How productive how you in your business? Are you quick to decide, but slow to act? Are you quick to start, but can’t maintain consistent action? Do you process all your ideas in depth, but lack a clear vision? Are you struggling to translate your creativity into results? In other words, are you a Turbit or a Rabtle? Ellie Drake introduced me to these imaginary beasts: A Turbit, is an animal with the head and mind of a Turtle, and
Read more →If you have a website that was designed or built many years ago, it may be time for a website makeover! Depending on the platform you are using, also known as the content management system (CMS), and the level of access you have to your database files, a website upgrade can be relatively easy to do! Your website is a reflection of your business and brand! If your design, colour scheme, images or content is out-dated, what does it tell
Read more →Ups and downs are a fact of life. However, for small business owners establishing their place in the market (and in the heart of consumers), the downs can be long, hard and taxing. Instant success is rarely the rule when it comes to building a business, and especially for those ‘idea people’ entirely new to sales, marketing and management, the road to victory (or to making any kind of sustainable income) is often bumpy and full of obstacles. But, one
Read more →Facebook is testing yet a new feature to help businesses gain more exposure from the engagement they create. Thanks to ‘Ranked Comments‘ on Facebook business pages, being the first or the last to comment on a post is no longer the factor that will determine how much exposure you get. With this new ranking system, Facebook is hoping to reward those who share meaningful and engaging comments, gaining likes and generating further comments. What does this mean for your
Read more →Should you outsource your online marketing?
On November 13, 2012 / Online Business Strategy, Online Marketing for Small Business / Leave a comment
For business owners who have little experience marketing online, there are 2 options: 1. Tackling the learning curve and acquiring the new expertise necessary to carry out the tasks yourself, or 2. outsourcing. Of course, most business owners end up using a combination of both. Our experience tells us that the biggest mistake is to apply tasks without adequate knowledge. Acquiring that knowledge and experience will always require an investment in time, effort and money. Your decision to outsource some
Read more →If you have a business, you need Facebook. There, I’ve said it. Can it be addictive? Yes. Can it be a time waster? Definitely. Can it bring you business? Absolutely! But you need a Facebook strategy. While you need a certain level of activity and fresh content on your Facebook page, getting results on Facebook doesn’t require spending hours on it. With a focused 10-minute session twice a day, you can achieve great exposure, engagement, new traffic and lead generation.
Read more →10 Ways to Make Google Work for Your Business
On November 4, 2012 / Online Business Strategy, Online Marketing for Small Business / Leave a comment
Google offers many tools to help market your business online. In this post, we’ll give you an overview of 10 Google strategies you can use to promote your business online and allow more customers to find you! Google+ Profile Your Google+ Profile serves as your online personal profile. This social network can be compared to popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. But unlike more prominent networking sites, Google+ is more visible in search engines (Google likes to
Read more →It’s easy to overthink social media, and to most people who care about their image and value, it comes naturally. But while you try to find the perfect thing to say or share, overthinking your posts and interactions on Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms is rarely good for your brand or business. “Will people like what I say? Could it be interpreted the wrong way? Will asking a question make me look less like an expert? Am I having
Read more →7 Online Marketing Nasties – Strategies that Don’t Pay Off
On September 13, 2012 / Online Business Strategy, Online Marketing for Small Business, Social Media Marketing / Leave a comment
Formulating a strategy for marketing your business online and using social media is rarely a simple task. While you’re sifting through website designs, marketing short-cuts, long-term strategies, branding dilemmas, sales funnels and countless social networks, here are 7 online marketing nasties that should never make it to your masterplan (because they don’t work!). 1. The dead-end website These are the websites that look good (or not) and are totally ineffective. Having a website that looks fantastic and shows off your
Read more →WHAT is Content Marketing? Content Marketing is the strategy whereby you publish valuable content to attract visitors and customers to your business. Online, your content marketing strategy is carried through your website, blog, social media channels, and the emails you send to your subscribers. Content online includes articles, e-books, blog posts, videos, podcasts, emails, newsletters, ezines, webinars and press releases. It also includes all the actions you take on social networks, whether it is sharing new content or updating your
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