of User-Generated Content [Video]

This week on the Magnet Minute, I talk about the possible perils of asking for user-generated content.

It sounds like a great idea at first. You think: “let’s invite our Twitter followers to ask questions and we’ll answer them on the spot.” Or “let’s have them tweet photos usi...
Possible Perils of User-Generated Content [Video]

How to Calculate Your Marketing ROI

Let me tell you a REAL story about the most inept group of marketers I’ve ever met.
Couple of years ago, I was down to my pennies. Actually.. less than pennis. -$12,860 to be exact. Yes, I owed money to the bank.
At that point, I really didn’t know what I was going to do.
Keep...
How to Calculate Your Marketing ROI

Lookout! This Security Software Uses Selfies to Battle Phone Theft

You’re on a business trip or at an event. Suddenly you realize your phone is missing.
As a business owner, you probably have much more than vacation photos and a couple of personal phone numbers on your phone. (That’s bad enough, of course.)
But if your phone also contains important...
Lookout! This Security Software Uses Selfies to Battle Phone Theft

Giant Marketing for Small Business: Selfies, Videos, and Hashtags, Oh My!

If you think creative marketing that gets people talking about your brand is only for companies with big budgets and full-time marketing teams, think again! In today’s socially-connected world of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media sites, your small business now has access...
Giant Marketing for Small Business: Selfies, Videos, and Hashtags, Oh My!

5 Steps to Streamline Content Marketing & Marketing Automation Collaboration

Data is beautiful—especially when it leads to better business, more revenue, and stronger marketing campaigns.
But important insights from data aren’t always communicated between marketers (despite the fact that marketing automation analytics can dramatically inform content marketing p...
5 Steps to Streamline Content Marketing & Marketing Automation Collaboration

Facebook’s one-column page timeline available worldwide this week

Facebook’s latest page timeline design — more closely imitating a user’s personal timeline — started popping up in March, but the company announced Wednesday that it is rolling out the design worldwide.
By the end of this week, all pages should have access to the new design, which pl...
Facebook’s one-column page timeline available worldwide this week

If You’re a Startup, Keep These Few Things About Social Media in Mind

For any business, the first thing in mind is to reach out to its potential clients and your target audience. It used to be an extremely difficult task even a few decades back. But now, the Internet has transformed the world into a small place.
Platforms, such as social media websites, ensure...
If You’re a Startup, Keep These Few Things About Social Media in Mind

Win A Networking Plus Pass To Affiliate Summit East 2014

The Affiliate Summit East (ASE) happens August 10-12, 2013 at the New York Marriott Marquis, and I got $5,490 worth of Networking Plus Passes to give away! That sounds like a lot of passes, but it works out to only ten (Affiliate Summit is not a cheap show). Winning a pass means you save...
Win A Networking Plus Pass To Affiliate Summit East 2014

SPMD Kenshoo launches Intent-Driven Audiences, matching search ads to Facebook

Kenshoo, a Facebook Strategic Preferred Marketing Developer, announced Wednesday the launch of Intent-Driven Audiences. This new tool matches clicks on search ads with audiences on Facebook in real time. The technology allows marketers to show ads to consumers who have searched for certain...
SPMD Kenshoo launches Intent-Driven Audiences, matching search ads to Facebook

Use SocialCentiv to Strike While the Iron is Hot with Your Customers on Twitter

Twitter is awesome. It’s growing and there are so many of us Tweeting away – all kinds of things.
The challenge is that since there is so much on Twitter, you can’t possibly keep up to what’s relevant to drive leads (and customers) to your business.
SocialCentiv, from the team ...
Use SocialCentiv to Strike While the Iron is Hot with Your Customers on Twitter

Heading to Denver for The Performance Marketing Summit

I’m on the road again! This time I am off to Colorado for The Performance Marketing Summit 2014 in Denver. This one-day affiliate marketing event will take place on Tuesday June 17th and the conference is limited to only 100 people! No surprise that this thing sold-out all ready (but...
Heading to Denver for The Performance Marketing Summit

Add Sizzle to Your Content with Eye Catching Images

The battle for reader attention isn’t limited to catchy headlines and subject lines. Eye-popping images can also captivate. Using tools such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook can help increase brand recognition, build a social media fan base, and draw traffic back to your site or...
Add Sizzle to Your Content with Eye Catching Images

Why Doing Your Research on a Job Opening Can Help You Perfect Your Resume

The job market is a competitive environment, and there are often many candidates all vying for the same position. They must make themselves stand out among the competition and prove why they are the best fit for the job. Sending out the exact same resume for every opening can actually put you...
Why Doing Your Research on a Job Opening Can Help You Perfect Your Resume

How to Remember Everything

Stop me when this begins to sound familiar …
You had a killer conversation with a new friend you made at a conference a few weeks ago, but you may have had an extra martini and left their card on the bar.
You and your special someone shared a fantastic bottle of wine the last time you w...
How to Remember Everything

How to Import Offline Conversions Into Google AdWords

Google’s “Step Inside AdWords” announcement brought new features and more depth to the Google AdWords platform. One of the features that caused a lot of buzz is the Offline Conversion Import tool. This tool helps marketers have a better understanding of the true ROI of their AdWords cam...
How to Import Offline Conversions Into Google AdWords

How To Make a Blog Post Go Viral

Painting by Mike Odden

How can I make a blog post go viral?
People have been trying to answer questions like this for years: How can I make a song a hit? How can I play in the NFL? How can I become world famous?
The reality is, for the vast majority of people, this is simply never going to...
How To Make a Blog Post Go Viral

20 Digital Transaction Options for Small Businesses

The digital transaction field is getting more and more crowded. For every one that goes by the wayside, there are new ones being introduced all the time.
Sure, there are industry standards like PayPal and Square, but small business owners have a lot of digital payment options when it comes to...
20 Digital Transaction Options for Small Businesses

Guess Who Is Having Second Thoughts About the Minimum Wage in Seattle?

You’d expect certain objections to approval of a $15 minimum wage in Seattle this week. The International Franchise Association, for example, isn’t happy.
The oldest and largest trade organization of its kind represents franchises worldwide. And it wasted no time in filing a...
Guess Who Is Having Second Thoughts About the Minimum Wage in Seattle?

What to Do When You Make a Mistake: Three Steps to Rebuild Trust and Ensure History Doesn’t Repeat Itself

The famous playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “Success does not consist in never making mistakes, but in never making the same one a second time.” I could not agree more. Mistakes are inevitable, but history should not repeat itself. Through almost 20 years of working with corporations, a...
What to Do When You Make a Mistake: Three Steps to Rebuild Trust and Ensure History Doesn’t Repeat Itself

Top 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make When Selling Their Business

Business owners are often surprised to learn that only 20 percent of businesses that go on the market for sale actually ever result in a transaction. While external factors, such as credit markets or the overall economy can have some impact on this result, the most important factors are...
Top 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make When Selling Their Business

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Integrated Digital Marketing Chronicles: Define & Establish Your Brand

Like everyone else who is ever-present on the Internet, brands are too.
But rather than just creating a presence, brands must be a presence.
By implementing an Integrated Digital Marketing strategy, your brand can establish a seamless online presence that efficiently conveys and promotes your...
Integrated Digital Marketing Chronicles: Define & Establish Your Brand

Loyalty Limelight: Golfantage

The initiative: Golfantage – mobile-based golf course rewards
In a nutshell: Golfantage is taking a swing at B2B loyalty by capitalizing on a channel that is heavily relied upon by a distinct consumer segment – golfers. The platform is mobile-based and course-specific, delivering offers dir...
Loyalty Limelight: Golfantage

Tallie Takes You From Receipts to Balance Sheet in the Cloud

Imagine a world where receipts are collected digitally without the need for paper and where they could be imported directly into your expense sheet without manual input.
Imagine a world where your sales team or other employees while traveling wouldn’t need to waste their time (and yours)...
Tallie Takes You From Receipts to Balance Sheet in the Cloud

Baby, Baby, You’re Out of Time

Recently, while attending a large event, I did some time checks on the speakers. And to my surprise, less than 1 out of 4 of them managed to complete their presentation within the assigned time slot. Isn’t this a shame…

First of all, they are showing no respect for the other speakers. T...
Baby, Baby, You’re Out of Time

Are You Hiring for the Right Traits?

There’s lots of talk lately about the talent shortage – how employers, especially small ones, can’t find workers with the skills and experience they are seeking. But maybe the problem is that small business owners are putting too much emphasis on the wrong things. A recent survey f...
Are You Hiring for the Right Traits?

Seeing the Possibilities: Increase Sales with a New Outlook

The Belmont Stakes is coming up, and I’ve got horses and races on my mind. Especially all of the sights and sounds of Belmont: silks, carnations, blinders, and hooves on dirt. But blinders are interesting. Some jockeys use them to try and help their horses ignore the stands and all of...
Seeing the Possibilities: Increase Sales with a New Outlook

Flint Mobile Lets You Scan Rather Than Swipe Credit Cards With A Smartphone

You’ve heard of tablets being adapted into a POS. Flint Mobile has created an app it says will allow businesses to accept credit card payments outside the typical retail setting without even having a card reader.
The Flint app lets you scan a credit card rather than swipe it using only...
Flint Mobile Lets You Scan Rather Than Swipe Credit Cards With A Smartphone

Facebook: 30M small business pages, 19M manage via mobile

Facebook’s play to get small businesses onto the platform appears to be working. The company announced today that there are 30 million active small business pages.
Additionally, 19 million small business page owners on Facebook manage their page via mobile, Facebook announced at its...
Facebook: 30M small business pages, 19M manage via mobile

How To Build Panda (And Penguin) Proof Affiliate Sites

The SEO world was in a tizzy again last week with the roll out of Panda 4.0. The usual horror stories from panicked webmasters of lost traffic, lost revenue and lost hope abounded.
What was I doing when Panda 4.0 hit? Well, I was up on Skye for a few days break with very little access to...
How To Build Panda (And Penguin) Proof Affiliate Sites

Building Your Content Marketing Workflow Part 1: Identify Content Needs

Your stakeholders signed off on your content strategy. They reviewed user data, customer pain points, and company goals. You have focused content themes for upcoming quarters, and a solid distribution plan. Now, it’s up to you to get it done. Building a content marketing workflow...
Building Your Content Marketing Workflow Part 1: Identify Content Needs

Facebook acquires Finnish mobile data firm Pryte

Facebook’s shopping spree continues, this time in Finland. The social network has acquired Helsinki, Finland-based mobile data startup Pryte. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Pryte, which was founded last year, measures real-time user actions, app use and context to...
Facebook acquires Finnish mobile data firm Pryte

Get Your Personal Copy of Living Dot Com

Ever since the premiere of Living Dot Com, I’ve received a ton of emails asking how they can get the movie. At first I wasn’t sure, but now I have the answer.
Living Dot Com is being distributed by YEKRA, a premium direct-to-audience marketing and distribution platform that...
Get Your Personal Copy of Living Dot Com

How to Sell Your Product or Service in 20 Seconds

When you run a business, sometimes the little things you do can make a big impact on your success. One of those little things you can do is to perfect an elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch is a short explanation of what you do and what you can offer potential clients and customers. It sounds...
How to Sell Your Product or Service in 20 Seconds

Facebook PMD Offerpop raises $15M in Series C funding

Offerpop, a Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer, announced Tuesday that the company has raised $15 million in Series C funding. Offerpop will use this money to accelerate the development of its digital marketing platform for mobile, as well as building out a global sales and marketing...
Facebook PMD Offerpop raises $15M in Series C funding

Four Steps to Social Media Marketing Success

Whether you’re gathering “likes” on Facebook, hashtagging on Twitter, or networking on LinkedIn, you likely have an idea of just how expansive and complex social media can be—and that complexity only doubles if you’re using it for online business. You have to manage a lot and work pr...
Four Steps to Social Media Marketing Success

Why I Don’t Recommend Entrepreneurship to Everyone Anymore

When I got started in business, I really didn’t have a choice. It was either put up or shut up. Make or break. Sink or swim. Not because I thought this was nice to have…or that it was my destiny to be who I am today, but I just HAD to make my business successful.
Since then, I’ve h...
Why I Don’t Recommend Entrepreneurship to Everyone Anymore

Set Up Your Website for Success

Having a website that’s easy to navigate along with well-written content will help you to attract more business. Here are 11 steps you should follow in order to grow your business online.
How to Build and Maintain a Better Website
1. Titles are Important
When creating your site’s...
Set Up Your Website for Success

6 Ideas to Refresh Your Email Marketing [Guide]

If you need a little help creating a button, we’ve got you covered. Check out our
Every once in a while your emails need a little refresher. It’s like spring cleaning or updating your wardrobe. It’s something you want to do periodically to renew your look and keep customers...
6 Ideas to Refresh Your Email Marketing [Guide]

The 3-Step Journey of a Remarkable Piece of Content

You know it when you’ve read it.
It’s that blog post, article, video, or speech that changes you.
It touches you. You are so affected by its message you can’t help but share it.
We’ve all experienced content like this. But do we know how to create it?...
The 3-Step Journey of a Remarkable Piece of Content

4 Content Promotion Must-Haves for Big Time Media Coverage

Mainstream or industry-specific media coverage is the holy grail for content marketers. It can massively extend your reach, get you in front of entirely new (yet still relevant) audiences, and is a valuable source of high quality links to your website.
Sounds great, right? So, everyone should...
4 Content Promotion Must-Haves for Big Time Media Coverage

Don’t Be Afraid to Break These 7 Content Marketing Rules

Content marketing is the way to stay in front of small business prospects to showcase expertise. There is a lot of advice on how to do this, that is just plain wrong.
For example, below are seven content marketing rules to break:
Rule 1
Send a monthly newsletter to tell customers and prospects...
Don’t Be Afraid to Break These 7 Content Marketing Rules

Getting Software Leads in a Lazy Summer

Summer and laziness do go hand-in-hand. As always, it’s bad news for productivity (especially when your sales quota is starting to sound more like the post office’s in-rain-or-shine motto).
But what if there was a way to get value out of this haze? When you look outside and feel...
Getting Software Leads in a Lazy Summer

The Pros and Cons of Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a revolutionary new system of “digital money” that enables users to achieve things which have never been possible before. However, with its advantages come a few disadvantages too, so if you’re considering using this digital currency in some capacity, here are a few things to con...
The Pros and Cons of Bitcoin

Four Ways to Use Guerrilla Marketing for Your Small Business

When most people think “guerrilla marketing”, they think of startups, which is arguably the industry where the term and tactics are used the most. However, even if you’re running a brick and mortar small business, you can still use guerrilla marketing to your advantage and start getting cus...
Four Ways to Use Guerrilla Marketing for Your Small Business

Monday, June 2, 2014

B2B Content Marketing And The Power Of Specificity

The old adage that if you try to be all things to all people you can end up being nothing to nobody certainly rings true in the context of B2B content marketing. It’s a truism that many companies are discovering first-hand with respect to some of their gated content assets – namely, those ...
B2B Content Marketing And The Power Of Specificity

Facebook PMD Offerpop raises $15M in Series C funding

Offerpop, a Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer, announced Tuesday that the company has raised $15 million in Series C funding. Offerpop will use this money to accelerate the development of its digital marketing platform for mobile, as well as building out a global sales and marketing...
Facebook PMD Offerpop raises $15M in Series C funding

Researchers Determine the Perfect Way to Ask an Online Favor

As a small business owner, you may never have considered posting a request online for beer money or enough cash to cover your take-out pizza bill for the weekend.
That’s just as well, because as it turns out, requests of this kind are not the ones that get the most positive response on...
Researchers Determine the Perfect Way to Ask an Online Favor

8 Ways To Lose A Small Business Sale

Selling mobile apps is easy these days, since everyone is on a smart phone or other mobile device. However, if you aren’t doing a few things right, it is possible to fail. Here are eight things you could be doing wrong as a mobile app reseller – listed below are tips to help sales surge w...
8 Ways To Lose A Small Business Sale

Top 25 Facebook apps: June 2014 — Introducing Trivia Crack

There’s a game rocketing up the AppData charts — and leaving Facebook users addicted. Trivia Crack, a trivia game by Argentinan developer Etermax, is also known natively as Preguntados. Facebook users are getting increasingly hooked on Trivia Crack, which had 2.7 million daily active u...
Top 25 Facebook apps: June 2014 — Introducing Trivia Crack

Deductions, Tax Credits, and Government Subsidies for Health Care

What does it all mean? Judging from comments on previous items here, there is much confusion about this terminology and how it impacts health coverage for small business owners. I’ll try to clarify the tax breaks; forgive me if I oversimplify.
Deductions
Deductions are merely subtractions...
Deductions, Tax Credits, and Government Subsidies for Health Care

Good Advice (And Why You’re Not Taking It)

Like many others, I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s blog for quite some time. Seth has a way of getting to the point quickly and many of his posts are 100 words or less. For example, he wrote the following about the importance of accepting advice: “Good advice…is priceless. Not what you ...
Good Advice (And Why You’re Not Taking It)

Frank Underwood’s Lessons for Digital Marketers

You can’t deny the draw of Frank Underwood.
We’re big fans of Netflix’s House of Cards here at Monetate, and have done our fair share of quoting it. And that got me thinking: Despite being perhaps the most Machiavellian of all pop culture characters this century has seen, the...
Frank Underwood’s Lessons for Digital Marketers

Do You Know the Fastest Way to Get a Sale?

If someone gave you 30 seconds to make a sale, what would you do? You could tell the customer all the great things about your product. You could offer them a discount. You could sing a song. But none of these would be the quickest way to a successful sale.
Darrell Weekes, Director of Strategy...
Do You Know the Fastest Way to Get a Sale?

Top 50 People Most ReTweeted by Digital Marketers – What Does It Mean?

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to theTopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.
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When identifying influencers as part of your social media and content marketing program, topic match and popularity are not enough to qualify an influencer as “effective”.
By effective, I mean the ability ...
Top 50 People Most ReTweeted by Digital Marketers – What Does It Mean?

What Facebook Audience Insights really means for advertisers

If you’re a regular advertiser on the Facebook platform, then hopefully you’ve seen the recent news about the launch of Audience Insights. This may have passed many by as just another Facebook tool that is coming soon, and that looks an awful lot like page insights. However,...
What Facebook Audience Insights really means for advertisers

How to Shoot a Video Interview with Just One Camera

We’ve run into people who believe you can only shoot a video interview with two (or more) cameras. Anytime we’re approached with potential video producers who have this mindset, our first question is, “Why?” and the answer is typically something like, “I saw it on this other video I ...
How to Shoot a Video Interview with Just One Camera

4 Elements that Define Every Powerful Story

Each year, somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000 books are published in the United States alone. Considering the vast amount of literature already populating libraries and bookstores, it’s no wonder that over half of all books published sell less than 250 copies each.
Still, powerful...
4 Elements that Define Every Powerful Story

20 Pinterest Plugins For Your WordPress Site

The amount of people using Pinterest continues to grow. And if you’ve been maintaining your Pinboards, you’ll want to share your work with readers on your company’s website.
Luckily, there are quite a few plugins that allow you to share your Pinterest work on your WordPress...
20 Pinterest Plugins For Your WordPress Site

Useful Google Analytics: Goals and Attribution Models

Google Analytics (GA) is an excellent free tool used to track and measure website traffic and other factors. If used strategically, Google Analytics can provide you a wealth of beneficial knowledge. Here are two Google Analytics strategies and a variety of metrics you should be checking to get...
Useful Google Analytics: Goals and Attribution Models

How To Registered Your Trademark In 3 Easy Steps

When I was back in Vancouver last month giving my presentation to the YVR Bloggers meetup, I bumped in to Andrei Mincov (pictured with him below) of Mincov Law Corporation. Andrei specializes in intellectual property law, so he’s a good guy to know if you’re blogger. If someone...
How To Registered Your Trademark In 3 Easy Steps

Top 25 Facebook pages: June 2014 — Cristiano Ronaldo zooms past Coca-Cola

As soccer fans gear up for the World Cup, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s Facebook page has become increasingly popular. Ronaldo’s Facebook page has gained more than 880,000 fans in the past week, and has passed Coca-Cola in terms of popularity on the social network — according ...
Top 25 Facebook pages: June 2014 — Cristiano Ronaldo zooms past Coca-Cola

Why Local Marketing is Scarier than Osama bin Laden

Lately, I’ve been working more and more with local clients (thanks to this one blog post about lean startup dentist that went viral).
Some of them are what you’d consider the upper echelon in terms of income potential & educational achievements: dentists, dermatologists,...
Why Local Marketing is Scarier than Osama bin Laden

Restaurants, Facebook Has Streamlined the Process of Posting Menus

Facebook is trying to become the go-to place for finding local restaurants. For those that already have a Facebook fan page, you’re aware that it gives you the opportunity to post updates like specials and special events.
And, of course, the page also allows your most loyal and...
Restaurants, Facebook Has Streamlined the Process of Posting Menus

Wake Up From Your Cold Calling Coma: Inside Sales Messaging Methods

Have you been struggling to get traction with your prospects lately? When was the last time you changed up your email templates or updated your voicemails? Maybe it’s time to take a look at your messaging strategy.
Inside sales reps can easily find themselves in a cold calling rut,...
Wake Up From Your Cold Calling Coma: Inside Sales Messaging Methods

Predictions For The Future Of Insight-Driven Innovation

The future of insight-driven innovation has a theme – customized and individualized. As our systems, devices, and networks collect more data on an individual level and we learn to analyze it for personalization, we could become a society that embraces individuality and understands that no two s...
Predictions For The Future Of Insight-Driven Innovation

Master This Copywriting Formula to Dominate Any Social Media Platform

When you master copywriting fundamentals, you acquire skills that you can take anywhere.
Take the Problem-Agitate-Solve formula for example.
The formula works like this:

Identify a problem
Agitate that problem
Trot out the solution

Its applications are endless.
I learned this...
Master This Copywriting Formula to Dominate Any Social Media Platform

Long Term Changes in Entrepreneurial Income

The income that Americans report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) generally takes three broad forms: the wages and salaries that people get for working for a business or organization; investment income (capital gains, dividends and interest); and income from running a business of...
Long Term Changes in Entrepreneurial Income

Test Post from http://www.adsmarketingfirm.com

Test Post from http://www.adsmarketingfirm.com http://www.adsmarketingfirm.com

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Test Post from http://www.adsmarketingfirm.com http://www.adsmarketingfirm.com

When is Procrastination Good? (Maybe You Should Read This Later)

when is procrastination good

There’s a National Association for just about anything you can think of including The Procrastination Association. As they say on their website:


“Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after. If it weren’t for the last-minute, nothing would ever get done. Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off NOW.”


We all seem to have an opinion about procrastination and usually that it’s harmful. The truth is, there are times when procrastinating wreaks havoc in our lives. Then there are other times when delaying some actions and decisions may be appropriate and even beneficial.


Dan Ariely, behavioral economist, professor and best-selling author of The Upside of Irrationality, talks about the problem of procrastinating. Ariely maintains it would be good to procrastinate less when it comes to saving more and consuming less, having regular health check-ups, resisting the temptation to indulge in unhealthy foods, and putting off regular exercise.


He offers a strategy to stop your procrastination, suggesting you pair something you love with something that’s good for you but that you dislike. This results in developing a positive association with doing something that you prefer putting off but that’s good for you. Having a new positive association with the distasteful activity could cause you to stop procrastinating.


Although many times procrastinating can hurt your reputation and your business, there are times when holding off could prevent you from making a huge mistake.


For instance, growing your business too quickly before there’s enough demand for your product or service, choosing a business partner based on outside pressure or without knowing that person well, engaging in a questionable business deal that could make you a lot of money fast, and reacting harshly and criticizing someone due to losing your temper could result in damaging your reputation, your business, and lead to misery.


It’s important to be able to discern when procrastinating could hurt you and when it could actually benefit you.


When is Procrastination Good?


Scaling Your Business


Scale your business slowly and steadily to allow demand to grow. Hire new employees and add more technology only once there’s sufficient demand. Invest time in training and enrichment programs for employees to help engage and motivate them. Consider offering flextime and other perks like free meals in a top restaurant and winning a vacation for a certain level of performance.


In the short-term this could boost morale and in the long run it could cultivate loyal relationships between management and employees. Better to have more demand and lower supply than the other way around.


Choosing a Partner


Choosing the right partner could make or break your business. Try working with this person on a project prior to forging a partnership. See if you balance each other in terms of skill sets, vision, values and your personalities. Better to go with it alone if you’re not sure you both compliment each other.


A partnership is like marriage; once you’re in it, the stakes are high for making it work and breaking up is costly.


Questionable Deals


If something sounds too good to be true it probably is! Trust your gut and avoid the temptation for quick, easy money. Resist the temptation to associate with people who promise more than your good sense says is realistic.


Do your research on the management of a firm you’re investing in to be sure they have a good reputation and a track record for good performance.


Acting Impulsively


Don’t confuse taking a calculated risk and behaving impulsively. The first requires courage and some good insights about a niche that has yet to be exploited. The second is more often equated with poor judgment and a lack of good intuition about the market.


Making rash decisions in general isn’t a good thing, but when it comes to starting a new business, impulsivity could lead to making costly mistakes. Growing your business too fast, buying too much inventory, hiring too many employees before there’s sufficient demand, criticizing a supplier or employee when you’re in an enraged state are all examples of over zealousness about business prospects that come from impulsivity and often lead to failure.


Criticizing Others


Think carefully before you criticize to be sure your agenda is purely for the sake of improving the situation and the relationship. Soften your approach by starting with noting something positive about that person so you don’t force him to become defensive. People tend to be more receptive to hearing criticism from someone they like and respect versus someone they consider to be dictatorial.


Also, resist the temptation to criticize your competition. If you’re not tactful it could lower your reputation rather than improve it.


Loosing Your Temper


Once you lose control and speak from a place of anger it’s very hard to retract your words. Better to pre-empt those people and situations that provoke your anger and avoid confrontation.


If you don’t think your interaction will be constructive, keep your thoughts to yourself.


Checking Your Emails


Constant and obsessive email checking can lower your actual productivity. Set aside a few times per day to check your inbox. That’s usually sufficient to stay abreast of notifications and other communications. Limiting yourself from constant checking could save you several hours per month, time that could be better spent doing something productive.


Entrepreneurship can become an all-consuming endeavor. While your success as an entrepreneur will require you to invest long hard hours at work, it’s essential to keep some balance in your life. You’ll need to be discriminating in how you spend your personal time: Prioritize certain friends and family whom you couldn’t live without and take care of your physical health. Both will be important for staying focused and for your endurance in business.


Carve Out Time for Friends and Family


Those who procrastinate in caring for their loved ones often lose them. Don’t underestimate the value of having close intimate relationships in your life. Make time for the people who matter to you most outside of your work and who make up your support system. These are the people you’ll need when things are tough as well as to celebrate when things go well.


Making time for those you love is a key investment for success as an entrepreneur and will help you stay balanced over time.


Eat Right and Exercise


Make a commitment to eating healthy and maintaining a regular exercise regimen. It’s well known that staying physically fit and eating right improves one’s mood and increases energy level. This will obviously bode well for an entrepreneur who needs to work long hours and deals with multiple setbacks and loads of stress.


Following Ariely’s suggestion for creating a positive association with exercise, you could pick a movie or playlist of music you love to watch or listen to while you exercise thereby changing the association you have with exercise to something positive. You could do the same thing with refraining from eating your favorite chocolate cake. Next time you’re tempted to splurge, promise to do something you enjoy in its place.


Every entrepreneur could benefit from reflecting on how they make decisions, particularly when it comes to procrastinating and using self-control. Being able to distinguish healthy procrastination from when it’s inhibiting you from getting what you want in life could lead to greater success. You can improve your decision-making when you are more aware of how and why you make certain choices. While sometimes it pays to be flexible and open to experiences, other times it’s best to make decisions based on logic.


Knowing yourself and understanding the motivation behind people’s behaviors can put you in the driver’s seat when running your business. There’s a fine line between knowing when to use intuition and when to use logic in decision-making. Knowing the difference and sensing when to use one over the other could make the difference between running a good business and a great one.


One things for sure, don’t put off tuning into the dynamics learned from behavioral economics.


Republished by permission. Original here.


Father Photo via Shutterstock


The post When is Procrastination Good? (Maybe You Should Read This Later) appeared first on Small Business Trends.




Source: Small Business Trends



When is Procrastination Good? (Maybe You Should Read This Later)