Without question, blogging provides an effective way to market your business. And most folks know that, generally, the more frequently you blog, the higher your traffic. But does that mean you should follow the advice of many to create a new post every single day? Read more »
LinkedIn Groups are similar to Facebook Pages in that they provide businesses with an avenue for leading discussions on a topic of interest with members of the LinkedIn network. With groups, you can build thought leadership, share expertise, market your brand and grow your network. Read more »
Personally, I’m not sure I’ll get a lot out of Buzz in Gmail — all of my friends use Facebook and Twitter for online interaction now. However, over on GigaOM Pro, Liz makes a very good point: Buzz’s true value is for enterprise customers of Google Apps. Read more »
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Collaboration is in full swing on the web, for both social and work-oriented purposes. Most of us can rattle off the well-known applications that are available, but there are many targeted, useful collaboration apps that are more offbeat. Here are 10, many of them free. Read more »
I just started using Foursquare. I know, I know. You hate it. Or you love it, and you can’t believe it took me so long to get onto it. Here’ s my take on the benefits of location-based social networks like Foursquare from a work standpoint: Read more »
If you can get past the salty language, David “Master of 500 Hats” McClure has a good point to make about how the future of web services is likely subscription and transaction-based, and the fact that this model favors Facebook, Google and Apple. Read more »
Google has put together an official “Social Web” team that consists of some of the most prominent advocates of open standards for social networks. But will that help the company “get” the social web, or will it just be seen as a power grab? Read more »
Talk of data centers can be equal parts fascinating and mind-numbing; speculating about what new data centers signify, however, is nothing short of riotous. And, this week, Apple and Facebook gave us plenty to talk about. Facebook emerged as the mystery Company X building a large ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Are you just getting the ingredients together to start a business? Or are you in the process of making your dessert — taking your business from new to sweet? In either case, you can take your business up a notch with social media. Building conversations anywhere […] Read more »
The first rule of social media is that there are no rules. The second rule is what works for one person doesn’t always work for everyone else. Peeking into another person’s social media approach can give you ideas on how to adjust yours to get the […] Read more »
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Many Twitter conversations revolve around how much time we actually spend on unpaid social media, and how much time we should spend. Few have an answer because the answer is, “It depends.” (I know, I know. Stick with me.) Read more »
While social networks are rarely viewed as corporate services, they can help make you a smarter business person and provide value on several levels. It’s time to exploit social networks for your business, and here’s how. Read more »
Increasingly, brands are getting into social media and social networking — we see them everywhere we go online these days. One of the most popular campaigns was last year’s Skittles web site relaunch, which cleverly included a “lifestream” of all of its social networking content and […] Read more »
Is your LinkedIn profile as effective as it could be? While you can see your “profile completeness” score on your profile page, it doesn’t measure profile effectiveness — how good your profile is at attracting contacts, generating leads and showing off your skills. Use this checklist […] Read more »
When I hear about the processes companies are using to engage in social media-based conversations and communities, I’m a bit surprised that many lack any kind of strategy or written plan. While I’m a firm believer in the need for both spontaneity and frequency in social […] Read more »
You don’t have to look very hard to see how the most popular social networks encourage a kind of groupthink among their users. If you’re a maverick, though, or your organization wants to customize social tools for internal use, here are eight free, open-source resources. Read more »
Many folks tend to use their Facebook accounts either for personal or business use, not both. However, those of us in a one-person business can find it effective to combine the two, with a little help from Facebook’s privacy features. To draw the line between personal […] Read more »
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how people behave in different environments. It first crossed my mind a month or so ago, while out shopping with one of my sisters. She was driving, someone cut her off, and she commented on the person’s rude behavior. […] Read more »
If you’re looking for a solution that keeps track of various social networks at once, all in one centralized location, EventBox for the Mac was a nice beta program that did the trick. EventBox is no more, but the program still exists. It’s changed names and […] Read more »
A good bio shares your experience, builds your credibility, makes a first impression and displays your personality. Having a great Twitter bio is important as it can make or break a person’s decision whether to follow you or not. Not only do you need to pay attention […] Read more »
We’re all familiar with the stereotype of the tech cave dweller, perusing a list of arcane Linux commands on a lonely Saturday night, no friends in sight. In the age of ubiquitous — and social — technology, though, can we conclude that the Internet, smartphones and […] Read more »
Although many businesses know how to use social media to connect with others and build relationships, plenty still struggle to see how social media will benefit them, especially business-to-business companies. In this “Tips from the Trenches” post, some experts reveal how they incorporate social media in […] Read more »
There’s a new version of the Roku box on the way that adds 80211.n wireless support, a USB port, and a 2.5A power input (compared with the 1.5A on the older box). Engadget got the scoop and some pics of the new Roku XR, but sadly […] Read more »
Just the sound of the word “publicity” can make some of us want to run for cover. It brings to mind uncomfortable and awkward times in the spotlight, and while many of us want our businesses to succeed, it may take a while to adjust to […] Read more »
We don’t often give much thought to our bios, even though they’re actually important and a big part of everything we do online. They’re on the “About” pages on our web sites, in our profiles at social networks, and in pitches that we send out. Often, […] Read more »
Facebook has two types of pages. The first is Facebook Pages, which allow public figures, businesses, or brands a space to share information, interact with their fans and create an interactive forum on Facebook. The other, Groups, focus less on a person, brand or business and […] Read more »
Do you ever wonder what is keeping you from making progress toward your goals? Perhaps you’ve set up a schedule for yourself, outlining the things you need to do each day so that you focus on the most important tasks related to your business, but somehow, […] Read more »
In Wayne Dyer’s new book “Excuses Begone!“, he talks about how fear is one of the biggest excuses for people living an unhappy existence and not going after what they want. He suggests using the emotional opposite of fear (love) to combat the excuse. He says […] Read more »
Yesterday, I read the Unconventional Guide to the Social Web, and although I found a lot of useful information in it, one thing has stuck with me since reading it. Your blog is your mothership. Don’t neglect it for lesser tools.
This is an important thing to keep in mind when marketing your business online. There are tons of ways to build a web presence, including a variety of social media and networking sites, but nothing is as important as your blog.
Maintained correctly, your blog is the one tool that will get you the most traffic, and it’s the tool over which you have the most control. If you set out with the intention of posting three to five times per week, within a year, you will begin seeing significant activity around your site. Within two to three years, you could easily be an authority in your particular niche.
But, how can you make sure that you don’t neglect your blog (or mothership)?
#1 Spend time there.
Visit your site or blog frequently (ideally, several times per day). This helps you stay connected with your vision for your business, and it also helps you stay in tune with the usability of your site, as well as find ways to improve it.
#2 Keep it updated.
It’s very easy to allow a month to go by without posting a single blog entry. Naturally, the frequency of your posts will depend on a number of factors, most important being your own goals for your site, but you should post on a regular and consistent schedule so that your site content remains fresh.
#3 Engage your audience.
Ask questions, make thought-provoking posts, and most importantly, monitor the comments on your blog. If someone replies to one of your posts, take the time to respond, and if you really want to impress the person, email him or her with a thoughtful “thank you for following” message. Read more »
I tend to back down from face-to-face gatherings and cold calling as networking and marketing tools. Instead, I rely on social networks. I’m not shy nor do I have anything significant about appearance (I would hope that people see a person beyond looks, anyway). However, my […] Read more »
Over the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion in the number of web apps available in the enterprise market, covering all sorts of tasks: project management, collaboration, to-do lists, accounting, CRM, social networking, file sharing and more. The list continues to grow, as more applications ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
As the web evolves, a diverse collection of players are all jockeying to be the primary access point to it, the unifying nexus of information and communication with the direct line to the end user. Social networks, web-connected desktop applications, email, blogs and browsers are among ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
When I’m talking to people about social web sites, one of the questions I often get asked (usually just after the one about whether you actually need to join all the social networks, just because everyone else is) is “how do you keep up with everything?” […] Read more »
The opportunity for someone to take the lead towards a true open mobile market is sitting there like low hanging fruit, yet the players are all trying to keep control — from the aging carriers to the hip, new platform-designers that orchestrate the experience of using ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
We spend a lot of time talking about efficiency and productivity on this blog, but we also devote quite a bit of energy to writing about new social networks and social media. I talk to many people who are concerned about joining new social web sites […] Read more »
Most of you know that Twitter can be used for much more than just announcing what you ate for breakfast. Many of you already know Twitter’s value in business, but you can still take it further and use it to land gigs, market your business, grow […] Read more »
Personal branding reflects how you represent yourself in the digital world from both a personal and business view. I believe that in this social media age everyone — from high school graduates to established professionals — needs to pay attention to his or her personal brand.
Here are some tips for pumping up your image and improving your branding online. Read more »
YouTube’s not just for posting silly videos of sleepwalking dogs and other embarrassing moments — it can also be used as a highly effective business tool. You can use it to show off your expertise, share knowledge, market your products and connect with customers, colleagues and prospects.
Here are 35 ways to use YouTube (and other video services) for business. Read more »
Facebook’s not just for keeping tabs on friends and filling out quizzes — it can also be used as a highly effective business tool. It’s great for marketing your products, landing gigs and connecting with your customers.
Here are 32 ways to use Facebook in your business. Read more »
With a new product and new name, Rovi is perhaps one of the best-positioned companies to provide software, metadata and guide support to the various hardware and service providers looking to navigate the world of multiscreen video entertainment. The challenge will be trying to provide solutions ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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