From the category archives:

Local

Social, Local, Mobile… Oh My! (Small Business E-commerce Link Digest – November 18, 2011)

by Tim on November 18, 2011

in E-commerce, Facebook, Local, Mobile, Social Media, Strategy, analytics, del.icio.us links, social strategy

I’ve been asking all week whether you’re still talking about the mobile web including looking at whether you need an app for customer reviews. And, I’m not the only one. Here’s this week’s round-up of the best social, local, mobile write-ups on the web:

Rachel Sprung on the HubSpot Blog looks at 20 ways to increase content visibility on the “Top 4″ social networks. What are the “Top 4,” you ask? Why Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. And I’m glad, Rachel includes LinkedIn there, because it’s often overlooked as a key component of your online marketing.
Not sure about LinkedIn? Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media answers why your business should maybe stop ignoring LinkedIn. Great read. And the comments are rock-solid, too.
While we’re on the topic of LinkedIn, the social network’s own blog shows how to add a LinkedIn Recommendations widget to your site and how to gain insights into your LinkedIn company page’s performance.
Speaking of gaining insights into performance, I want to put in shameless plug for my latest HSMAI white paper, “Best Practices for Hotel Website Analytics.” While it’s specifically tailored to the hotel industry, many of the lessons apply regardless of your business. It’s a free download, so check it out.
And, while we’re discussing social and tracking, Mashable has a great review of Facebook’s user tracking secrets. Well worth your time.
Mashable also takes a look at PayPal’s new Facebook app that lets you send money to your friends on the social network. I’ve said before that social commerce is hiding in plain sight. This underscores that point just a bit.

Finally, I’ve shared a couple of videos this week to demonstrate the power of the local, social, mobile web. But it’s possible little can illustrate it as effectively as Social Revolution’s 2011 presentation, which I’ve got right here:

Have a great weekend, Big Thinkers. We’ll catch you back here on Monday.

Are you getting enough value out of your small business website? Want to make sure your business makes the most of the local, mobile, social web? thinks helps you understand how to grow your business via the web, every day. Get more than just news. Get understanding. Add thinks to your feed reader today.

Or subscribe via email.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow Tim on Twitter.

Tim Peter & Associates helps companies from startups to the Fortune 500 use the web to reach more customers, more effectively every day. Take a look and see how we can help you.

Technorati Tags: analytics, content marketing, content strategy, E-commerce, e-commerce, E-commerce strategy, e-marketing, ecommerce, F-commerce, Facebook, facebook, internet business, internet marketing, marketing, Mashable, measurement, metrics, social, social commerce, social marketing, social media, social search, social strategy, YouTube, LinkedIn

Tagged as: e-commerce strategy, ecommerce, ecommerce strategy, f-commerce, facebook marketing, link digest, linkdigest, linkedin, links, m-commerce, mobile commerce, mobile device, mobile ecommerce, mobile internet, mobile marketing, mobile phone, mobile search, mobile strategy, mobile web, social, social business, social commerce, social e-commerce, social ecommerce, social marketing, social media marketing, social media metrics, social network marketing, social shopping, social strategy

{ 0 comments }

Social, local, mobile links for the week ending October 14 (Small Business E-commerce Link Digest – October 14, 2011)

by Tim on October 14, 2011

in Local, Mobile, Social Media, del.icio.us links, social strategy

So, I’ve spent way too much time today playing with my new iPhone. Siri, its voice-activated personal assistant, is every bit as amazing as advertised. Of course, that means that I’ve still got a lot of work to do today. So, as I sometimes do, I’m skipping the setup and getting straight to the links. Enjoy:

Read/Write Web questions whether Google has taken the right approach updating Local listings before asking business owners. What do you think? Good move or “evil”?
Staying on the local search theme, Search Engine Land uncovers Mapquest’s new Vibe service, its entry into the social/local discovery space. And they like what they see. Do you?
Copyblogger shows shows how to use Facebook’s new features to improve your social media marketing. Good stuff.
On the mobile front, GigaOm reports mobile data traffic has doubled in the past 12 months.
Not to be outdone, Search Engine Land shows that the majority of that mobile traffic comes from Apple’s iOS , not Android devices. And Mashable follows up, pointing out that almost all “tablet” traffic is really iPad traffic All the more reason to ensure you’re mobile enough.
Finally, Forbes asks whether “authenticity” still matters in social media marketing.

Enjoy your weekend, Big Thinkers. Now I’m back to playing with my iPhone… I mean, to work!

Or subscribe via email.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow Tim on Twitter.

Tim Peter & Associates helps companies from startups to the Fortune 500 use the web to reach more customers, more effectively every day. Take a look and see how we can help you.

Technorati Tags: Apple, blogging, blogs, content marketing, content strategy, e-commerce, e-marketing, F-commerce, Facebook, facebook, Google, google, Google +1, Google Plus, Google+, integrated marketing, internet business, internet marketing, ipad, iphone, marketing, small business blogging, social, social commerce, social marketing, social media, social search, social strategy, strategy

Tagged as: local business, local marketing, local search, local web, mobile commerce, mobile device, mobile ecommerce, mobile internet, mobile marketing, mobile phone, mobile search, mobile strategy, mobile web, social, social commerce, social e-commerce, social ecommerce, social marker, social marketing, social media marketing, social media profiles, social network, social network marketing, social search, social search strategy, social shopping, social strategy, social web

{ 0 comments }

Think Google Isn’t Serious About Mobile?

by Tim on August 16, 2011

in Local, SEO, Social Media

I’ve got 12 and-a-half billion reasons that demonstrate how serious Google is about the importance of mobile. Now, I’m not going to get heavy into why Google did this. Nor will I make many predictions as to how this is likely to turn out (though, I did mention in a Business Insider comment yesterday that this looks a lot like the AOL/TimeWarner deal of a decade ago and Business Insider said today that this looks like the AOL/TimeWarner deal of a decade ago, so, hmm…)

The only point I’m going to make is that mobile is, as the kids say, “for reals.” Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola underscores that point, if spending $12.5 billion on anything can be called “underscoring” (mental note: see if there is such a thing as “overscoring”).

The point is, no matter how much I hate the neologism, SoLoMo increasingly encroaches on Google’s core business. Years ago, Google was interested in how fast they could get you off their site. Now, with Google+, Google Related, Google Chromebooks, Android, Google Apps, and on and on and on, they’re doing everything they can to keep you where they can find you—and serve you more advertising.

That’s not a bad thing, by the way. Heck, we’re all advertisers, too. And as the value of SoLoMo increases, we’re going to need to find new ways to engage with customers via social, via local and via mobile. As I mentioned yesterday, these new channels aren’t just smoke and mirrors. Google just spent $12.5 billion to prove it.

Or subscribe via email.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow Tim on Twitter.

Tim Peter & Associates helps companies from startups to the Fortune 500 use the web to reach more customers, more effectively every day. Take a look and see how we can help you.

Tagged as: mobile commerce, mobile ecommerce, mobile internet, mobile marketing, mobile phone, mobile search, mobile strategy, mobile web

{ 1 comment }