Online marketing begins with YOU. Who are you, and what makes you unique in the world of Southwest Florida commerce? Online marketing begins by both defining and building your brand. Before you can begin to participate in online marketing activities, such as social media management, blogging, and pay per click advertising, you have to understand who you are as a business inside and out. Defining Who You Are When you begin to pursue online marketing, you need to have language -- short, pithy phra [...]

As a business owner, we all understand that it is difficult to keep up with current marketing trends. With so much to occupy our time and energy in the day to day, we often times (particularly during the busy winter months) neglect our online marketing activities. Being progressive in the area of marketing can be an arduous task. Where do I find information? How do I keep up with trends while remaining consistent to what has worked in the past? How do I avoid getting into marketing ruts, so to s [...]

As 2011 comes to a close, I -- along with millions of other people around the country -- am enjoying the process of making new year's resolutions for 2012. My own personal resolutions range the gambit between work and non-work related areas of my life. As a small business, though, I would encourage you to create a strategic plan -- new year's resolutions, of sorts -- for your business. Many small businesses operate in a reactionary mode; they try their best to grow -- to increase their business, [...]