Social Media: Revolutionizing Business

Over the last 20 years, with the invention and popularization of the Internet, the traditional mediums that companies used to advertise, inform, and simply connect with their consumer base have change drastically.  In fact, the traditional organization of a business has also been revolutionized.  Now there are thousands of businesses that are run out of individual homes, forgoing the typical brick-and-mortar companies that were abundant before the Internet.  For example, my friend's neice just started her own business online at a site called etsy.com.  This brilliant idea for a website allows users to have their own “shop” wherein they are able to sell vintage and/or handmade items.  Because of this, potentially millions of stay-at-home moms, craft makers, and people with hobbies making things can actually make a profit doing the things they love to do—without leaving the house.

Social Media-Leveling the Playing Field:

Normally a business would have a marketing manager in charge of all of the advertising campaigns, launching an expensive, extensive, and very broad-reaching commercial crusade using many different mediums, resulting in a fraction of the people reached who actually respond to the ad.  For the people with “etsy” shops, all they have—and need—is social media.  With the developing of sites like MySpace, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Twitter, and many more, market outreach and advertising have been revolutionized.  Anybody can use these sites to any extent, to either benefit and/or hurt a business.  With the smaller, personal businesses, a seller relies completely on friends and contacts to spread the word about the shop.  For larger companies, it is much different.

Marketing Revolutionized:

To the companies that used to spend millions on marketing, social media could be considered a godsend.  Although they still have to maintain traditional marketing strategies to some degree, it isn't nearly as costly.  Using Facebook, for example, setting up an account is free, and everybody who “likes” the page will get the automatic updates the merchant sends.  This narrows the outreach to current customers and exposes the business to many potential new customers when their “friends” like that page as well.  This drastically decreases the seller’s Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) because it is completely free.  A seller can pay for additional ads that will specifically target people with similar likes and interests as the general customer base.

Marketing to Public Relations:

Aside from the marketing advantage, social media allows a company to connect more deeply with its customers.  This, unfortunately can be a double-edged sword.  Social media is just that: social.  If there is any type of scandal in a business, everyone with a Facebook or Twitter account can know about it within minutes.  The lightning speed of bad news can result in a PR nightmare—just ask Domino’s Pizza.  Because of this, you will need to be extra vigilant maintaining a good relationship with your customers, which can only help.

In addition to managing public relations, Facebook gives the seller a direct line to customers, getting fast, honest feedback about products or commercial campaigns, even including them through contests and giveaways.  Take Doritos for example. The biggest TV commercial event of the year happens on Super Bowl Sunday.  Companies plan very far in advance to make sure their commercials are funny and memorable.  Doritos was running out of ideas, so they did something ingenious: had their customers come up with ideas in a contest with not just prizes, but the ultimate prize: a spot in the Super Bowl commercial lineup.  This strategy has been extremely successful, probably more so that they had ever imagined.

Every business, from a cottage industry to a large corporation, must understand that social media is here to stay.  It can be one of the greatest vehicles for mass advertising the world has ever seen, and using it properly can be a great advantage to a business.

About the Author: Rick Delgado is a freelance writer who specializes in the latest social and technology trends. He is cur

How to increase business productivity on a tight budget

Practical tips to help make the most of your business even when faced with cutbacks or a tight budget. 

One of the biggest challenges facing small and medium businesses is how to manage growth when the market isn't working in your favour. 

At the end of the day, it's all about looking at your budget from a new angle and making smart decisions about the best way to use it - that way you can keep your business on track and stimulate growth even in a difficult economic climate. 

But how? Take a look at a few practical tips to maximise the potential of your business and stretch your budget as far as it can go… 

Trim the edges: 

When you're trying to stretch every last penny, looking for ways you can trim down on expenses can go a long way. You might be surprised at the money you could save by implementing a few simple changes. Areas to consider include:

Travel expenses - how much are your employees travelling, and is it absolutely necessary? For example, by implement a video chat or conference call policy for internal meetings you can save travel expenses and your employees can spend that time at home - helping achieve that important work-life balance. 

Office supplies - paper, toner and envelopes might seem innocuous but when every pound counts this is a good place to start as many companies find their supplies amount to excess expenses. Keep an inventory of everything you have and how often it's being used up. Encourage employees to donate any free promotional materials - pens, notepads, pencils - they might have received at a conference back into the supply cupboard. Finally, wait to purchase supplies in bulk or when there is a large sale on, that way you can pick up the essential items you need at a fraction of the cost you might have otherwise paid. 

Utility providers - The same way you want the best deal for your home, you should be looking for the best deals with your utility providers. It's unrealistic to think your office could run without electricity or the internet, but that doesn't mean you should give up on savings. Many providers offer bundle deals or will undercut competitors so it's worth spending some time to shop around and find reliable providers that will help you ease your monthly expense. 

Investing to save money :

This might seem counterintuitive but really it's all about increasing efficiencies across your business. Are you still using old systems that are doing more harm than good? Investing in new technology, a new training program, or HR tools can improve efficiency both by motivating employees and helping them get their work done - something that promises a far greater return on investment.  Areas to consider might be:

Health insurance - Right now, small business health insurance might not be on the top of your priority list, but maybe it should be. Keeping your employees fighting fit is a great way to cut down on those lost days due to illness, and can also help reduce the stress they might be feeling about medical bills.  With their health in check, they can focus on feeling their best and making the most of the days spent in the office. 

Technology - choosing the right technology can completely transform everything from the way you bill your clients to how you do business. Consider any areas of your business that might benefit from going digital - integrating technology will go a long way to aiding growth and providing accurate insights into exactly how and what your business is doing every step of the way.

How To Use SoLoMo To Improve Your Business

There’s a new phrase in town that encompasses all the popular platforms used by individuals to make buying decisions—SoLoMo. SoLoMo refers to the combination of social media, local commerce and mobile devices, all of which are highly used by consumers today when it comes to making purchases. So how can you use SoLoMo to improve your business?

Get on social media:

If you have yet to join a social media platform, it’s about time that you do. According to a 2012 Statistic Brain study, 56% of people in the world use at least one social network, which means that you’re missing out on a large audience if you don’t have a social presence yourself.
Consumers use social media for a variety of different reasons. They use it to learn more about companies and their products and services, and they also use it for customer service inquiries and to gain access to special promotions. Consumers also use social media to ask their virtual friends for advice or to leave their own experiences with certain companies for all to see.
If you really want to improve your business with SoLoMo, the first thing you need to do is get on social media and use it to engage your followers.

Worry about your local presence:

Customers are regularly using the Internet, social media and smartphone apps to locate local information. For example, consumers are likely to turn to Foursquare or Yelp to locate restaurants in their area when they’re hungry or turn to Google to find information on other local businesses. Because of this, you need to make sure that you are implementing a strong local commerce strategy.
Make sure that your company claims your business page on popular online review sites like Yelp, Foursquare and Google+ Local. Yelp and Foursquare have apps that make it easy for consumers to use on their smartphones, which can be beneficial to your SoLoMo efforts. You’ll also want to make sure that these pages, along with your website page, contains information on your location, such as your physical address or the areas you serve. This way, if a search is performed in your area, your business will be more likely to appear.

Invest in mobile opportunities:

The use of mobile as a marketing strategy is extremely popular. In order to get the most out of SoLoMo, you want to make sure that your mobile marketing efforts are strong. First and foremost, you want to make sure that your website is optimized for mobile. This way, customers using smartphones or tablets will be able to access your website while on the go. This way, if your site appears while they’re using these devices, they’ll be able to access information on your company. You’ll also want to make sure that you invest in a mobile marketing strategy, such as SMS marketing. Customers can opt-in to receive special texts from you that provide them with exclusive information or discounts for your company. You can also use geo-location tools to track nearby customers and send them promotions to get them to visit your business while in the area.
SoLoMo is a popular strategy for today’s businesses, and if you truly want to succeed and improve your business, this is how.


Jessica Brown is a reviews tracker and avid blogger.  She has recently been teaching others how to incorporate SoLoMo into a business' strategy.

The Best Skiing Destinations You Hadn't Considered

Fewer things are better than a skiing holiday for those who love the combination of fresh, outdoor air and a great adrenaline rush.
Of course, everyone knows the best places to head for a skiing holiday. The Alps of Switzerland and France, the Dolomites of Northern Italy, and sections of the Rocky Mountains in the United States are all excellent places to hit the piste and hurtle downhill at 70 miles per hour on skis or a snowboard.
What about the less-heralded destinations, that are just as good for skiing but don’t enjoy the publicity and press of the well-known resorts? We explored the best destinations for skiing that you didn’t already know about.

Australia:

Is this a joke? Are we suggesting that you take to the outback on skis? Does it snow over Ayers Rock?

Image Source

The answer to all of those questions is no. However, in the south east of the country you will find the Australian Alps, the only place on the Aussie mainland where it snows at all. To get an idea of just how much snowfall it enjoys, it is equivalent to that of Switzerland.

It figures then, that Australia is a great destination for a skiing break, despite its legendary status as a beach and city destination. The great thing about the Australian Alps is that they are easily accessible from most of the big cities, and particularly Sydney and Melbourne.Hire a relocation campervan and head into the Alps for a few days before checking out the things we traditionally associate with Australia.

Greece:

Another country that it is associated with sunshine and culture before skiing, but Greece is actually one of the better places to ski in Europe, especially if you want to avoid the busy centres in the middle of the continent.

We’d suggest heading to Mount Parnassos, which is not only a great ski resort but also home to a number of inspirational Greek ruins and monuments. In addition, there are many more resorts throughout Greece, some even close to the coast for those looking for an eclectic mix of snow and access to the beach.

Scotland:

Scotland doesn’t get anything like the love it should do from skiing enthusiasts, which is odd considering the natural beauty found throughout Scotland.

Whether it is a gentle cross-country ski across easy terrain or a trip down a steep peak, you can find them all in the Scottish Highlands.

Chile:

This South American nation is lacking attention as a holiday destination altogether, let along just for skiing. The best thing about skiing in Chile is that the major resorts are all within a short distance of the capital, Santiago. By day, hit the slopes and enjoy some of the best skiing ranges on the continent, while at night you have a vibrant, exciting city on your doorstep, a refreshing change from remote ski villages and towns, as nice as they can be sometimes.

Look further than the traditional popular ski sites should you be booking such a trip this year, and open your eyes to a more exciting and diverse holiday.

Rob is an online content writer with a specific interest in tourism. Rob writes about all aspects of tourism, including the growing use of relocation campervans for travel and unusual destinations for both summer and winter holidays.

Why Are Five Holiday Destinations Better Than One?

What does a traditional holiday look like?

For millions around the world, it means you get onto an aeroplane, head off to a destination, and stay in the same hotel for a week or two while occasionally having a walk around your location, trying out the local food, and enjoying a relaxing lounge around the beach and poolside.
Tourism trends are changing however, and people are looking for more from the trips that they take, especially as the challenging economy means that most of us are taking less holidays than we were a decade ago, for example.
One way in which people are getting more from their holidays is to take touring trips around various locations, rather than stay in a fixed destination at all times. We explored the reasons why five, six, seven, or even more holiday destinations is better than one.

Sense of Adventure:

If you head off on a ‘traditional’ holiday, the journey there is something of an exciting adventure, but afterwards, your holiday rep tells you about the resort, and the excitement tends to come to a swift end.
By embarking on a driving holiday, you are never really at your final destination, and when you reach one location you are driven by the urgency to see everything you want to before heading off on the next stage of your journey.
You also aren’t likely to get bored due to staying in one place for an extended period of time, but you must remember to bring along activities for passengers if you do choose to drive, particularly little ones who will be itching to ask “are we there yet?”

Different Cultures:

Even if you travel around one country, such as Australia, a ‘road trip’ style of holiday enables you to experience many different ways of life, different customs and traditions that will open your eyes to how different people live their lives.
A diverse trip where you meet a lot of new people and make friends is surely more exciting than one where you stay in the same place every day for two weeks.

Avoiding ‘Tourists’:

Although going on holiday makes you a tourist, let’s be honest, every holiday has a group of people that you simply cannot wait to get away from. You hope to that they will soon be leaving, until it is pointed out to you that they were on the same flight as you and have booked the exact same package as your family.
When you’re travelling around, you are never in one place long enough to get irritated by anyone, as you are taken in by the excitement of where you are and the places you may be headed to next.

Is It Worth It?:

If you are looking for a break that has much more depth than a traditional holiday, then a driving trip is definitely a great option. Whether you are driving across a vast country such as Australia or the United States, or across continental Europe, you are guaranteed an experience to remember.

Rob is a travel writer with a keen interest in tourism around Australia and new tourist trends that are being led by the need for campervan relocations across the whole country.

The Impact Of Branding For New Businesses

What is a brand?

Branding is all about perception and essentially tells a business’s story, provides differentiation from competition and essentially tells a back story.

A strong brand has the power to instil a sense of trust and meaning in people. The way a business has positioned itself in the eyes of a customer can become a point of consideration in buying decisions. For example people choose to buy Apple phones over Android because they like the way Apple has positioned itself as a brand, even when the Android phones have more features.

Someone may decide to spend $80 000 for a high-end luxury vehicle when they could spend $15 000 and get a car that fulfils that same function. But they spend the money on the luxury brand because they know this brand is seen as exclusive and they want to put forth the message that they have money.

Building brand awareness takes time and brands like Nike, Mercedes and BMW have built it up over many years. For new businesses, building and shaping a brand can be a challenging undertaking.

Here are some ways that new businesses can build and shape their brand in the minds of their customers:

1.) Professionalism. Always approach everything you do in business with professionalism, especially when your business isn't as well known and lacks resources larger firms have access to. This helps to instil trust in people

2.) Customer service. Always strive for excellent customer service, especially if your business is small. Going the extra mile when your customers don’t expect it will help set your business apart from competitors. If something goes wrong (it’s bound to happen at some stage) sort it out as quickly as possible and consider a complimentary gift/voucher as consolation for the inconvenience.

Follow up after the sale. Give the customer a call or drop them an email and find out if they're satisfied with the purchase and if there was anything that could have been done better. Customer experience and professionalism are make or break areas for all businesses, whether you're involved in corporate signage maintenance and design or running a small corner café.

Word of mouth is a powerful marketing medium and in a world where social media is a click away, it's easy for customers to say something (Good or bad) about your brand.

3.) Collaboration can be an effective way to raise brand awareness. The key to successful collaboration is finding a brand that complements, but not competes with yours. Some good examples of successful collaborations include Nike/iPod or Adidas/Star wars. As a start-up it may be challenging to find companies willing partner with you, but if you can pull it off your business will gain invaluable exposure.

The end game is finding out what your customers value and shaping your brand to be in-line with this.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 

This article was written by Michael James who is an avid cyclist, food lover, wine drinker and music fan. 

3 Simple Ways To Make Money Online

The internet is a wonderful thing and many people would struggle to live without it in the 21st century; not to mention all of the businesses that wouldn’t be able to trade without it. We tend to use the internet for a lot of things these days; for finding out information, to keep in contact with friends and family and sometimes just for entertainment but it can also be used to make a bit of money on the side.

I’m sure all of us would snap up the chance to earn a bit more money if we had it presented to us but I’m here to tell you it has been in front of your eyes all along. There are many ways to make money online but here are three of the simplest.

Writing Reviews –

There are plenty of sites online that will pay you to write reviews that will then be placed on their website. Every company wants their products to be reviewed positively as this will ultimately increase sales and you can take advantage of this by offering your skills. You don’t even need to be a particularly good writer either, just chose to review something that you are interested in and then let your passion take over.
You will earn money per review which can then be paid to you in the form of Amazon vouchers or a cheque if you accumulate enough. It doesn’t just stop at products either; there are many other things to be reviewed like hotels, shops and restaurants.

Blogging –

According to recent statistics, there are over 2 million blog posts written everyday which just goes to show the power that blogging online now has. When it first started blogging was just a way to write about your passions and hobbies and post it online but now it is much more than that and can be a viable way of making some extra cash.

If you build up enough of a following then companies will pay you big money to advertise on your blog because they know they will be reaching large audiences. You can also charge businesses a fee in order for you to write a blog post on your site that sponsors one of their products or services to help them spread the word.
Sponsored Tweeting –

Do you feel like you are a big deal on social media sites such as Twitter? Well why not start making a bit of money just for tweeting to your many followers. SponsoredTweets.com gives you the opportunity to state exactly how much you want to charge per tweet and what you want to tweet about. All you have to do then is sit and wait for companies to contact you to tweet on their behalf.

Businesses know that Twitter allows you to reach a wide and varied audience almost instantly and therefore they will be willing to pay to have someone promote them through this platform. The good news also is that you can control the final wording of the tweet so you don’t end up having to tweet anything that you don’t agree with.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 

Chris Mayhew works for internet marketing company Marketing By Web who do SEO in Bristol and has seen first hanmd how people can make money over the internet. He has experience in SEO, social media management and blogging which can all help you earn a significant income.

Benefits Of Facebook For Small Business Online

Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook has greatly changed the communication among individuals and even on the marketing side. As the number one social network site in the world, Facebook is steadfastly growing bunking on the ever-growing popularity of virtual communication that encompasses personal, business and corporative relationships.

While Facebook may have turned the world upside down and partly affected how people perceive the effectiveness of personal communication, these are also the factors that have made it the new "it" thing in marketing. And for some - albeit, debate for its potentiality and security - the new online shopping tool.

These are positive factors that can be taken as advantages for companies who want to step up customer relations and social market viability of their products on Facebook.

There are three advantages to the way Facebook has changed company-customer relations:

The Emerging Social Shopping Trends:

Social shopping is an emerging trend. People already use to do it. Women go shopping together or they gather around in coffee shops and talk about their latest finds and buys. They compare prices and check out shops that sell the most affordable products. Only today, this practice has gone social and many people are obviously caught up with this.While Facebook is not a social shopping network, its users are predominantly online people. They log in to Facebook to share their thoughts on the most mundane things. It includes their new gadgets or products and what store did they buy them. They share to their friends what they love about a particular store or what pissed them off. That's free advertising and indirect product recommendation.

And almost always, Facebook friends buy what their friends are buying.

Facebook as a Customer Support Tool:

Customers who like a particular product or company support always find them to like a product or company page. Some customers even use company or product Facebook pages to post inquiries, issues and problems.If a company is quick to reply, the customer friends and other followers will be able to see the efficiency and excellent support of the company.

The Social Network Attitude:

While review sites are still the most reliable sites for most consumers in belting out their complaints or impressive reviews, it cannot be discounted that Facebook users also post their concerns or opinions regarding certain products. If a company or a product has impressed a customer immensely, it's certain that the customer is going to rave about the product for days - complete with pictures and anecdotes regarding her latest finds, be it a new Kindle or Be Present Capri pants. The more social media presence there is for a company, the more it can access its customers and potential customers in the social media. Tapping millions of Facebook membership for product marketing and sales is not an easy feat, though. Company will need to use effective tools in order to catch the attention of Facebook users and direct them to particular products. But, the gains are worth exerting efforts for. Facebook users are the most potentially active online customers who spend great amount of time browsing the net, checking new products and trends. And if they're impressed enough, they spend for products online.

Featured images:

•  Image by My Blog Guest

Justin Hernandez. He is a owner of Zinzz Chat Network. Full time web entreprenuer and Social Media Blogger. Follow him at @JustinNY.

Sales Hacks- 5 Ways To Tidy Your Business For 2013

Sales Hacks- 5 ways to tidy your business for 2013

1. 1.       Spring Clean

Removing deadweight can lift your productivity, whether it’s old stock that won’t sell, antiquated sales techniques that no longer apply, or thinning out the sales line. Fewer but better always beats more yet shoddy. Doing something as basic as clearing your computer system of unnecessary items will naturally make you feel more efficient, simply by getting rid of clutter.

1. 2.       Be brave

Why not? Success in this game is only for those who move with the times and stay current. No one is saying gamble on a blind hunch, but by taking intuitive decisions to alter things in favour of a new approach, you can modernise without causing a catastrophe. Playing it safe is not the worst thing in the world, but it means you will never excel. If mediocre, run of the mill is your aim then no problem- but he who dares wins.

1. 3.       Square pegs in round holes

So we come to people management. Owning your own business and dealing with staff falls under the same category as a commission based sales rep dealing with customers. No one wants to be treated as a statistic. You don’t want to feel like the 100th person on a list, a chore to get through. Expecting your workforce to yield a standard output without considering individual factors will not benefit in the long run. A personalised approach takes more effort, granted, but the advantages are evident.

1. 4.       The Sales Robot

Why are you bombarding information upon the unsuspecting public? Droning out the same script of why this particular product will change their lives will leave you (and by association your product) jaded with no real results. Get out there and speak with people, not at them. Find out what it is they want and they will respond better than you telling them what they need.

1. 5.       The SACI Principle

SACI stands for Simple Actions, Consistently Implemented. Client relations are of course a big part of a business, but how often do you check back on existing customers to see if they’re still satisfied?  Do you have blogs, and if so are they published on a weekly basis?  These practises we all know about, but doing them is often a different story. You don’t have to move the earth to get better results, just look after the little things. Success is built on the back of many small achievements, not one huge one.

hannah Brankin has developped over years a whole set of management skills that has helped her kept her business in an efficient and productive way. She now writes about strategies in business development.

http://www.yourcarlog.com

Tips For Starting A Website

So you may have already decided to take the plunge and are looking on starting a website.  You already have your domain, web host, chosen platform, and all the other stuff you practically need to start it with.  Many try to create their own website, but only a percentage of those people succeed into making a solid mark in the industry.  How do they exactly do it?

Image source

First, you may have already had a blogging platform or tool to use.  Let’s say WordPress.  Now, when you install it on your site, it has its own default theme.  Don’t get the me wrong, the theme looks good somehow, but your site definitely must have its own uniqueness with the design.  So whether you hire a professional web designer or you do the designing yourself, it is a must to change your site’s design.  Make it more like you, or better yet be creative enough to let the design be related to what your website’s all about.  We don’t want cartoon characters in a blog about cars, would we?  

Next, you really have to remember to make time to focus on fixing your blog.  You personalize everything, add a logo maybe, complete articles to put up to it (you definitely would not want it blank), put tags, keywords and all that stuff.  It’s time consuming, I know.  But it would definitely be worth it.  Don’t you think successful bloggers and website owners also put their time and effort for their blogs to begin with?

Now after the design, there goes the plugins to be used.  You have to know what exactly your website will need.  There are themes with built-in plugins installed with them, but every single blog has its own necessity, and therefore its own variety of plugins.  Would your site be focusing with social media?  Then you have to add plugins related to that.

If you have hired a website professional to do the design for you, make sure he/she also can be contacted for any problems with your site.  Because anytime these things arise, your potential visitors may stop visiting you.  Also if you yourself have your own queries about your site, you should definitely be able to clear them up by going around forums and other sites to look for answers.  Let Google be your best friend.

Now everything is complete with your site, check everything if they’re in the right place.  Never miss a detail when doing this.  You should know what a visitor feels when he/she suddenly get bugged by something wrong with a website he/she’s visiting, of course, the initial reaction would be – bye! 

Now let’s go to the serious part.  You definitely want to keep the visitors coming back.  You have to have unique articles people will enjoy reading.  You have to be creative but still right on your topic.  You should already have few things in mind while doing this website, or else you would have a beautiful site, with nothing in it.

If there are also things you cannot fully comprehend about your site just yet, either do not do it yet.  Let the first few days of your launch be a smooth ride.  And once everything goes into its place, do the complex stuff you left behind.

What I’ve listed above are just some tips though.  Every single blogger all started their own website from scratch, and though each and every successful one created their own journey, they only have one common thing – focus.  So get focused, and you’ll have your website in no time. 

This was a guest post written by BlogSetupGuide.com - How To Start A Blog.  There is a plethera of information on starting your own website on my website.