Featured Report: 3 Ways to Tap Into the Most Powerful Content Tool Ever Created

Content Marketing Institute

3 Ways to Tap Into the Most Powerful Content Tool Ever Created

July,22,2014

by:  SCOTT AUGHTMON

In his book, Winning the Story Wars, Jonah Sachs suggests something shocking: He says that those who tell (and live) the best stories will rule the future.I am about to show you how one of the most cited financial works in the 20th century got its start as content marketing.Not only that, I will show you how it became famous because it tapped into a powerful content tool that Sachs talks about: stories.

The book you didn’t know began as content marketing

This tale begins when a man named George was born on November 7, 1874.He was pretty adventurous: In the 82 years he lived, he was a soldier, a businessman, and a writer. But the reason I am mentioning him today is because of a publishing company that he started.The 1920s brought a sustained period of prosperity to peoples’ lives. In 1926, George saw the need for people to learn to build their wealth, so his publishing company began to issue the first of a series of pamphlets on saving and financial success. Read More 

GIGAOM

The U.S. joins 6 other countries in achieving 100% wireless data penetration

July,,2014
by: Kevin Fitchard

For every person in the U.S. there is a mobile or wireless data connection, according to new figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD). As of December of 2013, the U.S. joined six other OECD countries – Finland, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Denmark and South Korea – in reaching 100 percent penetration for what the OECD considers wireless broadband links. The OECD’s definition of wireless broadband is a bit looser than what you or I would consider broadband. Its cut-off line is 256 kbps, so 3G and low-bandwidth satellite count alongside 4G technologies and dedicated fixed-wireless broadband Read More 

Repcap

What’s Your Content Marketing Strategy?

July,21,2014 by:Brooke Howell

What’s your content marketing strategy? If you don’t know or are certain you don’t have one, you’re not alone. Although everyone seems to be talking and writing about content marketing, only 60 percent of organizations have a content marketing strategy and just 19 percent more are considering creating and implementing one in the foreseeable future, according to The State of Marketing 2014, a Vocus report released in June based on a Market Connections survey of 325 businesses. The survey found marketers are missing many key strategies. Having a content marketing strategy was more common than having a strategy for search engine marketing, traditional advertising, mobile marketing, native advertising and marketing automation. Read More

Small Business Trends

Common Entrepreneurial Advice That You Need to Ignore

July,08,2014 by: Barry Moltz Entrepreneurs get advice every day from their professional advisors and information they read. A lot of it needs to be ignored.Pay close attention to disregarding these platitudes and what to do instead.

It Takes Money to Make Money

Many entrepreneurs spend too much money getting their company off the ground. In fact, having a lot of money can lead to being wasteful. Use small investments to test ideas and get paying customers. Based on this success or failure, spend a little more money to test the next action. Read More

KaratBars International

Welcome to Karatbars Karatbars International GmbH specializes in the sale of small 999.9 pure gold bars and gift items. We offer unique product lines, including specialty collector’s items that celebrate special moments such as the Birth of a baby, Weddings, Easter, Christmas and Birthdays. Karatbars has steadily expanded its product line by using the highest standards in the industry for gold production. Karatbars also offers a line of limited edition or privately branded collector gold cards. Collector cards, especially rare limited edition cards, will often appreciate over the market value of gold.

Featured Report: 10 Changes to the Facebook Page Layout: What Marketers Need to Know

Social Media Examiner

10 Changes to the Facebook Page Layout: What Marketers Need to Know

July,21,2014
by: Mike Gingerich
Have you noticed some big changes in your Facebook Page layout? Do you know where to find everything?Earlier this year, Facebook announced anew design for Facebook Pages. It took a while to roll out, but most Page admins had it by June. In this article you’ll discover 10 changes to your Facebook Page layout. Read More

USA  Today

Tips for engaging small business customers

July,20,2014
by: Steve Strauss
Q: One trick I have learned that really helped our business is to create and use a valuable e-mail list. We do it with our e-newsletter. This allows us to know who wants to hear from us. We don't abuse the list, but we sure do use it. --Maggie
A: You are preaching to the choir, sister! Capturing your website visitors' e-mail addresses is one of the smartest things you can do to create new customers. Why? Because if they give it to you (also known as opting-in), then you begin to create an e-mail list of people giving you permission to contact them again. Down the road, you can use this list to offer them discounts, sales, special promotions and much more. Read More

Miami Herald: Business Monday 

Practical tips for growing small businesses into middle-market businesses
July,20,2014
by: JAMES S. CASSEL

It’s a common question for small-business owners: “How can I take my company to the next level and become a middle-market business?” Although at Cassel Salpeter we focus on working with middle-market businesses, I often run into small-business owners in the community who ask for some practical tips.

I define the middle market as any business with $10 million to $250 million in enterprise value. Although there are more than 27 million businesses in the United States according to the last census, only about 300,000 have more than $5 million in revenues. So, becoming a middle-market business clearly is not easy. However, in many cases it may be attained with hard work and the right strategy (and a little luck does not hurt).  Read More

Site Pro News

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/20/4243861/practical-tips-for-growing-small.html#storylink=cpy

Google’s Shopping Push & Its Impact on Ecommerce Sites

July,21,2014
by: Adrienne Erin 

Google won’t be satisfied until it worms its way into every facet of your life. Not content with being the world’s most-used search engine or owning the No. 1 source for online video, it’s now pushing into an arena that’s long been dominated by another web giant, Amazon. That’s right: Google’s going all-in with e-commerce. The company confirmed in early July that it will begin focusing its considerable muscle on promoting and growing Shopping Express, which debuted in 2013. The service allows people to browse goods from nearby stores and then order them online, with a one or two-day turnaround for delivery. Why is Google pushing into retail? What will this mean for other e-commerce and retail sites, most notably Amazon? Read on to find out.

Read More

KaratBars International

Welcome to Karatbars Karatbars International GmbH specializes in the sale of small 999.9 pure gold bars and gift items. We offer unique product lines, including specialty collector’s items that celebrate special moments such as the Birth of a baby, Weddings, Easter, Christmas and Birthdays. Karatbars has steadily expanded its product line by using the highest standards in the industry for gold production. Karatbars also offers a line of limited edition or privately branded collector gold cards. Collector cards, especially rare limited edition cards, will often appreciate over the market value of gold.

Featured Report: The Benefits of Using Social Media Like a B2B Boss

Reuters

Facebook tests new 'buy' button for online purchases in U.S.

July,17,2014
by: ALEXEI ORESKOVIC
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc is testing a new "buy" button on its website that will let consumers purchase products that are advertised on its social network.The new service, which Facebook described on Thursday as a test with a "few small and medium-sized businesses" in the United States, represents the Internet social networking company's latest effort to play a bigger role in the e-commerce business. Read More

Smart Data Collective

Using Data to Build a More Effective Content Strategy

July,18,2014
by:Jess Martin
If you’re familiar with online marketing, you’ve undoubtedly heard the expression “content is king.” Establishing an active business blog, social media presence, and engaged online community can help improve your search rankings and increase your sales over time. But for many businesses, developing these things is easier said than done. More and more companies are taking their operations online, and most of them are working towards achieving the same goals. With all the competition out there, setting your business’ content strategy apart can seem like an insurmountable task. But in reality, it can be as simple as taking a deeper look at some key data. Here’s how you can harness your data to develop a more effective business content strategy.  Read More

SocialMediolopis

The Benefits of Using Social Media Like a B2B Boss

July,02,2014
by:Meghan Hunt

"Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make but about the stories you tell." -Seth Godin There are all sorts of untapped marketing benefits available through social media, and when you use it like you know what you're doing, you make yourself - and your company - stand apart from the crowd. Take a look at the B2B benefits from social media use. Read More

Mobile Commerce Daily

Retail apps with store mode drive up to 5x more interactions

July,15,2014
by: Chantal Tode

New data from a couple of sources underscores the increasingly important role mobile apps are playing inside bricks-and-mortar stores, with both consumers and retailers benefitting.

The demand for more mobile inside stores is being driven by both consumers and retailers, who recognize how smartphones can make shopping and retailing more efficient and bring value through savings. Read More

KaratBars International

Welcome to Karatbars Karatbars International GmbH specializes in the sale of small 999.9 pure gold bars and gift items. We offer unique product lines, including specialty collector’s items that celebrate special moments such as the Birth of a baby, Weddings, Easter, Christmas and Birthdays. Karatbars has steadily expanded its product line by using the highest standards in the industry for gold production. Karatbars also offers a line of limited edition or privately branded collector gold cards. Collector cards, especially rare limited edition cards, will often appreciate over the market value of gold.

Featured Report: Google+ Turns Three: What Does the Future Hold?

Site Pro News

Google+ Turns Three: What Does the Future Hold?

July ,14,2014
by: Tina Courtney-Brown

From the very start, Google Plus has had an uphill climb. Despite a bundle of stats that seem favorable, the social network has never been totally taken seriously, and has yet to be a significant gathering place. In other words, Google Plus is not particularly social. So why is it still surviving?

The undisputed opinion is that Google hangs on to its floundering platform because of massive integration in key apps like Gmail and Maps, and most pertinently, their search results. Most businesses and enterprising individuals have Google Plus accounts not to connect with others, but for SEO purposes. But is that enough for Google to keep pouring money and attention into this controversial social platform?  Read More

Web Pro News

Is Your Facebook Response Rate Up To Snuff?

July,,2014

by: Chris Crum

As social media engagement on Facebook rises, response rates from brands are slipping. Brands are struggling to get their messages in front of users thanks to a decline in organic reach of Page posts, but are they responding to their customers when they actually need something? The stats suggest that they’re not doing it enough. Perhaps this should be a bigger area of focus for brands.  Read More

Mobile Marketing Watch

Adapting Your Email Marketing Campaign to Mobile

July,11,2014
by: Michael Essany

As social media and content marketing have become the digital marketing buzzwords, email marketing has fallen out of fashion. As long ago as 2009 the Wall Street Journal was predicting the death of the email but this has proven not only premature but also way off target.

Inbound marketing is increasingly important and most successful campaigns will use a variety of channels and approaches. But email remains a cornerstone of digital marketing. According to research from the Radicati Group there were 3.3 billion email accounts in the world in 2012 and 77% of consumers listed email as their preferred medium for receiving permission-based marketing communications. This eclipses other channels such as social media (6%) and text messages (5%).  Read More

Smart Blog on Social Media

Marketing basics still apply on social media

July,,2014
by: Katherine Hunter-Blyden

Many seasoned marketers are all too eager to leave the social media marketing to younger professionals. The ever-evolving social media space can feel daunting to traditional marketers accustomed to broadcast and print marketing. But while the technology is different, the basic building blocks of marketing still hold true. When creating a marketing campaign delivered through any media, you must… Read More

KaratBars International

Welcome to Karatbars Karatbars International GmbH specializes in the sale of small 999.9 pure gold bars and gift items. We offer unique product lines, including specialty collector’s items that celebrate special moments such as the Birth of a baby, Weddings, Easter, Christmas and Birthdays. Karatbars has steadily expanded its product line by using the highest standards in the industry for gold production. Karatbars also offers a line of limited edition or privately branded collector gold cards. Collector cards, especially rare limited edition cards, will often appreciate over the market value of gold.

Featured Report: How to Keep Social Media Followers Engaged

Duct Tape Marketing

Growth Hacking is Just Effective Marketing
July,07,2014
by:  JOHN JANTSCH

The term “growth hacking” is all the rage these days, and in my mind it’s a bit of a silly concept. (There are even several books dedicated to the topic Effective marketers have always been “growth hackers” at heart.It’s not that I think focus on growth is silly and I certainly don’t think using creativity and ingenuity to gain attention and build a user base is silly either – it’s just that there’s nothing really new about it. The new generation of growth hackers types want you to believe that they are almost anti-marketing when, in fact, all they are is anti wasteful marketing – but that’s something that everyone should be able to agree upon.  Read More

ZD Net

Google steps up Facebook duel for SMBs

June,12,2014
by: Larry Dignan 
Google has launched "Google My Business," a free tool so small and medium-sized businesses can update their information, add photos, connect with customers and manage their profiles via a mobile app.  The move highlights how Web giants are increasingly looking toward SMBs to maintain growth and cultivate long-term advertising customers. For Google, the SMB effort is a nice way to get businesses to dip their toes into Adwords and the search giant's advertising tools. Google My Business essentially creates an SMB suite and gives the Google+ dashboard and Places a similar user experience.  Read More

Site Pro News

How to Keep Social Media Followers Engaged

July,10,2014

by: Francesca Di Meglio 

You have to be on social media to survive in business today. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to keep their followers engaged once they’ve drawn them in. Experts say you should think of it like a personal relationship: You need to be both trustworthy and a good conversationalist. They liken it to starting a conversation with the person in front of you at the supermarket, who would deem you a weirdo if you just kept shoving advertisements in their face.  Read More

Web Pro News

People Are Trusting Online Reviews More Than Ever

July,08,2014
by: Chris Crum
It appears that people are not only turning to online reviews for local businesses more and more, but they are actually trusting them more than ever despite all the media coverage questioning their legitimacy.BrightLocal recently put out the results of its 4th annual Local Consumer Review Survey, finding that for better or worse, online reviews are only gaining momentum with consumers. Most (57%) of consumers have searched online for a local business over 6 times in the past year, while 39% have searched online for local businesses at least one time per month, and 15% searching almost every day. Read More




KaratBars International

Welcome to Karatbars Karatbars International GmbH specializes in the sale of small 999.9 pure gold bars and gift items. We offer unique product lines, including specialty collector’s items that celebrate special moments such as the Birth of a baby, Weddings, Easter, Christmas and Birthdays. Karatbars has steadily expanded its product line by using the highest standards in the industry for gold production. Karatbars also offers a line of limited edition or privately branded collector gold cards. Collector cards, especially rare limited edition cards, will often appreciate over the market value of gold.

Feature Report: 4 Ways to Stay Up to Date on the Latest in Social Media Marketing

ReCap

4 Ways to Stay Up to Date on the Latest in Social Media Marketing

July,07,2014
by: Brooke Howell
Social media is an essential element of many organizations’ marketing efforts these days. If you’re already doing social media marketing, you’re off to a good start, but you can’t just coast on the knowledge you have now. Technology is constantly evolving and even the standard social media sites are frequently updating essential elements of their services.

Whether you’re a business owner or a marketer, if you’re engaged in marketing, you need to make sure you’re always on top of the latest developments in social media. That’s the only way you’ll ensure you stay up-to-date on all of these changes and make sure your efforts are making an impact. Read More

Small Biz Club

eCommerce and SEO: 24 Tips to Improve Conversions

July,02,2014

by Staff

All over the world, all year round, many online businesses strive to keep website traffic, engagement and rankings up, and in many cases they are successful. However, you'd be surprised at the number of companies who are underutilizing the advantageous position that they are in with a poor approach to conversion rate optimization—the art of turning audiences into paying customers.  Read More 

Marketing Sherpa Blog

Ecommerce: Why going global really means going local

July,08,2014
by: John Tackett
Global ecommerce is growing.

With that growth comes two insights:

One is satisfaction on my part in seeing fellow anthropologists land jobs at Microsoft and Absolut Vodka to aid in marketing research. The other part of that growth is the realization among savvy ecommerce marketers that delivering a consistent brand experience in a multi-cultural global marketplace is not going to be easy. I say this in light of the recent interview between MarketingSherpa Reporter Allison Banko and Rob Garf, Vice President, Industry Strategy, Demandware, in the MarketingSherpa Media Center at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition. Read More

Mobile Marketing Watch

Study: When it Comes to Nurturing Leads, Email isn’t Enough

July,08,2014
by: Michael Essany
One of the most critical steps to convincing a prospective customer to make the purchase – “lead nurturing”- is a strategy that’s been employed by marketers since forever. However, a recent joint report from Oracle Marketing Cloud and Bizo - “The State of B2B Lead Nurturing” – shows that, when it comes to nurturing leads, email marketing falls a bit short. Their report states that, because of the way users are connected today, marketers should be developing multichannel lead nurturing strategies rather than relying on email marketing alone.  Read More





KaratBars International

Welcome to Karatbars Karatbars International GmbH specializes in the sale of small 999.9 pure gold bars and gift items. We offer unique product lines, including specialty collector’s items that celebrate special moments such as the Birth of a baby, Weddings, Easter, Christmas and Birthdays. Karatbars has steadily expanded its product line by using the highest standards in the industry for gold production. Karatbars also offers a line of limited edition or privately branded collector gold cards. Collector cards, especially rare limited edition cards, will often appreciate over the market value of gold.

Featured Report: 6 Fantastic Landing Page Examples You'll Want to Copy

Blog It

How to Turn that Customer into an “Evangelist”

July,04,2014

by: JONATHAN FARRINGTON

New customers have a tendency to evolve through three phases once they decide to buy from you.Initially they feel very excited about their decision, before going through a learning curve where they may struggle with blending in your products/services.Finally, they begin to experience the value that you provide and the relationship settles down and finds its own balance. Read More

Social Media Examiner

Social CRM: How Marketing Can Benefit From Social Media and CRM

July,04,2014

by Michael Stelzner

Do you want to know more about your customers and prospects so you can serve them better? Are you wondering what social CRM is and how your business can benefit from it? To learn how social CRM can help marketers, I interview Kyle Lacy for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast.   Read More

HubSpot

6 Fantastic Landing Page Examples You'll Want to Copy

July,03,2014

by: Sam Kusinitz

Landing pages exist to serve one purpose: to get people on your website to convert to the next stage in the buying journey. Although their purpose is simple enough in theory, actually creating a successful landing page requires detailed planning and creative testing.

Regardless of what your business is selling or the conversion action you hope to instigate, it's helpful to get inspired by seeing what other great landing pages look like. And because there's no one "right" way of doing a landing page, you need to check out examples from lots of different industries for different stages of the buying process. Read More

Site Pro News

Ads on Fire: The Secrets to Viral Marketing

July ,04, 2014

by: Tina Courtney-Brown 

The elusive quest to create a truly viral ad campaign is always top of mind for marketers. If an ad or marketing campaign really resonates with the masses, a brand can go from zero to hero in as little as a week. There’s a highly honed craft to creating a viral ad campaign, not the least of which includes insane creativity and total marketing expertise.

There are, however, some tried and true viral tricks of the trade that, if practiced with intention and finesse, can help improve your viral odds. For assistance in compiling this list of expert tips, I consulted Alexander Debelov, the CEO of Virool.com.  Read More 

KaratBars International

Welcome to Karatbars Karatbars International GmbH specializes in the sale of small 999.9 pure gold bars and gift items. We offer unique product lines, including specialty collector’s items that celebrate special moments such as the Birth of a baby, Weddings, Easter, Christmas and Birthdays. Karatbars has steadily expanded its product line by using the highest standards in the industry for gold production. Karatbars also offers a line of limited edition or privately branded collector gold cards. Collector cards, especially rare limited edition cards, will often appreciate over the market value of gold.