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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!

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.

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

Tagged as: blog, blog writing, bloggers, blogs, content, content creation, content marketing, integrated marketing, interactive marketing, Marketing, marketing 101, online marketing, online sales

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Guest Post: The Benefits of Guest Posts For Your Small Business Blog by Carol Wilson

by Tim on September 15, 2011

in Blogging, Social Media, social strategy

Today’s guest post is from Carol Wilson, a writer for BusinessInsuranceQuotes.org. She contributes articles about a variety of marketing, business, stock market, small business topics and can be contacted at: wilson.carol24 @ gmail.com. As part of our continuing series on how to build your small business blog, today Carol looks at the benefits of using guest posts on your small business blog.

In today’s tech-heavy society, nearly every aspect of our lives is intimately involved with the internet. Businesses rely on the web for their mass marketing campaigns, gaining a worldwide audience, and selling or distributing their product and services. Many small and large businesses alike use blogs to create attention for their offerings and to position themselves as experts within their area. A small business blog, as with any blog, can be tricky to maintain. Gaining any amount of popularity online takes a lot of work and a considerable amount of research. Bloggers must understand who their target audience is, develop a reliable blogging schedule, craft quality content, deliver something new and interesting to their readers, and create beautiful and clear web design for their site. One essential trick to creating a successful blog is inviting quality guest posts from capable writers within your blogging genre.

Gain a Wider Exposure

One of the most basic benefits of publishing guest posts on your small business’ blog is gaining more traffic to your blog. By allowing established guest bloggers to publish on your site, you will attract members of that blogger’s regular audience to your blog. The guest blogger will promote their guest post on their usual social media outlets as well as their own blog, providing you with free and effortless promotion. Furthermore, guest posting often works both ways. If you allow a guest blogger to write a feature for your blog, you will likely be permitted or asked to write a feature for their blog. This allows you to promote your business’ blog on that blogger’s site, too. Readers of your guest posts will picture you as an expert on your area of interest and may seek further information from you about your products and services. More traffic means more customers and more customers means more profit.

Become an Authority

By featuring guest posts that are written by educated and knowledgeable individuals in your area of business, readers will see your blog as the authoritative voice on that subject. Within any industry, being seen as an authority within your area of business is a positive thing for sales. A business’ reputation plays heavily into how successful it is. By creating and publishing quality content on your business’ blog, customers and visitors will begin to trust your word on that subject. Furthermore, featuring guest bloggers on your blog will demonstrate a willingness to explore different points of view. This openness displays a forward-thinking business standpoint and is viewed positively by visitors and consumers. Use guest bloggers to build your professional repertoire and position yourself as an expert in your area.

Beef Up Your Blog

Guest posts also provide a great way to beef up your blog and mix up the content a little bit. One of the most difficult aspects of blogging in general is coming up with interesting and unique content each and every week. Guest posting gives your blog a new and exciting voice. Even the slightest change like this can revive a tired blog and engage new readers. Let your guest contributors do some of the work for you for a bit. Let others come up with unique and entertaining topics that relate to your business. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, try featuring a series of guest posts on various topics. Of course, be wary of the guest articles you do publish. Be sure to find posts that are well written and intimately related to your area of business. Featuring an interesting post by a guest blogger that is unique and well written, but completely unrelated to your blog is pointless. Find posts that are useful, informative, and interesting. Spicing things up in your blog can help bring readers back for more and will keep you inspired for your own writing.

Are you getting enough value out of your small business website? Want to make sure your business makes the most of thelocal, 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: blogging, blogs, business blogging, content, content strategy, e-marketing, internet business, internet marketing, marketing, marketing best practices, online marketing, search engine optimization, seo, social marketing, content marketing, small business blogging