This Week in Small Business: Good advice to follow, bad advice to avoid
This week’s digest of curated wisdom starts with telling you how to avoid bad advice and ends by taking a dip in the Shark Tank.
Marketing and sales
There’s a lot of bad marketing advice floating around and here are tips on what you need to avoid.
Shopify has put together a series of videos that explains the basics of content marketing.
If you’re planning an ecommerce site, or yours isn’t performing up to snuff, review the 10 practical tips here and make sure your bases are covered.
Be careful about casting too wide a net in your email marketing campaigns, says Paula Chiocci. That are three more tips are here.
Social Media/Digital
If you understand the psychology of why users continually comeback to Facebook, like, and share items, it should help your social marketing efforts.
LinkedIn launched some new tools recently. The “Lead Accelerator” could boost your social media marketing. Along those same lines: LinkedIn can be the best lead generator for B2Bs. Jeff Bullas goes through the steps.
Here are three tips to increase your reach on Facebook, although the author also says that you shouldn’t worry about it too much.
Pinterest is the ideal social media marketing platform for many small businesses. Here are some of the best tips.
Are you taking advantage of the synergy between your social media and content marketing efforts? Here are three ways.
Bone up on the seven digital marketing skills you – or someone in your business – need.
Content
The five points made here about a successful content marketing campaign would be the answers on any marketing final exam. Etch them into your brain.
If you’re creating blog content like crazy and not scoring the followers you need, review these 12 ways to increase traffic.
You gotta love lists in your content marketing program. Here are 25 list ideas you should scoop up.
WordStream founder Larry Kim explains how to use PPC marketing to make your content go viral.
Video
Google makes the case for online video: Mobile viewers are more likely to watch, share, and feel connected to ads and branded video.
Leadership, management and productivity
Launching or updating a website soon? Usability is a lot more than just a good looking design.
Are you looking for a social media marketing person? Here are the 14 traits they need to be successful. And speaking of hiring, in this article you’ll find the five signs a prospective employee will drain your team dry.
Entrepreneur Reva Minkoff aims to stop small businesses from making the same mistakes over and over. See if you’re among the guilty.
Rory Vaden says that there’s no such thing as “time management” just “self management.” In this article and podcast he talks about how to procrastinate your way to success!
To meet expectations, you have to understand your customers. This article focuses on millennials.
Next-generation social analytics are transforming digital marketing speed and accuracy, according to AdWeek.
Here’s a list of upcoming small business events. Look it over and follow my site for announcements about my scheduled appearances this Spring and Summer.
As April 15 fades in our rearview mirrors, you may be wondering which financial records you need to keep, and which you can chuck. Here’s guidance.
Why the Internet of Things Is Crucial for B2B Marketers: How IOT can bring companies closer to their customers.
Ecommerce is giving small businesses a way to go global. See how this local music store was able to boost growth.
The former head of the SBA says that online lending will take off with small business owners and she outlines the reasons.
Family business expert Wayne Rivers is pessimistic about the future of small business.
Dennis Fois says that your small business should be treating its customers like you treat your friends.
We know that even in the best businesses, stuff happens. Customer service expert Shep Hyken explains how to keep those stories from making the rounds and damaging your reputation.
Government, politics and the economy
Polling season is underway and here’s one that looks at small business owners attitudes toward marijuana, religious freedom and Hillary Clinton.
Some small business owners are charging that government quotas are keeping them from finding the highly skilled help they need.
Global intellectual property rights are an important issue for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and changes need to be made to assure protection against piracy.
There’s no doubt this “recovery” is going at a snail’s pace and compared to big companies, small firms are creeping along even more slowly.
The politics of trade agreements are playing out on Capital Hill right now. Here’s how things could work out to benefit small business.
Entrepreneurship, startups and innovation
Marketing a startup is a beast all its own. Here are seven frameworks founders need to understand and consider.
Hosting company cofounder Peter Daisyme says that introverts make some of the best entrepreneurs.
Are you a software developer? If so, don’t overlook the huge opportunities that are waiting for you in the small business world.
Startups are discovering that employees with an entrepreneurial spirit can be major assets.
Equidam is a startup that lets your startup find its value in real time and at a low cost.
Wonder what happens to the founders featured on “Shark Tank”? Here are six that are killing it.
