Rich Drees says, “With so many online sharing platforms available today and the rising costs of producing great content, it is essential to track your traffic to see which methods are getting the most results for your campaign. Tracking this gives you data to make informed decisions about which channels to focus your marketing efforts on, based on traffic and user engagement. For brands and business that use YouTube’s open platform, getting enough traction for your video marketing efforts can now be done through the use of UTM parameters. What are UTM parameters? UTM (Urchin Traffic Monitors)... [...]

Scott Gerber says, “Small businesses may not have a big budget for marketing, but the need for building email lists, tracking online visibility and sharing engaging content across social media channels is hugely important for increasing brand awareness and growing the company. Luckily, there are countless tools and apps that make marketing easy, and they don’t have to cost a penny. Social media sites like Snapchat and YouTube are well known by consumers and provide a free platform for sharing your company culture. Tools like SEMrush and Google Analytics track brand visibility and website... [...]

Anand Srinivasan says, “Every business owner goes through a phase of uncertainty during the launch of their first business. One question that bothers almost all of us is how you should price your product or service. Depending on your industry, you are likely to have competitors who have been in business for decades. Why should any customer pick you over a business that has already built decades of trust? You may be tempted to compete on price instead. But then, given the globalized world we live in, you are very certain to encounter competitors who sell their products at prices that are... [...]

Michael G. Keating says, “Social media can be a beast to tackle. You need to find a strategy that works, constantly source content, engage with your audience, respond to comments, and then tie in a soft, sweet sell somewhere in-between. Even international brands with entire teams dedicated to social media struggle, so don’t feel bad if your small business is, too. Here are some of the common mistakes small businesses make with their social media marketing, and what might be hindering your success. 1. Trying to be too social. Have you ever come across a brand’s Twitter page only to discover... [...]

Sharen Rose says, “You’re a small business owner who provides a valuable service. Perhaps you’re a personal trainer, life coach, or financial planner. If I asked you why people seek out your services, you might say they’re looking to lose weight, get on a better career track, or get help with devising a savings plan they can stick with. But in reality, those are just means to an end. When a client hires you, there’s usually an underlying emotional driver—perhaps they want to feel attractive again after a divorce, gain more self-confidence to ask for a promotion at work, or build... [...]

Kristen Gramigna says, “Which types of payment your business should accept isn’t about jumping on the hottest tech trends, or sticking to the system that’s easiest for you as a business owner. Selecting the right payment tools for your business requires that you know how your customers want to pay, so you’re equipped with all the tools you need to meet their expectations and remain competitive with the market. Here’s a look at how different demographics prefer to pay. Generation Z Gen Z-ers (who were born between 1996 and 2010) are in their late teens and early 20s now, but they’ll... [...]

Michael G. Keating says, “It’s safe to assume you’ve heard the buzz around Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and you’re thinking about incorporating them into your site. You may also have noticed a lightning bolt symbol and the word AMP next to all of the Google results that show up when you Google search on your mobile device. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, AMP is an open-source technology that Google has developed that will allow you to make pages on your site load faster when users access them on a mobile device. This is made possible by leveraging... [...]

Keegan Green says, “You can improve your brand, your number of followers, your followers engagement and ultimately your business as a whole by following a few simple rules. Here’s how to spice up your social media game. 1. Use Emojis in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Posts Emoticons, which are more widely called emojis, can almost entirely replace a typed conversation with expressive faces and fun pictures. With more than 1,000 different emojis, the combinations are endless. Across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, these little icons enhance the way a message comes across to the... [...]

Nate Kristy says, “For any company, regardless of size and category, an integral part of the sales cycle is the ability to understand where your prospects are in their buying journey – that is, how likely they are to making a purchase. One effective method for ranking your prospects based on likelihood to purchase is “lead scoring.” Lead scoring is likely something you’re already doing, at least informally, without even knowing it. How do you prioritize which leads to respond to first? Which to follow up with? Which get a certain promotion or message? At the fundamental level, the... [...]

Samantha Anderson says, “Search engine optimization (SEO) has been the buzzword of inbound lead generation for the past few years. SEO enables you to reach relevant leads and guide them to your Website. However, it is a mistake to focus your efforts on just SEO. SEO is unable to be the lead generating strategy, it must work in concert with other techniques to create sales and build a business. Many small business owners get trapped into the lead generation cycle and fail to build bridges to convert those leads into sales. Never forget the purpose of SEO lead generation, to find you, potential... [...]