Blogging Offers Profitable Results for Small Business Owners

This is part one of the Expert Website Services Social Media Series

By Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Many small business owners struggle with finding new, innovative ways to increase online exposure and improve their online positioning. The Internet is a dynamic, changing vehicle in which savvy business owners can do very well implementing and managing their own marketing strategies. However, in order to do so, one must continually learn and use the latest technological tools for personal and professional promotion.

The Internet has changed. The way people are doing business has changed dramatically in the last several months. Successful Internet marketers understand and embrace this new paradigm consisting of interactive collaboration. The old-style static websites relying on search engine traffic is essentially passé. Today, online consumers are looking for more content-rich collaboration rather than the older model website that was primarily static. This is what is referred to by some as Web 2.0 and the Social Media Revolution.

Continue reading…

By Dr. Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. and Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Word-of-mouth marketing is often considered one of the oldest and most powerful forms of advertising.  In fact, most business people understand that it works, they just don’t know how it works.  The rapid takeover of social networking as a way to spread the word even faster makes word-of-mouth marketing an imperative part of any business marketing plan.

Some people think word-of-mouth is something that “just happens” — like the weather — and they let it take its own course. But if you want to be successful at developing word-of-mouth for your business, you should be as organized and thoughtful about it as you are about other types of advertising and marketing.  In fact, if you take this approach, eventually, you can get almost 100% of your business exclusively through word of mouth!  The key to creating a successful word-of-mouth program as part of your daily activity, lies in developing a formal plan for systematically meeting people and cultivating relationships with them.  Here are 15 ways for you, or the sales people who work for you, to get your own word-of-mouth marketing program off the ground:

Continue reading…

By Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

The rate of technological change continues to increase exponentially. A couple years ago, I was known to say that everyone needs an e-mail address in order to conduct business with the entrepreneur of tomorrow. Yet, today, I find this statement to have some critical flaws.

Continue reading…

For decades, business owners have seen the many benefits of following up with clients by sending a quick thank you card or note after a meeting. Professional sales representatives are also known for listing important dates such as birthdays or anniversaries.  Today’s technology has taken this personal touch away from many business deals. However, one company has managed to use technology in an effort to help people literally reach out and touch their network of contacts.
Continue reading…