Why is it so important to be # 1 (beside the fact that no one remembers #2)? According to information leaked on AOL (AOL results are fed by Google):

#1 position on Google search results page is worth 8.5 times more than #5 position. This, in terms of clicks, time spent on page leading to proportionate increase in leads,  conversions and so on.

The first five results attract a whopping three quarters of the total clicks!
(more…)

With so much hype surrounding the enormous benefits for businesses to  reap with social media, many have eagerly (and expectantly) jumped into the social landscape with a Twitter account and maybe even a Facebook profile or fan page built around their brand or business.  The problem happens when these expectant businesses look around and say, “Now what?” How do I get followers? How do I use these sites to generate leads? How do I justify social media? How do I find the time? What else is there? Why are we even here? …and so on.

If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, or are less than enamored with the success of your social media campaign, try these social stump-blocker solutions below:

(more…)

In the world of social media marketing, we often hear of the importance of monitoring as the first actionable item. Although social media monitoring has numerous benefits to a businesses, both large and small, it may be unclear as to how to use monitoring. A recent study reveals that close to half of businesses surveyed don’t know how to use monitoring effectively for marketing purposes.
(more…)

A recent study by HubSpot concludes that the cost per lead for inbound marketing is dramatically lower than the cost of lead acquisition through outbound channels! That’s great news for businesses suffering due to the economic downturn. What’s more, the effectiveness of the leads does not end there. The organic leads that you acquire through social media, blogging and other inbound channels are also of better quality in terms of loyalty, referrals and bringing repeat business.
(more…)

While on the hunt for meaningful metrics tools, Erwin Hendriks, creator of Social Website Analyzer, brought his insightful resource to my attention.

Simply put, Social Website Analyzer is a one-click snapshot of the state of your website’s or brand’s social media presence across the top 20 social media sites.

(more…)

Whether you are a business with brick and mortar stores or a company without borders, you should be tapping into the growing number of local audiences seeking products and services in their own locality. You can increase business exposure and your web and store traffic simply by including geographical information to your digital content. Geotagging and local search optimization are two technology-based solutions that savvy marketers are using to attract the crucial local market segment.
(more…)

Online retailers plan the holiday sale season months in advance; designing and executing special promotions and marketing campaigns to promote these sales events through various media channels. Businesses primarily rely on email, CPC & CPM campaigns besides traditional marketing.

As the Holiday Sales season comes to a close, the effort is intensified in order to capitalize on the last minute shoppers (substantial). And because there is so much going on, there is a chance that some crucial details can get overlooked! (more…)

The uses and benefits of Twitter are growing and expanding everyday.

Below I’ve listed some of the top 10 reasons why all businesses, no matter how big or small, no matter what your industry, should be on Twitter.

(more…)