how-to-build-a-pr-strategy

Back to Basics #20: How to Build a PR Strategy as a Local Business

  An important part of running your small business is to make sure that you have a strong PR strategy in place. PR stands for public relations, and it is an integral part of defining your target market and reaching them in a positive and effective manner. It’s impossible nowadays to run a business and a marketing campaign without considering your …

Internet Local ListingsBack to Basics #20: How to Build a PR Strategy as a Local Business
customer-survey

Should You Ask Your Customers to Take a Survey?

  It seems almost everywhere you go now, there’s someone asking you to take a survey. Go to a store, and there’s a request to take an online survey on the receipt. Visit a website, and there’s a pop-up asking you to take a survey after you finish your shopping. Call about a bill, and sure enough, you’ll be asked …

Internet Local ListingsShould You Ask Your Customers to Take a Survey?
digital-marketing-for-the-holidays

Back to Basics #19: Digital Marketing for the Holidays

Ahh, you knew something like this was coming up soon. It’s October, which means that autumn decorations have been on the shelves since the 4th of July clearance rack cleared out (for Americans, anyway). Soon, you’ll see Thanksgiving decorations, and then come the December holidays—it’s all going to be Christmas and Hanukkah themes until it’s almost 2015. And let’s not …

Internet Local ListingsBack to Basics #19: Digital Marketing for the Holidays
company-reviews

Is It Unethical to Purchase Reviews and Endorsements?

If you’ve ever wondered where to grab dinner, which doctor to choose, or which stores carry the best kind of artisan bookends, you’ve probably done a Google search. And, depending on which results show up, you’ll see that there are at least a few local businesses with stars next to their names—the stars representing ratings and reviews. In the past, …

Internet Local ListingsIs It Unethical to Purchase Reviews and Endorsements?
scheduling-updates

Back to Basics #18: When Should You Automate Updates?

We’ve talked before about how you can take a load off your shoulders by scheduling your social media and blog updates. But, as with any automated services, there’s a point where you need to draw the line. Your followers and fans don’t want to interact with a robot, after all—they’re there because they enjoy what YOU have to offer. So …

Internet Local ListingsBack to Basics #18: When Should You Automate Updates?
google-panda-update

Today There Was a Google Panda Update, but Don’t Panic Just Yet

Multiple sources have confirmed that Google has rolled out a new update for its “Panda” search algorithm, including Google’s own Pierre Far, who wrote on his Google+ page that the change will continue to be rolled out over the next few days: “Earlier this week, we started a slow rollout of an improved Panda algorithm, and we expect to have …

Internet Local ListingsToday There Was a Google Panda Update, but Don’t Panic Just Yet
keywords-for-small-businesses

Back to Basics #17: How to Choose Keywords for a Small Business

In our Back to Basics series, we’ve talked about blogging, content marketing, updating social media, managing your public image, and even how to manage your time by using tools to help speed up your posting and sharing. But this isn’t all you need to be doing to make sure that people are finding your business! Another important part of keeping …

Internet Local ListingsBack to Basics #17: How to Choose Keywords for a Small Business
5-ideas-for-your-marketing-strategy

Back to Basics #16: 5 Ideas for Your Marketing Strategy

In our Back to Basics series, we’ve covered a wide range of topics, from the basics of SEO to implementing a few reliable social media strategies. But what if you’re looking for more ideas for your digital marketing strategy? What if you want to go above and beyond social media marketing? In this post, we’ll give you five great ways …

Internet Local ListingsBack to Basics #16: 5 Ideas for Your Marketing Strategy
Be-awesome-today

How to Stay Motivated When You’re Feeling Discouraged

Photo courtesy of Jessismoreblog.com We’ve all been there: You’ve been working hard and trying to remain positive. You’ve been diligently maintaining your blog or vigilantly replying to customer reviews and encouraging engagement on social media. But growth has been slow. And one day, you wake up, and it hits you: You’re tired. You’re frustrated. You’re completely discouraged and don’t know …

Internet Local ListingsHow to Stay Motivated When You’re Feeling Discouraged
7-helpful-social-media-management-tools

7 Helpful Social Media Management Tools for Small Businesses

When you own your own business, it is time-consuming enough to try to manage all of your daily tasks—but you know you have to get them done if you want to be successful. You probably also know that nowadays, you have to be on social media if you want to bring in new business. But what if you simply don’t …

Internet Local Listings7 Helpful Social Media Management Tools for Small Businesses