Network Solutions – Small business conversations and working together for small business success

Hosting providers like Network Solutions can help consolidate your marketing

During a Microsoft event earlier this month, I had the chance to speak with someone involved in strategic and technology development and one of the questions that was discussed was how would small businesses be able to take advantage of multiple tools online to help control their marketing efforts. What exactly do I mean? Take [...]

Do You Practice Safe New Media Etiquette?

During the most recent NewComm Forum in San Francisco, I had a chance to speak with the Society for New Communications Research Executive Director, Jennifer McClure about something she’s given some presentations about: new media etiquette. Many of us may think that it’s pretty simple to jump in on the latest and greatest craze of [...]

Marketing Your Business On A Shoestring Budget…

In my previous post ‘Get Your Hand Off Your Wallet And Your Head Out Of Your…*’, Terry Upton asked in her comment “What if you don’t have any money at all? What would you say to those people trying to get there business off the ground?”

Well fear not Terry, and all you trying to have your business take flight, this post is for you.

Learning to speak a blogger’s language

One of the best ways to get word spread about your product or company is through other people. In the world of the web, the conversation that is spread typically happens through a blog. But it’s much more than simply pitching out your press release to the bloggers themselves. Long gone are the days when [...]

Sell it to the Curmudgeon

One of the first times that I heard the Social Media Swami of Network Solutions, Shashi Bellamkonda, speak, he was talking about how to use social media and how to have management buy into it. It was a pretty detailed discussion and there were some questions that the audience had on how to creatively go [...]

It’s Not Information Overload When You Can Control It.

One of the most common issues surrounding social media these days is trouble we’re having getting our message across through the noise. Everyone is online using sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr or even participating in various social programs like bookmarking, blogging, etc.
So just how can we break through it all and help avoid what [...]

A Tale of Two Conferences

Over the past couple of months, I have been to several conferences, but never have I’ve been to two at the same time. But while you might think it would involve a bunch of running around and conflicting agendas, you might be surprised to know that these two conferences were very similar in nature and [...]

How To Win Customer Loyalty for Your Local Business

It generally costs eight to ten times more to acquire new customers than to keep your existing customers. Needless to say, any business, no matter what size or location, must have a customer retention program. If you run a local business, don’t think that you can skip this because you don’t have a fancy CRM [...]

Turning to the Internet for success during a recession – Part 3 – Online Advertising

As with all typical marketing programs, companies feel that they must advertise in every medium in order to get the word out about their product. With the Internet, this is all done through online advertising. What exactly is online advertising? Well you have your typical Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and banner [...]

Get Your Hand Off Your Wallet And Your Head Out Of Your…

Let me be very honest, starting a business costs money.  Starting a successful business…still costs money.  Getting the marketing pieces and materials you’ll need to do the bare minimum to promote your business effectively…will cost money.
Does spending a lot of money guarantee you are going to be successful?  No, but spending it smartly does help.  [...]