On the most recent broadcast of my online talk show, The Social Marketing Hour with Susan Gunelius, playing on The Social Network Station, I spoke with serial entrepreneur, business planning expert, author, and marketing pro Tim Berry. During the discussion, Tim shared insights about business planning, marketing strategy, and social media marketing that you don't want to … [Read more...]
Building a Customer-Centric Brand with Social Media
Sponsored by VISA Business: I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space where small business … [Read more...]
Are the Days of Brand Loyalty Over?
Sponsored by ICLP: Could the brand loyalty that we all worked so hard to gain over the years really be in danger of extinction? A new study by in Contact and Harris Interactive suggests it might be so. In their research, the study found that 25 per cent of US adults no longer feel any loyalty to any type of brand, and to add fuel to the fire, educated opinion suggests that … [Read more...]
Social Media Marketing in 10 Steps
In 2010, I wrote a book called 30-Minute Social Media Marketing that was published through McGraw-Hill. Since that time, the book has been translated into multiple languages, sold many copies, and been used in numerous college marketing classes across the country. However, the world of social media changes quickly, so I sat down to flip through the book to determine just how … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Improve Your Business’ Online Presence in 2013
Sponsored by BT: In the current economic climate, most businesses are facing a range of challenges. No matter what sort of business you are in, the chances are you are up against some tough competition. This means that in order to succeed you need to find a way to make your business stand out from the crowd as well as finding ways to increase visibility to your target … [Read more...]
Google Operators Guide for Marketers [Infographic]
Google search is extremely powerful, but most people don't know how to fully leverage that power. Whether you're a small business owner, a marketer, or anyone trying to increase search traffic to a website or web page, getting a better understanding of Google search operators can help you reach your goals. To make things easier for people who aren't Google operators experts, … [Read more...]
10 Creative Ideas for Small Business Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
Sponsored by VISA Business: Contrary to popular opinion, small business marketing doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With a bit of marketing savvy, you can promote your business without dipping too deeply into your marketing budget or your small business credit line. The following 10 creative ideas for small business marketing on a shoestring budget can really work if you’re … [Read more...]
10 Laws of Social Media Marketing
A few years ago, I wrote an article for Entrepreneur.com called "10 Laws of Social Media Marketing." In that article, I shared what I felt were the most important rules of social media marketing that all brands and businesses must follow to be successful. Last week, I stumbled on a SlideShare presentation created by Abhishek Shah that is a cool visualization of my original … [Read more...]
How to Find Common Ground between Financial Planning and Your Marketing Budget
Sponsored by VISA Business: As the tax season draws to a close, there is no better time to re-evaluate your business budget and financial goals for the year. Financial planning should factor into every aspect of your business, including your marketing budget. Marketing is an expense, and controlling your expenses is always a priority. How can you achieve measurable … [Read more...]
Social Media Made Worthwhile
Here's a scenario you can relate to: Just before settling in to edit this post the other night, I skimmed eight different articles on social media (how-to, why-to, when-to, where-to, who-to...), clicked "Read Later" five times, "Pin It" once; posted on Facebook and Twitter, updated my Paper.li, shared a link on Google +, tweaked one of my online profiles and commented on one … [Read more...]