Monday, August 4, 2014

Featured Report: Mobile Sales Sites Grab More Moola than Apps

TechCrunch

Facebook Forces Users Worldwide To Download Messenger For Mobile Chat

July,28,2014
by: Josh Constine

Over the next few days, Facebook will stop allowing messaging in its main iPhone and Android apps, and force all their users around the world to download its standalone Messenger app. Facebook first started requiring users in Europe to use Messenger back in April, but after seeing “positive results” in terms of engagement, its rolling out the plan to the everyone. Facebook tells me people on Messenger reply about 20% faster, and not supporting multiple version of mobile chat will help it make both its main apps and Messenger better.

Mobile web, iPad, feature phone, Windows Phone, Paper, and desktop users can still message in their main Facebook apps or sites like before, and will be spared from this forced migration for now. Read Now

WebProNews

Can Amazon Dominate Local Services Too?

Aug,01,2014

by:Chris Crum

In June, we learned that Amazon was readying a local services marketplace, which would simultaneously compete with local review sites like Yelp and services from stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. The news was originally reported by Reuters, which suggested Amazon users would be able to order babysitters and handymen with the service.

Reuters now has a clearer picture of just what Amazon is working on, which it says it is testing in Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles. It also points to a Help & Customer service page on Amazon’s website, which gives further details.

According to that page, Amazon Local Services allows users to purchase professional services for assembly, set-up, installation, and repair works. It doesn’t say anything about babysitting, but that would certainly appear to cover the handyman part. Other verticals could surely come later, if the initiative proves successful. Read More

Mobile Marketing Watch

Retail Reality: Mobile Sales Sites Grab More Moola than Apps

July,28,2014

by: Michael Essany

Apps may be where people spend most of their time, but retail sales sites are where it’s happening.

That’s the conclusion of recenteMarketer data, which projects that 19.0 percent of U.S. retail ecommerce sales will stem from mobile devices this year.

By 2016, the share is expected to rise to 25.0 percent.

Traditional retailers, ecommerce players and mobile-only businesses are all vying for the money consumers are increasingly spending through their smartphones and tablets, according to a new eMarketer report, “Mobile Commerce Deep Dive: The Products, Channels and Tactics Fueling Growth.” Read More

MarketingSherpa Blog

Social Media: Leveraging visual marketing on Instagram and Pinterest
Aug,01,2014
by: Regina Love

At this year’s Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content, MECLABS, sat down to discuss the growth and value of visual social media with Jason Miles, Co-founder, Liberty Jane Clothing, and Aime Schwartz, Digital Marketing Manager, King Arthur Flour.

Aime shared the importance of identifying what makes Instagram different from your Facebook and Twitter efforts. The goal is to showcase your value to multiple audiences through images, and think about reasons why people should engage with you and your brand.

Showcasing your value means being transparent, and with images, you can convey trust much better than just with words. Read More

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Friday, August 1, 2014

Featured Report: Marketing Techniques Every Small Business Should Use

e-Marketer

How Consumers Search for Products on Desktop, Tablet and on Smartphones
Aug,01,2014
by: Staff

Local Corporation is a local advertising technology company that connects consumers and businesses through products and services such as Local.com and Krillion, a local shopping platform aggregating data from 120,000 stores. Chairman and CEO Fred Thiel spoke with eMarketer’s Yory Wurmser about mobile search and the evolution of retailing.

eMarketer: What is your sense of how consumers are using smartphones vs. desktop computers for search?

Fred Thiel: Consumers are definitely conditioned to use Google or another search engine for search on desktop—excluding travel searches. For travel, we see more mobile usage, and in that case, they’re usually using an app which is specific to whatever travel site used such as KAYAK or TripAdvisor. That category is pretty much the first to be “appified,” as some have termed it. Read More

HubSpot

How to Consistently Keep Up With the Latest Social Media Trends

July,31,2014

by: Rachel Sprung

There's so much going on with social media it's hard to keep up. There are always new features being added to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest -- and with all of the other responsibilities on your plate, staying up-to-date with the latest and greatest can feel like you're running on a really fast on a tredmill while attempting to juggle. It's hard.

That being said, being on the forefront of social media changes isn't impossible either. There are many things you can do to keep on top of the latest trends. So here are a few suggestions on ways you can do just that -- even by using social media itself! Read More

Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Techniques Every Small Business Should Use

July, 31, 2014
by: Staff

Having the best, most innovative product on the market is not enough to drive traffic to your office or store. It takes a carefully-planned strategy to effectively promote your products or services.

Marketing is a critical component for any business, but can be done effectively without having to shell out thousands of dollars. Small business owners may feel intimidated competing with their larger, more established competitors, but these ideas will help increase brand awareness, drive more traffic to your website, and gain new customers. Read More

Socialmediopolis

5 Best Facebook Marketing Strategies

July,31,2014

by: Mohamed Elsherif

My friends who worked as Facebook managers were literally panicked. This resulted from the last update on Facebook, which determines organic content reach to 6% or less. This update pushed Facebook managers to paid advertising like crazy leading to 2.27 billion dollars profit in the first quarter of 2014 for Facebook. This represented an increase of 82% from the profit of Facebook in 2013.

I will not speak with you in this article about leaving Facebook and investing in Instagram or Twitter, but I will share with you 5 marketing plans that you can follow or train your staff to do to achieve a higher rate of organic reach. Read More

KaratBars International

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Featured Report: 5 Simple Acts to Take Right Now

Duct Tape Marketing

5 Simple Acts to Take Right Now
July,28,2014
by: JOHN JANTSCH
The months of July and August can be slower ones for many small businesses in the U.S. While we’ve got a thing or two to learn from some other cultures about taking a “real” holiday, many business owners and their clients take vacations and spend less time thinking about business during the summer months.

You may still feel just as busy doing busy kind of things, but the key to making this mini breather pay is to look at the summer months as a launching pad for growth and improvement into next year. Many times we keep our head down doing the work and can’t seem to find the right amount of time to dedicate to the needs of the business. Read More

SmallBizClub

Small Businesses That Operate Only on Social Media

July,23,2014

by: Megan Totka

You may be wondering, what kind of business can stay alive using only social media to advertise, market, and sell? The answer is, all different kinds. This business model is becoming more and more popular. Because of social media's huge reach and very low (or non-existent) operating costs, it's become a go-to sales and marketing platform for many small businesses.

Small businesses find social media to be a great platform for sales for a variety of reasons. A recent CNN Money article spotlighted a few different companies that have become immensely successful by launching on social media, a cotton candy company that does 75% of its business on Facebook, a female-centered snowboarding gear company, and a creative wine bottle stopper company. So how are these companies successful using only social media accounts? Here are some tips on how to make the most of small business marketing on social media. Read More

Light Span Digital

8 Social Media Questions You May Be Afraid to Ask, & The Answers

July,29,2014
by: Mana
In our work if we’re lucky we get tons of social media questions. If we’re unlucky we get demands. Either way, the online space causes a lot of uncertainty and confusion expressed via unique questions and requests. So we collected some of the more unusual social media questions and answers, here for your entertainment and education. Can we create a hashtag?

Yes you can. First you want to check if there’s already one in use, and how it’s being used. You can refer to WhatTheTrend.com and Tagboard.com to find hashtag trends and usage. And you can create your own hashtag tagboard. Read More

Business News Daily

When Customer Loyalty Isn't Enough, Turn to Word-of-Mouth

July,29,2014

by: Nicole Fallon

There's no question that customer loyalty matters. According to a recent survey by digital business solutions provider Huzzah Media, repeat customers and word-of-mouth referrals are the best sources of revenue for 80 percent of small businesses. But are you focusing enough on the latter to sustain business growth? you need to place just as much emphasis on capturing the customers you don't have yet, and these prospective customers are often obtained by word of mouth, experts say."In today's always-on world, consumers are constantly talking about their personal experiences with stores, brands or products, and they make a big impact on whether they will shop with you in the future," said Lance Brown, vice president of product development at. "Personal anecdotes are generally what resonate with new customers, since direct feedback is viewed as more reliable.Businesses that implement a referral program are encouraging their customers to 'share the love' and, therefore, can help drive more business Read More

KaratBars International

Monday, July 28, 2014

Featured Report: In Viral Videos, It’s OK To Be the Underdog

Wall Street Journal

In Viral Videos, It’s OK To Be the Underdog

July,18,2014

by: Beau Lewis

I started Seedwell, a company with my two best friends that made viral videos professionally. We wanted to create videos that made people laugh and share; the business was more of a side-effect. However, as it grew, it started to resemble an agency. We found that our work got worse as we compromised creative control in order to get approvals from larger clients. Then I joined my wife, Debbie Sterling, at her startup for girls toys: GoldieBlox, where we have the built-in advantage of doing all of our viral videos in-house while remaining a small business. Read More

Social Media Examiner

How to Use Twitter Analytics to Find Important Data

July,28,2014

by: Alex Bossenger

Do you use Twitter’s built-in analytics tool? Are you looking for new ways to measure success on Twitter? Twitter’s Analytics tool is the social network’s best-kept secret and gives you access to data that other third-party services can’t. In this article I’ll show you how to get access to Twitter Analytics and find the data you need to track your campaign success. Read More

Miami Herald Business Monday

Q&A with Dan Levy, Facebook’s global director of small business
July,27,2014
by:TASHA CUNNINGHAM
Facebook is serious about small businesses. And for Dan Levy, Facebook’s global director of small business, that means starting each day with a laser-like focus on how the social media giant can help small-business owners get the most out of using the platform to promote their products and services.

Having owned a small business himself for two years, Levy understands how difficult it can be to be successful.

“I get it,” said Levy. “I started Justarrive, a cloud-ticketing company for college and professional sports teams, while I was in college. It was a great experience to have the opportunity to build something, and it allowed me to understand the opportunities and challenges of being a small-business owner.” Read More

Convince and Convert

Why It Might Be Time to Completely Change Your Social Media Strategy

July,25,2014

by: Jay Baer

I recently delivered the closing keynote at the Social Fresh Conference in Orlando (the next Social Fresh – a conference I very much endorse – is in October in San Diego).

My presentation was called “Shotguns Trump Rifles: Why Social Success is Now a Volume Play” and was one of most controversial talks I’ve ever given about social media strategy.

I’ve embedded the slides and video below, and I do hope you’ll spend a few minutes now (or download for later) because this issue impacts every single person using social media strategy for business. Read More

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/27/4255501/qa-with-dan-levy-facebooks-global.html#storylink=cpy

KaratBars International

Friday, July 25, 2014

Featured Report: Study: Mobile Users Who Engage With Brands Use Facebook Most

Advertising Age

Study: Mobile Users Who Engage With Brands Use Facebook Most

July,23,2014
by: Grace Chung
A new report from Forrester Research slated to be released Wednesday shows consumers who access social-media sites through mobile are more likely to interact with brands than those accessing social media on personal computers. According to the study, while the number of American adults logging onto social-networking sites through PCs still exceed those who connect through mobile, consumer engagement (defined as reading, liking or sharing content) was higher among smartphone and tablet users. The study, which surveyed 37,000 respondents, revealed that 64% of U.S. online adults use desktops and laptops; 45% use smartphones; and 25% use tablets to access social-media sites at least once per week. Read More

Social Media Today

The Secret to Making Anything Go Viral

July,24,2014
by: Ekaterina Walter

Creating a ‘viral video’ is like setting out to produce 'an Oscar-winning film.'

You can look back at some of the most-shared videos, trying to fathom some sort of recipe for success, but if you try to replicate those vital ingredients your video will most likely feel flat and formulaic. If a movie producer tries too hard to re-create an award-winning film, putting together a big budget, an epic storyline, some top names, it can still be a flop. What movie-goers want is passion, great acting and a sense that everyone involved loved what they were doing: they want to feel something. Movies that make people feel something win awards. Videos too must speak to a brand’s followers if they are to be shared. Read More

Tech Target

Android, iOS, Windows mobile OS war a positive for customers

July,23,2014

by: Jake O'Donnell

In these terms, Apple's iOS is a sharply-dressed, dashing man-about-town, Google's Android is a punk rocker, while Microsoft's Windows Phone dresses in business casual attire, according to Michael Thomason, lead system architect at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.

During a presentation here this week at BriForum 2014, Thomason explained the differences between the three mobile operating systems (OS) that make up most of the 2.4 billion smartphones and tablets -- 1.1 billion Android, 333 million Windows, 271 million iOS/Macintosh -- expected to ship worldwide this year, according to a Gartner report this month. Read More

Business News Daily

Internet of Things: How Businesses Can Prepare and Adapt

July,23,2014

by:Nicole Fallon

The Internet of Things (IoT) — Internet-connected devices that communicate with one another — has been highly discussed in recent years, especially as the capabilities of smart technologies continue to advance. Most tech-savvy consumers are aware of the way that the IoT will impact their home and work life, but what does this upcoming trend mean for the business world?

"The 'connected world' vision is no longer a buzzword — it's already happening," said Waqas Makhdum, vice president of marketing at cloud mobile app development platform . "Over the next few years, we see it becoming an integral part of our lives, whether it is through smart homes, smart cars or smart health care. It's clear that the IoT will disrupt most industries." Read More

KaratBars International

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

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