Facebook for business tip - customer service includes responding to commenters

[caption id="attachment_861" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Engage with fans on facebook, it's good customer service"][/caption]

If your a business owner with a facebook fanpage here's a facebook for business tip, don't forget to engage with those that post comments on your facebook business page, it's a customer service issue. According to Emil Protalinski in an article from ZDnet.com "Retailers have rushed to establish a presence on Facebook with their own Page, in the hopes

Facebook for business tip - customer service includes responding to commenters

Small Business Advertising - Using Adwords Express

[caption id="attachment_823" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Please Mr Google allow us some flexibility with adwords express keywords"][/caption]

I hadn't known about using Adwords Express before reading an article by Brian Carter. It' supposably it is a quick and easy way for business owners to run their adwords campaigns without requiring a consultant. Brian states 'If you’re not familiar with AdWords Express, it’s an easy way for small businesses using Google Places to run

Small Business Advertising - Using Adwords Express

Forget flash mobs, nows there's cash mobs helping small businesses

It's fun and it's helping small businesses and building communities. Known as cash mobs, these facebook & other social media run groups, pick a business, arrive as a mob & spend cash. They are cash mobs helping small businesses.
Cash Mobs Helping Small Businesses
As reported in the Huffington post:
.....target one location bringing as many people to one site as possible but other cities have taken a different approach. "There is no science to it and there are also no hard and fast

Forget flash mobs, nows there's cash mobs helping small businesses

Good customer service skills - free lessons from life

Do you need an example of good customer service skills that you can use to turn a customer service situation around. We can use many lessons from our real life experiences. Here's one I came across from an article by Gayle Beck showing how good customer service skills can be done.
Here's good customer service skills in action
First of all, he says when he comes on the line, I need to

[caption id="attachment_803" align="alignright" width="199" caption="good customer service

Read more ...

Do you need help with facebook business fanpages changes?

Are you like me and require help with facebook business fanpages changes. There is

[caption id="attachment_796" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Create your Facebook Fan Page to Look Great and Engage Fans"][/caption]

so much emphasis now on images and visuals in social media that I am a bit out of my depth. So I'm glad I found this great little ( not so little it's 48 pages) ebook by Louise from Louisem.com. Louise is a great graphic designer based in California and has a great

Help with facebook business fanpages changes

Small Business Social Media - are you using Twitter to gain new customers?

How are your twitter efforts going? Are you seriously using Twitter to gain new customers and drive sales? I've just come across this great free marketing resource from Hubspot.com to help you with just that. Click here to be taken to the download page
How to use Twitter to gain new customers
Our ebook, with a foreword by Laura Fitton, the author of

[caption id="attachment_790" align="alignright" width="225" caption="How to attract customers with twitter"][/caption]

"Twitter for

Small Business Social Media - are you using Twitter to gain new customers?

Visuals have become an important part of a Social Media Strategy

With pinterest on the up and up in terms of users and content, visuals have become an even more important part of a small business social media strategy. Here's 20 reasons why visuals are important sourced from Jason Cassidy as reported on radian6.com
Why visuals are an important part of a social media strategy


Visuals are simple and easy to understand

[caption id="attachment_784" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Social media strategy - visuals are

Visuals have become an important part of a Social Media Strategy

Add a Social Customer Service Strategy to your marketing toolkit

We are all aware of the power of social media and now you can add a social customer

[caption id="attachment_778" align="alignright" width="130" caption="the changing use of social customer service"][/caption]

service strategy to your marketing toolkit. When faced with small problems or wanting to know more, purchasers are now looking to the internet for snippets of information. This is happening in many ways such as asking direct questions in sites such as Yahoo answers, watching You

Add a Social Customer Service Strategy to your marketing toolkit

Small Business Help - use Yelp for better local internet search results

In my last post we looked at how to use Yelp for better local internet search results.

[caption id="attachment_753" align="alignright" width="300" caption="using Yelp can help your small business seo"][/caption]

This was the quick and easy process of claiming you local business listing. Now to turbo charge your listing you need to get reviews. As Jon writes on Noobpreneur.com 'But the most useful part of Yelp is the review section that allows customers to leave reviews for others to

Small Business Help - use Yelp for better local internet search results

Small Business SEO Tips - Claim your business on local Yelp results

Are you after free, quick and easy small business SEO tips for your business website?

[caption id="attachment_753" align="alignright" width="300" caption="using Yelp can help your small business seo"][/caption]

Here is a great tip to Search Engine Optimize your website using Yelp.com that I read from an article on Noobprenrur.com. So don't put this off, use yelp and claim your business so that your website will rank higher in local search engine rankings. Noobprenrur states:
Small

Small Business SEO Tips - Claim your business on local Yelp results

Do customer loyalty programs really work?

My small store does not have a customer loyalty program. Why? A couple of

[caption id="attachment_745" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Dogs are said to be loyal, are people? Do customer loyalty programs work"][/caption]

reasons. Firstly I'm not sure that customer loyalty programs really work, and secondly I haven't found a program that suits my needs. It seems now though, that because other stores have them, potential/new customers are expecting me to follow suit. My opinion,

do customer loyalty programs work

Small Business Marketing - Does facebook advertising work?

Does facebook advertising work? This question has been asked of me a few


[caption id="attachment_730" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Does facebook advertising work"][/caption]
times lately. And unfortunately, like all forms of advertising there is no way of really guaranteeing whether it will work for you or not. However, we can look at other small business experiences to get an idea .
Payvment is a facebook ecommerce platform that build facebook stores for businesses who have

small business marketing - does facebook advertising work

Small Business Tools at a discount

Do you want small business tools at a discount. There are so many great tools on the web that internet marketers use, and the good news is that those in small business can also use them. Be wary, there are many not so good ones as well. Here's a daily deal site that specialises in internet tools, videos, courses. So check it out and get small business tools at a discount. There are many facets to this site including free stuff so do check out all the tabs, it's huge!



Check out the

get small business tools at a discount

Small Business Tools at a discount

Do you want small business tools at a discount. There are so many great tools on the web that internet marketers use, and the good news is that those in small business can also use them. Be wary, there are many not so good ones as well. Here's a daily deal site that specialises in internet tools, videos, courses. So check it out and get small business tools at a discount. There are many facets to this site including free stuff so do check out all the tabs, it's huge!



Check out the

get small business tools at a discount

Small Business Advice - try not to compete on price

This small business advice, try not to compete on price should be changed to DO


[caption id="attachment_721" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Watch the competition but do not compete on price"][/caption]
NOT compete on price, but that may be a bit hard to take. Watching what the competition is doing is important, but following blindly when many are discounting madly could lead to disaster. Here is what Michael Hess has to say in his article on 'Why you shouldn't stress about the

small business advice- try not to compete on price

Small Business Independent Retailers - find new products from small business manufacturers for a competitive advantage

Are you one of many small business independent retailers looking for new products for your store that are not stocked by the big box stores? I am so pleased to be able to share a great new website I have found, based in the US called Retail Pitch. It strives to showcase new products from American small business manufacturers to Independent retailers and will give your small business a competitive advantage.

This video explains more


So all you small business independent

small business retailers - find new products from small manufactueres and visa versa - at retail pitch

Small Business - Trust gives a competitive advantage

Building up business trust in my small business is something I have never thought


[caption id="attachment_707" align="alignright" width="201" caption="Trust gives a competitive advantage in small businesses"][/caption]
about in any depth. Building a relationship with my customers has been a priority, but I have never narrowed the focus down to building business trust. That is until now. In a press release ( yes there is valuable content in some PR) for Valens Point LLC Debra Mendes has

small business trust gives competitive advantage

Small Business Marketing Idea - politically incorrect ways work

Need a small business marketing idea? Think outside the square, be funny,


[caption id="attachment_697" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Politically incorrect marketing works"][/caption]
create a buzz. With social media so accessible if your idea strikes an accord, for the right or wrong reasons then your audience could be bigger than you could possibly dream. The following small business marketing idea shows a touch of genius.
Small Business Marketing Idea - Politically

Small Business Marketing Ideas - non politically correct ways work

Small Business Help - how to calculate charge out rates, don't undersell your time

How to calculate charge out rates is one of the most important things to get correct for any small business owner in service industries. That is plumbers, electricians, computer servicing and consulting, even dentists, accountants


[caption id="attachment_689" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Charge out rates - do not undersell your time"][/caption]
and lawyers. Charge too much and you may lose sales, too little and you will not make a living. So it can be a balancing act but when

how to calculate charge out rates, don't undersell your time

Small Business Marketing Tips- remembering the basics

Sometimes it's hard to know if you are doing the right thing with small business


[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Small Business Marketing Tips - tick"][/caption]
marketing so its good to get some sort of affirmation from others that what you're on the right track. And that is what I felt when reading an article titled " Marketing: For small-business operators, it’s good to remember the basics" by Bruce Spotleson.
Small Business Marketing

Small Business Marketing Tips- remembering the basics

How about your own daily deal site - daily deal builder

In a previous post I talked about what I didn't like about daily deal sites. Now I have found

[caption id="attachment_653" align="alignright" width="216" caption="Could you use a daily deal builder for your own daily deals?"][/caption]

a web company that specialises in a DIY daily deal builder. That's right, you can make your own deal site by the use of a Getsocio daily deal template!

If you are like me and a DIYer, you've set up your own website and/or social media sites. Or even

Your own daily deal site, a daily deal builder, could help clear excess stock

Does advertising work anymore for small businesses to clear excess stock

Help! please! yes, I am serious. I have this question. Does advertising work anymore

[caption id="attachment_642" align="alignright" width="128" caption="Why hasn't my advertising worked?"][/caption]

for small businesses to clear excess stock? I own a children's shoe store and have excess stock. While this is an extremely common problem for any retailer, the answer has always been so hard to find and now my brain is drained. I decided to advertise in a local newspaper, local

Does advertising work anymore for small businesses to clear excess stock