The Blog - Where Business Collides with Human Nature

Today’s small business owners all share a common goal: to get more for their dollar and find the best strategies for small business marketing.  A newer app in the marketing world is Snapchat.  This app is much more than a simple photo and video sharing app. Since its debut in 2011, it primary use has been for fun, but Snapchat is evolving into a marketing tool that has a lot to offer businesses. Marketers who strive to find an out-of-the-box way to reach their target audience, especially those with a younger demographic, are especially seeing the benefits of using the app.  It’s the marketing wave of the future – 77 percent of college students are using Snapchat to send 400 million messages daily.

There’s nothing like owning your own business. You get to set the rules; and have the freedom to create new concepts and ideas that are potential world-changes. With all of the work that goes into entrepreneurship, you may be overlooking something else important you’re in control of: your health. Bad health habits are prevalent among type-A personalities because they’re always on the go. You want to get the most out of life, and that is part of your natural drive to success. In order to continue the journey, it’s important to recognize some of the top red flags that indicate your health may be at risk.   

If you are an SEO expert, you have to crack the books and test online marketing theories daily. The world of getting found via search engine optimization continues to evolve as search software gets smarter.  Will Google truly have a power to read the heart and mind of someone searching?  If so, will an SEO expert be able to know exactly the right button to push at exactly the right time? (Not likely)

If you are an entrepreneur, you see and hear the hype from a distance about SEO this, social media that.  You pause for a month to take care of business and when you come back to review the news, it has all changed. There are new widgets, new methods and the old ways are "dead". Who can you trust when the system and tools change more frequently than you change your socks?

"I won't be manipulated" is the mindset of search engine companies and they have low tolerance for those attempting to game the system.  

And now... 

The latest dialogue about search engine optimization (SEO) sounds more like days of old before the Internet.  In fact as you listen to the SEO experts now, you may recognize the similarity in language Jay Conrad Levinson used in his books about Guerrilla Marketing.

Regardless, 51% of web traffic is said to to come specifically from search. People need or want something special and they Google/Bing for the answer. Experts, brush up and think forward. Entrepreneurs, get your head out of the sand.  

You like to talk and while you have writer's block, you never seem to have talking block.  You think like lightning and words are always available.  The alternatives to talking are slow in comparison and include writing, typing, sign language, and morse code.  You look at a keyboard and say "no thanks" (But the smart phone looks very appealing.)

Since the average human hand-writes at 31 words per minute for memorized text and 22 words per minute while copying, writing is out of the question.  Much too slow. 

An average professional typist types usually in speeds of 50 to 80 wpm, while some positions can require 80 to 95 and some advanced typists work at speeds above 120 wpm. 

Website design has become more important and it has also become much more complicated. In the 1990s, an innovative business owner could figure out how to make a basic website and customers would be happy.  It was simpler then.

A lot has changed. The idea that a business owner can run a company and manage an effective website at the same time is unrealistic.  This is also why so many companies have turned to professionals to help them meet their performance goals with growing business with the Internet.

Many business owners are unaware of the difference between PR agencies and Marketing agencies. There are a number of similarities between the two, and they are usually at their best when combined as part of a wider overall strategy. Many people think it’s a case of choosing one or the other, but this couldn’t be further from the truth, they both have their benefits and can be used individually or as a pair. One of the reasons why the two are often mixed up is because PR is so misunderstood.

Don't talk to sales people, they are the devil.  If you act like a sales person, people will think you are the devil.  Labeling people is detrimental to good relationships.  It is a bit like saying "all blondes are dumb" or "all accountants are boring".  If you label people, you are the devil.

Sales people can seem like the devil.  So can entrepreneurs who are too focused, marketing strategists who don't connect well, working mothers who are over their head or someone who is having chronic health issues.

Small businesses often begin with just a few family members or even as a solo venture.  Hiring strangers to take on integral roles and represent your business can be scary – but the economy is on the upswing and a recent survey even tells us that more than seven-in-ten businesses plan to grow their business over the next six months. So many businesses are finding themselves in the position of needing more employees.  As you contemplate how to hire a web designer or prepare to bring on an SEO specialist, consider these tips:

What will it take to get a yes?  Not just a nod of the head, but action in the form of an introduction.

What it takes has been referred to as an ethical bribe, bait, an offer, a bargain, something free and by many other names.  I like to think of it as something valuable that will have high impact and make their day.  You can do it online, in a radio spot, by phone or on the TV.  The reason the Internet is a great option is because of the cost and convenience.

If you have any to all of the offers on the list below, you increase your chances of getting an introduction.

Sunshine can't be bought but you will see sunshine sold every month of the year.  Sunshine can't be touched but can be felt as a warm glow or a burning heat.  The lack of sunshine is instantly recognized and potentially perceived as a burden.