From the category archives:

del.icio.us links

Super Social and Search Tips Before the Big Game (Small Business E-commerce Link Digest – February 3, 2012)

by Tim on February 3, 2012

in E-commerce, Social Media, del.icio.us links, social strategy

This weekend marks one of the biggest days of the years for marketers: the annual Ad Bowl among commercials during some kind of football game or something (I kid, I kid… let’s face it: my beloved Giants are going to crush QB-turned-male-model Tom Brady). But, with props to the great Gary Vaynerchuk, here are some tips to help you crush your competition:

ProBlogger looks at a 4 point formula for developing irresistible content.
Cutting right to the chase, Smedio offers an excellent Small Business Social Media Cheat Sheet.
Speaking of big ad budgets, Business Insider reports that CPG powerhouse P&G is going to slash its marketing budget in favor of social and search. Seems that even old dogs are beginning to learn some new tricks, eh?
Mark Suster looks at balancing web and mobile in a post called “Web Second, Mobile First” that’s well worth the read as you plan your mobile strategy.
And, finally, there’s been a lot of news about the importance of social sites for driving traffic and business. First, one study suggests Pinterest drives more traffic than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined. But, HubSpot offers data suggesting LinkedIn provides much greater value at driving leads. My take? Follow a “core and explore” methodology, focusing first on core initiatives, then testing new channels to see what works best for your business.

Of course, conducting successful tests requires solid measurement. If you’re not sure how to do that, take a look at our Website Analytics Fundamentals series or drop me a line and I’ll give you a hand.

Have a great weekend, Big Thinkers. Enjoy the game. And, say it with me now… Let’s go G-Men!

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Technorati Tags: Google, google, Google Plus, Google+, Google+ Pages, LinkedIn, social, social commerce, social marketing, social media, social search, social strategy, YouTube

Tagged as: content, content creation, content marketing, google plus, linkedin, links, pinterest, social, social business, social commerce, social e-commerce, social ecommerce, social marketing, social media marketing, social media metrics, social network marketing, social search, social strategy, social web, youtube

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Social Success plus a Slight Bit o’ Search (Small Business E-commerce Link Digest – January 29, 2012)

by Tim on January 27, 2012

in E-commerce, Social Media, Uncategorized, del.icio.us links, social strategy

Just a quick collection of link love to share today, Big Thinkers, all related to social success and how social changes search. Don’t worry, we’ll continue our series on website analytics fundamentals on Monday. But, for now, on with the links:

Linda Bustos shows why Google+ matters to e-commerce.
Social Media Examiner asks whether social media can actually make money—I suspect you’ll like the answer, too.
Search Engine Land picks on Google for crappy search results, questioning whether Google’s attention to Google+ and social has shifted its focus away from search. I think it’s worth asking whether Google’s shift in attention is a sign that customers increasingly care more about search than social. Something to keep an eye on going forward.
Not that social doesn’t have a dark side, The New York Times dives into the practice of paying for good reviews online.

I hope you have a great weekend, folks. See you next week!

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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: search, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, sem, seo, social, social commerce, social marketing, social media, social search, social strategy

Tagged as: Google, google plus, google search, search engine, search engine guide, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, search marketing, search strategy, social, social business, social commerce, social e-commerce, social ecommerce, social marketing, social search strategy

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Build a better blog: 7 tips from top marketers (Small Business E-commerce Link Digest – January 13, 2012)

by Tim on January 13, 2012

in Blogging, E-commerce, Marketing, Social Media, del.icio.us links

Getting customers to care about your business often depends upon the quality of your content. And I know of few better ways to build a committed community of customers than with a great blog. In fact, my guide on how to build your small business blog remains one of the most popular parts of this site.

But what if you want more? What if you’re ready to move past the basics? Over the coming weeks, I’m going to look at building a better blog in more detail. But to get you started, check out these 7 tips for improving your content—and improving your marketing:

Leading off, HubSpot shows 11 ways to use content to build your authority online.
Writing can be hard. Thankfully, ProBlogger suggests 10 David Ogilvy quotes to inspire your blogging.
OpenForum has a great piece on 5 simple ways to get more traffic to your website. Spoiler alert: great content factors into heavily in the mix.
Mashable offers 5 steps for creating “magnetic” content.
CopyBlogger looks into the 2nd most important element in your writing.
Getting people to read your content is only half the battle. Which is why I love this ProBlogger piece on what motivates readers to share.
And, finally, Social Media Examiner has a terrific video that explains how to use content marketing to increase your sales.

Enjoy the list, Big Thinkers. And look forward to more in the coming days.

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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: blogging, blogs, content, content marketing, content strategy, integrated marketing, internet marketing, marketing, marketing best practices, online brand building, online marketing