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Sales & eCommerce

Social Commerce Surge: Turning Feeds into Storefronts

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The buy button is no longer just on your website — it’s in your customers’ feeds. In July 2021, social platforms have evolved into full-fledged storefronts, allowing customers to browse, compare, and purchase without ever leaving the app. From Instagram Shops to Facebook Marketplace and Pinterest product pins, the path from discovery to checkout has never been shorter.

Defining Social Commerce

Social commerce is the integration of shopping experiences directly within social media platforms. It eliminates friction by letting customers complete purchases without navigating to an external site. Why it matters now: as mobile usage dominates and lockdowns keep consumers shopping from home, social commerce offers both convenience and immediacy — two factors proven to drive sales.

B2B vs. B2C Perspectives

In B2B, social commerce is emerging in niche ways, such as selling event tickets, software subscriptions, or educational content directly through LinkedIn or Facebook groups. In B2C, it’s a full-force retail channel, with fashion, beauty, home goods, and specialty products thriving on platforms that merge inspiration with instant purchase options.

COVID-19 and the Social Commerce Boom

With physical retail limited and more consumers spending time on social media, social commerce adoption has accelerated dramatically. Brands that previously treated social platforms as awareness channels are now building full sales funnels within them — meeting customers where they already scroll and shop.

Factics

What the data says:

  • eMarketer (2020) projected U.S. social commerce sales to surpass $36 billion by 2021, up 34.8% year over year.
  • Sprout Social (2019) found that 77% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand they follow on social media.
  • GlobalWebIndex (2020) reports that 54% of social browsers use social media to research products.
  • Statista (2019) shows that Instagram has over 130 million users tapping on shopping posts each month.
  • Pinterest (2019) notes that 83% of weekly Pinners have made a purchase based on content from brands on the platform.

How we can apply it:

  • Set up native shops on Instagram and Facebook to enable in-app checkout.
  • Optimize product imagery and descriptions for social-first viewing.
  • Leverage Pinterest product pins with pricing and availability details for higher purchase intent.
  • Use shoppable posts and Stories to integrate products seamlessly into content.
  • Run targeted ads that lead directly to in-platform product pages.

Platform Playbook

  • Instagram: Create curated collections in Instagram Shops and use tagged products in Reels and Stories.
  • Facebook: Leverage Marketplace for local and niche product sales, and Shops for brand-owned storefronts.
  • Pinterest: Utilize Rich Pins with product info and link directly to checkout-enabled landing pages.
  • LinkedIn: Sell tickets to webinars or gated B2B resources through event listings and sponsored content.
  • TikTok: Integrate shopping links into short-form content for impulse-friendly purchases.

Best Practice Spotlight

Gymshark has mastered the art of social commerce on Instagram, using influencer partnerships, shoppable posts, and limited-time drops to drive urgency. By combining high-quality creative with frictionless checkout, they’ve turned their feed into a revenue-generating machine.

Strategic Insight

What’s your story? You’re the brand that sells where your customers scroll.

What do you solve? The gap between product discovery and purchase decision.

How do you do it? By embedding your store directly into the social platforms your audience uses daily.

Why do they care? Because convenience and immediacy increase the likelihood of purchase.

Social commerce connects seamlessly with strategies from January’s personalization, February’s conversational tools, March’s predictive content, April’s first-party data strategies, May’s transparency, and June’s data ethics — all of which underpin trust and conversion.

Hypotheticals Imagined

These scenarios outline how brands can fully integrate social commerce into their marketing mix, combining platform-specific features with strategic execution.

**Scenario 1: Fashion Retailer Launches Instagram & Facebook Shops**

Background: A mid-sized fashion brand wants to boost direct-to-consumer sales during ongoing lockdowns.
Execution Steps:
1. Set up Instagram and Facebook Shops with complete product catalogs and lifestyle imagery.
2. Use Stories with tagged products for seasonal lookbooks.
3. Run retargeting ads for users who viewed but didn’t purchase.
4. Offer limited-time discounts exclusive to in-app shoppers.
Expected Outcome: Increased conversion rates from social followers and reduced drop-off by removing the need to leave the platform.
Potential Pitfalls: Poor product tagging or missing inventory updates can cause frustration.

**Scenario 2: B2B Home Décor Supplier Leverages LinkedIn Events & Pinterest Rich Pins**

Background: A wholesale décor supplier aims to connect with boutique retailers.
Execution Steps:
1. Host a virtual product showcase via LinkedIn Events.
2. Use sponsored posts to invite targeted retail buyers.
3. Create Pinterest Rich Pins featuring wholesale pricing and availability.
4. Link Rich Pins to a gated catalog request form.
Expected Outcome: A shorter sales cycle through visual discovery and immediate lead capture.
Potential Pitfalls: Failure to align creative across platforms could weaken brand impact.

**Scenario 3: Local Artisan Market Expands Reach via TikTok & Pinterest**

Background: A regional artisan market wants to grow beyond local foot traffic.
Execution Steps:
1. Create TikTok videos showcasing artisans and their products with shopping links.
2. Pin product features and DIY inspiration on Pinterest with direct buy options.
3. Collaborate with micro-influencers for unboxing and product demo content.
4. Use analytics to refine content themes based on engagement.
Expected Outcome: Expanded reach into new geographic markets with minimal overhead.
Potential Pitfalls: Over-reliance on influencer content without strong brand voice.

References

eMarketer. (2020). Social Commerce Sales Forecast. https://www.emarketer.com

Sprout Social. (2019). Social Media and Consumer Buying Trends. https://sproutsocial.com

GlobalWebIndex. (2020). Social Media Trends. https://www.globalwebindex.com

Statista. (2019). Instagram Shopping Statistics. https://www.statista.com

Pinterest. (2019). Pinterest Marketing Insights. https://business.pinterest.com

The Digital Trust Gap: Why Transparency, Authority, and Design Now Matter More Than Ever

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Trust is no longer a bonus — it’s the barrier to entry. In today’s digital environment, skepticism runs high and patience runs low. Users question everything: who’s behind the content, whether it’s biased, and what will happen if they click. Design alone doesn’t build credibility — but poor design, vague branding, or hidden intentions destroy it instantly.

Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms are tightening their expectations. As algorithms favor clarity and users seek authenticity, businesses that lead with transparency and digital authority gain an edge — even before the conversation starts.

B2B vs. B2C Relevance

For B2B marketers, trust shows up in thought leadership, secure UX, and visible author authority. Buyers don’t just vet products — they vet the companies behind them. Whitepapers with named authors, HTTPS sites, accessible company pages, and human-centric contact methods all build business confidence.

In B2C, the trust gap forms around e-commerce, personal data, and reviews. Consumers want secure checkouts, transparent pricing, and real feedback. Brands that clearly show what they stand for — and who’s behind them — outperform those hiding behind logos.

Factics

What the data says:

  • 81% of consumers say they need to trust a brand before making a purchase (Edelman, 2019)
  • 94% of first impressions are design-related (Northumbria University, 2019)
  • Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) factors directly influence content rankings (Google Quality Rater Guidelines, 2019)
  • 85% of consumers avoid unsecured websites (Blue Fountain Media, 2019)
  • 70% of B2B buyers fully define their needs before contacting a vendor (CSO Insights, 2019)
  • Websites that show team bios and real contact info receive 40% higher engagement (Nielsen Norman Group, 2019)

How we apply it:

  • E-A-T your content: Ensure every article, video, or podcast is authored or reviewed by someone with real-world expertise — and show it clearly with bios or credentials.
  • Secure and clarify: SSL encryption is non-negotiable. So is simple, jargon-free navigation and clear value propositions.
  • Show the humans behind the brand: About pages, social media links, behind-the-scenes content, and executive visibility all improve user confidence.
  • Use microcopy to reassure: Confirm what happens after form submissions, how data is used, or how refunds work. Small words build big trust.
  • Design with consistency: Visual identity, language tone, and brand behavior must align across all touchpoints.
  • Monitor and respond to reviews: Actively addressing concerns signals openness and integrity, especially in B2C.

Applied Example
Dana leads brand development for a direct-to-consumer skincare startup. Their early success came from Instagram virality, but repeat customers are lagging. Site analytics show users drop off before completing checkout.

Dana reviews the site experience and notices gaps: no “about us” section, missing security seals, and generic product copy. She updates product pages with dermatologist quotes, adds personal bios for team members, and publishes a transparent pricing FAQ.

On the B2B side, they begin offering white-labeled product lines to boutique spas. Dana creates a downloadable credential packet with founder background, ingredient sourcing, and media coverage. Within two months, they land three B2B clients and raise cart completion rates by 22%.

References

  1. Edelman. (2019). Edelman Trust Barometer. https://www.edelman.com/research/trust-barometer-2019
  2. Northumbria University. (2019). The Role of Visual Design in Consumer Judgments. https://northumbria.ac.uk
  3. Google. (2019). Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines. https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf
  4. Blue Fountain Media. (2019). Website Security and Consumer Confidence. https://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/why-site-security-matters
  5. CSO Insights. (2019). B2B Buyer Journey Report. https://www.csoinsights.com
  6. Nielsen Norman Group. (2019). Trustworthy Design Patterns. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/trustworthiness-online/

The Rise of Micro-Experiences: Why Small-Scale Digital Moments Drive Big Brand Impact

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Every digital touchpoint is a chance to build or break trust. In an age of short attention spans and mobile-first engagement, the most effective brand experiences aren’t necessarily big, flashy campaigns — they’re the small, intentional interactions that create emotional value and functional ease. These are micro-experiences, and they’re quietly reshaping the way brands connect, convert, and retain across every industry.

Micro-experiences happen when someone receives a personalized recommendation, completes a task in one click, or gets a thoughtful nudge from a chatbot. They’re fast, often invisible — and incredibly powerful.

B2B vs. B2C Context

In B2B, micro-experiences are about removing friction from research and decision-making. Think of a demo signup form that pre-fills user info based on LinkedIn data, or onboarding workflows that adapt to a user’s industry. These interactions save time and position the brand as smart, helpful, and professional.

In B2C, micro-experiences are about delivering surprise and delight. This could be a real-time discount code in a mobile app, a push notification reminding a shopper they left something in their cart, or a playlist generated based on previous purchases. These moments create personal relevance and trigger emotion.

Factics
What the data says:

  • 76% of customers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations (Salesforce, 2019).
  • Brands with strong micro-interaction design see up to a 20% lift in conversion (Forrester, 2019).
  • Personalized experiences improve customer satisfaction by 85% and brand loyalty by 76% (Accenture Interactive, 2019).
  • 90% of consumers say they are more likely to shop with brands that remember their preferences (SmarterHQ, 2019).
  • In B2B, simplifying user flows improves pipeline efficiency by 25% (McKinsey & Company, 2019).
  • Micro-content and interaction loops increase mobile engagement by up to 3x (Google Think, 2019).

How we can apply it:

  • Audit your digital presence: Look at every interaction — signups, logins, checkouts — and eliminate unnecessary steps.
  • Use behavioral triggers: Trigger content, offers, or support based on what users do (or don’t do) in real-time.
  • Design with intent: Micro-interactions aren’t just animations — they are functional cues. Use them to guide action or offer feedback.
  • Embrace personalization: Leverage cookies, CRM data, or user history to deliver tailored interactions — even small ones.
  • Cross-team collaboration: Micro-experiences live at the intersection of marketing, design, and dev. Make them part of your agile workflows.
  • Test and iterate: Use A/B testing on small details — CTA wording, transition animations, tooltip timing — to learn what increases delight or action.

Applied Example
Samantha manages digital experience for a mid-sized HR software company. Her team notices a drop in demo completions after the first screen. Instead of a full redesign, they add micro-experiences:

  • A welcome message with the user’s name
  • A progress bar to set expectations
  • A tooltip that offers to auto-fill company info
  • A confirmation animation once the form is submitted

They also add a follow-up email with a custom demo video based on the user’s role. Within six weeks, demo completions increase by 18%, and follow-up calls are more productive. These aren’t big changes — they’re small wins with outsized impact.

References

  1. Salesforce. (2019). State of the Connected Customer. https://www.salesforce.com/research/customer-expectations
  2. Forrester. (2019). The Impact of Micro-Interactions on Conversion. https://go.forrester.com/blogs/micro-interactions-matter
  3. Accenture Interactive. (2019). Personalization Pulse Check. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/interactive/personalization
  4. SmarterHQ. (2019). Data-Driven Personalization Benchmark Report. https://www.smarterhq.com/blog/benchmark-report
  5. McKinsey & Company. (2019). The B2B Digital Tipping Point. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-b2b-digital-inflection-point
  6. Google Think. (2019). Micro-Moments: How Mobile Is Reshaping the Customer Journey. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/micromoments-guide

Simple Shopping Carts For Small Businesses

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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

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

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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]

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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.

10 Ways to Use Foursquare for Business

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Foursquare is a location-based smartphone application which offers check-in service to customers, marketers and businesses alike. You can use this mobile application to check-in to venues and share with your friends where you are, and obtain info about those places.  Based on your updates, the application might assign you merit badges. It’s an interesting social concept for consumers and at the same time, a strong business tool that can be potentially used for creating brand awareness and profits. Hence if you want to leverage your business, this platform platform is worth looking at for several reasons. To do this, you’ll have to understand how it works. There are 10 ways to use Foursquare for business. To help you get an idea about promoting your own business through this platform, there are a few tips discussed below.
How to use foursquare for business
To begin with, check your business on Foursquare. If your business is not there, add it and then, claim it on the listing. Connect your Twitter account with the listing. This process is quite simple. Once this is done, you can proceed further to use Foursquare for business promotion. In this endeavor, following things can be done:

  1. Create interesting deals to draw in customers. Deals can easily be created if you have claimed your business on this platform. You can give special discounts to those users who checks in to your business, for instance – announce to give 10% off on one’s next merchandise shopping. However, just ensure that your deals are special and creative so that new customers get attracted and keep coming back to you.
  2. Design reward-based programs on Foursquare for loyal customers to retain them. If deals help you draw new customers, rewarding those who are regular visitors to your business is useful in winning their loyalty. It can create a bond between your customers and the business and entice them to come back to you. Your reward-based programs should be smart and intelligently devised, for instance – a program asking one to check in 5 times in 15 days and win a surprise gift.
  3. Use Foursquare to collect demographic details of your customers. Through this platform, you can know the average check-in rate of a customer, his/ her age and gender, check-in timings and where he or she is sharing the check-in details – on Facebook or Twitter.
  4. Another interesting way to use Foursquare for business promotion is to get feedback from your customers about your business. Customers can leave their comments or tips about a particular venue they visit. You can use their feedback to bring improvisation in your business.
  5. Foursquare is a powerful medium to advertize your business for free. When you claim your business and optimize the listing by adding authentic contact details and website, you increase the chances of promoting your business across various social networking sites which are used by millions.
  6. If your business doesn’t have a physical presence, you can use Foursquare to set up a page instead of claiming a venue. Foursquare page is not much different from a Twitter page. Those who follow your business on Foursquare can obtain information about you from there.
  7. You can enter a partnership with other brands which are physically present to derive optimum benefit. For instance if you are a book publisher, join hands with a local bookstore to increase the reach of your business.
  8. Design Foursquare event at your venue to boost massive check-ins and brand consciousness.
  9. You can encourage your staff to join Foursquare and check-in at your venue there whenever they report to work. This will also help spread awareness about your business among their friends and followers.
  10. You can also share useful tips on Foursquare to engage with your customers and thereby, attract their attention to your business.

These are few ways to use Foursquare for business. You can use these and other innovative techniques as well to make success out of your business.
Edoardo Piccolotto, is an Internet Marketing and Strategic Consultant that provides specific strategy advices to business that want to use internet to generate new business opportunities. Follow him on twitter @epiccolotto.

Why use Google AdWords? – Part 1- [Internship]

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Google logo
Ever search something on Google and wonder what makes the first search result better than the next? With a little help from AdWords it can help you achieve a higher rank in the search results. AdWords bid on keywords that will help trigger their sponsored ads. How much they bid is one of the things that determines their position on the page of search results. The more their ads are clicked, the less they have to pay for each click.
Google AdWords is Google’s pay per click (PPC) advertising platform. This tool is used to direct traffic to your website. Every time your ad is clicked in the PPC option, the advertiser pays the website owner on the terms that the agreed on. The budget can determine how often ads can appear on Google. PPC’s content usually takes form in advertisements such as sponsored links or ads. They appear either above your search results or along the side.
There are many beneficial factors when taking using the AdWords tool. When someone clicks on your ad, this will take them to your website where they can learn more about your business and make a purchase.  Advertising on Google can direct more traffic to your website as you are using the most widely used search engine in the world.
When you first come across Google AdWords, you’ll want to narrow down your audience and attempt to target just your customers. Google AdWords allows you to narrow down your audience by choosing from hundreds of languages, and specific cities and regions. For example, if you own a furniture store in New York City, you don’t want your ads to be seen in Colorado. Set your campaign ads to be read in English throughout the New York City area. Making your ads visible within a ten miles radius of the city or using the zip code targeting can’t hurt either.
After you targeted your audience, you then want to create your ad that will appeal to them. You want your ad to stick out like a sore thumb. In a world full of furniture stores, you want someone to click on your website instead of your competitors. In order for the searcher to click your ad, you want to be able to provide them with the one they think provides the most beneficial information or drives the highest value. In order to make an ad the most effective for your website, you want to choose keywords that are relevant. Choose keywords that relate the most to your site, service or offer. For example, if you are a business that sells furniture, your keywords might include couch, futon, or recliner. You’ll also find it useful to create long tail keywords, like NYC furniture store, or park slope furniture store. The long tail keywords use more terms to narrow your target and often have less competition.
There are a couple of types of keywords, one being negative keywords. A negative keyword is a phrase or word that prevents ads from appearing when a searcher types it in. For example, if your business sells furniture, but doesn’t sell bed frames, you would add the negative keyword but put a hyphen before it like so –bed frames. This eliminates your ads from appearing on irrelevant searches. Another type of keywords include exact match. You want to use exact match when you are using keywords that are exactly what a customer would be looking for when searching on Google. Exact match means that the ad shows for searches only when the search query is exactly the same as your keyword. When using exact match, chose your keyword and put it in square brackets. When someone is looking to buy a love seat, and you own a furniture company, you may want to use [love seat] as an exact match.
After you created your ad, you want to set a pricing. Set your daily budget and cost per click up. You can spend to as much or as little as you want. The average cost per click with Google AdWords is around $3.50 per click but in some cases skyrockets to $20. A useful feature on AdWords lets you change your budget at any time. When you are finally all done with setting up your ad, you want to launch the campaign.
Signing up for Google AdWords can be a good move for your business. It can direct traffic straight to your website which can mean more purchases. Google AdWords generates more visitors, followers, and customers. When you have an effective ad on Google’s search results page, your website will see a whole new world. The tool is one of the best advertising options when you want to track ROI and be able to reduce or grow on the fly. While there is still a lot of other options, using the PPC campaigns in Google AdWords can be a great source for new business.
Coming In Part 2 – Google AdWords, Advanced Options, CPM, Newsletter, Calls, DisplayNetwork
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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.

3 Tips to Effectively Market Your Real Estate Website

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The key to marketing a real estate website is in knowing what your prospects are searching for, what sites they frequent, and how they use the web to communicate and gather information. Consider the following 3 tips to effectively market your real estate website:

Proper Domain Selection

The first step is choosing a domain name that will either capitalize on your brand name or target web searchers based on keywords. If you already have an established brand that is locally recognized you’ll want to make it easier for existing clients and prospects to find your site by registering a domain name that contains the name of your agency.
On the other hand, if you’re able to get your hands on a rare, yet highly valuable geo-targeted domain name (i.e. – FloridaRealEstate.com) then this option should be considered over all. Some firms choose to register multiple domains in order to maximise search traffic.

Competitive Analysis and Keyword Optimization

A great way to figure out what keywords you should be targeting in your site content and marketing efforts is to utilize keyword research tools and services like:

  • Google Adwords Keyword Suggestion Tool
  • Keyword Discovery
  • Wordtracker
  • Spyfu
  • Compete.com Analytics

All of the above resources will help you determine which keywords your competitors are using to generate the most traffic. Once you’ve built a list of keywords you can focus on outdoing the competition by publishing more content and contributing genuinely useful information. In addition to filling your real estate website with quality content, you should also start focusing on becoming a thought leader in your industry by spreading your outreach around the web through…

Blogging and Networking

Investors, property buyers, and other agents use the web to build their contacts and educate themselves on a regular basis. Research the leading real estate blogs and attempt to establish your own authoritative presence by becoming a reputable guest author.
As a real estate professional you’ve probably heard the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know that matters.”  With the ability to quickly contact ideal buyers and accommodate the needs of a large network of sellers you can maximise your yearly commissions by increasing the volume of transactions you facilitate.
Start by joining Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Learn the ins and outs of social networking, and consider the advantages of outsourcing the management of your campaigns to professionals that can optimize your output.
Joseph Tollett is a real estate professional and experienced blogger who currently conducts research for IronMonk Solutions, a well-known SEO firm with headquarters in New York. Click here to read their blog.
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Making Money With Your Webinar- Structure Your Content in Five Easy Steps!

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So, you finally decided to try out a webinar to make money. By now, you probably have an idea as to the type of webinar that you would like to make money from. Perhaps you have a pre-recorded webinar on your computer with a teaching or sermon that you would like to share with the world. Perhaps you recorded a how to get a full body workout in only ten minutes or conducted a teaching session on how to thrive in a stagnant economy.
It’s exciting that you’ve selected your topic of interest! The ideas that you have are indeed limitless, and the webinars that you could create are now within your grasp. You want your customers to come to you so that you can answer their needs. Every business fills a need, every customer has a need waiting to be filled. How will you go about filling this need with your webinar?

Dynamics of Content

First and foremost, you’ll want to understand the dynamics of your content and how it brings life or death to your webinar. Content answers the question of how to get your webinar off the ground. It also creates a hunger for the products and services that you have to offer. I don’t just go to any place to get my pizza fix. I go to a specific place because I know that I like the content of their pizza and the way that they make it. In the same way, your attendees are coming to your webinar for the content that you have to offer and the way that you offer it.
If you haven’t already created a webinar, you’ll want to decide on the software to hold a web conference first. Once you’ve finalized the software, you can begin to put the pieces of your webinar’s content together by following these five simple steps to ensure that your content meets the mark and your subscribers leave the session happy that they purchased your webinar!

1.) Know your audience.

  • If you’re lecturing NASA scientists, you can pretty much skip the fluff and beef up the content with more analysis and scientific research findings.
  • If you’re creating a session geared for Girl Scouts, you’ll want to include more things that they can relate to.

2.) Decide on your approach.

  • Do you want the audience to sit through the entire session or do you want to include short quizzes and test sections?
  • Do you want to be more informational and provide a lot of data or conversational and more relaxed? Which approach fits your audience better? Can you customize it to fit their needs?
  • Once you know what style approach you will be using, it is much easier to create a consistent webinar that exudes professionalism. There are many, many bad webinars out there that could easily be avoided if the webinars had only been consistent in their approach from start to finish.

3.) Structure your time well.

  • If you told your audience that you would be discussing XYZ in the webinar, make sure you don’t gloss over XYZ and skip over to ZZZ. I’ve seen this happen too many times and have been completely disappointed when this happens. Not only do I feel cheated out of my time, but I feel betrayed by the bait-and-switch method that seems to run rampant.
  • If it takes ten minutes to explain a key area, do not take more than that time to explain it. You want to engage your audience and keep them at the edge of their seats wanting more!

4.) Groom your content.

  • Are some areas too wordy and others lacking in content? Take time to comb through your presentation and cut out the clutter while beefing up the lean parts.
  • Does your outline convey your actual content? We often think that we have everything perfectly compiled only to discover that a key element was never included. A scan between your actual content (webinar) and your outline will help you get that 1:1 match.
  • Do your images and illustrations match up with your topic?

5.) Is your content engaging to your audience?

  • If I am going to sit down and watch a webinar that I paid decent money for, I must be looking for specific content that will help fill my needs.
  • Have you created the content that adequately satisfies my need (ie, my need to learn how to sew from your created webinar)?

The above are a great starting point when beginning to look into creating a webinar that has lasting results. No only will you come across as more professional, but you will also service a niche group that could potentially return time and time again.

Benjamin Baker is addicted to writing! He is a research hound and fills hard to find searches. He enjoys playing his guitar and spends his free time camping and fishing. He recently discovered www.webconferenceclassroom.com and is starting his own webinar mini-series on how to fish. He is happily married and is the father of 3 growing (and busy) teenagers. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and kids.