Seeing the Future 5 Years Ago

As we move into 2012, it's interesting to look back in history at an event that was astonishing at the time and clearly prophetic.

The controversial event occurred on December 13, 2006 when Time magazine announced their annual choice for "Person of the Year."  Can you recall who it was? Most of you will not.

"You" were chosen in 2006, as Time magazine's Person of the Year. Time recognized the millions of people who contribute user-generated social media content to Wikipedia, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, and the multitudes of other websites featuring user contribution. If "You" were chosen today we would have to consider the contributions to countless new social network sites including such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Content Is The Key To Effective Blogs

Content Is The Key To Effective Blogs

If you are contemplating writing a blog for your business there is one factor that is paramount above all others. The content of your blog will determine how effective it is, ultimately, for your company. The blog you write about your company is going to become, at least to some extent, the company's face to your blog's audience. You need to grab the attention of readers and hold on to it. Relevant, compelling content, that is useful to the readers of the blog, will keep them coming back for more.

Your blog must be search engine friendly as well. The use of keywords is very important. If you present information that is relevant to your company's industry the keywords will be there. To make sure check https://adwords.google.com 

A Social Media Pep Talk for the Small Business Owner

Utilizing social media marketing is the way to go if you're a small business on a limited budget. There is no better way to reach thousands of amenable customers and prospects without spending a nickel on advertising.

Here are some quick pointers to get you in the game:

First and most important, there's no cost and very little time is required to get it up and running. Social media is a cost-effective business strategy that quickly outperforms any of the traditional forms of display advertising. The effort is well worth the results if you take the initiative.

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the social media sites with the most traffic. To get the best results for your time, concentrate on these sites first. Your business will enjoy valuable exposure without overwhelming you. Implement all three at once or one at a time and monitor the results.