January 14, 2010 in Blog, Social Media by Patrick McNulty

SMB Tips Roundup from Mashable

This sums up the way Social Media is changing business. As a small business, are you participating in the conversation? Social media is helping to forge a new era in business transparency and engagement, creating both new challenges and opportunities. Gone are the days when companies could rely on carefully crafted press releases or flashy ad campaigns to communicate with their customers, often in an attempt to convince people that their products are the best in the field. In the age of social media, the rules have changed radically, and people today demand a more honest and direct relationship with the companies with which they do business.

Companies now face a clear choice: wall themselves in and become increasingly controlled and hidden, or use social media and other means to reveal their human side, welcome transparency, and forge new relationships with their customers. The old game is undoubtedly over, and the question now is, “what can businesses do to transition and succeed in this new era?”

5 New Years Resolutions for the SMB

http://mashable.com/2009/09/22/social-media-business/

1. Reflect on Industry Trends

2. Set Social Media Goals

3. Go Local!

4. Use Twitter Lists

5. Experiment!

Top Mobile Productivity Tools for the Small Business

Mobile Tools & Tips to help with To-Do Lists, Note Taking, Calendaring & Mobile Office

January 10, 2010 in Blog, Mobile by admin

Google Unveils New Local Search for Mobile

This is very helpful for seeing the importance of appearing on Google, if Google can’t find you on their search they’re never going to share your business information when people are searching mobile as well, now is the time to jump on board.

Today’s internet is and will continue to be the skeleton that holds up mobile technology, get online now.

January 7, 2010 in Blog, Websites by Patrick McNulty

Internet Market Watch – 1/7/10

Market watch posts will be a series of internet industry effects on small business and tips for maximizing your SMB presence. This week comes from http://twitter.com/jacobpuhl

Google is testing lead capture forms within an Adwords ad. This is only in beta, but could become a major lead generation tool.

Google is requiring some LBL’s to be “re-verified”. This could be caused by several reasons to name a few: 1. A competitor submitted a spam report, prompting reverification. 2. A “customer” clicked the Is this accurate link, prompting reverification. 3. Google is systematically going through it’s questionable LBC accounts with multiple listings

One expert boasts about the value of Wordpress websites for small businesses. Local Biz Bits by Larry Sullivan has alot of good insight – biggest takeaway – Wordpress can help you control your website more and help with your local search marketing.

10 creative ways businesses are using Twitter.

1 in 4 SMB’s spend more money on video in 2010. the networks of choice where people are putting the videos – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter.