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5 Ways to Use Vine To Grow Your Business

May 31, 2013 by Rosemary

By Marcela De Vivo

When it comes to social media, Vine is a relatively new tool, and many business owners aren’t even using it yet. If you’re already familiar with Vine, you’ve got a leg up on the competition.

However, just because you know about Vine doesn’t mean you know how to use it the right way.

Vine can be an incredible tool for helping you grow your business, but you have to know how to make and share videos that are effective.

Follow these five simple tips for using Vine to grow your business. You’ll probably be surprised how quick and effective they really are.

Vine videos boost business

1. Use Tags In Your Videos

When you make videos to share on Vine, it’s important that you use tags just like you would when making and sharing images for Twitter and Instagram. Before you pick which tags to use, search for relevant tags to apply so that users can find your videos.

Adding tags to your videos doesn’t take long at all, and it can really increase the amount of views that you get, which can in turn increase the amount of visitors you get to your website.

2. Be Social

One important but often overlooked aspect of Vine is the social media aspect. Making videos you can share is great, but you also need to make friends, find and comment on videos and generally get a dialogue going with consumers and other businesses. Once you start engaging people on Vine, they’ll start following you back, which will help to create exposure for your content and business.

3. Work to Humanize Your Brand

For very large brands, using Vine is a quick and easy to way to create behind-the-scenes videos that can make your company seem less like a faceless entity and more like the passion project of a few successful individuals. Make videos that tell a story about where you work, who you work with and why your company is special.

Videos that humanize a brand are generally very successful, and they can work wonders for the public image of your company.

4. Integrate Customers

If your business routinely interacts with its customers, putting some of them on film and then sharing those videos is a great way to build your brand. Of course, you’ll need to ask your customers ahead of time, but many will be happy to participate.

You can also announce a video contest for your customers, allowing them to share videos about using one of your products or your service. If you do this, make sure you include a prize for the best video to really entice people.

5. Have Fun With It

Not all of the videos that you create for Vine need to be totally focused on your business.

Creating humorous videos that you can share with humor sites is a great way to get huge numbers of visitors, which will certainly help attract new customers to your site. Your video might even go viral, which is always a good thing.

Vine is a unique tool that you need to start using in your business. It may not seem like six seconds is enough time to really say anything about your company, but you’ll be surprised how much Vine can really do for you if you embrace it.

Have you tried making a Vine yet?

Author’s Bio: Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from Los Angeles. Her background is in online marketing and in specializes in a variety of topics, from social networking, search marketing, web hosting and content development.

Filed Under: Marketing /Sales / Social Media Tagged With: bc, Content, social, tools, video

WordPress Plug-Ins to Make Your Website More User Friendly

March 6, 2013 by Rosemary

By Danny DeMichele

If you have built your website on WordPress you are lucky. There are so many plugins available to make your website more productive and fun for the users you are attracting. What’s more is these plugins change the way you can interact with your customer base in a way that grows loyalty. You will quickly find that certain plugins will draw people back as well as attract new users.

Here are some plug-in ideas for you to sample:

Slider Revolution

This WordPress plugin helps bring your website to life. You are no longer stuck with the same intro sliders that everyone else has. Instead you can build a slider that makes sense for presenting your content. It is also easy to change so you can make your website new and dynamic daily.

Breadcrumbs

You want to use SEO and drive traffic to your site. Often the search engine then takes the user to the exact page showing no relationship to your home page or anything else you have to offer. Breadcrumbs helps the visitor navigate your page and clearly shows the relationship.

Subscribe to Comments

When users surf the web, they might leave behind a comment, but depending on their involvement may never return to the discussion. Subscribe to comments allows the person to know when the discussion continues and gets them more involved with your page. It also encourages them to leave comments because they can easily follow up.

WP Super Cache

No one comes to pages that take forever to load. While they might be patient the first time, it is frustrating when someone returns and it takes a long time again. Super Cache allows for lightning fast loading for your returning users and improves your return numbers.

CloudFlare

Everyone hates comment spam. CloudFlare allows you to see exact IP addresses of comments and you can then block the user at the source. No more tricking the system; instead you have ultimate control over your WordPress site.

Akismet

Another spam filter, this one does not require you do anything. It filters all sorts of spam on an autopilot mode 24 hours a day. You can go through the items that have been filtered if you like. It is not quite as good at shutting down things at the IP level, but it can get spam removed more quickly.

Facebook Comments for WordPress

The world is username- and password-inundated and most people don’t have the patience to create new logins. This plugin allows them to use their Facebook account to leave comments. It gives them a way to follow through and it helps you navigate back to the person.

ShareThis

Using 50 different social networking sites, people can share your page via their preferred outlet. This helps you make the forum more open for all users and keeps you from having to run a million plugins. This is probably the most universal of all the ways to share content.

AJAX Contact Forms

The right contact form can help you build the best mailing list. People want a form that is easy to use and AJAX has provided just that. You can choose what data is required and it will utilize the auto-fill-in options for people who have saved their data. This saves them time and makes it more likely they will fill out your form. You can even use the direct Twitter messaging system to instantly confirm their note, making you timely, helping to stick in the user’s memory.

Whatever plugins you put on your WordPress page, you will want to follow how they affect traffic. A great analytics app will not only help you do this, but help you decide which plugins are the very best for your website. It is all about being flexible and WordPress plugins can help you make the right impression.

Author’s Bio: Danny DeMichele has been building and managing online businesses for the past 14 years. He recently sold his search engine marketing agency, eVisibility.com, to LSF Network, Inc., a top 20 private digital agency in the U.S. Danny is currently the CEO of Incubate.com, a digital marketing agency specializing in all things web.

Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: bc, blog comments, plug-ins, tools, WordPress

How to Boost Blog Visits: Make Your Blog into a Mobile App

March 1, 2013 by Rosemary

By Natalie Bracco

Just because you know how to write an interesting blog that gets visitors to come back time and time again doesn’t necessarily mean that you know how to make your blog accessible to people who access online content through mobile devices. Without a tech background, it might seem impossible to turn a blog into a mobile app. Luckily, with the right tools, even a newbie can make blogs mobile-friendly and reach even more readers.

Make Your Own App with Conduit Mobile

Conduit Mobile

Creating your own app might sound intimidating, but you don’t need a degree in computer programming to make one that puts your blog into the hands of people using mobile devices.

A free tool called Conduit Mobile will do most of the work for you. Conduit Mobile takes content directly from your blog and makes it easy for mobile phones to access. You can even add YouTube videos, RSS feeds, and other social media to stay connected with your readers. Conduit Mobile is currently free for all users.

Go Mobile with GoMobi

GoMobi

GoMobi is similar to Conduit Mobile, but it’s slightly different in that it creates a .mobi domain for your site’s registrar. With GoMobi, you can quickly add your content to a mobile app that lets readers view your pictures, videos, and words. If you can upload images to your website, then you can use GoMobi. GoMobi even adds a link that will take visitors to your full website, allowing them to peruse all of the content that you have available. To use GoMobi, you have to purchase it from one of the product’s authorized dealers, such as eNom or DigiWeb. Typically it will cost about $7.50 per month.

Easy Integration with Uppsite

Uppsite

Uppsite claims that it can take your Web content mobile within two minutes. Its designers created it specifically it to work with popular publishing platforms like WordPress and Twitter, so you can integrate them into your mobile site easily without any technical knowledge. Uppsite also lets you add advertising to your mobile site without bogging down your content with ugly images. That could easily help you make more money. Uppsite comes in three plans to choose from: Basic, Premium, and Deluxe. The cheapest plan costs $9.99.

Use a Plug-in to Reach Mobile Readers

MobilePress

If you already use WordPress for your blog on your website, then you can add plug-ins that will instantly make content readable on smartphones. The basic version of WPtouch makes your WordPress content available without slowing down your website. If you want to maintain the look of your current site and access additional features, then you might need to upgrade to WPtouch Pro, which comes in at $39 per site.

MobilePress is another plug-in that makes your WordPress content easier to see and use on a mobile device. It, and several other plug-ins like it, is totally free.

Mobile devices are quickly becoming the most popular way for people to access online content. What steps have you taken to make sure all the people out there have a good experience when they visit your site?

Author’s Bio: Natalie Bracco writes about technology and blogging, especially on devices like LG cell phones. She also writes about finance and lifestyle. You can follow her on Twitter @NatalieBracco.

Resources

  • http://lifehacker.com/5809888/how-to-make-a-blog-or-site-into-a-mobile-app-without-programming-knowledge
  • http://www.bravenewcode.com/product/wptouch-pro/
  • http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/
  • http://gomobi.info/take-a-tour/

Filed Under: Tools Tagged With: bc, mobile, plug-in, tools

3 Killer Collaboration Tools

February 21, 2013 by Rosemary

Great collaboration is about sharing, accessibility, and trust. As more and more people are telecommuting and working with remote teams, it can be tricky trying to coordinate tasks and stay connected.

Today’s tip includes three of my favorite remote collaboration tools that I use every single day.

Flow by MetaLabs

Flow app

You know how, when you’re doing something you love, time just slips away unnoticed? They call that the state of flow, and this app is appropriately named. It’s available as a web interface as well as an iPhone app, and it keeps the whole team together.

I get notifications when someone posts to a Flow task, it kills the whole chain-of-emails torture, and everything syncs up nicely. It’s so easy and fast, I have been able to provide input on an urgent Flow task while standing in line at Disneyland.

HipChat by Atlassian

HipChat

When you’re working in the same office, you can yell through the wall when you have quick questions (or if you want to talk about the latest Survivor episode). HipChat gives you the same immediacy, with public and private text chat rooms, notifications, and file sharing. It’s totally cross-platform on mobile, and available as a web client or desktop app.

Picture this scenario…you are on the phone with a client and they ask a question you can’t answer. You pop into HipChat, and get the answer from another member of your team, without skipping a beat. You look like a genius.

Google+ Hangouts

Google+ Hangout

Sometimes text just isn’t enough. If you really want to build strong team relationships, there’s no substitute for face-to-face. Google+ Hangouts are a wonderful solution for remote teams to share project information and — hangout. They are so simple to set up and use that there’s no excuse for not trying it yet. How else are you going to bust that colleague you suspect is working in their pajamas?

How do you collaborate with remote colleagues? Share your favorite tools in the comments.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Filed Under: P2020, teamwork Tagged With: bc, collaborate, collaboration, Productivity, team, telecommute, tools

What Every Small Business Needs In Their Toolkit

May 11, 2012 by Liz

The Lifeblood of American Economy

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Statistics provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration organization indicate that small businesses in the U.S. make up a staggering 99.7% of all employer firms. The almost 30 million companies of this size provide employment to half of all private sector employees, generating 44% of the total U.S. private payroll in the process. With statistics like these, it’s clear why small businesses are said to be the lifeblood of the American economy.

Despite their contributions to the economy, the sad truth is that a high percentage of small businesses will fail in the first five years of trading, if not the first. Industry professionals have long since speculated on the reasons why this happens with suggestions like insufficient capital, poor credit arrangements and unexpected growth commonplace. If you are just starting out, you’ll be keen to ensure that your venture doesn’t become a statistic. Let’s take a look at three tools the small business owner can call upon to bolster chances of success.

1. Social Networking

A social media presence is of utmost importance to business. A third of respondents to a survey of SMB owners conducted by Zoomerang and GrowBizMedia plan to use social media as a primary means of attracting new customers in 2012. Business Insider puts that figure at more like 75%. Whichever statistic you think is closer to the truth, there’s no getting away from the fact that 98% of the U.S. online audience use social networking. That’s a considerable audience for any small business owner. If you’re wondering where to start, consider these:

Facebook is undoubtedly the leader of the social network pack. With a user base that is rapidly approaching one billion members worldwide, it represents an excellent place to start your venture into social networking for business. It’s free to join and the new Timeline style pages make it easier than ever for businesses to connect directly to customers. Once a user likes your page, any content you post will appear directly in their newsfeed, where they are between 40 and 150 times more likely to consume your targeted branded content.

LinkedIn boasts over 50 million members in the U.S alone. A social networking platform aimed at promoting networks and connections, it is an excellent resource for business. The site also represents an excellent opportunity to find new talent. The Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2011 found that 94% who recruit through social networking have successfully hired via the LinkedIn platform. It’s an interesting and viable alternative to using costly recruitment agencies.

Twitter should also be considered. Don’t be put off by the 140 character limit of tweets. Think of it as an opportunity to show your creative side. Blackbox Social Media reports that 67% of people on Twitter follow a brand in comparison to just over 50% on Facebook. If nothing else, Twitter represents a chance for you to promote your business by linking to your other more detailed content.

Cyberlawcentre image: Licensed under Creative Commons for commercial reuse.

2. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing essentially refers to services such as office applications that are delivered over the Internet. In a report commissioned in February 2012, Microsoft reported that a quarter of companies with between two and ten employees are currently using paid cloud services. This figure is expected to triple to 76% within the next three years.

Cloud computing presents a number of attractive benefits to small businesses:

  1. Cost savings on business applications: traditional technology applications and platforms can be costly and complicated for small businesses to adopt and maintain. With cloud computing, there is no need to allocate capital to expenditure to business applications. Services such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps are sold on demand, typically by user. Prices do vary but a few dollars per user per month are typical. Google Apps affords organizations with less than ten users with access to their services for free.
  2. Cost savings on IT infrastructure: the very concept of cloud services mean that business is conducted in the cloud. There is no need for the small business owner to invest in costly dedicated servers, since all of your data will be stored securely on the cloud network. The removal of the need to store employee email in-house can alone represent significant savings in terms of disk storage space on a server.
  3. Collaboration: data stored using this technology remains in the cloud. All of your employees access the same documents and have visibility of any changes immediately. This can significantly reduce mistakes brought about by outdated information and, in turn, improve the service you are able to offer to your customers.

3. Professional Membership

Last, but by no means least, comes membership to a professional organization aimed at helping small business weather the economic climate and succeed. In the U.S. there are many of these organizations so it’s worth devoting some time into researching which of them are best suited to your business. The following organizations are worth checking out.

– U.S. Small Business Administration (http://www.sba.gov)

– National Small Business Association (http://www.nsba.biz/)

– U.S. Chamber of Commerce (http://www.uschamber.com/)

– U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (http://usasbe.org/)

– National Association for the Self-Employed (http://www.nase.org/BenefitsHome.aspx)

– Small Business Benefit Association (http://www.sbba.com/)

– America’s Best Companies (http://www.americasbestcompanies.com/)

Adopting these various tools may not serve as a guarantee that your small business will succeed, but they will certainly go a long way towards helping you avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

—-
Author’s Bio:
Linda Forshaw is a Business Information Systems graduate from Liverpool in the United Kingdom. She is a full-time writer and published author who writes for several sites including Degree Jungle (http://www.degreejungle.com/rankings/best-online-colleges) specializes in social media, technology and entrepreneurship. You can find her on Twitter @seelindaplay

Thank you, Linda!

You’re irresistible!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

Filed Under: Business Life, Successful Blog, Tools Tagged With: bc, LinkedIn, Small Business Tools, toolkit, tools

Cool Tool Review: Proxlet – Your Rescue for Twitterchats

April 8, 2011 by Guest Author

A Guest Post by Leo Widrich

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Last Sunday was my first time to participate in #blogchat a weekly held Twitterchat and boy was it an amazing experience conversing with @lizstrauss and @mackcollier. It boasts great personalities each week helping you to answer any Social Media and blogging related questions.

For long I was quite reluctant to join in Twitterchats as I felt I would overwhelm my followers for the time the chat was going on with my tweets.

Fortunately I finally found a solution I can offer, since staying away from this massive amount of great insights at #blogchat is definitely not an option.

It is a nifty Twitter App called Proxlet.

proxlet

What does Proxlet do?

Facebook has a very useful “Hide this post” option integrated. Proxlet gives you this exact same thing, only for Twitter.

Using proxlet, you can temporarily hide certain things on Twitter which clutter your timeline or aren’t currently the core thing of your interest.

How to best use it?

Proxlet fortunately takes the “hide this” feature a step further and allows you to explain in a very detailed manner which area of tweets you want to block.

  • You can block Apps you don’t want to show up in your Timeline. For example am using it for both foursquare and paper.li since I feel they don’t add enough value.
  • You can also stop certain individual users temporarily, for example because they are at a conference and you are not really interested in their tweets at that point.
  • Another way to make use of Proxlet is to block certain hashtags from showing up in your timeline.

What is the best part of Proxlet?

The best part of proxlet is that it works not only at twitter.com, but can also be used for your favourite Twitter clients such as Twitter for Iphone, Tweetdeck and others.

Someone approached me that he couldn’t take the load of my #blogchat tweets and Proxlet turned out to be a superb solution for both of us. He could continue following me, yet was freed of those unwanted tweets in a short space of time.

What are your thoughts on Proxlet (http://proxlet.com) ? Have you had a similar problem yourself before too? Please let me know below.

Leo Widrich writes Tips for Twitter on his blog. You can visit his website, Bufferapp, or find him on Twitter as @leowid.

_________

Thanks, Leo, for checking out proxlet for us!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

Filed Under: Business Life, Content, Successful Blog, Tools, Trends Tagged With: bc, Leo Widrich, LinkedIn, tools, Twitter

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