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Business Consulting

How Online Customer Preferences and Feedback Has Changed

May 9, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

It has only been a couple of years since integrated log-ins began to creep into our everyday tasks online. Although it began on a smaller scale, such as the 2008 integration of Yahoo and Google ID’s with Zoho, from this small test in integration preferences, an entirely new beast grew.

Logging in via third party is no longer a delightful surprise in most cases, indeed, the lack of integrated log in can actually deter visitors from signing up, or logging into your site, especially when there are like options elsewhere that have the nifty one-click integration option. This type of log in integration is referred to as a type of social log-in service. Although Google came out strongly by quickly adding early integration for all of their available applications, it seems that the wind in Google’s social log-in services sails may have shifted.

Facebook Takes the Lead

Janrain, a web company that tracks social web data, states that since the first time they began reporting on these statistics in January 2010, Google has been overtaken. During the first quarter of 2011, 35% of users chose to use Facebook as a log-in option over all others. In the last quarter of 2010, the number hung around 27%.

However, this may not be indicative of overall users. When given the option on 350,000 different sites, users will choose not to integrate their Facebook account, but will choose other methods, or manual log-in instead, at a rate of 65%.

How is This Changing the Consumer Voice for Business

It may be difficult to determine who benefits the most, even though this new aspect of social media marketing seems to have perks for all. Social log-ins are appealing to businesses as they can help to personalize content, interactions, and brand awareness. Social log-ins are an attractive option for users who seem to love the feel of interacting with those of whom they make regular, or significant purchases from.

While Urban city guide sites like Yelp give consumers the ability to review products or services of any company on site, it seems most users these days prefer to simply Facebook ‘Like’ a fan page to show their loyalty to brands they enjoy, as well as to gain benefit by keeping more up-to-date on sales, or enjoy social chatter on the latest in the industry.

A recent study showed that while 20% of people claim they prefer to click a Facebook Fan pages ‘Like’ button to show their preference for local businesses, only 13% report being willing to write a review for the same business.

Turning the Tide

Although this may indeed turn the tide a bit on how users will begin to review local businesses, this is certainly not now nor likely to be the end all spot to find all of the pertinent information that users may be searching for.

The same study also showed that 52% of adult users under 35 will still check three or more websites when researching products or services locally or online. The main site still searched is Google at 63%.

At this point, the type of business will still rank high on the users list of what sites need to be searched. While those considering larger purchases may prefer the interaction that Facebook provides, users who may just want to check out how good a restaurants’ dishes are may still prefer the detailed review style of Yelp.

Sources:

  • Janrain
  • ‘Like’ Button Preferred Over Common Reviews
  • Most Prefer to ‘Like’ Their Favorite Products
  • One Log-in Catches On
  • Yahoo and Google Integrate with Zoho

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Social Media Topics Tagged With: brand, Business Consulting, facebook, google, internet marketing, PR, Social Brand, Social Media, Visibility, Visibility Marketing

GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar and ShowMyPc

April 19, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

Remote viewing or remote connections have been an imperative part of the technical support world for many years. However, in more recent years, developers finally found other great formats for remote connection that also has plenty of benefits.

  • Web Meetings and Conferences
  • Webinars
  • Web Training

 Along with other useful aspects, these are some of the reasons why remote connectivity software or programming has become more popular in recent years.

GoToMeeting

GotoMeeting offers their customers a solid package for the price of $49 USD per month. This fee includes integrated VoIP, telephone conferencing service and a single license for unlimited web meetings with up to fifteen participants. With their software package users will be able to:

  • Schedule regular or reoccurring meetings
  • One-click meetings
  • Transfer the mouse and keyboard controls to meeting participants
  • Access to desktop and selected applications
  • Clean screen
  • Instant messaging
  • Activity time-outs
  • Meeting recording

GoToMeeting also allows users to create Webinars. If you are not familiar with the term, think of it as being allowed to attend a large conference from the comfort of your own home.

GotoWebinars allows users to harness the same power of remote meeting interaction but on a much larger scale. Webinars created on this service can accommodate up to 1,000 people and can bring the power of influential interaction, literally, to your fingertips.

How Can A Webinar Benefit My Business?

Using Webinars to market your products or services can offer great benefit in many aspects of your day-to-day business planning by:

  • Reducing travel time so you can focus your efforts on the most important elements of your business.
  • Generating more high-quality marketing leads at lesser cost.
  • Presenting your marketing campaign to up to a thousand people from your home or office computer.
  • Helping to save on the bottom line in travel cost, and other forms of audio conferencing such as international calling. 
  • Reaching locales, niches and regions that you may have been previously unable to market to due to other restrictions.

 Alexa shows that GoToMeeting is ranked globally at #381 while the U.S. shows the highest traffic ranking of #132. Users are predominately Caucasian and African-American women with some college education who use the program from work.

ShowMyPc

In comparison, ShowMyPC is another remote connection service that can help to improve productivity and profitability for your business.

Although it offers the same functions as GoToMeeting it also offers a bit more, as well as the flexibility to choose a package that provides only the features you need. Different packages and capabilities include:

  • Remote Meeting Support – Conduct or attend meetings online.
  • Access Home or Office PCs – Remote viewing and access for technical support activity.
  • Privately Hosted Servers – So that users have the option of their own server for conducting secure meetings or simply secure connections on remote access.
  • Broadcasting Presentations or Classroom Planning – If you have a business that involves training and education this is likely the best option for remote access viewing and interaction.

Considering the packages are separate elements on their own, this is likely the more cost efficient option for those who are just launching this type of web conferencing campaigns while GoToMeeting would provide a better value for those who may need to use all of these aspects of remote viewing in their common activities.

ShowMyPc has attained a global ranking of #41,268 and statistics show that most users browse from work and are predominately educated males between the ages of 25 and 45 with incomes ranging from 30 to 100k USD.

Sources:

  • Alexa
  • GoToMeeting Features
  • GoToWebinar
  • What is a Webinar?
  • ShowMyPc Products

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Mobile & Technology Tagged With: Business Consulting, cloud computing, Marketing, small business, tech, Visibility

Business Media Solutions: SlideShare

March 30, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

Slideshare may be another aspect of online commerce and marketing that may sound like one of the little guys, for now. However, this site offers large varieties of business media solutions in the forms of documents, slide show presentations and even downloadable pdf files. Professionals from many niches upload their business content, while other viewers breeze through and comment on the uploaded media.

Features of SlideShare

  • Members can have their content uploaded to the site and embed their own personal website or blog
  • Content can also be shared privately
  • Can be used as an effective marketing tool in helping to promote or advertise an event

 Additionally, SlideShare openly promotes users getting together to create their own groups so that they can interact with people who share the same niche interest as them.

Advantages of SlideShare Coverage

The single most important aspect and advantage of utilizing SlideShare is that every piece of media uploaded to the site can be viewed by their over 70 million viewers per month.

Users can niche network by creating or joining existing groups. This can help increase contacts, and therefore opportunities.

While being a part of a group can have many networking and marketing benefits, SlideShare user groups can also collectively modify and even enhance current online content.

SlideShare Media Creation Tips

Keeping a few helpful marketing tips in mind when creating content that you plan to upload to Slideshare can be imperative to having a successful business media marketing campaign.

Go Visual

Use a lot more visual markers and easy to understand symbolism as opposed to more text. Plain and simple, human beings prefer to be visually engaged if the other option is mounds of jumbled text.

Keep it Short

Try to get to the point of your content quickly. Rambling discourse and biased opinions are unlikely to garner increasing views or ‘word of mouth’ consumers.

Precision Tagging

At the end of each upload users are given the opportunity to choose their content descriptions as well as adding their tags, or keywords. Use keyword tools such as Google’s keyword tool to find the best keywords to describe your content or product.

Call to Action

If your content is one of your marketing tools you will definitely want to supply a ‘call-to-action’ at the end of each presentation. A link to click or short advertisement for your product is sufficient. Badgering your viewers with constant self-serving links is not nessecary.

Who Uses SlideShare?

There are a lot of larger corporations who have social strategist users on SlideShare to help increase awareness and promote their products or services.

A Sears representative, Vanina Delobelle, has uploaded a highly viewed and rated presentation on social strategies. With over 120 thousand views, Vanina certainly achieved a great marketing feat for any level of personal or corporate users.

Niall Cook of H & K has also been a regular contributor since 2006.

Alexa tells a detailed story of SlideShare user statistics. Global Alexa traffic ranking shows SlideShare at 264 with a U.S. ranking of 408. However popular it is in the United States, it is even more commonly used in Mexico. Overall site user statistics show that it holds more appeal for childless Hispanic females with postgraduate educations than any other group, with the age range of most users being from 25 to 44. They view as much from work as they do from home.

There is no doubt that SlideShare has huge marketing value for those who have the knowledge, or quick ideas on strategies that can be shared to garner attention and awareness of their particular products and services.

Here is an example of a Power Point Presentation done by Basil Puglisi on Search Engine Optimization Basics : SEO101

[slideshare id=7181167&doc=seo101-110307150053-phpapp01]

[slideshare id=7447762&doc=hubspotmarketingtransformationfinal-110330085430-phpapp02]

Sources:

  • About SlideShare
  • Alexa
  • Basil Puglisi Slide Share
  • SlideShare Media Tips
  • Social Strategies with SlideShare

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Mobile & Technology, Social Media Topics Tagged With: brand, Business Consulting, business media, business solutions, Marketing, presentations, Social Brand, Visibility, Visibility Marketing

Why Every Small Business Should Go Online

March 17, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

Why a Small Business should go Online: Ways Your Offline Business Can Benefit from an Online Presence

Although it may be hard for some of the ‘old timers’ regardless of age, to understand how much it can be of benefit, there is no doubt that it would be a very rare offline business that could not benefit from an online web presence.

Here are a few ways a business owner could benefit immediately.

Broader Target Market

Obviously, advertising on the internet is going to bring in a much larger geographical market than remaining offline and using offline advertising methods such as billboards, newspapers and local discount promotions. Custom product orders online can rake in big money for businesses in most any niche.

No Need to Rely on Foot Traffic

One of the biggest killers of business can be the lack of foot traffic on location. A bad location even for the best business can sometimes spell big trouble. Opening up your digital foot traffic is the same as opening any other flood gate, you never know exactly how much is going to flow in, but it will definitely be a lot more than simple location traffic generates.

This can be an incredible benefit for seasonal businesses. Does your business sell pool accessories in middle America? If so your foot traffic likely grinds to a halt in the winter months. Fortunately, people in Florida and other southern states as well as the lower west coast can still enjoy summer-like temperatures year round. This means putting your business online will turn your company from a seasonal entity, to a year-round production.

Affiliate Marketing

The best way to understand affiliate marketing for those who are entirely unfamiliar is to imagine having a full-time salesperson to sell your products for you, 24/7/365. Although these affiliates will likely work on a commission basis, you should also have the option to choose a flat rate per sale that should meet your profit-loss requirement needs.

Ease of Communication

Although some who do not use computers often may be intimidated by communications with users via online methods there is nothing to fill. Regardless of the rumors, the internet is not full of ranting loonies anymore than anywhere else is, and you are likely to have good communications with your online users, since they are going to be coming to you, for the product or service you have to offer. Not to mention that this eliminates loads of sales pressure as well.

Permanent Business Card

Your website will serve as a permanent business card. Permanent in the fact that it is there, once set up, forever. However, your website can always be updated or upgraded at will and the only limitations you are likely to deal with are those of your own imagination.

A business owner can also provide much of their products and services information on their web site which will greatly reduce their need to continually repeat the same product pricing or services options.

Paperless

This should be enough said. It is paperless. Forget the rainforests if you like, but removing your paper needs from your business will save more money per year than you may think. Many customers are now satisfied with paper billing. This also gives you an additional option of paperless advertising in such forms as email campaigns.

Automatic Statistics

One of the greatest things about getting a new website is the ability to set it up to track any and all of your traffic. This can give business owners a whole new perspective on who is browsing their wares and from where.

Optional Revenue

Once you have a site that generates traffic, you may have other options to increase your income outside of selling your products or services. Selling banners and other links on websites are common methods for networking as well as generating money simply for owning a well traveled site.

Related Past Blogs:

  • How to Get Your Small Bussiness on the Virtual Map
  • Some Knowledge for Creating a Business Website
  • Promoting a Small Business without Breaking the Bank
  • How to Make Your Small Business Grow

Sources:

  • Article Directory: How a Website Will Benefit Your Offline Business
  • Internet Based Business Model: How Small Business owners can benefit from online and offline marketing
  • Offline Business Online Wealth
  • Work On Internet

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Traditional Marketing Tagged With: brand, Business Coach, Business Consulting, small business, Visibility, Visibility Marketing, website

Facebook Marketing Tool: Involver.com

March 11, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

Noah Horton and Rahim Fazal founded Involver.com in 2007 in efforts to provide a startup that can help brands begin to get a grip on managing their social media channels. Having grown from a company of a dozen employees to over sixty with many offices in areas such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Austin, and with more coming soon, it looks like Involver, is in fact, fully involved, with no plans of leaving any time soon.

Involver has four main ways in which they help companies and organizations create rich and helpful experiences all across the social web.

  1. Involver helps to generate earned media by attracting attention from influential sources.
  2. Involver helps to get prospective customers engaged with your products and services through social networks.
  3. Involver can help to reduce marketing cost through a series of fully automated social networking services.
  4. Involver helps to maintain constant and consistent branding and advertisement for your products and services.

This kind of brand management can be critical to a company and its ultimate success online. Those who use Involver will also want to take advantage of the features offered in the applications area.

Flickr

You can bring all of your Flickr photos to Facebook with the Flickr App from Involver. This will allow users to stream their Flickr photos displaying their entire album, or allows users to choose sub albums to categorize their photo streams.

YouTube Channels

You can set your video to directly deliver to your social networks upon uploading. This will help incorporate your YouTube videos into your active marketing campaigns.

With so many more applications available there are bound to be at least a handful of ways to improve your social media interactions in Involvers many apps.

  • Facebook Stories
  • Social Catalog
  • RSS Feed
  • Promotion Galleries
  • Music Player
  • Polls
  • Coupons
  • Static HTML for Pages

Many more apps available make this attractive and professional option in social media marketing and product or service branding an invaluable tool in the likely already full bag of marketers tricks of the trade.

Get 10,000 Fans on Facebook

“It was in November of 2010 that my train baseball fan page had reached 10,000 fans and I decided that I would finally start a business that aimed at helping other small businesses like you get off the ground using tools like Facebook. So this is where things sit today. I’m 24 years old, and get a pretty neat opportunity to help out small businesses make better use of facebook.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mFBa3QVD2Q]

Sources:

  • Get 10,000 Fans
  • Involver
  • Venturebeat

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Mobile & Technology, Social Brand Visibility, Social Media Topics Tagged With: brand, Business Coach, Business Consulting, facebook, internet marketing, Social Brand, Social Media, video, Video Marketing, Visibility, Visibility Marketing

Basic Guide to Understanding Code

March 3, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

Making a website can be a complicated process, especially when there are all different types of code out there that you can use. Each type of code is a little bit different, with the end result going unnoticed by most casual viewers. However, the real results are highly noticeable by professionals in the web design field, as well as in the management and maintenance of the website itself.

The purpose of this post was to give a short introduction to Small Business Owners on a variety of codes. This is to provide a basic understanding and help you navigate “what my IT guy said”.

Scripting Languages

  • PHP

Scientifically known as Hypertext Processor, PHP is a scripting language created for the development of web pages that have been prepared with fresh information for each individual viewing. This is known as a dynamic web page. Although most people do not choose to run their website around this programming language, there are many great websites that are based on PHP such as Facebook and Digg.

  • Java

Widely used from web applications to an intensive variety of software, Java is still a top programming language across the net. Java is highly used for the creation of programs from applets to massive full-blow applications, that are incorporated into websites to make them more efficient, and ultimately faster. Created from C and C++ syntax, Java was first created for an idea in interactive television. However, it ultimately proved too advanced for its time. This was in 1991.

  • Flash

Flash is a scripting language developed to create vector animations for web site usage. From the creation of interactive websites as well as e-stores and even high tech digital management systems, Flash is a leading competitor for Java in the coming years. Flash has fast load times and can save on download times due to its vector base. Creating caches so future viewings do not require reload is also an incredible feature of flash programming. Viewing Flash scripting gives the viewer the impression of viewing a movie instead of a still picture, regardless of how digitally enhanced. While there are disadvantages to flash not running on Apple products and some of the SEO limitations a good programmer and/or web developer can overcome this shortfall rather easily. While there are disadvantages to flash not running on Apple products and some of the SEO limitations a good programmer and/or web developer can overcome this shortfall rather easily.

  • ASP

Similar to PHP, this language is for creating dynamic webpages. ASP is formally known as ASP.Net. It is a form of web application framework created by Microsoft. ASP assist in building dynamic web applications, web services and web sites. Web pages officially created as ‘web forms’ are some of the largest building blocks for application development in an extensive amount of areas.

  • HTML

Which stands for Hyper Text Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML is the basic building-blocks of webpages.

HTML is written in the form of HTML elements consisting of tags, enclosed in angle brackets (like <html>), within the web page content. HTML tags normally come in pairs like <h1> and </h1>. The first tag in a pair is the start tag, the second tag is the end tag (they are also called opening tags and closing tags).

The purpose of a web browser is to read HTML documents and compose them into visual or audible web pages. The browser does not display the HTML tags, but uses the tags to interpret the content of the page.

HTML elements form the building blocks of all websites. HTML allows images and objects to be embedded and can be used to create interactive forms. It provides a means to create structured documents by denoting structural semantics for text such as headings, paragraphs, lists, links, quotes and other items. It can embed scripts in languages such as JavaScript which affect the behavior of HTML webpages. (Wikipedia, 2011)

  • FBML

FBML is Facebook’s mark-up language but these elements will take any HTML as well. So you have the ability to add newsletter sign-up forms, e-book downloads, and other HTML based elements. It is like HTML, but it lets you include social content inline in your markup. It is Facebook’s version of HTML, the language that web pages are written in. For the most part, knowledge of HTML is all that is needed to utilize the functionality of the Static FBML application. (Pitt, 2011)

Summary:

Although a random casual observer may not know right away what scripting language your web site uses, it is important to the type of niche, features and opportunities your site will employ. When it comes to making a decision on which scripting language is best for your site, you should always consult a professional, or at least be willing to invest many hours of research on the topic to understand it enough to make a remotely educated decision.

Sources:

  • AdvertiseOnline
  • Java
  • Killersites
  • Techiwarehouse
  • What is FBML by Pitt
  • Wikipedia

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Mobile & Technology Tagged With: Business Consulting, fbml, flash, html, java, php, SEO, types of code, Visibility

Google’s New Algorithm

March 2, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

Do you stay glued to financial news for the biggest trends, or failing ones, to keep your business thriving and productive? If so, you may want to take a seat for this one. Designed to improve search results, Google has initiated a new algorithm.

For those who have made a habit of providing the highest quality content, you are about to be rewarded. However, low ranking sites that regularly copy content or provide low quality information, should expect to take a bit of a beat down.

The new algorithm will target a few key issues about the way content is promoted by their search engine. Content that is rich in helpful informative information, charts and graphs,  properly key worded and updated regularly, will get high priority by the new implementation, while those with second hand content and low quality outlines will be bumped further down on the search results regardless of their current page rank or unique visitors. In fact, the new algorithm is likely to change the latter aspects for those fluffy sites altogether.

Google’s Goal

Google says their goal is to provide users with the most relevant answers to their search engine queries, and as fast as possible. They intend to achieve this while also reducing the search engine rankings of things like content farms and over advertised spam ad.  Considering the user ship of Google, it is fair to say that when we refer to us, we really do mean, the huge collective US, that will be greatly affected by these changes. This could literally make or break some online businesses.

Although an algorithm change such as this may likely turn the search engine world as we know it upside down, the service it should begin providing, with the changes having taken place immediately, should definitely be a positive one.

Positive for the effectiveness of the search engine users that is. For sites who may have raised their page rankings and traffic with less than notability informative content, they may have already noticed a significant loss of traffic due to their new rankings on this algorithm system.

Some Win, Some Lose

Google also acknowledges that any changes to their algorithms, including the most recent ones, can cause some websites to achieve much greater results in readers or consumers, it can also cause previous winners on this path to suddenly be set back greatly.

However, take note also that if your rankings have dropped you may either be the false positive, or a unfortunate casualty of Google’s new algorithm, or you may need to sit back and take a longer look at your site and determine the best course of action to ensure that it provides helpful and informative content, not spun or copied content.

Sources:

  • CNN Money: Gaming Google
  • Gaebler: New Google Algorithm Shakes Up Web
  • NYMag: Google New Algorithm Cuts Off
  • The Street: Googles New Algorithm morning Tech Bytes

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Mobile & Technology, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Topics Tagged With: Business Consulting, google, Puglisi, SEO, Social Brand, Social Media, Visibility, Visibility Marketing

What is the SxSW? Why Would I attend?

February 21, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

What is SXSW?

The SXSW, or the South by Southwest festival and conferences, regularly offers a widely diverse group of entertainment seekers the opportunity to find independent films, original music, and even up-to-date, and up-and-coming technologies.  

SXSW for Entertaining Marketing

Marketing is, of course, always targeted to those who can use a business’s products or services the most. The SXSW harbors the atmosphere for creating growth for creative and professional discovery for any and all ages and a large array of niches.

This huge pool of ideas in creative content, media presentations and musical and audio content can provide many opportunities for businesses and even for social media promotion.

How Can Business and Social Media Persons Benefit from SXSW?

The great thing is that the complex diversity of presentations during SXSW also provides a complex and diverse, almost limitless, list of marketing options.

First of all, this set of events is highly anticipated by many, giving any business person loads of time, indeed a year if needed, to plan their business and marketing strategies, and execute them intermittently.

Second, the opportunity for networking your business, its products and services, as well as its capabilities relevant to as many niches as your business caters to, is immense. This is definately the place to bring your impressive business cards, flyers, newsletters and all related material to show off and shine.

Third, you can freely sit in on some informative and highly motivational discussions and group sessions that will feature some of the leaders in the industries’ who have much wisdom to impart on any listeners.

With over 36,000 industry representatives at SXSW, you are sure to find some great new ideas to carry home to promote your own ventures, or even to delve into new ones.

Trade Show Exhibition Opportunities

Does your business directly correlate with one of the industries covered at the SXSW conferences? If you have products or services to offer the interactive, music, and film industries, than you may very well have a place as a Trade Show Representative. This could mean big business, big promotion and plain old enormous marketing capabilities, four days worth.

What Type of Business Does SXSW Need?

They need anyone from the newest start-up business with innovative ideas, to established companies and brands. Anyone who has an industry targeting studios, film, music and technology education, marketing agencies, associations, commissions and all related non-profits. Additionally there is also room at SXSW for:

  • SEO or other Marketing Services
  • Software and Hardware Manufacturers and Creators
  • Hosting and Infrastructure Providers
  • Social Media Services
  • Media Outlets

It may help to draw a more detailed conclusion on who and what types of businesses are the current exhibitors. As once you have full understanding of the types of industries allotted space at SXSW, you may actually discovery a new aspect of your own business or services’ possibilities.

Source:

  • Me: Basil Puglisi
  • SXSW Website

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Traditional Marketing Tagged With: brand, Business Coach, Business Consulting, SXSW, Visibility, Visibility Marketing

Facebook Success Stories

February 16, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

We have heard and read a lot about Facebook, about its 500 million users, about it overtaking Google as the most visited site per day. But what does it have to do with your small business? Those businesses who don’t have a department for social media? Can Facebook help small businesses expend above and beyond what they could have done with traditional advertisement?

Facebook enables business owners reach their targeted audience. With users profile information posted and open for all to see, with details about their hometown, relationship and employment status, interests, religious affiliation, education and favorite books , TV shows and movies – small businesses  can target their potential customers.

Here are some success stories from different walks of life:

Sprinkles Cupcakes – Los Angeles. A small cupcake store opened in Los Angeles. To get the word around, the owners, both former investment bankers, turned to Facebook. Every day they post a ‘code word’ on their page and give a free cupcake to the first 50 customers who whisper that word. Their fan base grew and they now have 254,785 followers and branches in other cities across the US. “Be patient with it.” Mr. Nelson, one of the owners, advises. ”People are not going to flock to your social media site overnight. Technology is about the network effect. It takes time for those connections to build.”

Wedding Photography – Mr. Meyer is a wedding photographer from Woodbury, Minnesota. He had very little luck with traditional advertising. A full page ad in a bridal magazine didn’t bring any new clients, and a trade show yielded only 4 bookings, not even covering the cost of the booth. So he turned to Facebook. Aiming at women ages 22-28 who listed their status as “engaged” in the Minneapolis – St Paul area, he connected with them and offered to join his page. Mr. Meyer estimates he spent about $300 on Facebook ads in the past 2 years and has generated about $60,000 in business. The majority of his clients now come from Facebook, either from ads or from recommendations.

Equine Dentist – Mr. Geoff Tucker from Palm City, Florida, has a very specific business. He’s a dentist for horses. His business is driven by word of mouth and personal recommendations. People like to do business in his profession with people they know and Facebook allowed him to express himself and let people know him. That led to appearances in a magazine, radio and TV. Over the past year, he estimates, Facebook has generated about 100 leads and 10-15 new customers he would not have had without a page on Facebook.

SteelMaster – of Norfolk Va. deals with steel structures.  About a year and half ago they decided to go on Facebook. What does a steel company do on a social media? They found that posting pictures of their constructions is very helpful. Not only do the pictures engage existing customers, they demonstrate to potential customers what the company can do in other areas. In this case, chicken farmers and woodworkers that usually don’t think about using steel structures, suddenly showed interest. It opened a new market for SteelMaster which they didn’t have before.

Neenah Paper – the manufacturer of high quality paper products found it extremely hard to reach new customers. Their traditional ways of making business, phone conversations and personal meetings, were not working very well. Since most of their customers; designers, graphic artists and printers spend a lot of time on their computers, they thought that social media can provide a better way to engage them. Today they have 10 sales representatives across the country and their business is on the upswing. “Social media is an invitation to have a conversation. You’re getting permission to have a conversation – a conversation that used to happen in person.” says Jamie Saunders, Neenah’s marketing manager.

Sources:

  • JeffThomasCobb: Facebook Small Business Success Stories
  • Mashable: Surprising Social Media Business Success
  • NYTimes: Small Business

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Social Brand Visibility, Social Media Topics Tagged With: brand, Business Coach, Business Consulting, facebook, PR, Puglisi, Social Brand, Social Media, Visibility, Visibility Marketing

Social Brand Visibility: Faves

February 4, 2011 by basilpuglisi@aol.com Leave a Comment

Faves, formerly known as Blue Dot, is a social bookmarking and networking site that installs a browser button so that users can “fave” a page they are watching.

It is a site where information is aggregated by the users themselves. They post links to interesting stories they have found and add their comments. It is rated and organized by people, not machines.

You can choose topics that interest you, create a list of those topics, or choose individual pages from the web. Then you’ll get a personalized home page which is updated with the most popular websites on your favorite list. It has tags and ratings that will help you organize and prioritize the information.

As for the social aspect of this bookmarking service, you can interact with the whole community or build your own private network of friends.

They advertise it as the best way to find high quality websites on the topics you care about, you can save websites and find then again from any computer, you can share websites with friends and you can see what your friends are finding on the web, and stay in touch  with them using comments and messages.

To advertisers they offer a number of packages to meet every advertising needs.

Similar site to Delicious and StumbleUpon, they seem to be a bit behind. Even their name “faves” doesn’t appear on most of their pages, which are still called Blue Dot. The name change happened in 2007!

Faves.com has over a million unique visitors worldwide, and 2 million page views per month. They have over 100,000 unique visitors in the United States. Almost 50% of their traffic comes from India, with the US being second with 12%. Pakistan, Philippines and China come next with 3-9% of the visitors.

Users are mostly male, between 25-34, no children, with some college education.

Sources:

  • Alexa
  • Crunchbase
  • Faves
  • Wikipedia

Filed Under: Blog, Branding & Marketing, Conferences & Education, Digital & Internet Marketing, Social Brand Visibility, Social Media Topics Tagged With: brand, Business Coach, Business Consulting, faves, Social Brand, Social Media, Visibility, Visibility Marketing

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