While a few years ago companies only needed to worry about their own website, the growing number of social media platforms is now making it harder for companies and business owners to keep up their presence on the Internet. From restaurant reviews to Facebook likes, building a positive community and reputation around your brand is necessary to build your authority online. So how do you go about building a community around your brand? Here are a few musts for building an online community around your brand. Create a Corporate Blog A corporate blog is the perfect way to share your knowledge and build your ...

One of the best ways to bring in new customers is by word of mouth. When people share information about companies and businesses, their friends and colleagues see that as reliable information. To create a viral effect, you need to do something so amazing that people will want to share it with everyone they know. Take these 5 steps to create a coupon that will go viral and drive traffic to your company. Make a Big Offer In order to get people's attention you need to provide an offer that is so unbelievable that they will rush to take advantage of it and ...

To many, the revolution in social media networks may seem like a fad that will fade out just as fast it appeared.  Yet, the truth is that social media is one of the fastest ways to reach out to prospective consumers. Between Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other similar social media platforms, everything that can be said about you, whether good or bad, is transmitted almost instantaneously across the globe. With over 300 million users, Facebook is by far one of the biggest social media networks out there.  While it may have begun as a tool to keep college students in touch, ...

With social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter becoming the latest word-of-mouth venue, it is becoming more pertinent for businesses and companies to have a presence on these sites. According to the report Social Commerce on Facebook, Twitter and Retail Sites, almost 75% of the merchants in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide have a presence on at least one of the major social networks or social shopping sites. Social networking users of all ages are more likely to make online purchases, so they are considered a highly sought-after group by internet retailers, according to a May 2009 survey by ...

It all started just a few years ago with Facebook. While it began as a private social networking site, Facebook has served as a template for a variety social networking sites that are becoming ever more popular not just among users but also marketing experts. Today, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Bebo, LinkIn. and MySpace are just a few of the many online social networking options available. You may ask, “Why bother?” There is a reason why major companies are using them. Next time you’re visiting a website look for a “follow us on Facebook” or similar message alerting ...

For any company that might be offering a new service or product, a microsite might be what you need to market it. Microsites are self-contained sites separate from the primary site. They have their own pURL and focus on a distinct product or service. Even though they are called microsites, they cost and take up the same amount of time and energy of a regular website. However, if your company needs to create a unique brand identity for your product, then a microsite is worth the effort. If your company is a wholesale wine distribution company that wants to host a ...

While having a website is a step in validating the credibility of your business, a badly laid out website can cause your visitors to wonder about the credibility of your overall operation.  Creating a website is no longer something that only large companies can afford to do.  "Home-made" websites are popping up all over the place.  While being online increases your reach, a bad website can chase customers away.  The key is to design your website in a way that gives your business credibility.  What is credibility?  Credibility is the trust that you inspire based on factors like usability, accessibility, security, ...

Well, to begin answering this question you would first have to know who your customers are. According to a study conducted by the Participatory Marketing Network and two other organizations, brands are having a hard time engaging the younger generation, or GenY, and building loyalty among this group through social networking sites. The study examined the networking behaviors of consumers between the ages of 18-24 and concluded the following results:  84% noticed ads on social networks  74% say they click infrequently/never  62% of Gen Y's have visited a fan page on a social network  48% percent have joined  36% say they don't click on ads at ...

Today's marketing professionals are buzzing about the many benefits and unique opportunities inherent in social media tools such as Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and blogging.  Among these tools, Twitter stands out as a favorite among online marketers because of its many useful features for the business community.  Whether you are new to the Twitter community or an experienced veteran, these Twitter tools may prove useful in expanding your following and increasing your capacity to network through this social media marketing goldmine. Who Should I Follow? This tool, whoshouldifollow.com, is simply a way to find new Twitter friends.  It allows a member to find out ...

During an economic slowdown, business owners face distinct challenges in pricing their products and services.  Today's marketers strive to extend affordable prices to consumers who are making purchases with more apprehension and consideration, but lowering prices to attract careful customers also lowers the profit margin.  Large corporations can afford to slash prices to move higher quantities, but this technique is less effective for small to mid-size businesses. How can small business owners maximize their profits without reducing their prices?  The answer lies in a "teamwork" model of pricing strategy designed to move high priced merchandise. The primary objective for small business owners ...

If you aren't familiar with the phrase "viral marketing", don't worry because you're probably already using the technique. As another way of saying "word of mouth", viral marketing refers to the systematic, planned approach to spreading information from person to person. With the costs of products and services on the rise today, and the unstable economy, it may seem that shrinking back on marketing your business is the answer to finding the balance. However, we'd like to suggest a few viral marketing strategies before you decide to make any marketing cutbacks. 1)      Target a Defined Audience- The best way to determine the ...