5 things you can do for your business to start the new year

December 31, 2010

Forget the best-of-what-happened-in-2010 lists and top trends to watch in 2011. I’m tired of remembering and forecasting. Let’s focus on five steps to take now to grow your business.Happy New Year 2011

Yes, 4 of these 5 tips are actions to do online. They are things you can do. Now. With little or no cost, except your time. So, here’s how to kick start the new year:

1. Tell people you exist. Otherwise, they won’t find you.

There are lots of ways to accomplish this with websites, blogs and social media but my must-haves include Google Profile for individuals and Google Places for your business; and the Local Listings Center on Yahoo and also on Bing. Read the rest of this entry »

Comments Off on 5 things you can do for your business to start the new year | Business, Customers, Events, Facebook, Google, Linkedin, Listen, Maps, Search Rank, Social Media, You Tube | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek

Use web video to introduce yourself, show off your business to attract customers

October 14, 2009

Video is for national brands with budgets big enough to buy network television time. Right?

Jeff Zaret videoWell, sure, but it’s also for your local business. It’s affordable and a compelling way to introduce yourself and your business to customers online. Companies like Schmidt Heating and Cooling in Cincinnati smartly use video on its web site and in its Yellow Pages advertising as a virtual way to shake hands and say hello. Minuteman Press of Lebanon (Ohio) created a television commercial and also posted a version on Google Video to quickly demonstrate all of its services and equipment. The Cincinnati Museum Center announced winners of contest with video on its Facebook Fan Page. And Jeff Zaret, VP of sales at National Processing Solutions in Centerville, Ohio, shares tips not about his company’s credit card processing but instead about ways to improve your customer service. He posted a series of three videos on YouTube.

Each of these approaches is different but they have this in common — their image and sound quality is professional. These are good-looking videos that send a clear message about each of the businesses. So I asked a pro how businesses can get this quality and how they should consider using video to connect with customers. Here’s what Mike Cornett, owner of Visual Media Concepts in Dayton, had to say: Read the rest of this entry »

4 Comments | Business, Facebook, Social Media, Video, You Tube | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek

Where to begin

March 20, 2009

Your daughter or son say it’s creepy that you want to be their Facebook friend. Don’t believe them. People over 25 now dominate the most-popular social networking site.

You should use Facebook for your business.

Same for Twitter, Linkedin, You Tube, Flicker and any of the dozens of other social media available on the Web and in mobile versions.

Why? That’s where your customers are, and that’s where the people and companies you want as new customers will be found.

What’s social media and why should you spend time on it?

Traditional media, including newspapers, TV, magazines along with advertising and public relations, broadcast information one way. They tell readers and viewers what the sender wants them to see and hear. Social media are the new, fast-growing homes for conversations in which networks of people share their ideas, questions, interests and knowledge. They’re talking about your business, or looking for the goods and services you sell.

What you need to know

These digital tools are not just for kids. Starbucks, Ford Motor Co., the American Red Cross, MSNBC and the Obama for President campaign successfully use social media to listen, engage and influence their audiences. We will help you learn how to do it, too.

Comments Off on Where to begin | Business, Facebook, Linkedin, Social Media, Twitter, You Tube | Permalink
Posted by Chris Celek

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