Have you seen those Facebook pages that only share some of its content with their Fans? It’s a great strategy (if used correctly) to attract a wider fan base… this is one of the main questions we hear again and again when consulting with clients’ pages, “How can I increase my Fans?” Well, this is one of those “hows”. I would rate this slightly higher on the difficulty scale only because it requires some knowledge of  HTML/CSS coding and design skills to get it looking good… Still not scared? Click here to see it in action on Mannix Marketing’s fan page (Can’t see the content? Fan us and all will be revealed.)

Yet another social media site? Or is Google Buzz going to be something different. Today, Google announced the launch of Google Buzz which is built right into Gmail – as they said, “…there’s nothing to set up — you’re automatically following the people you email and chat with the most.” This of course assumes you have a Gmail account set up.

It will be interesting to see how Buzz takes on the other social networking sites. It appears to be blending Twitter, Facebook and FourSquare into one formidable challenger, but is it likely to be that “killer” of any or all of these? Ummm… doubtful. I think it offers a different way of sharing media but it’s unlikely to lure over Facebook or Twitter users. It’s likely to be attractive to a small percent of existing Gmail users who are not already using one of the other social media sites. (more…)

Today I’d like to talk to you about managing multiple Twitter accounts. Do you own a small business that you want to promote in the social media Twittersphere, but also have your own personal Twitter account where you talk about your aside-from-work hobbies, news stories, etc? Many of us run into this issue where we end up updating one all the time (because we are logged in) while the other gets a little stagnant.

Well, if this is a problem of yours, then your life is about to get a little easier! I recommend HootSuite for those managing multiple twitter accounts. It’s what I, personally, use now for managing my own personal Twitter account as well as all of our Mannix Marketing Twitter accounts for Saratoga, Lake George, Albany, the Adirondacks, etc. (I switched from Tweetlater after just one day of using Hootsuite!)

HootSuite has been more than a timesaver; it has been a lifesaver for me! It’s a fun, cute design, and it makes things incredibly easy….

- Hootsuite Screenshot -

The above is called your 'Hootsuite Dashboard'

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We all know what the end of a year means … New Year’s Resolutions! I recall my personal resolution last year was to drink more water. I succeeded in my quest and am now a happy water drinker. A happy, happy water drinker.

But my challenge to you this year is to not only make resolutions for yourself, but make them for your business. After all, our business is our livelihood. We need to make sure that it is just as “healthy” and “happy” as it can be.

So, here are some ideas to start 2010 with gusto!

A. Get that website redesign that you’ve been thinking about! It’s time and it really does make a difference.

B. Try Social Media Marketing. That’s right … Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr. It cannot be denied that Social Media is a powerful tool in marketing your brand. Start slowly by creating one account. Get used to how it works and how you can use it for marketing purposes. Put it on your daily schedule for updating and work on building your fan base and followers. Once you are comfortable with the one account, you are ready to add another.

Make sure that you are maximizing your opportunities with social marketing. The conversation starts online, but the conversion happens in the real world.

C. Embrace one new “function” on your website. Try adding something new and creative to your website. After all, your website is your vehicle to promote your business. Explore videos. Add a Newsletter Sign up and try Email Marketing. Try blogging. Add related articles or expand your content by adding a new section altogether. Keep your website moving forward!

D. Set marketing goals. With all these new marketing strategies, make sure you track your efforts. You’ll easily be able to see the difference your new strategies are making by analyzing your statistics. Continue doing whichever avenues have made a positive impact.

E. Get involved. Read related blogs and leave comments. Become fans of Facebook pages. Send Direct Messages on Twitter. In a word … participate. Your effort will be rewarded.

F. Cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Make sure your online profiles are fully complete. If you can add 10 pictures, add 10 pictures. Fill out all descriptions and added info sections. Don’t forget about the reviews! Make sure you have enough reviews by soliciting happy clients for them. It’s a good idea to go and check all accounts. You may have thought you would go back to finish one or more of them but forgot about it.

G. Manage your reputation. With the introduction to real time search, it is more important than ever to be aware of what is being said. Use Twitter Search to track any mention of your name, your keywords, your location and your competitors’ name. Use Google Alerts to have an email update sent directly to your inbox. Based on your choice of query or topic, Google will send an email of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.). This is very handy indeed.

Above all, have a happy and healthy New Year!

As promised, Google is starting to roll out “Real-Time” Search from sources like Twitter, News articles, fresh web pages, Yahoo Answers, etc… and is integrating them into their search results (Facebook and MySpace will soon be joining as Google has inked deals with both). Results will be displayed at the top of Page 1 in a block titled, “Latest Results from keyword phrase“.

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