@BasilPuglisi

Content & Strategy, Powered by Factics & AI, Since 2009

Business

Understanding China’s Social Media Ecosystem – Why It Matters for U.S. Business Strategy

by Leave a Comment

For marketers and businesses aiming to grow globally, understanding China’s digital ecosystem is no longer optional—it’s essential. With over a billion internet users, China’s internet landscape is dominated not by Facebook or Twitter, but by powerful homegrown platforms that blend commerce, content, and conversation in unique ways. These platforms are not only redefining social interaction in China, but they’re also influencing digital strategy worldwide, especially for brands with an international footprint or interest in reaching Chinese consumers.

Top Social Media Platforms in China

• WeChat (Weixin): China’s ‘super app’ with over 900 million daily users in 2017. Combines messaging, payments, e-commerce, content, and customer service into one platform.
• Weibo: A microblogging site often compared to Twitter but far more integrated with media, commerce, and influencer campaigns.
• Douyin: Short-form video platform with explosive growth; became a cultural staple and powerful advertising tool.
• QQ: Legacy platform known for messaging, music, and media sharing, still widely used among youth and lower-tier cities.
• Zhihu: China’s equivalent of Quora, known for long-form, expert content and growing use in B2B thought leadership.
• Baidu Tieba: A community-driven forum connected to Baidu’s search ecosystem.
• Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu):** Popular among young women for lifestyle content and social commerce.
• Youku/Tudou:** Video-sharing platforms similar to YouTube, though with more curated and local content.
• Bilibili: Popular among Gen Z for animation, games, and youth culture, offering strong community interaction.
• Meituan & Dianping:** While primarily delivery/review apps, their embedded social features influence local commerce and trends.

Why U.S. Businesses Should Care

1. Sheer Market Size: With more than a billion internet users, China remains one of the largest digital economies in the world.
2. Tech Innovation: China’s social platforms integrate features like in-app shopping, live commerce, and micro-payments faster than Western apps.
3. Influence on Global Trends: TikTok, WeChat Pay, and social commerce trends often start in China before global rollout.
4. Tourism & Luxury Markets: Chinese tourists and shoppers significantly influence retail in the U.S. and globally—understanding their digital behaviors is vital.
5. Global Commerce Gateways: Even U.S.-based brands selling on Alibaba or JD.com need integrated social strategies to generate traffic from WeChat, Weibo, or Xiaohongshu.

Strategies for Tracking and Engaging Social Media in China

• Leverage WeChat Official Accounts: Create service and subscription accounts for bilingual content, e-commerce, and chatbots.
• Use Local KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders): Influencers play a major role in brand trust and awareness.
• Localize Content & Tone: Literal translations won’t work—brands must align with cultural expectations and digital behavior norms.
• Monitor with Chinese Tools: Use platforms like WalktheChat, KAWO, or Keyhole to track social listening and campaign success.
• Adapt to Super-App Models: Explore ecosystem strategies where messaging, payments, and product discovery happen in one app, rather than in siloed platforms like in the West.

Strategic Insight: Think Global, Act Glocal

• What’s your story? A brand that respects and understands the culture it enters builds deeper trust.
• What do you solve? You offer access, convenience, and digital relevance in an integrated world.
• How do you do it? Through localized content, native platform strategy, and strong partnerships with local influencers.
• Why do they care? Because relevance isn’t universal—it’s contextual. Meeting your audience in their environment shows you care.

Fictional Ideas

A U.S.-based health and wellness brand launches a WeChat Mini Program that lets Chinese consumers scan products in-store to see ingredient transparency, user reviews, and a link to purchase. They partner with two Xiaohongshu influencers to promote skincare routines featuring their products. Monthly engagements soar, and the brand starts appearing in local trend lists without buying any ads on Baidu.

References

Statista. (2017). ‘Leading social media platforms in China.’ https://www.statista.com/
WalkTheChat. (2017). ‘Understanding WeChat for Business.’ https://walkthechat.com
Technode. (2017). ‘Top Chinese Social Media Platforms You Need to Know.’ https://technode.com
eMarketer. (2017). ‘WeChat and Weibo User Behavior Report.’ https://emarketer.com
SCMP. (2017). ‘Xiaohongshu and the rise of social commerce in China.’ https://scmp.com
Reuters. (2017). ‘Douyin surges among Chinese youth.’ https://reuters.com
AdAge China. (2017). ‘How brands use KOLs in China.’ https://adage.com/china
Quartz. (2017). ‘Weibo’s revival as a marketing tool.’ https://qz.com
China Internet Watch. (2017). ‘Baidu’s ecosystem of content and commerce.’ https://chinainternetwatch.com
Wired. (2017). ‘How China’s super apps are influencing U.S. tech.’ https://wired.com

The Inbox Isn’t Dead: Why Email Marketing Still Wins in a Noisy Digital World

by Leave a Comment

Email: Your Most Underrated Asset

In a social-first era, email remains the most personal, direct, and measurable marketing channel. It’s not subject to algorithm changes or pay-to-play visibility. It’s a relationship you control—one address at a time.

Yet many businesses treat email as an afterthought. Now is the time to rethink your approach, and use your inbox as a powerful engine for conversions, retention, and brand building.

How to Capture the Right Leads

Lead capture starts with value. Offer something worth trading for an email: a free guide, exclusive content, or even early access to a new product. Use clear, benefit-focused language and simple opt-in forms placed where they make sense—on high-traffic blog posts, social pages, or landing pages linked from ads.

Platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKit, and AWeber offer native forms and landing page tools. Integrations with Facebook and website builders like WordPress or Wix make it even easier.

What to Do Once You Have the Email

Lead capture is only the beginning. The moment someone signs up, you need a welcome sequence—an automated email or two that introduces who you are and what they’ll get.

From there, segment your list. Don’t treat every subscriber the same. Separate your audience by interest, behavior, or stage of the buyer’s journey. Each group should receive content that’s relevant and timely.

What Your Emails Should Look Like

Keep it clean, scannable, and mobile-friendly. Most platforms offer templates, but good email copy is simple:

• Subject lines should create curiosity without being spammy.
• Body text should offer value first, then a call-to-action.
• Use visuals sparingly but effectively—especially on product or event emails.

Include your logo, a single call-to-action, and footer with links and unsubscribe options. Keep it human—don’t shout, connect.

How Often Should You Send?

It depends on your audience. Weekly emails work well for most brands if you have something valuable to share consistently. For others, bi-weekly or even monthly works better.

The golden rule: Be consistent, not overwhelming. Set expectations early. Let subscribers know how often you’ll send and what they’ll get.

Strategic Insight: Build a Community, Not Just a List

• What’s your story? You’re not just sending emails—you’re building an owned channel that grows alongside your brand.
• What do you solve? You help people cut through the noise by showing up in their inbox with relevant, curated value.
• How do you do it? Through consistent, audience-aware messaging that nurtures trust and encourages action.
• Why do they care? Because in a feed-based world, email is a rare chance to slow down and connect—with fewer distractions and more control.

Fictional Ideas

A local boutique starts collecting email addresses during in-store visits and on their website. They offer a 10% discount in exchange for signups.

Using Mailchimp, they set up an automated welcome email and a weekly update featuring new arrivals, staff picks, and style tips. Customers click through to a special landing page with exclusive offers. By segmenting subscribers by product interest and location, they create seasonal campaigns with geo-targeted promotions and event invitations.

Over time, this builds a core group of loyal shoppers who regularly open emails, use promo codes, and RSVP for events—resulting in a measurable increase in foot traffic and sales.

References

Mailchimp. (2016). ‘Marketing Automation: What You Need to Know.’ https://mailchimp.com/resources/marketing-automation/
Campaign Monitor. (2016). ‘Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry.’ https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-benchmarks/
HubSpot. (2016). ‘How to Create a Lead Nurturing Email Campaign.’ https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32305/The-10-Step-Lead-Nurturing-Workflow.aspx
Constant Contact. (2016). ‘Best Practices for Email Design.’ https://blogs.constantcontact.com/best-email-design/
AWeber. (2016). ‘What to Send and When.’ https://www.aweber.com/blog/email-marketing/email-newsletter-what-to-send-and-when.htm

Target, Talk, and Tune In: How Social Video and Audience Tools Are Changing the Game

by Leave a Comment

Instagram’s Longer Ads Redefine Short-Form Storytelling

Instagram expands its video ad capabilities globally this month, enabling up to 60-second videos. For marketers, this opens the door to more detailed, emotionally-driven content—while still remaining native to the platform’s visual-first ecosystem.

With more room to tell a story, brands can now build trust by sharing product journeys, behind-the-scenes footage, or authentic user moments—all without disrupting the user experience.

Facebook’s Organic Targeting Gets Smarter

Facebook rolls out its Audience Optimization tools for organic content. These features allow publishers and brands to tag interests, restrict visibility by demographics, and better align their messages with the right segments.

Instead of blasting posts to everyone, content now has a smarter path—delivered to those most likely to engage. This reinforces the value of strategic messaging and relevance over reach.

Twitter Encourages Conversation with New Ad Formats

Twitter introduces Conversational Ads and Fan Polls, giving users a chance to engage more meaningfully with branded content. These ads allow people to choose from branded messages or vote in interactive polls—turning users into active participants rather than passive viewers.

It’s a move toward community-led marketing, where the audience becomes co-creator and ambassador.

Live-Streaming Builds Trust and Immediacy

As live-streaming platforms like Periscope, Meerkat, and YouNow continue to gain traction, creators and brands are rethinking how they connect. Going live isn’t just an event—it’s an invitation to be real, to build transparency, and to engage in the moment.

This is no longer a trend for early adopters—it’s a shift in how we show up. The future is unfiltered, unscripted, and urgent.

Strategic Insight: Know Your People, Then Perform

• What’s your story? You’re not just sharing content—you’re opening a dialogue.
• What do you solve? You create content that’s relevant to specific segments, not just the masses.
• How do you do it? You use video to build trust, targeting tools to fine-tune your reach, and interactive formats to foster engagement.
• Why do they care? Because your content doesn’t just speak—it listens.

Fictional Ideas

A fitness coach starts a weekly live Q&A on Periscope, answering wellness questions in real time. She posts behind-the-scenes prep videos on Instagram using the 60-second format, showing how she sets up her routine.

On Facebook, she tags interest categories related to health and mindfulness to ensure her blog content reaches the right people. Meanwhile, on Twitter, she uses Conversational Ads to poll her audience about the next workout topic they want to learn.

Each channel becomes a personalized touchpoint—driving attention without paid noise.

References

Instagram for Business. (2016). 60-Second Video Ads Now Available Globally. https://business.instagram.com/blog/60-second-video-ads
Facebook Newsroom. (2016). Audience Optimization for Publishers. https://www.facebook.com/business/news/audience-optimization
Twitter Blog. (2016). Introducing Conversational Ads. https://blog.twitter.com/2016/introducing-conversational-ads
TechCrunch. (2016). Live Streaming Services Battle for Supremacy. https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/14/periscope-vs-meerkat/
Marketing Land. (2016). Twitter Adds New Poll Features. https://martech.org/twitter-adds-poll-options/

Simple Shopping Carts For Small Businesses

by Leave a Comment

Simple Shopping Carts For Small BusinessesWith a world of potential customers scouring the internet to purchase goods, introducing a fully functional e-commerce site allows even the smallest businesses to advance beyond their immediate local market. Transforming a simple business site into a strong source of revenue, shopping cart software (or a hosted e-commerce site, as below) allows sites to have online product catalogues, to interact with consumers through a seamless interface, supervise ordering procedures, and provide the intermediate interactive component between the main business site, back-end inventory and the payment gateway.
In order to create an e-commerce site for a small business, dependent upon technological experience and prowess, businesses have two main options. One choice is to use a hosted e-commerce software. A fully featured hosting platform from one service provider includes a comprehensive service solution. It covers aspects from initial domain registration to supplying the tools needed to easily build a fully functioning and secure e-commerce site. Though largely comprehensive and simple, this option does not allow businesses much freedom or control.
For more technologically advanced business owners who would prefer an extensive degree of control over the intricacies of their site and cart components, there is an integrated approach. This involves adding stand-alone shopping cart software to an existing secure business site as a preferred way of moving into the world of e-commerce. But this should only be considered if some form of in-house technological expertise can be accessed.
Therefore the question arises, which shopping cart is right for a small business? The choice will vary depending on the business itself and of course budget. Some options include:
Cube Cart
Protected by McAfee security, and offering an initial 14 day trial for free, Cube Cart provides a combination of reporting features (generating and exporting), customer management, SEO benefits, development potential and plugins. It may be best suited to businesses planning to grow in the near future.
As an overview, feature availability differs between the free Cube Cart Lite, and Cube Cart Pro (a £120 one off payment for full access to the code) with Pro supplying unlimited features, mobile optimised storefront, and technical support among other aspects. Both are compatible with most of the major payment gateways such as PayPal and SagePay.
Cube Cart features an intuitive control panel which allows for real-time statistics, order and stock notification, and Cube Cart Pro has no limits on number of store administrators, orders or customers.
Open Cart
Designed with visual interface appeal and clarity, SEO benefit, rich features and of course small business budget in mind, Open Cart is open source and free to download. Like Cube Cart, a demo is available, and Open Cart is compatible with 22 payment gateways, including SagePay, PayPal and WorldPay. Unlike Cube Cart however, a client account is not required at checkout which may not be of benefit to marketing strategies, but could encourage customer purchasing.
Available in 18 languages, and with multiple currencies and multiple tax rate application features, OpenCart has three different reporting options: Sales report, Products Viewed, and Products Purchased, but while still secure, does not have the same high profile security which Cube Cart boasts. Extended functionality via modules and a template base mean Open Cart is easily personalised, configured and adapted. Shipping methods, especially for the UK are extensive, and regarding support, community forums are free. Regarding commercial support, a list of professional, multi-country technical partner details are provided, but this service is not included.
VirtueMart
Compatible with Joomla!, VirtueMart is a complete e-commerce solution offering an unlimited number of products and categories, multiple currencies, compatibility with payment gateways such as PayPal and SystemPay, category meta tags for integrated SEO benefits, and other features such as the ability to sell downloadable products. VirtueMart also offers a straight ‘catalogue mode’  where the shopping cart feature can be switched off.
Like Open Cart, VirtueMart is open source, is free and customisable which may suit smaller business budgets. This compatibility with small businesses can also be seen in that VirtueMart is best used on low to medium traffic sites. Anonymous checkout is also available, and for those businesses owners considering the possibility of m-commerce in the future, VirtueMart has a supporting iPhone app – iVMStore.  A demo version, plus user support manuals and user community forum are available, but any other technical support is not included.
Magento
Offering a combination of the above, Magento is not only open source and free at its most basic level, but has more extensive annual subscription options available (Magento Enterprise, and Enterprise Premium) which range in cost from approximately £9000 to £31000.
Feature rich, completely scaleable and secure, Magento suits a vast range of businesses, boasting extensive customer management, marketing benefits, search engine optimisation, multiple payment and shipping compatibility, plus allows merchant flexibility and control over the look, and functionality of their e-commerce stores.
Mobile optimisation is available and allows for administrative tasks (such as branded storefront creation) in addition to enabling useable cart m-commerce capabilities. Themes and extensions (such as payment integration or shipping features) are available, as is forum support for Magento’s Community Edition. For Magento Enterprise, full support is available, and Magento Enterprise Premium offers user training, multiple licensing, further round the clock support, and consulting reviews.
Alastair Kane is a freelance writer who works for 2touch a leading provider of fulfilment services including ecommerce fulfilment

More Uses for Social Media in Business

by Leave a Comment

http://blogs.technet.com/b/smallbusiness/archive/2012/10/24/top-ten-tips-how-to-use-social-media-to-win-new-business.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/b/smallbusiness/archive/2012/10/24/top-ten-tips-how-to-use-social-media-to-win-new-business.aspx

When businesses look at the potential applications of social media they will often rub their hands together with glee as they realise all the marketing opportunities before them. There are countless ways you can use social media to network with potential customer and clients, and the interconnected nature of such sites and powerful infrastructure mean they’re perfectly designed for helping an idea to go global. Then of course there’s all the information that people who use these networks upload about themselves which makes these sites ideal for connecting with targeted audience. In short it’s really quite useful.
But there are other uses of social media too, and if your company is looking at social networking only in terms of marketing then you are missing a big trick. Here are some of the other applications of social media that are just as powerful but that can help other aspects of your business.
Communication
Social media is a fantastically powerful communications tool that has a lot of advantages over more traditional forms of communication such as post and e-mail. This includes B2B communication, B2C communication and also internal communication between your colleagues. If you need to give your entire team up-to-date information then why send out hundreds of e-mails when you could just create a group or page that everyone can access? While the cloud has become a source for storing information, social media is still a great delivery tool that brings content to people. While you can store files in could database, using groups puts that information with regularity into peoples hands and allows them to comment and even build a database of responses and inquires.
Collaboration
Social media can also be highly useful for collaboration, and there are a number of ways you can use social networks to get multiple people to work on the same project or to coordinate organization elements. Think about cross collaboration for creativity and generating new ideas, think about the benefits of things like Twitter Chats.
Feedback and Crowdsourcing
Using social media you have a connection with the very members of the general public you hope to become your customers. At the same time though it’s important to remember that this bridge is two way meaning you can also use it to get information from them that can help you to provide a better business model or come up with new ideas. Ask the people you are creating for what they want and you can’t really go wrong. And recently there has been a potentially even more useful form of social network too – crowdfunding sites that enable you to get funding from the very customers you’re designing your products for.
Networking
It’s not just the general public that you can connect with using social media, it’s also other businesses which can potentially benefit you in a large number of different ways. Using social media you can find potential business partners to help you with a range of aspects of your business. Sites like LinkedIn take great advantage of this fact and it’s a great way to advance your business. Think of LinkedIn connections as a reason to introduce yourself and tell people what you do, the product or service you offer and how you fulfill needs and wants.
Business Models
Finally it’s also possible to go one step further and to integrate social media into your very business model, or come up with an entirely new business model based on the capabilities of social media. This could mean you just launch your own social network, or it could mean that you create a business based around a social element in the vein of Groupon. Great businesses that find huge success often do so by taking advantage of technological developments in smart ways, so think about how you could build a business model or improve your current system by integrating web 2.0.
Ben Austin is an internet marketing expert and has been writing articles advising webmasters about how to optimize their sites. He is of the opinion that approaching a trustworthy link building agency is very important if one wants a good Page Rank for one’s site.

Relational Database Design: A Best Practices Primer

by 1 Comment

database-design-development
http://www.riceconsultingllc.com/2012/database-building.php

Relational databases are the dynamic compartments of fundamental web and enterprise cloud applications. Relational databases normalize, sort and link data using tables and queries. The design is open to the interpretation of the database designer, but a poor database design can be disastrous for any business.
A poor design can slow performance, inhibit scalability and create bugs in an enterprise application. To avoid the pitfalls of poor design, a good design plan is critical.
Primary and Foreign Table Keys
Primary and foreign keys link tables together, so developers can query multiple tables in one Structured Query Language (SQL) statement. All tables require a primary key, and any tables that reference another table requires a foreign key to that primary key. For instance, if a database consists of customer information and the related customer orders, a primary key named “CustomerId” can be created in the “Customers” table and a foreign key named “CustomerId” is created in the “Orders” table. The customer ID field is always unique, so each customer is uniquely queried with its linked order. The result is that a programmer can query and display a customer with the customer orders.
Table Indexes
Essentially, the primary and foreign table keys create an index for the tables, but secondary indexes can also be created. Typically, indexes are created on fields that are used in the SQL “join” statements or columns where the programmer queries based on these column values. Indexes sort values for faster lookups and queries. Indexes can mean the different between a query that takes 10 minutes to run and 5 seconds to run.
Types of Table Relationships
Relational databases have two fundamental relationships: one-to-one and one-to-many. There is also the many-to-many relationship, but this type of relationship is not a normalized standard. Many-to-many relationships should be broken down to a one-to-one or one-to-many relationship.
A one-to-one relationship means one record in a primary table links to only one record in a secondary table. For instance, a customer can only have one login identity. The table design can include a main “Customer” table with the customer’s information, and then a “Login” table contains the customer’s login identity and password.
A one-to-many relationship means one record in the primary table links to several records in the secondary table. An example is the customer and orders relationship. A customer has one account, but a customer can have one or many orders. Linking the customer and orders table will result in several records dependent on the number of orders processed by the customer.
Table Normalization
Table normalization is standard in the industry, but each programmer and database designer has his own idea of proper normalization. Normalization is the process of reducing data duplication, increasing data stability and facilitating streamlined updates and deletions of data.
For instance, a new database designer might put “option 1” and “option 2” as database columns for a customer order. However, what happens if the customer has a third option or the business wants to expand to allow for a third option? This table design does not facilitate scalability for customer options. Using this example, the right way to normalize the database is to create an “Options” table and use primary and foreign keys to link the order and option tables. The “Options” table has a foreign key that contains the order number, and the SQL can link to an unlimited amount of options for the customer order.
After the basic database design is set up, there might be some tweaks and changes made to the layout after deployment. This is common with new database layouts, but these fundamentals will help the database admin fall into common configuration pitfalls that impede business growth based on the technology.
Jennifer Marsh is a software developer, programmer and technology writer and occasionally blogs for Rackspace Hosting.

The Benefits Of Using Linkedin To Promote Small Business

by Leave a Comment

linkedinLinkedin is a social network designed specifically for professional connections. lf you are a small business contemplating going online, you should add a social network like Linkedin into your marketing mix. Linkedin allows you to connect with other business leaders and professionals in your industry so that you can engage in conversation, make partnerships, enjoy mergers and strike other profitable deals.
Like any marketing avenue, Linkedin offers a unique platform that helps you promote your business and get in touch with people who can influence others and recommend your business.
1. Be smart .. Start as you intend to finish
This means once you join Linkedin, please set up your profile to be as complete as possible. including references, a professional headshot, your company details, links to your company websites and any other vital information in portraying the professionalism you want people to see. Remember, unlike Twitter & Facebook, a lot of the posts you see and discussions are by professionals in your industry. Your ability to join in with those discussions will determine the level of success you can reach.
2. Decide what kinds of people you wish to meet
lt is also important to develop a list of people and companies you want to connect to. Target these people or companies and add them to your connections. Remember for each connection you add, your network will grow and you will have the ability of adding more connections through each original connection you added. Your network and influence can grow into thousands.
3. Get the people you already know onto your Linkedin profile
A great start to networking on Linkedin is to add people who are already your customers. Simply ask your present and past customers to join you and if they liked your services to recommend you. You can gain a lot of positive reviews through campaigning with previous clients.
4. Consider your brand power
By utilizing Linkedin you have a network that you can leverage your branding. lf you have a brand, and you want to showcase it, then simply do this with your connections and groups.
5. Join Groups
The easiest way to start conversations with professionals in your industry is by joining some well respected groups. You can easily add your own voice to the discussions at hand and develop leading connections with people who are in your line of business. You can showcase your knowledge and ask leading questions which can turn into discussions. You can then add the people who reply to your connections.
6. Don’t spam
The easiest thing in the world to do is to deliver emails with sales pitches on Linkedin. This is frowned upon and rarely works. lf you want to touch base with someone,just leave them a welcoming personal note. Don’t attempt to sell your services. Instead build your relationships.
7. Add your other social accounts
You are able to add your Twitter account. Also add your other websites and blogs. This will ensure people can see a snapshot of your profile on various platforms all on one single page.
Once you have completed a company profile and added a few connections, you will begin to grow your network. Don’t be afraid to reach out and show off your credentials.
This is a guest post of Ludwing Hernandez, Young full time web entreprenuer. He like write about business promoting techniques. Follow Ludwing at Zinzz.com.

3 Design Mistakes That Kill Your Business Blog

by Leave a Comment

Many businesses are turning to blogs as an extension of their marketing collateral. Blogs are a great way to provide insight to your audience, give them an easy way to get to know you and allow them to build a relationship with you so that you can achieve brand loyalty.
Some companies have very successful blogs. They produce the content their audience wants and they have an aesthetically pleasing design that makes their site easy to navigate.
On the other hand, there are some businesses that cannot find success with their blog. Most businesses assume that the content is to blame, but oftentimes, the problem lies in the design. The following are three common design mistakes that could end up killing your blog.
1. It’s too busy.
Though you may not think that it’s fun, a busy background and busy font can make people turn away the minute they land on your blog. Bright backgrounds with bright fonts can be hard for your audience to look at. Plus, if your background is too busy, they may not be able to focus on the content, which is the most important part of your blog.
Crazy fonts can also be hard for your audience to read. If you use something other than a simple font, your audience may have a hard time figuring out the words on your blog. And along with the font, you also want to make sure that the size of your font is not too small or too big.
2. The navigation is confusing.
You don’t want your readers to simply land on a blog post, read it and leave. You want them to land on a blog post, read it, and stick around for a while perusing past blog posts and possibly even getting back to your website. This is where simple navigation is essential. If your navigation is hard to find or hard to read, your audience is not going to stick around. Don’t be cute with titles for your navigation. If the navigation is leading to a page about your company, use “About Us” as a title. If your audience doesn’t understand where a link will take them, they’ll be hesitant to click on it.
You also want to make sure that your navigation is easy to find, such as along the top or along the left-hand side. This is how most websites are set up, and this is how most Internet users expect to see a site. While placing your navigation somewhere different shows that you’re unique, it can also frustrate your audience trying to find it.
3. Your audience can’t share your posts.
The more your blog content is shared, the more traffic you’ll receive. Thanks to social networks, sharing your blog content is easy, but if you don’t have share features on your blog, you’ll never see the virality that some blogs do. When a reader lands on a blog that interests them, they may be inclined to share it with their fans, friends and followers through social media. If you don’t have a share button, they’re not going to take the time to copy and paste the URL. Instead, they simply won’t share the info, which means that your blog posts aren’t reaching as wide of an audience as you possibly can.
Jacob Smith is a business owner and avid blogger.  He created his own business blog and used the wordpress themes business layouts.

Startup Hiring Tips: Use Creativity and Technology to Find the Right People

by Leave a Comment

Hiring new employees for any startup can be a real challenge. Dipping into the gene pool and trying to pluck out the best and brightest to bring on board can present a problem depending on the size of your company. Smaller companies need people who can fill many roles. Many startups are lean and mean with little or no extra time to spend reviewing resumes, interview countless applicants and come to a consensus as to who is right for the job. Time may be scare but in a world of technology and innovation here are some creative ways to streamline the hiring phase.

Corporate Culture Conveyed Through Craigslist

Craigslist can be a powerful tool to bring potential team members into the company. Unemployment is around 10% making the sheer volume of potential employees hunting Craigslist for a new job very large. The key to getting the right people for your company and not simply getting overly qualified individuals can be done with a creative advertisement. Take a look at what category the listing may appear and pick the best one. One look at the front page of Craigslist and you will see one of the largest categories is for jobs. This may seem simple but it should not be overlooked.
Next create a listing that sells your startup’s culture. One easy way to convey cultural identity is through a few pictures of the office and maybe even the team. You will notice on the job listings pages that almost none of the advertisements have an attached picture. Pictures can set you apart from the rest and may weed out people who might not fit in well with your company.

Use Registration Forms to Screen Applicants

The resume is essentially useless when it comes to making a decision about hiring. It serves as a great way to start a conversation but leaves too much to the imagination when it comes to the true identity of a person. The real test for a potential hire is how effectively they can communicate. Communication skills are magnified 10 fold in a small startup because everyone talks to everyone. There is no room to hide in a small office space filled with “startup minded” people. Using phone interviews can be effective in testing communication skills but unless you record the conversation chances are you will forget the meat of what was said and simply be left with you impression. If you capture the ideas in writing then it may serve you and your team better while making a decision. Try using a online form, like a registration form, that you can customize with a few questions to really test the communication skill and style of your potential talent. This will also prove them in their writing ability. Make no mistake; everyone must be able to communicate both verbally and by the written word to succeed in a startup.

The Bottom Line

A startup should always be in the hiring phase ready to snatch up the best and brightest. If you always have your feelers out then you and your team of highly motivated, work 60+ hours a week at any cost, will find people you need to prosper. Using creative Craigslist ads and simple technology, like customized online forms, finding the right people just might not be so hard.
Jared Jaureguy is a Technology Consultant who has helped many startups implement the best use of technology to achieve their goals. You can follow Jared on Twitter @JaredJaureguy.

Constant Contact: eMail Marketing [INTERNSHIP]

by Leave a Comment

Constant contact is an online marketing company that allows you to stay connected with your customers all around the world. With the world rapidly moving their marketing towards the web, constant contact is a great way to anticipate new customers. They offer their services primarily to small businesses, membership associations, and nonprofit organizations. Constant contact is known for their dependable email marketing. Their main goal is to help their customers find new customers, drive repeat business, and generate referrals.
Email marketing is basically sending email messages with a purpose of attracting new customers, or enhancing the relationships with current customers. Email marketing through constant contact is a great reliable way for your company to grow. With features that allow you to have a professional look, constant contact’s email marketing is more effective than regular email. No technical skills are required to create a professional looking email because constant contact offers over 400 templates to choose from. Creating newsletters are simple and fast so you can send them much more frequently than paper ones.
In order to effectively get your prospectors to respond, differentiate your data base and create smaller customer lists based on their shared interests. After you’ve done that, send them relevant information that pertains to them. This will get more of a chance for them to actually act upon your emails. The emails you send are easy to forward so if you target your audience and their interested, there’s no doubt they’ll click the forward button. This will get you referrals much more easily and allow your company to grow.
A cool feature constant contact’s email marketing offers is tracking and reporting. After you send an email you are able to see who read, clicked, or forwarded your email. This allows you to understand what the people you’re trying to contact are really interested about. You can then go back and tailor your content the best possible way for your targeted audience.
Besides the email templates constant contact offers, they also offer list management and free coaching. List management is a tool that allows you to organize and grow your contact list by combing multiple lists and segmenting them based on an audience with common interests. This is a much easier way to send out a mass email because the lists are already narrowed down to a targeted audience. If you’re having trouble with email marketing through constant contact, they offer free personal coaching and support at anytime. They present webinars, guides, and podcasts to go further in detail about email marketing and how it can boost your businesses customer service.
Constant contact is the new marketing success formula that helps create and grow customer relationships in today’s socially connected world. It’s an easy reliable way for your business to keep a strong communication line. If you use constant contact’s email marketing the right way, your customers will share your emails with their networks therefore making your business grow.
Sources:
http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp
http://landing.constantcontact.com/goog-grow-with-email-marketing-ad?utm_id=GOO-100846&cc=GOO-100846&gclid=CPXIgL3ZybMCFQOf4AodzQMA7A
http://www.constantcontact.com/email-marketing/what-is-email-marketing/index.jsp
http://www.constantcontact.com/about-constant-contact/index.jsp
The content in this article is part of Digital Ethos’s Digital Media Education in the Higher Education Internship Program, the content was created by @KaylaMarzo, a Student at Suffolk County Community college, intern at Digital Ethos.