Now that you’ve set up your Google+ page, it’s time to start using this social network to your advantage. Your end goals for Google+, as in all social networks, is to grow your brand following, engage with fans, and hopefully convert those fans to customers. +1s and Sharing On Google+, +1s are the equivalent of “likes” […]
CGT Newsletter
Google+: Getting Started
Google+, one of the newer players in the social media sphere, is fast becoming one of the most important networks to have a presence on. The number of active users well exceeded 300 million in 2013, but probably the most important aspect of Google+ is that links posted to it can have a great impact […]
Using Google+ is Important for SEO.
Are you familiar with Google+? You’ve probably heard people talk about it, maybe you’ve heard all the criticism about it, and decided you didn’t need to take a look at it for your business. Well, we’re here to tell you not to ignore this valuable online business tool. With many modifications, and more to come, […]
More Sales Leads: Optimize Your Company's Videos for Google's Index
With Google indexing videos in its search results as often as it indexes new blog posts, it’s important to ensure that your company’s videos are “SEO’d” for maximum visibility when users search keyword phrases relevant to your company. Optimize YouTube videos for Google by taking a few simple steps: 1. The title of your video […]
Twelve Reasons Google Penalizes Your Website and Drops Your Rankings
With Google’s frequent algorithm changes; it pays to constantly fine-tune your website’s SEO. More than 300 elements determine where Google will rank your site; here are twelve factors that may send your site to the penalty box with a fatal drop in ranking: 1. Missing a sitemap.xml page 2. Excessive use of the H1 tag […]
Has the Internet Made Business-to-Business Marketing Ineffective?
Has the Internet made your company “marketing lazy” when doing business with other businesses? Your answer may be “no,” but maybe you’re in denial. It’s easy to exchange snippets of conversation by email and hope that a document with your product spec sheet gets received, but when it comes to the B2B category, “everything old […]
The Merger of Two Giant Ad Agencies – Why We're Not One of Them
The big news in the marketing world is the mega-merging of two ad agency giants – Publicis and Omnicom, forming the largest advertising agency on the planet. The executives have said that combining the agencies into a vast giant will help clients be “more nimble” in an advertising environment that’s constantly changing. Nimble? We want […]
Content Marketing: Increasing Credibility, Internet Presence and Sales
“Content marketing” is one of those hot new phrases that probably makes you believe there’s something new out there – another bandwagon to jump on – when in fact, it’s most likely something you’ve been doing for quite a long time. Content marketing is simply creating and sharing valuable information over various internet platforms. We […]
A Guaranteed Way to Keep Customers and Clients for Life
There’s a reason Starbucks can increase its coffee prices and face little resistance because of it: simply, the concept is designed to make its customers feel good. From the product to the ambience, everything at Starbucks just feels right. Nordstrom is similar – it’s not about the price; it’s about the experience. The ultimate goal […]
Google's New Carousel Puts More Focus on Local Search
Google continues its focus on Local Search results with the introduction of a new Carousel photo display feature – a horizontal scrolling selection of photos at the top of the results page. Predominantly used for local results for restaurants, hotels and retailers – and soon to spread to various other categories – the Carousel will […]
Does Allocating More Dollars Into Digital Marketing Make Sense?
Lately, companies have been shifting more of their advertising budgets – at least 25 percent – from traditional marketing toward digital/online efforts. While it may seem smart to shift dollars online to where people are spending more time, it raises questions that can dramatically affect your profit structure. Being online where people are doesn’t mean […]
Mind Games: Winning a Position in Your Customers' Minds
Positioning a message in the consumer’s mind – one that will stand out in an already overcrowded memory bank – is one of the most critical strategies for your company’s long-term success. If your positioning is based on having the lowest price, you’ll find yourself in cluttered territory – easily forgettable and lacking customer loyalty. […]
Six Essential Web Metrics To Track
Understanding the behavior of website users has become easier – drill-down metrics can track every click made on your website. Here are six essential metrics to help determine if your website is successfully attracting potential customers and to understand their movements on your site: 1. Bounce Rate: Does your home page draw users deeper into […]
Marketing Out Of Whack? Apply Pareto's Principle To Your Business
With the first quarter of the year now completed, we encourage you to examine your company’s efficiencies. What’s working and what isn’t? Where is the most time and dollars being spent and is it resulting in proportionate sales? Applying Pareto’s Principle as a management effectiveness tool can be a stunning awakening or a good confirmation […]
How To Demonstrate Stability And Trust In A Volatile Economy
Much like what you’re reading now, a monthly newsletter emailed or mailed to your customers is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to remind them of the great products and services you offer. In these tough economic times, your company newsletter demonstrates stability and trust. Customers and clients prefer to align themselves with […]
Ignoring the Most Powerful Marketing Activity That Increases Sales
Word–of-mouth is the number one way to increase sales, yet many companies settle for hoping that customers will automatically spread the good word about them. Unfortunately, most businesses neglect giving customers anything special to talk about, consequently losing out on sales opportunities, and that all-important customer-loyalty factor. Word–of-mouth is successful only when companies make a […]
There’s an App For That. Should Your Business Have One?
A few years ago, getting a frequency reward card into a customer’s wallet or onto a keychain was a strong barometer of their loyalty to your business. Now, whether you’re in the retail, professional services or manufacturing sectors, those cards, and the loyalties that go along with them, are being replaced by smart phone apps. […]
The New Facebook Update: Now a True Lead and Sales Generator
Facebook has always discouraged companies from using their business pages as sales tools – its guidelines prohibiting the use of text or images that conveyed a call-to-action within the cover profile. Prohibited practices included sales-oriented messages like percentage-off discounts and words such as “on sale” or “final days” on the cover page. Possibly because it’s […]
Once Upon A Time: If Your Company Could Tell A Story
Everyone knows the famous phrase, “Once upon a time.” Being told stories as kids leaves an ever-lasting impression. Businesses are finally realizing that stories are an important part of a marketing plan because they’re memorable. A well-communicated, interesting story about your company lasts longer than a typical ad or a brochure. If your company could […]
The Importance of Evaluating Your Advertising Campaigns
Prior to the internet age, it was difficult to know whether your advertising was working – you’d have to stop the campaign and then you’d really find out. Today is much different. Companies are in a race to obtain and nurture the best sales leads possible. To achieve that, advertising is focused on multi-platform usage, […]