6 Ways to Be More Productive with Your Web Marketing

The year was 1997 and I had just received my acceptance letter from California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS). I had prayed. I had cried. I had stopped eating, I was so nervous. The essays, letters of recommendation, and constant teasing of my peers for being a nerd was finally beginning to pay off...

I will never forget how I went from feeling on top of the world, to a gnat on a wall, in a moments time.

You see, at my small little Catholic school in Compton, CA, I was one of the smarter kids. Yes, I was dark, talk, skinny, and not so cute, but it didn't matter because I was smart! Even my enemies were friendly around test time. Seriously.

But walking on that college campus with so many other talented kids really shot me down. They had so many more things than I had, and so much more support (in my mind).

Little did I know that I was on a crash course with one of my passions, technology. I was also learning some valuable lessons about life and business.

Web marketing can be a similar experience. First, you have an awesome idea and a great plan. You may have even written a business plan and developed a very attractive website...

But there are MILLIONS of websites, then comes that defeated feeling. Well, here is how you GET OVER IT and start building your online presence:

1. You have got to recognize the unique qualities about yourself and your product or service, then write them down.

10 Successful Techniques Nonprofits Are Using On The Web

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for the web, but there are some proven methods that when executed properly, will yield favorable results. Some nonprofits have established some routines that have helped them gain more reach, more awareness, and higher donations.

What You Say On Your Social Media Accounts Can and Will Be Used Against You In A Court of Law

The lines continue to blur between what is considered personal and what can become public domain as it pertains to your business and your social media accounts.

When you visit the landing pages of the newest social networking sites that almost force you to sign up (not literally) because of their cunning and attractive marketing, you should be aware that what you post can and will be used against you if necessary. Cyber law cases are growing and shows no signs of slowing down.

Unlike the Miranda warning given to people placed under arrest for criminal offenses, you will not likely be warned about the legal ramifications of what you post, tweet, retweet, blog, share, or produce online via your social media profiles.

Unless there is something written in those hefty "terms and conditions" that declares your information can and will be used against you in a civil or criminal matter, you should be aware that there is no such thing as privacy online. More importantly, if you are conducting business through any of your social media accounts, they can legally be considered assets or property of your business.

Since its early days of connecting companies on what was envisioned as a "Galactic Network" back in August 1962, the internet has developed at almost lightning speed. With this exponential growth for the web comes new industries, new fields and new laws to govern how we use it.

Why You Should Be On Facebook All Day As A Business Owner

Yes, you read that right. I am a firm believer that your business can grow and excel if you know how to use Facebook properly. 

We've all read the articles, blogs and case studies. They don't always agree either. 

Some will strongly suggest that employers should allow their employees to use Facebook as it has been shown to increase their motivation to work. A little peek on their social media pages won't harm, right?

Yet other bloggers and professionals strongly caution business owners that the social network with almost 1 billion active users per day is a time stealer and should be avoided during normal working hours so that productivity is maximized. 

We even have handy tools like Hootsuite, buffer, and similar services that help us schedule our social media updates so we can remain focused and productive without actually logging into the website. 

However, I have found that using Facebook as a mode of communication for prospective and current clients is faster and more efficient than emails. 

10 Google Chrome Web Store Apps to Help You With Your Business

Google Chrome is one of the most widely used web browsers and the Chrome apps make it a great addition to any business, home-based or otherwise. 

What are Google Chrome Web Store Apps?

The basic idea of Google Chrome Web Store apps is to enable the user easy access to many of the applications they use without having to go leave the web or sign into the actual program.  

Applications are designed so that you do not have to leave your office space to purchase software to enhance your business. Instead, you can access them quickly especially if you have the extension installed on your web browser. Chrome apps also include customized versions of websites, games, editing tools, publishers, and almost anything you might need to run you business more efficiently.  

You can also make your own chrome apps with the help of HTML5, CSS and JavaScript if you have an idea you think others would benefit from. If you have any coding knowledge, all you need is to publish them on the Google Chrome Web Store. 

(If you would like to learn coding, you can use www.w3schools.org or www.khanacademy.org to begin; an hour or so a day can make a huge difference in your web development skills). 

Monday Motivation for the Business Owner

It is Monday! Time to get back to work...

Celebrate GroundHog Day with Some Changes In Your Content Marketing

This morning was exceptionally cool for February. In this part of South Texas, I have become accustomed to two seasons: spring and summer. Not surprisingly, for Groundhog Day, it has been predicted that we will have 6 more weeks of winter weather. 

No complaints here. 

This day got me thinking about the movie GroundHog Day, starring Bill Murray and how it relates to our content marketing routines - how we create and develop content to share across the web. 

In the film, the weatherman is going about his regular routine to predict the weather but gets stuck in a time warp that leaves him repeating the same day, over and over. Sound familiar?

The movie is hilarious and Bill Murray has never disappointed in any role I've seen him in (from Ghostbusters to Scrooged). However, this movie presents a very real issue that many of us can face when approaching our content marketing routines - getting stuck, repeating the same mistakes over and over again, and sometimes unsure of how to get out of the "time warp."

In the film, Bill Murray had to repeat the same day until he was able to figure out where he went wrong, and get it right. As business owners we learn the value of repeating the same processes and create a daily routines that work. This can also help us improve our content marketing efforts, including writing articles and publishing blog posts on a regular basis.

However, we should assess the profitability of what we are doing and then decide if should continue to repeat the routine or not. Is your content marketing routine working? Do you even have one?