It’s quite entertaining to track the number of Website visitors and celebrate increases in traffic. While number of visits and page views are important, they aren’t the end objectives. Ultimately, you want those visitors to answer your call to action, whether that be purchase, subscribe, download, or contact you. For this reason, it’s critical to […]

As small business owners, managers, and marketers one of the issues we must confront each holiday season is whether or not to give price discounts as part of your planned marketing programs. The uncertainty can seem enormous. How much should the discount be? When should you run it? In what situations should it apply? Will […]

When updating your marketing plan, do you imagine the future and take into account how your business environment will change? Throw the current environment out the door, predict what will happen to turn your industry on its head, and plan for that? Perhaps too few of us take that approach. Most (including yours truly) tend […]

If you had any doubts about the power (or swiftness) of social media, think again. Over the last several days, Johnson & Johnson has felt the downside of this power. Through social media such as Twitter (#MotrinMoms) and YouTube — and blogs across the Internet — moms rebelled at a commercial many saw as patronizing. […]

Used correctly, I believe commenting on blogs (and leaving a Website link) is a good strategy. Signature links — or links to content supporting or expanding on a point — help the reader learn more about you or find more information and are good strategy. Links plastered on a forum or blog along with a […]

Writing and distributing articles can be a high-ROI activity (thanks, Chris Knight, for that post), but the potential marketing uses do not stop there. Any place you use the written word represents an opportunity to “recycle” that content. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing: – Convert part of an article […]

Over the years, I have noticed that different people interpret the term “Internet Marketing” (or the related “Web marketing” and “Website marketing”) differently. There is nothing inherently wrong with multiple definitions, but it can cause logistical and communication-based confusion when working with vendors or consultants. Wikipedia defines Internet marketing as I do: Interchangeable with similar […]

Apparently I’m ready to take the plunge. I’ve signed onto Twitterfeed and TWhirl. Now “all” I have to do is get over my introversion and be more social!

When I first heard about Twitter — the place where you use only 140 characters to tell people what you are doing right now — my first reaction was “huh?!” Sounded like one of those mysterious high school text-messagey things to me. Lo and behold, there are actually many uses for this micro-communication tool and […]