LinkedIn

As someone who is not a fan of the social networks such as mySpace, there is another one out there called LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows you to connect with others that have a common theme. They can be old coworkers, classmates, or customers from a previous life. The thing that is great about LinkedIn is that it is vitually a resume that others can see. Why not use it to promote yourself through others. The bigger your network, the higher you move up the LinkedIn ladder. You can answer questions to show your expertise or post new jobs for your company. Check it out as it is worth building a solid network to prospect to your natural network. I have attached my LinkedIn profile on the blog so you can see how all the connections are made.

Search Engines

I was reading the Duct Tape Marketing blog recently and came across a post that I thought was a great idea for those who visit your website or as a gateway to search a specific subject. It is the Google Custom Search Engine. This is basically a search engine that you can customize with the power of Google behind it. Google will let you host the page there or you can copy the code into your own page. Check out Go Get Marketing and Moogle. They both take the custom search engine approach.

Why should you care? You are providing another resource and gateway to free information for your prospects and clients. However, you are the one choosing the content in the custom search. Check it out and you can come up with many creative ways to use this forum to increase your business.

Psychology of Color

Something that we take for granted as a small business marketer is the use of color. From our logo to our brochures and websites, the colors you convey can determine the message you are trying to send. Choosing the right and wrong colors can be the difference between making the sale and making nothing.

I came across a great article the other day regarding the use of color in business. Here are some points that we brought up in the article.

RED- Stands for aggression, violence, blood, etc.
Use to initiate action or convey a warning. While red is good, limit its use and do not have it dictate the overall theme.

PINK- Stands for calming, cute, feminine, etc.
Use when you want to touch the targets romantic side.

ORANGE- Stands for warmth, vibrancy, etc.
Use in moderation and it can be overwhelming. Many food companies use orange. Psychologists also say an orange logo remains in the readers mind for a longer period of time.

YELLOW- Stands for calming, caution, warmth, etc.
Use in moderation as it can grab attention but needs to be used in moderation.

GREEN- Stands for nature, spring, money, etc.
Use for companies that focus on money or growing.

BLUE- Stands for sea, intelligence, sadness, etc.
Use for a formal layout. Blue is more welcoming that a more aggressive color.

PURPLE- Stands for creativity, spiritual, etc.
Use if your product is focused towards the targets romantic side.

BLACK- Stands for power, evil, etc.
Only use black for text content and not as a background.

WHITE- Stands for cleanliness, purity, spirituality, etc.
A white background can make color stand out more.

Genius at Work

Are you looking for a good read when it comes to small business marketing? As someone who reads and conducts research to stay ahead of the marketing curve, I usually read a couple of marketing books a month. So I figured I could give a monthly book recommendation to use as a reference guide when making small business decisions.
For this month, I am recommending John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. To say it is the most practical in the world, is completely right. The ideas that are given through real world examples are tremendous and some of the techniques I implemented with other small businesses were dead on. The book is very inexpensive and I have used it as a door prize at a speaking engagement. Go check out the website at Duct Tape Marketing and see what other areas Mr. Jantsch writes about. All areas are covered.

What to Really Look for When Enrolling in a Hosting Account

Number of email accounts, transfer speeds, and price are all items that are taken into account when enrolling in a hosting plan for your email account of website. However, an extremely important aspect to look at is customer service should you run into issues. In some businesses, downtime is crucial to a business and the owner can't spend all day being on hold. While most of these larger hosting companies will have minimal downtime. You may have questions with surfing through your dashboard regarding autoresponders or redirecting emails. You want a company that will respond quickly. My favorite hosting company is Argon Hosting. Their dashboard is easy to navigate and when I do have a question, I get immediate response. It's the best of both worlds. Go Daddy and Yahoo have very short wait times as well but their dashboards can be a bit overwhelming for the beginner. For the local Florida area where I live, I recommend Bright House over BellSouth. BellSouth's customer service is not up to par with other hosting companies. Also, stick with larger providers unless you are referred to an exceptional provider. It may save you time in the long run.