Tracking Your Brand? Check Out These Online Reviews Monitoring and Management Tools

On November 22nd, 2011, wrote:

Last week we published a guide on how to monitor Google Places reviews, Web updates, and content changes. It was well-received by our readers, so we’d like to build on the post and share info this time on tools for online reviews monitoring and management. Hopefully, this list will help you track online reviews of your brand, product, establishment, service, or business – and enhance your reputation as more customers talk about you on Google Places, Yelp, online directories, local business listings, and social media sites. Or, if you’ve used any of the online reputation management tools below, do let us know by leaving a comment below and sharing with us your experience. ReviewPush Texas-based ReviewPush markets itself as an “online review management tool for small to large businesses”. It offers a dashboard for monitoring / tracking reviews, protecting your brand and reputation, engaging with customers, and enhancing product offerings and promotions (such as coupons). ReviewPush features include: Continuous social – Read the full article

Canned Craziness – The Strangest Soft Drink Ads Ever

On November 21st, 2011, wrote:

Quirky, peculiar and sometimes downright outrageous, soft drink advertisements have often courted controversy due to a trend towards off-the- wall campaigns. Shock tactics and unconventional subject matter are all part and parcel of reeling in the much-sought-after youth market. We take a closer look at some of the weird and wonderful soft drink TV ads that have brightened up our screens over the years, including the good, the bad, and the out-and-out freakish. Tango Tomfoolery Tango Advert – Scotsman (1994)Video Credit Ever since the Nineties, Tango ads have been characterised by their deliberate wackiness. The whimsy originated from the first ‘You Know When You’ve Been Tango’d’ ad, which showed a Tango-drinker being slapped around the face by a little round orange man, accompanied by a mock-commentary from pseudo sports-pundits. The ad came up against complaints due to an unfortunate playground copycat craze, so the ad was altered to replace the contentious slap with an extravagant kiss. Over time, the ads – Read the full article

Personal Branding vs. Professional Branding—Is There Still a Difference?

On November 14th, 2011, wrote:

Thanks to our good friends over at the social media networks, individuals can create personal brands better than ever. Though you may not know it, your actions on social media accounts give the public a certain image of you. This is probably most true for those who are very fluent in social media—continually connecting and commenting with others on the web who enjoy similar websites and articles. However, a personal brand works just like anything else in life: having one can be very beneficial; not having one can be damaging, and vice versa. A good way to think about a personal brand is like a resume. In a sense, a resume is a document that explains why you are one way and not another—you’re good at math because you studied it in college; you’re a loyal employee because you stay at your jobs for over one year, etc. In other words, creating a personal brand through social media is becoming – Read the full article

Why Starting a Company Website Means More than Attracting Visitors

On October 17th, 2011, wrote:

You saw the money tree analogy coming—after all, money is usually the end goal of a startup company. This got me to thinking about the many ways a company can try to yield a profit. I found that people are constantly discussing the importance of content on a company website, but what people are not constantly discussing is the idea that this content does not always equal revenue. I will admit that I frequent many company websites simply to read their blog, yet I have no intention of ever buying their product. The point is, you first want to drive traffic to your webpage, but you cannot stop there. There are many things you can do to make sure that when people are visiting your website, they are tempted to buy. Consider a few of the things your startup company can do to make sure you are attracting the right kinds of visitors and keeping them interested: How to Bring – Read the full article

62 Simple & Elegant WordPress Themes

On September 29th, 2011, wrote:

We believe that there is a WordPress theme for everyone, no matter if you’re using the platform as a tool for managing your creative portfolio, your personal blog, your e-Commerce site, your online magazine, or your business / corporate website. Today we have handpicked a bunch of WordPress themes, with a variety that’s wide enough to meet your needs. (You’ll even find that there are themes here for mobile users – of smartphones, iPads, and other tablets and devices.) They do, however, stand out for a common quality: it’s a list of 52 easy-to-use, elegant, and simple WordPress themes. Yes, usability is the name of the game this time around, and we hope you’ll be able to find the theme that’ll make your WordPress experience a breeze. Love this post? Found a favorite? Don’t hesitate to let us know by leaving a comment below. And do feel free to spread the love by tweeting the list, sharing it on Facebook, – Read the full article

What’s the Difference Between a Mobile Website and a Mobile App?

On September 14th, 2011, wrote:

What’s the difference between a Mobile Website and a Mobile App? A good marketing strategy ensures your business is represented on the media your customers use. Since people are increasingly interacting with mobile devices such as smartphones, you should consider if a mobile website or a mobile app would be an asset to your business. So why do mobile users need special treatment? Smaller monitors and touch screens mean that presentation and data entry for traditional computers may seem awkward and cumbersome to a mobile user. Furthermore, mobile devices have hardware such as a camera, GPS, and compass that offer more opportunities if software can effectively use them. There are two approaches for designing content for mobile devices: creating a mobile website and creating a mobile app. Mobile Website A mobile website is generally cheaper to build since you can use the content management system (CMS) of your main website. You can develop a mobile theme for your site to – Read the full article

On September 13th, 2011, wrote:

What’s the difference between a Mobile Website and a Mobile App? A good marketing strategy ensures your business is represented on the media your customers use. Since people are increasingly interacting with mobile devices such as smartphones, you should consider if a mobile website or a mobile app would be an asset to your business. So why do mobile users need special treatment? Smaller monitors and touch screens mean that presentation and data entry for traditional computers may seem awkward and cumbersome to a mobile user. Furthermore, mobile devices have hardware such as a camera, GPS, and compass that offer more opportunities if software can effectively use them. There are two approaches for designing content for mobile devices: creating a mobile website and creating a mobile app. Mobile Website A mobile website is generally cheaper to build since you can use the content management system (CMS) of your main website. You can develop a mobile theme for your site to – Read the full article

5 Great Ways to Kill an Online Marketing Campaign

On September 8th, 2011, wrote:

So, you’ve got a valued product or service, a clean, professional website with a strong domain name, and you’re ready to launch an online marketing campaign. Well, get in line because every day millions of business owners are doing the same. Thanks to the Internet, the old analogy of the little fish in the big pond no longer holds water. Today it’s more about a tiny grain of sand on a very large beach. But don’t get discouraged because when it comes to online marketing, most business owners are doing it badly. And being that all great business owners learn from the mistakes of others, here are 5 surefire ways to kill an online marketing campaign which should be avoided at all costs. 1. Start with a muddled marketing message: You know who you are and what you do. That’s why you started your business, because you recognized needs and realized that you could effectively meet them. The challenge is – Read the full article