Nov
04
2010

Social Media for Search Engine Optimization

TelescopeIf you mention the word “SEO” to most business people, their ears will perk up.  Everyone is concerned about how well their website performs on search engines and are even willing to pay mucho bucks to show up on the first page (but for what keywords?). A more cost effective method is to use social media to boost your SEO, which, if done properly, can also improve your reputation with customers and potential buyers as well.
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Nov
03
2010

Review: Real-time Social Media Monitoring with Social Mention

Keeping up on what’s being said about a company or brand can be difficult with so many different channels. It’s even more challenging when people expect real-time responses via social media to problems and issues. A lack of response when there’s a problem can be more harmful than the problem. Social Mention makes it easy to monitor, not only what’s being said, but also who is saying and what the general sentiment is towards the company or brand.
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Nov
01
2010

Girls in Tech Detroit

Tech Girls unite! Metro Detroit women who work in any tech-related industry now have a local organization tailored specifically to them. I’m excited to be a part of Girls in Tech (GIT) Detroit, a social network focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of like-minded, professional, intelligent and influential women in technology. Our first initiative is Laptops for Ladies, a charity laptop drive during the holidays to support the technology needs of women who are under-served.
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Oct
29
2010

Build a Social Network and Do Amazing Things

Electric SphereSo let’s say that you’ve put the time and effort into building a social network online and off. Other than knowing more people, and possibly getting a bit more business, can you do any amazing things by knowing more people? YES! Here are three examples from the Detroit area of people who were able (or are doing) amazing things because of the social network they’ve built. Hopefully you’ll get inspired to try some new things too!

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Oct
28
2010

6 Consequences of NOT Using Social Media

Groundlings Spooky Groombridge 107I’ve heard from a lot of business owners who are interested in using social media, but when it comes down to actually doing it, they complain about the time and/or money involved. Yet these same people will make time for other things they deem crucial — networking, advertising, etc. Finding the time or hiring someone else to help with social media isn’t an issue if you think it’s important enough. But, there are consequences to not using social media:
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Oct
27
2010

Networking on Steroids

angiePretty much anyone will agree that networking is important, whether or not you’re in business for yourself.  Most of us will put networking events on our calendars and make an effort to attend, at least occasionally. If we agree that networking is important, why then are we so hesitant to connect with these same people online? One of the best ways to have conversations online is to connect with people you’ve already met offline.
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Oct
26
2010

Blogging in a Vacuum

Empty Theatre (almost)I had a meeting with a client yesterday who was getting very discouraged because he hadn’t yet received any comments on his blog. His discouragement meant that he wasn’t blogging as often as he should because he wasn’t seeing the value in it. Unfortunately, this sporadic blogging can lead to a downward spiral which will lead to a self-fulfilling failure. While blogging at first can feel like you’re talking to yourself, patience and dedication almost always pay off.
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Oct
25
2010

14 Basic Blog Measurements

Once you’ve started blogging, you want to know how you’re doing, especially if you haven’t had much interaction (yet). Starting to blog can be frustrating since there’s not much feedback right away. Like other marketing efforts, blogging will be more successful if you measure results to see what’s working (and what’s not).  Here are 14 basic blog measurements to help you get an idea of how your blog is doing… Most of these statistics are available in Google Analytics.
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Oct
22
2010

Building Relationships by Commenting

Best Friends Are HuggableCommenting on blogs, posts, videos, and others types of content is a great way to build relationships, not only with the content producers, but also others who see the content. However, treating comments as link bait (commenting just to get people to click on your link), can have just the opposite effect.  Such comments can actually hurt you in the long run (plus most blogs and websites have do-not-follow rules for links in comments). Build successful relationships via comments with these tactics…
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Oct
20
2010

4 Simple Ways to Generate Blog Topics

Lightning, Morro BayFiguring out what to write can be a major roadblock for any writer. Add the stresses of running a business on top of trying to write and blogging can seem unsurmountable. Just by listening and doing a little research, you can find a treasure trove of blogging topics. Here are some ways to brainstorm topics for your blog…
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