INBOUND MARKETING BLOG

My Top 5 Wishes for Google+ Brands

• By protocol 80

With the launch of Google+ a couple of weeks ago, everyone has had fun learning the ins and outs of how they can best utilize it for not only themselves (circle me), but for their brands. Many brands even went ahead and created accounts as a brand despite being against Google's wishes. It did not take long for those accounts to be removed or converted to an actual name of a person, hence +Mashable converting to +Pete Cashmore. Google is currently testing accounts for brands (see Ford example below), but what is next for them? ...I have my opinions on what I'd like to see.

Knowledge Sharing as Inbound Marketing

• By protocol 80

Inbound marketing is still a new term, especially around Western NY and Northern PA. We have given inbound marketing seminars for many of the local businesses, most of which are aware of Twitter, try and use Facebook, talked about SEO...but beyond that their inbound marketing efforts are lackluster. The one area that is very hard for these businesses to grasp is knowledge sharing.

Facebook Adds New Send Button

• By protocol 80

Today Facebook added a new sharing feature in the form of a send button which will replace the previous "Email to a Friend" functionality. The new Send button works similarly to the Like button - whenever a user clicks one a small Facebook popup window will appear allowing the user to share a page to their Facebook friends, Groups or by email.

Content is King, Keyword Stuffing is for Jokers

• By protocol 80

Have you ever come across a blog or website that seems to repeat the same words over and over? For example, if you're trying to find a great Italian restaurant to visit during your next trip to Pittsburgh you might land upon a website or blog that has the same phrase used in every article on the page, "fine Italian dining in Pittsburgh, PA" for example. A sample paragraph from this website might look like the following:

Content Multiplication Through Social Media

• By protocol 80

3 Ways Realtors Can Spread The Word For New Properties Online

• By protocol 80

If you didn't catch my last two posts on rural realtors' use of the web for marketing, please check them out:

3 Web Development Needs of Rural Real Estate Agents

• By protocol 80

Native Vs. HTML 5 Mobile Apps

• By protocol 80

So your small business has decided to invest in a mobile app of some sort. You know that it's important to be accessible to your potential customers and since they're all looking at their smartphones most of the time, even when they probably shouldn't be, it's about time you create a mobile experience that will be finger friendly and give them access to relevant information about your product or service quickly and easily.

The 2011 Super Bowl Commercials Were Less Than Social

• By protocol 80

The hype before the Super Bowl claimed that this years group of ads would be pushing social. The new way for big brands to communicate with their audience with a new way to achieve a positive ROI...which can be tough given the cost of a 30 second spot. One benefit of a social promoting ad is that if you reach your audience and get them to follow you, will be be able to continually communicate with them months after the Super Bowl.

Blogging Writer's Block

• By protocol 80

Today on the Bruce Clay blog, Jessica Lee provides some tips on reducing writers block if you are an avid blogger. She did a terrific job with the post and I think small businesses need to take those tips and relate them to your small business blog even if you aren't a consistent blogger. Because most of you are SMBs and might not read the Bruce Clay blog, I'd like to cover her tips and relate them to your small business.