Business Tutorials

7 Smart Ways Small Businesses Can Use QR Codes

According to research done earlier this year, more than half of Americans have smartphones. While using a QR code may have been cutting edge in 2011, this form of mobile marketing is finally starting to reach the masses in 2012. Most consumers are familiar with the funny-looking, black-and-white codes and already have an app to scan them on the go. QR codes are a great way to promote your small business, but knowing where to place them to maximize your exposure is a problem for some. Here are a few... learn more

Twitter Advertising: How to Get Promoted on Twitter

After years with no clear path to monetization, Twitter now offers three different methods for advertising or “promoting” your business: Promoted Accounts, Promoted Trends, and Promoted Tweets. Which service is right for you will vary depending on the type of campaign you’re planning. Do you want to acquire followers? Build buzz around a new product? Or, just spread your message as far as possible through the Twittersphere? The first step is understanding how Twitter’s Promoted... learn more

How Can a Marketer Take Advantage of Facebook’s New Send Dialog?

Back in April, Facebook rolled out the Send button, a function that provided a simple and direct way for users to privately share content through the platform. Though it has not garnered as much attention as the Like button, this feature can be viewed a huge success considering that the social network says it has already been installed on more than 100,000 sites. Nearly two months later, Facebook has followed up the Send button with a new feature called Send Dialog. In this article, we will discuss... learn more

Design Creative Holiday Gifts for Your Clients

As a freelancer, you are in charge of everything—from invoicing and collections to fun stuff like giving yourself an annual bonus. So, when it comes to giving holiday gifts to your clients, the choice is entirely yours. On the one hand, most clients don’t expect to receive gifts from small vendors or independent contractors. On the other hand, unexpected extras are a great way to remind your clients why they love you. Just one note of caution: Don’t fall into the trap of “promotional... learn more

Sync Your Life: Great Tools to Sync, Backup and Store your Files

You probably remember that one time when you really needed a copy of that spreadsheet for the meeting; only to realize it was sitting on your hard drive at home. Or the time you wrote up that great list of ideas and forgot to e-mail it to yourself. If you use multiple devices for computing, the good news is these potential hazards can be avoided. There are now some great online tools to keep your files, notes, and other essential data synced between your desktop, laptop, and mobile phone. Here are... learn more

Freelancers: Invoice your clients

Create invoices and manage account receivables online using one of these 9 web apps. You’ll save time and maybe even earn more money.  The ability to successfully run a freelance design business, requires more than just graphic skills. You’ll need to know how to drum up business, manage competing demands and perhaps most importantly how to get paid. As a freelancer, choosing the right invoice software can make your job easier. These web apps can create invoices online, track payments,... learn more

Target Your Marketing Campaign with Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are quickly becoming the top choice for targeted online ad campaigns. Whether your goal is lead generation, sales, or improving brand recognition, a targeted campaign will always have better results. Google Adwords used to be the king of online ad campaigns because they can target users based on their current search priorities. Facebook ads are the next generation of targeted text ads. Learn how to get started and why you should create a Facebook ad. learn more  Read More →

5 Ways to Prevent Social Media Disaster

As the NFL season kicks off in the U.S., I’m just waiting for this year’s top end zone celebration to be someone pulling an iPhone out of their pants and sending out a tweet or updating their Facebook status with a misplaced comment that reveals the team’s new playbook. Social media continues to pop up in unexpected places. But, what’s wildly entertaining for us, could be considered disaster to an NFL team. In fact to prevent loose lips (or careless keyboarding), the NFL... learn more

How to Measure Success in Social Media Part Two

Last week I discussed how as a company or a business you can measure success with social media marketing. I stressed the importance of choosing the right metrics (ie: click-through-rates not twitter followers) and suggested some software that could help. Today I’m going to get into more specific ways you can measure social media success. One of the biggest questions people have about social media is how to track sales. Hotels want to know how many “heads in beds” they can get... learn more

Top 5 SEO Plugins for Joomla

Anyone who runs a successful website knows the value of search engine optimization. A good SEO tool kit can turn a good website into a profitable website by attracting the right kind of targeted traffic. But, how do you SEO a CMS site such as Joomla? With Joomla Extensions! Extensions is term used to refer to any number of Joomla components, modules and plugins.  learn more  Read More →

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