Top 3 Signs It’s Time to Raise Your Game
May 12, 2011 - Posted by Julie Ann
Did you know it’s possible to be playing SMALL …and not even realize it? Amazing – but it’s happening A LOT … and in some subtle (and NOT so subtle) ways … It’s a fact that: * Far too many are yielding to a temptation (yes, let’s face it – out of fear) to PLAY SMALL…”hunkering down,” “treading water,” “pulling back for a while,” or even “waiting this out” (how’s that working so far?) … And, as management expert Tom Peters says:“You can’t SHRINK your way to GREATNESS.” * Far too many others are “aiming too low” – toiling away at the level of mere TACTICS … chasing the next “shiny object” or tech toy … or even on the latest “hot” business model or “blueprint” … (Often jumping from one, to the next, to the next – with little to no results to show … and feeling increasingly more… read more
Why you must start with a WELL-ENGAGING, WELL-CONVERTING WEBSITE – Part 1 of 2
April 26, 2011 - Posted by Stephanie Cross
So many times, we have clients who want to jump into social media, which is great because social media marketing definitely works. BUT…there are a few components you have to have in place before diving in head first. The very FIRST PRIORITY and MOST IMPORTANT TOOL in your toolbox when marketing online is your website. Just “having” a website is not good enough. You must have a well-engaging, well-converting website. You have to remember that when it all boils down to it, one of the main reasons we market on various online networks is to DRIVE TRAFFIC TO OUR WEBSITE. So it is imperative that when people get there, that the site engages them to convert in some form or fashion. We don’t want all of our efforts in driving people to our website to result in them just hitting the back button. What good does that do? Let’s first… read more
Part 1: Five Things Your Hospital Should Be Doing To Engage In Social Media
April 20, 2011 - Posted by Anna Woodlock
[Note: This is the first part in a four-part series about the potential that social media holds for physicians and health care professionals.] The concept of hospitals engaging in social media is fairly new. Institutions like The Mayo Clinic and Children’s Hospital of Boston are using social media to make connections with patients, parents and the community. If you’re a healthcare organization and looking to jump into the mix, we’ve got a few tips for you to get the ball rolling! 1. Create an online identity. This first step seems logical but the data shows that many hospitals have yet to do this. Establishing an online identity by creating profiles on various social networking sites still scares away many hospital administrators. There are currently 5,975 hospitals in the United States according to the American Hospital Association (AHA). Ed Bennet’s blog “Found In Cache” states that only 906 of these hospitals… read more
Guest Post: Phil Simon on Cloud Computing
January 25, 2011 - Posted by Shama Kabani
In mid-2010, I started writing The New Small. I wasn’t sure about where my journey would take me, but I knew two things: I wanted to profile a wide range of technologies. I didn’t want to profile a bunch of tech companies. I was able to kill two birds with one stone when I came across a very progressive law firm based in Minnesota: Skjold-Barthel. The firm threw all of its data and apps into the cloud after some IT issues caused a number of problems, not the least of which was lost revenue. Brass tacks: the firm had to decide if it was in the law business or the IT business. It decided on the former and moved away from handling its on traditional IT needs. A cloud provider now handles that. In this post, Ben Skjold, the firm’s president, discusses the benefits and challenges of embracing cloud computing…. read more
How to Market a Resort or Vacation Destination Online
January 12, 2011 - Posted by Shama Kabani
The travel industry has perhaps the greatest potential to grow and market online. Sadly, most hotels and resorts treat online marketing very much like they do traditional marketing – they setup a brochure website, and then forget about it. To truly engage an audience and sell more rooms, you need to look at web marketing as a living, breathing, entity. These online marketing tips don’t apply to local motels which would be best served by billboards and local marketing. Instead, I want to focus on true vacation destination hotels and resorts. Places people research and book in advance. Get the Basics Right – I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. No amount of marketing will make up for a poor product or service. If the rooms are dirty or checking in is a hassle, don’t expect marketing to make up for it. Of all the things people… read more
Brand Reputation Management: How to Clean Up An Online Crisis
October 25, 2010 - Posted by Shama Kabani
By: Shama I was recently asked by an AllBusiness.com reporter to comment on how a business can deal with a social media crisis. Here is the full article on How to Clean up a Social Media Crisis. I also wanted to share my original responses. Much of this is based on online reputation management services we provide for clients. How important is it for business owners to learn how to manage customer complaints on social media? It is absolutely crucial that small business owners learn when and how to manage customer service issues on social media. As consumers, we are giving new meaning to the phrase “I want it my way.” In an era of instant happy meals and books delivered to your device faster than you can blink, our expectations as consumers have gone up. On the flip side, as business owners we have to meet that demand. Your… read more
Get Shama's Book Before You Can Buy It
February 9, 2010 - Posted by Shama Kabani
Social Business Boot Camp is a full day of social media marketing learning including popular social media speaker Shama Kabani, HubSpot’s Rick Burnes, Couch Surfing Ori, and others.
11 Ways to Rock a Conference
October 21, 2009 - Posted by Shama Kabani
At this point, I have attended tons of conferences – and spoken at well over a dozen just this past year. After coming back from the fabulous Blog World Expo in Las Vegas, I thought it was time to share some of my tips for making the most of a conference. 1) Stay Hydrated – Seems simple – but I can’t tell you how easy it is to forget when you are running around. Carry a bottle of water with you at all times. It can be so easy to lose your energy by the end of the day. Stay hydrated, and you will thank yourself when everyone else is falling apart. 2) Hire a Private Driver – If it sounds like an extravagance, it’s not. Private drivers are often more reliable and charge less than taxis. Thanks to my good friend, Sarah Robinson, we found an excellent driver named… read more
Facebook Launches “Like” Feature for All Ads
September 23, 2009 - Posted by Shama Kabani
Beginning this September, Facebook will be including a “Like” feature alongside ads on their website. This functionality will allow users to actively rate the different ads that they see, and judge whether specific ads are likeable or not. This “Like” feature is quite similar to the “Like” feature enabled for other components in Facebook. To make ad-browsing more efficient and user-friendly, Facebook will be adding an “X” on every ad. One tap on the “X” closes the current advertisement and initiates the emergence of the next ad in the chain. Either you “Like” it, or you don’t The “Like” system is actually a boon for individuals who are growing weary of giving thumbs-up and thumbs-down ratings for materials they encounter on the Net. If you click “Like”, the system recognizes the rating and records it. If you don’t like an ad and you decide to just close the ad, you… read more
Small Businesses Fly Free – A Cool Grant by British Airways
September 16, 2009 - Posted by Shama Kabani
Okay guys, I hate to do two sponsored posts in a row – but this one is too good for me not to share! I love it when in a tough economy, big businesses decide to help small businesses. British Airways is doing something just like that! They are offering a Business Opportunity Grant that will help 100 small businesses fly around the world to see their clients, attract new ones, and just do more business in general! And, while I am a huge fan of online marketing (of course), even I sometimes wish I could just go visit my clients and sit down over a cup of coffee with them. You don’t have to British to enter. = ) If you are a US company with a valid federal ID and less than 500 employees, you can enter. If you are an authorized employee, you can also enter. Can… read more