By: Sue Sutcliffe Last month’s column talked about how businesses use social media video. From virtual tours to face-to-face-interviews to how-tos, the applications are endless. But how do you get started? Tools For most organizations, securing a YouTube channel is a smart first step. Brand your channel with your company name. Then customize it, using “settings.” It’s as simple as filling in the blanks with information and … [Read more...]
By: Glenn Hendry Accurately tracking traffic to business websites has always been a bit of a sketchy enterprise, involving a lot of Google analytics mixed with best guess scenarios. No longer, thanks to Search Engine People (SEP)and its newly unveiled SiteVisitorID software. Launched November 24, the service – dubbed ‘caller ID for websites’ – is expected to be a big hit with business owners, allowing them to accurately pinpoint … [Read more...]
New communication technologies, coupled with the Internet and mixed with changing consumer behavior, have disrupted business processes. Better mobile phones and new devices like iPads provide instant access to information. Online sites like Facebook, with 13.5 million active Canadian users (500 million worldwide), as well as Twitter and LinkedIn, are changing our habits and how we share information. As soon as the habits of prospective … [Read more...]
By Sue Sutcliffe If you haven’t joined LinkedIn yet, it’s about time you did. This social media platform hosts the biggest business network in the world -- an astounding 85 million members in 200 countries. It shows phenomenal growth, adding one new member every second. Joining gives you access to those members, making LinkedIn an instant database-builder. LinkedIn’s search capacity helps forge the right connections – and plenty of … [Read more...]
By: Richard Gauder ‘Mobile marketing’ has arrived; a major promotional trend for of 2011, but how can small businesses use it to their advantage? QR codes are a simple, cost effective opportunity to get you started. What are QR codes? You’ve probably started to see them, but you may not know what they are. QR codes or Quick Response codes are a 2 dimensional barcode that can be read by smartphones with a camera. … [Read more...]
By: Sue Sutcliffe Do you market your organization with a Facebook page? Then answer me this. What have you done to customize your page’s look and content? To differentiate and promote your product or service, you need to create a distinct Facebook page to engage your visitors. Here are a few tips to maximize your presence. Add applications When you set up your page, you received a template with the specialized applications … [Read more...]
By: Sue Sutcliffe They say the early bird gets the worm; that early adopters get the business. Here’s a way to give your business a marketing edge using LinkedIn. What’s news? The world’s biggest business network recently rolled out exciting features and tools that can strengthen the impact of your LinkedIn presence and better integrate it with your other marketing strategies. One of the most powerful – and … [Read more...]
Many manufacturers we’ve visited lately report an increase in business. Yet many have said they’d like to see even more revenue. They are looking at capturing new markets, but don’t know exactly how or which direction to move. Now, there are tools that can help identify new areas and align websites to those markets. Ninety-five per cent of the manufacturing websites we see are built using older methods and thinking. Many were built by … [Read more...]
By: Sue Sutcliffe You’ve heard it before: Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Nowhere is this truer than with social media. In an April 2011 survey, people were asked if social media has impacted their organization. Of the people who said ‘no,’ a third blamed their inability to measure and analyze the data. Conversely, respondents who recognized social media’s bottom-line value were twice as likely to have a formal social media … [Read more...]
Duette® Architella® honeycomb shades are the company’s most energy-efficient product and the fastest-growing innovation in the extremely popular cellular category. Uncovered windows can literally be energy holes, depleting a home or business of up to half of its heating and cooling energy dollars. Specifically designed to address this problem, Duette Architella takes the air-trapping cellular structure of the original Duette … [Read more...]