Great Ways to Use Twitter for Small Business

Here are some links to some great ways to use Twitter for your small business....

Email Marketing Options

The following are a few recommended email marketing companies that I suggest for building an email mailing list and sending periodic email blasts and newsletters to your past and potential client lists. iContact – Using email marketing to directly connect you with your customers has been simplified. Sign up for an account today – empower your businesses’ online communication...

How to Build Facebooks Fans

John Haydon had a great idea on his blog for building Facebook Fans by offering Fan-Only content.    Check out his article link below to learn how to do it… How To Create An Incentive For Visitors To Fan Your Facebook...

GoMyLocal.com

Here’s another local directory/social media site that you can add your business to for free.  GoMyLocal.com directory listings are a free and easy way to get more exposure online for your business or store front.  Visit the site and see if your business is listed, if not click on “Add a Listing” and fill out a short form with details about your business.  Even if you have a...

Present a Professional Image

It’s been said that a photo is worth a thousand words.  With such a competitive marketplace especially for visitor and tourism related businesses, it’s very important to project a professional image with high-quality, professional photography of your business. As a website developer I look forward to projects where the client has invested in professional photography, because not only...

Encourage Reviews on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a free travel guide website that allows users to post opinions and reviews of travel related issues.  TripAdvisor-branded sites alone make up the most popular and largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million unique monthly visitors, 15 million+ members, and more than 30 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded...

Small Business Web Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

I’m moving over some content from my website and found this gem of an article from David Wallace.  It’s a few years old but the advice and suggestions for small businesses on a shoestring budget (who isn’t these days?) is still great. Increase the Visibility of Your Small Business Website on a Shoestring...

Claim Your Google Maps Listing

Here’s a free way to get some great local exposure for your small business on Google – claim your Google Maps listing. Watch the video on how to Claim Your Google Maps Listing. To determine which categories to use for your Google Maps listing, go...

Promoting Your Facebook Page

I’ve posted a bunch of posts on the topic of Facebook and how to create a page for your small business.  Now here’s some resources for promoting your Facebook page outside of Facebook, like on your blog or website or other social media sites.  Click on the link below to see Facebooks’ guidelines for promoting your FB page and to find FB images and  a FB badge to be used on...

It’s Not All About You…

When writing copy for your website, it’s NOT all about you. Karon Thackston is one of my favorite experts in the web copywriting  field and her article “Writing TO Your Customers—Not AT Them” was featured on Jill Whalen’s High Rankings newsletter recently.  Karon offers a few examples of copy that is business-focused and then shows how the copy can be modified to be...

Building a Business Presence on Facebook

If you have a business or a store front and haven’t taken advantage of Facebook yet, you might want to add that to your list of things to do before the year is out.  To read my earlier post on building a Facebook profile and business page, click here. You’ll need a personal Facebook profile to be able to build a Facebook business/store page.  Once your Facebook page is created you...

Can’t Afford a Website?

So you can’t afford a professional website?  Don’t worry, there’s still plenty that you can do to spread the word online about your business.  The following suggestions are for free online services designed to help you promote your business whether you have a website or not....

Flippin’ Easy – Flip Video

I recently purchased a Flip Video camera from Costco for about $200.  The High Definition video camera fits in the palm of my hand and comes with a small tripod.  It has a built-in USB port that flips open to connect to my laptop for downloading and editting video clips.  The video editting software that comes with the camera is super easy to use and it offers the ability to add multiple clips...

More On-line Invitation Options…

Awhile back I wrote about an online invitation service from Evite.com.  I wanted to share another on-line invitation and event management company called Pingg.  They have a large showcase of artists and a wider variety of stylish invites to choose from.  Pingg is also free and you can post your announcements directly to Facebook and Twitter,...

Ideas for Promoting Your Website Offline…

I enjoyed this article by by Stoney deGeyter and thought you might enjoy it too.  After reading it you might be inspired with a great idea or two on how to get more people to visit and link to your website… How to Engage Online Marketing in an Offline...

Spiffy Up Your Craig’s List Posting

A client asked me recently how some postings on  Craig’s List look so much better than others.  He had noticed brochure-type postings and wanted the same format for his listings. So I did a little research and here’s what I found….   Postlets.com offers a free service to create attractive brochure-type listings for real estate and vacation rental properties.  The listings...

Invest in Your Online Success

I enjoyed this article by Stoney deGeyter about re-thinking our mindset when it comes to investing in web marketing.    When your online marketing strategy is looked at as such – “marketing” and not simply as an IT or computer expense and is looked at as a long-term investment, you are setting yourself up for success. Investing Online is an Investment to Your...

The Findability Formula by Heather Lutze

Just finished a great book for anyone venturing into the world of Pay Per Click advertising.  The Findability Formula by Heather Lutze is an easy read and not too technical but very helpful in understanding and navigating the Pay Per Click arena. You’ll find a step by step guide in determining your targeted keywords, writing ad copy and creating landing pages for your Pay Per Click...

Stunning Images to Promote Your Hawaii Business

Just a reminder for those of you who are members of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, they offer a large image bank of beautiful images of Kauai (and all the other Hawaiian islands for that matter) to help its members promote Hawaii tourism businesses.  The photos may be downloaded without cost from their online image library. We all know that photos sell, so if your website is need of some updated...

Q&A: What to do About Link Exchange Requests?

A friend of mine recently asked me what she should do about all the link requests she receives… “I’ve been approached by numerous webmasters to do a link exchange and I’m wondering if this is a good idea.  Does it have some value for me to link?  I just don’t have a clue about the pros & cons regarding this.  I’d love to know your professional...

Marketing Ideas for Tough Times

Times are tough and your message to potential customers should reflect what consumers are concerned with – and at present it is the economy.  Remember to think like a consumer when you are designing your Pay Per Click ads, website copy, or any advertising for that matter.  Figure out why buying from you is an excellent value (especially in these tough economic times) and be sure to use...

Getting the Most Out of Pay Per Click Advertising

If you have thought about doing Pay Per Click advertising but just don’t know how or where to get started, you may find the following article by Brian Carter helpful in understanding the nuances of paid search. 5 Common AdWords Myths Absolutely Destroyed If you would like assistance in establishing or optimizing a paid search campaign for your business, contact Emagine for more...

Creating a Facebook Profile & Building a Business Page

Facebook is a widely used social media site that has over 120 million users, is growing by 250,000 users daily and is the 4th most trafficked website on the internet.  Chances are many of your business partners and potential clients are using it, so it’s a great place to establish a presence for yourself and your business for more exposure on the web....

Is your business featured in Local Search?

Here are two articles about a new tool called www.GetListed.org – the perfect solution for small businesses to ensure they are well represented in Local Search. The neat thing about local search is you don’t even need a website to get some exposure online for your business – just make sure you claim your listings and provide accurate information on the many local search...

Some of the Best Free Downloads for Small Businesses

Here are some of my favorite Free downloads for small business marketing, link building, social media and more… Zero Dollars, a Little Talent and 30 days by Jennifer Laycock This is a great place to start if you’re new to marketing yourself or your small business online.  Zero Dollars follows entrepreneur and writer Jennifer Laycock as she tries to start a successful online business...

Ways to Promote Flattering Content

Don’t forget to promote client testimonials and reviews on your website and blog.  If someone endorses your service, product or property, make sure you share it with the world by including it on your website, blog and on your list of testimonials that you mail to prospective clients....

Make Your Own Commerical on YouTube.com

Here’s a great article about a Chiropractor who did a short video of one of his treatments on YouTube.com.  Creating a short video of your tour, vacation rental, treatment, service or product isn’t that hard to do if you own a digital video camera.   Uploading the video to YouTube.com is free and easy and you’ll want to make sure you embed your video into your website or blog...

Promoting Your Blog…

If you’ve started a blog recently, here’s a list of sites you’ll want to submit to so more people can find and be exposed to your blog content. Feedburner Technorati (claim your blog at the bottom of the page) Blog TopSites Reddit (submit a link) Digg (Provide social media icons on every blog post, encourage readers to submit your posts) Delicious (Create an account and...

Getting Started with Social Media…

You’re probably wondering what all the buzz is about over “social media”. Here’s a great short video (3 1/2 minutes) that will help you to understand what social media is and how it can benefit your small business or organization. Social Media in Plain English A simple story that illustrates the forces shaping social media. ...

Make it easy for others to spread the buzz about your business…

Some friends of mine recently launched a new business and website called Por Favor Favors.   They sent out an email blast to their mailing list – friends, family, clients and allies announcing their new venture, inviting everyone to visit the new site and have a look.  ...

Incorporate Gratitude into Your Business

I happened upon another designer’s blog this past week and became an instant fan of his work and his articles.  The first of his articles I would like to share with you is about making Gratitude a part of your business.  It’s a must read for anyone wanting to improve their business simply by showing more gratitude to existing and potential customers. 8 Ways to Improve Your Business...

Guest Article: Branding Your Business

By Guest Author, Linda Pizzitola, Kauai Design Graphics Kauai Design Graphics offers creative services to enhance your look and your voice, with one-stop shopping for design and copywriting. Visit KauaiDesign.com to see sample projects, a client list and more. “Branding is the heart and soul of your business…A brand is the mind share that you occupy with your clients.” -Sonia...

Provide Valuable & Relevant Outbound Links

If you are going to add any outbound links (links to other websites) on your website or blog make sure they are purposeful and valuable to the reader. If you own a vacation rental, condo, hotel or visitor activity business, adding a link that promotes ocean safety is a valuable and relevant link to provide on your website or blog as anyone visiting the Island should know about beach and ocean...

Put Your Press Release to Work on the Web

Press Releases aren’t just for your local newspapers and print publications anymore.  A well written press release featuring your targeted keyword phrases can provide exposure for your business as well as your website when submitted online....

The Promotional Value of Giving Back to the Community

Fujita & Miura Public Relations 2009 Invest in Education Scholarship My good friends and associates at Fujita & Miura Public Relations, Jenny Fujita and Joy Miura Koerte have just announced their 2009 Scholarship opportunity.  This is a wonderful opportunity for a deserving college student on the island of Kauai and it is also a brilliant way for them to promote their business.  ...

Holiday e-card Greetings

If you’re a procrastinator, then I’ve got some good news.  It’s not too late to send out a Holiday e-greeting to your clients and prospects.  Yes, I know we only have about 4 more days before Christmas but that’s one of the great things about e-cards – they don’t take that long to create or send out.  Not to mention the fact that you can feel good knowing...

Use Craig’s List to Promote Your Vacation Rental

Craig’s List is a great place to advertise your vacation rental deals or last minute vacancies for free.  It’s easy to set up an account and create a listing, including a description of your property, links to your website, multiple photos and contact information.  More and more people use Craigslist.com everyday to locate services, rentals, real estate, products, used items for...

Share Your Presentations – Promote Yourself…

If you’ve gone to the trouble of building a Power Point presentation (on any topic) then why not share it on the web on Slideshare.com where you can gain valuable online exposure for yourself through your presentation(s)....

Google AdWords Workshop

I recently attended a Google AdWords workshop in Honolulu where I learned some new tips and tricks of managing Google PPC campaigns and the best strategies for staying competitive with paid search....

Email Marketing Made Easy…

Many small business clients are turning to Email Marketing providers like Vertical Response to aid in sending out direct email marketing to their existing and potential clients.  Vertical Response can be used to email periodic newsletters, announcements, market updates and holiday e-cards (a great “green” initiative).  With Vertical Response you can also add an opt in form on your...

Start a Customer Database

If you aren’t capturing the names and email addresses of the people who contact you or buy from your website you are missing out on a valuable opportunity to build a customer database.  Anyone who has  expressed interest in your products or services or has purchased from your website should be added to your customer database.    ...

Green Traveler Guide to Hawaii

As was discussed at the recent HTA Tourism Conference in August, more travelers are eco-conscious and are interested in visiting destinations and supporting businesses who make real efforts to decreasing our carbon footprint.  Today in the “Hawaii Insider” blog by Jeanne Cooper (SFGate.com) she posted an article about a new Green Traveler Guide to Hawaii.   ...

Small Business Branding

Building a strong business brand is essential to having a successful business. Here’s a great article on small business branding – why it’s important and guidelines for creating a successful brand: Big Impact Branding for Small Businesses by Diane...

Having a party or event? Send an Evite!

Sometimes there just isn’t enough time to buy, fill out and mail party or event invitations – Evite.com has the perfect solution for busy people.  Evite.com offers a free email invitation service making it easy to create and customize invitations for parties or events online.  Choose from a large selection of invitation designs, fill in the particulars of your party or event and...

Small Business Guide to Graphic Design

My friend and associate, Linda Pizzitola from Kauai Design publishes a quarterly newsletter called the Graphics Grapevine.  Linda is an award-winning, skilled and experienced graphic designer, specializing in logos and for-print design.  Her newsletter is always a fun “read” and is a great resource for small business owners wanting to know more about effectively branding and...

Small Business Blogging

Blogging can be a very effective way for businesses to reach out and connect with their customers when the goal is to create personal and purposeful interactions and to share relevant information.  I’ve recently entered the world of blogging and I am already seeing its value in many ways.  ...

How to Create an Email Signature & Call to Action…

I don’t know about you but I send a lot of emails out each week.  When I clean out my sent box periodically I am amazed at how much of my daily communication is through Email.  One very effective way to spread the word about your website, product, service or event is to use a signature for all of your outgoing emails....

Hawaiian Activities Businesses

I wanted to introduce A3H.org to Hawaiian activities vendors that are not aware of this organization and how it can support your small business. A3H.org stands for “Activities & Attractions Association of Hawaii” is a marketing and lobbying cooperative. The purpose of the organization is to promote Hawaii’s activities and attractions, foster professional and ethical...

Get your business listed in Yahoo! Local & Google Maps

Did you know you can add your business to Google Maps and Yahoo! Local for free?  By mapping your business or vacation rental location in Google Maps and Yahoo! Local you gain valuable added exposure in these search engines. The free listings offer a link back to your website, plus you can link to your Google Maps and Yahoo! Local listings right from your website, making it easier for your...

Vacation Rental Marketing Ideas

The changes in County policies governing and taxing vacation rentals and the low visitor numbers this summer are having a serious impact on many vacation rental owners. The following measures may help you keep a competitive edge and keep your vacation rental profitable in these lean economic times....