Business and Financial News

The first impressions are in.  The overwhelming consensus is that Google+, the new social network and Facebook competitor is gaining traction and has the potential to be relevant in social networking on the web.  In fact, these last few weeks have seen many updates and innovations from Google which are for the most part being well received. 

Some of the Recent Innovations Since the Launch

First off, before I list the many innovations, it should be noted that in order to use Google+, you still need to be invited.  In addition, even with an invite, sometimes Google+ reaches capacity and puts an invited person on hold until more users are allowed to join.

The Google + Button:

Just as Facebook has its Like button, so too does Google.  The Google+ button is easy to add to any website or webpage.  You can find the code at this link:  http://www.google.com/webmasters/+1/button/

Google+ for Both Android Phones and iPhones:

For those that are mobile and want an easy way to keep connected on the go, Google now offers both for a free download- the Google+ app for Android phones and the iPhone.  Both are fully functional and have received good marks from reputable tech sites on the web.  It’s easy to download the apps by utilizing your smartphone’s app market.

Stream Customization and Huddle Permission:

Along with new products being introduced, Google also is actively fixing some bugs and adding customization such as stream customization and Huddle permission.  Stream customization makes it easy to only receive streaming updates from those in your circle you want.  This added customization makes it easy to turn down the information-noise, either on your computer or phone, and only receive info from those that matter the most.  In addition, Huddle invites, which can occur from those you least like to chat with, have now changed.  You can now modify the permissions for who you want to huddle with – resulting in fewer interruptions and less annoyances.  More information at:  http://www.waleg.com/techgadgets/archives/023858.html

Google TalkBack Chat Badge:

Would you like to engage the visitors of your website or blog more easily?  Google Talk- their Skype-like application available to all on Google Plus, now lets visitors from your website/blog chat with you easily.  Obviously, you will need to be signed in to use this feature and there are many ways to customize it.  Simply visit the following link for more information: www.google.com/talk/service/badge/New

Google News Badge:  

In the US, Google News now offers a badge which you can earn by reading articles from Google News.  You can start with a Bronze badge and move through silver, gold, platinum and ultimate.  Google is touting it as a way to build authority on specific topics by showing others in your network that you have read a set amount of articles in a specific topic. www.googlesystem.blogs

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Idea Cafe had the opportunity to talk to Justin Premick, Director of Education Marketing at AWeber, who was happy to share with us his insight on email marketing for small businesses. Enjoy!

1.  Would you tell us a few words about yourself? How long have you been involved in the email marketing field?

I’ve been with AWeber since 2004. I

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I have to admit, that viewing webpages today’s means viewing a whole bunch of buttons everywhere. I see a button for Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Linkedin , etc.  While I understand that many web developers are more than happy to add these button to help spread their content, many more take adding buttons with a grain of salt.  So that now that Google +1 has created their own “Facebook Like” button, should web developers, SEO, and SEM professionals start adding it to their site? T

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One of the most important social media decisions that needs to be made is who will be the voice that represents the company and brand.

A big part of online promotion is creating content that can be shared.  This includes email newsletters, article submissions, press release distribution, and blog post writing.  Social media is a great place to share this high quality content once it has been created.  Social media is important for numerous reasons.  It helps to build a brand and improves SEO.  Businesses are realizing that it’s not just a fad and that it’s time to get involved, if they haven’t already.  One of the most important decisions that needs to be made is who will be the social media voice that represents the company and brand.

The first thing that needs to be decided is whether the voice should be a brand or a person.  Should the Twitter profile that’s promoted for business use be “CompanyX” or “JaneDoe” .  This usually depends on the company.  If it’s a product based company, it might be easier and more acceptable to use the brand name.  If it’s a service based company, it’s more about forming relationships and establishing trust with an actual person.  Certain situations, especially in the service industry, need that personality.  People like to put a face with the company name. 

Once you’ve decided that the voice should be represented by a person at the company, the next step is to determine who that person should be.  Depending on the company, the right person differs, but it could be anyone including the owner, President, CEO, or VP of Marketing.  This decision is extremely important because the brand will be built in this person’s name.  You need to think about whether or not this person will still be working at the company in 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years.  If the brand is built in their name, and then they leave, they take all of that brand equity along with them and it’s like starting all over again.  The name needs to be consistent across all marketing channels including all business and social profiles.  One of the possible dangers of using a person is that the personal and professional sometimes blend together.  If an account is being used for business reasons, the content needs to remain professional at all times. 

It’s also important to consider if more than one person should represent the brand.  For a small business, only one person should be the voice of the company.  If there are too many people it’s not consistent and could lead to confusion.  Seeing one name promotes brand recognition.  People see the name over and over and get who that person is representing.  The brand behind the name is less recognizable as more names are used.  For a large corporation that has numerous divisions, it is more appropriate to have multiple people representing the brand because they can represent the various divisions or products lines.  In this case, using only one name will cause too much clutter since the information isn’t relevant to everyone. 

Determining the social media voice is the first step in establishing and building a presence in the social media space.  This is a decision that will affect major online marketing initiatives, so it needs to be made wisely. 

Internet stands out for its speed and effectiveness. As online marketers we have to synchronize with this speed and deliver effective marketing content in the least amount of time and gain maximum mileage. Of course, we should run on a long-term-plan track, but sometimes quickness is needed to achieve business growth spurts. Let’s take a look at how this can be done effectively.

Having a detailed plan

Having a detailed online marketing plan with clear objectives and goals is a great way to start. This keeps things tight and also avoids deviations which marketers may easily fall for in the course of execution, consuming more time. Working within a detailed framework helps to keep it directed towards the goals and also helps in decision making when encountered with multiple marketing options or deviations.

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It is important

Marketing your business is not a one-time event. Rather, it is an ongoing process that you execute repeatedly to present your solutions to those that are already looking for them. To do this easily and effectively, you need a plan to follow each day, each week and each month in order to create visibility and attract a steady stream of leads. This plan should include specific marketing strategies that will allow you to position yourself as a problem solver for your target market.

There are a LOT of marketing techniques to choose from. So it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer number of marketing methods. But as a solo service professional, your time is extremely valuable . Thus, it’s important to select the few marketing methods that A) make sense for your business and B) are not only effective, but that can be done consistently.

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