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Social Media Automation Tools to Increase Your Marketing ROI

Want to stop wasting time on social media and get better results from your social media marketing efforts? Then this list of social media automation tools is for you. One or more of these tools could help you to save time while increasing your marketing ROI:

Facebook to Twitter: This is a tool for Facebook which can be used with any profile or page. Just click the Facebook to Twitter link while you’re logged in and you can link your pages to Twitter and share your content instantly.

Gist: Gist is a handy tool which can keep track of all of your social networking, social media and email contacts with one easy to use web based interface; it’s also available for Outlook and Gmail, so you never have to lose an opportunity to connect with the people you need to keep in touch with.

Hoot Suite: If your business uses Twitter, this is one automation tool you’ll want. HootSuite allows you to write tweets and schedule them to post later and keep an eye on keywords as well as providing a lot of other useful functions. It can also be integrated with other apps, making it an especially helpful tool to have.

: This tool can update your Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networking and social media pages all at once, or any combination you like. It’s free and works on mobile devices as well.

RSS: Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an easy way to aggregate the content you need in one place, saving you the time of going from one site to another or wading through content you don’t need. It works with Google Reader and other RSS feed readers and can also be used with Google Alerts for user specified keywords so you can keep an eye on what people are saying about your business.

Selective Tweets: This is an application for Facebook which allows you to decide which updates you want to share with your Twitter followers rather than sharing all of them. You don’t want everything on your Facebook page out there for the whole world and this tool gives you total control over what to share and what to keep to a smaller audience.

SocialOomph: This service lets you schedule your social media communications and post it automatically. There are both free and commercial versions available; only the commercial version handles Facebook page and profile posting and scheduling.

Tweet Old Posts: Sometimes you come up with blog posts which have information which is useful whether you publish it now or years from now. This plugin for lets you repost old content which is still relevant to your readers.

TweetBleep: This service lets you monitor any keywords you like on Twitter for $20 per month; the results are sent to you by email.

TwitterFeed: This cloud based service lets you share your blog content as you post it to Twitter, Facebook and other social media and social networking platforms. It also provides useful statistics and tracking capabilities so you can keep a closer eye on your social media marketing.…

Internet Marketing Automation – Is There a Way to Cut Time, Save Money & Increase Productivity?

Does internet marketing automation really exist or is it just a pipe dream? Can you really cut the time spent on daily tedious tasks such as checking email, answering support tickets, submitting to article directories and social media sites? Is there a way to automate the tasks that take forever to do yet are so important you just can’t afford to skip?

Simply put, can you save time and increase your productivity using some level of internet marketing automation?

The successful Internet Marketer knows that in order to continue to prosper at what they do, they need to incorporate as much internet marketing automation as they possibly can to avoid spending hours upon hours on their computer doing all the things that are required in order to succeed in this very competitive environment.

Real internet marketing automation would help in performing tasks such as:

Checking email

Writing content

Checking stats online

Managing websites

Managing PPC campaigns

Building websites or web pages

Handling customer service

Logging into a website or member area

Social networking

Creating backup files or folders

Other online business-related activities

I’m sure the average Internet Marketer, when they first imagined their lifestyle, had no idea that they would be cooped up in some place in their home spending hour after hour on their computer performing mind numbing work but for most that is the reality, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Although some fortunate internet marketers can outsource their day to day tasks, others can’t afford to do that. Do they have options? Now they do but they may not be aware of new cutting edge tools available that can literally cut their work by more than half the time they are currently spending.

Thanks to some very talented individuals we now have ground breaking technology in internet marketing automation that can automate an unlimited number of tasks, including very tedious things like writing content, checking website stats, building websites just to mention a few. This special software can perform on demand and has the ability to adapt to whatever the Internet Marketer needs to perform.…

Disruptive Innovation and Small Business Growth Strategies

Harvard professor Clayton Christensen coined the term disruptive innovation to describe “a process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves ‘up market’, eventually displacing established competitors.” An example of disruptive innovation is the cell phone (disruptor) displacing fixed line telephony.

There’s never been a better time to be a disruptive innovator. If you have a good idea, the barriers to market entry are shrinking. Business innovations like crowdsourcing and outsourcing provide cheap access to technology development, marketing resources and administrative support. You don’t need massive resources to invest in hiring employees to perform these business functions for you – you can design business graphics, develop an iPhone app or outsource your IT function using the new business models.

At the same time, large corporations have never been more vulnerable. A new survey by Right Management, the consulting arm of staffing group Manpower, finds that a whopping 84% of employees are planning on searching for a new job in 2012. That’s not surprising, considering how big business has laid off employees, reduced salaries and eliminated perks over the past 4 years. Do you think that this 84% is focused on providing innovation and exceptional customer service to their employer’s customers? I would posit that they are not and that their customers are ripe for the picking by a nimble competitor, particularly a disruptive innovator.

Small businesses that focus on providing groundbreaking solutions to customer problems are in a good position to take business away from corporate monoliths, particularly at the smaller end of the market. While large enterprise customer-facing employees are focused on internal politics and avoiding the next round of layoffs, small business owners can focus on providing excellent service and solving customer problems efficiently and affordably.

A good example of a disruptive innovator is Hubspot, a provider of marketing automation software located in Cambridge, MA. Formed in 2006 by MIT graduate Darmesh Shah and venture capitalist Brian Halligan, Hubspot started their business by providing an end-to-end internet marketing software solution to small businesses, a market that was not served prior to their entry. Five years later, Hubspot has grown to be ranked #33 on the Inc. 500 list (#2 for software providers.) As is typical of disruptive innovators, Hubspot is moving upmarket into the enterprise market.

Small businesses that use inbound marketing technology like Hubspot’s can get found by buyers and earn the right to have a conversation with them. When prospects see that you have the capabilities, determination and drive to solve their problems, you will win your share of business.

So take heart my friends – become a disruptive innovator!…

Article Marketing Automation in the World of Web 2.0

Every day millions of people all over the world go online to research and purchase products and services. As a business owner, taking advantage of the actions these potential customers are already taking is a smart move. Reach thousands of customers who are already searching for you with article distribution in the world of Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is simply the next new generation of online activities and applications. It can provide great marketing opportunities through communication, collaboration and interactive networking because it’s all about people. Social networking sites connect people daily regardless of their locations or routines.

Web based communities make sharing information simpler than ever. Web 2.0 goes hand in hand with article distribution as a way to interact with customers and teach them instead of providing passive images and advertisements.

Article Marketing Automation

Combining article distribution with the tools available in Web 2.0 can make increasing sales on your website easier than ever. Creating and distributing original content online allows you to share your knowledge with a targeted base of potential customers. By providing the answers they are seeking, you gain their trust and build faith in your credibility.

One of the newest tools for online marketers is article marketing automation. Through your chosen publication service, you can utilize this Web 2.0 tool to provide information and interact with customers on an ongoing basis. With article marketing automation, you are allowed to submit as many articles as you wish at one time for publication at one or more predetermined future dates.

Article marketing automation can be especially beneficial for startups and businesses that experience times of high and low traffic. You can create as many articles as possible during your startup phase before your website goes live. Take advantage of the slow times when you have more time to write.

You submit your content today and schedule it to publish any time. Before you know it you’re running a successful article marketing campaign without even thinking about it on a day to day basis. This lets you spend more time on the daily needs of your business and customers.

Social Networking

Share links through social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter once you’ve published a few articles. These sites allow you to set up a page where consumers can become followers or fans of your business. Whether they’re just interested in your area or have made a previous purchase, you are making a valuable connection with your customer base.

You can share information about products or services as well as links to articles you’ve written. Keep your customers informed with new and exciting information about the industry, or your thoughts on current events and the world of business.

In this new world of Web 2.0 and marketing online, you have the opportunity as a business owner to be uniquely connected to your customers. By sharing parts of your business and life with people, you build bridges with the people who are interested in your products or services.

You also have a great advantage because you are now able to receive instant feedback from the exact people you are marketing to. They have the ability to leave comments or ideas about new products. Customers may leave comments and testimonials about your business for other potential customers to see.

In 2010, increasing your sales and connecting with your customers through article distribution has never been easier. You won’t believe how effortless building your business will be after you implement article marketing automation into your marketing strategy.…

Why Maps Are Important to Small Business

Introduction: Your customers are using maps on their home computers and on their mobile phones. Internet mapping and the social internet have converged and this creates a huge opportunity for small business. Have you checked to see if Google has mapped your business? It probably has. These days, when someone is deciding whether or not to become your customer, where they are in relation to where you are is more likely to influence their decision than ever before. Two big opportunities stem from this – Search and Social. Each uses maps in a different way, and the way that will work best for you will depend on the type of business you have.

Using Google maps for Search: These days, someone driving through a town would search for a cafe using Google Maps on their smart phone. Smartphones can show them a Google map of where they are and all the cafes near them. Of all the cafes on the screen, those that haven’t completed their Google Place page are unlikely to appear first. Most people click on one of the first few search results, so being at the top of the list is important if you want your business to be found.

Using Facebook Places for Social: Another way customers can find you is through their Facebook friends. When a customer can check-in to a cafe using Facebook Places they automatically share their location with all of their Facebook friends. If their friends are close by, they might meet up!

Your customers are using internet maps to search for you, so you need to be sure that you can be found where they are looking. Businesses that traditionally would have been found using the Yellow Pages now need to have a Google Maps presence. Hospitality businesses need to be active on the social internet as well as being on Google Maps.…

7 Easy Tips to Generate an Extra Income Online by an Internet Genius!

The question has come into everyone’s mind at one point or another…”How can I make money fast?” or “how can I make money online?”

We know in the back of our minds there is simple way to do just don’t know how to to it.

Luckily for some, there is a straight forward answer!  There are several ways to make money quickly online using the internet, a tool we often take for granted and now we can find out just exactly how to use it properly and to our own advantage.

So here goes…

The 7 Easy Tips To Generate An Extra Income Online:  

1. Before you can start making money, you will need to register as an affiliate with a reputable company. This is where you will be able to track your progress online and most importantly, get paid!

2. Carefully select a quality product to promote and get your Hoplink code which will enable you to get paid. This could be a service or product you will be promoting online.

3. Purchase and register a domain name for your business to promote your new product. You can arrange for domain forwarding so that your new domain name will take visitors straight to the product you are promoting. This will be connected to your affiliate account via your Hoplink code. Having your own domain name is CRUCIAL in making your promoting efforts a MASSIVE success.

4. Spend around 1 hour a day writing an article or advertisement for your product or service which is the cheapest and easiest way to promoting your service or products online.

5. Post your article or advertisement  to online various forums and groups. Do not spam as this can cause your account to be blocked. Imagine having the ability to join hundreds of online groups and have the ability to instantly email tens of thousands of people to promote your product or service for free. 

6. Keep track of your business by checking on sales daily. Remember to update your articles. Place lots of mini advertisements by using free online classified ad sites.

7. Keep looking out for new services or products and stay focused then start the process all over again!

Overall, there are tons of ways to make money online but these tips are tried and tested. They are true and the best of the best and most importantly, they work! …

A Lead Capture System – Getting More Customers

Keeping in touch with your customers is easier than ever with a lead capture system. Many of you may be asking, what is a lead capture system? Basically, it is a nurturing system that develops a relationship with your potential customer by sending messages routinely that are relevant to their interests and loaded with valuable information. A lead capture system can simplify your life by automatically sending out preset messages to your customer list, weekly, monthly, etc.

A lead capture system, also known as marketing automation or an autoresponder, is designed to capture your visitor’s information. This is how you build a good, qualified list and convert more traffic from your website into customers. Give your visitors an offer or product of value for free to download. Once the visitor responds, require the following information: name, and email by using an Opt-in form on your website.

A good lead capture system consists of four major components:

An Opt-in form on a Landing Page. This is a form where visitors to your website can enter their information to receive your free offer or product. The Opt-in form is typically on a separate page, called a landing page, which explains your free offer in detail.

An Autoresponder. This is a piece of software that automatically sends a series preset messages to your potential or existing customers. It’s a good practice to send valuable information that interests them, not so much about your products and messages should be more toward benefiting your customers, and once in a while, how your product or services can benefit them. In this way your lead capture system helps your potential customers to know you, like you, and build enough trust in you to buy your products or services.

A Confirmation Page. This page comes up to thank your customer after they have Opted-in for their free gift or product and directs them to go their email to confirm it’s their correct email address.

A Double Opt-in Pagethat points to the Gift Delivery Page after they have confirmed their email address where they can receive their gift or product.

A lead capturing system is all about establishing relationships with your website visitors. Building these relationships can also bring in repeat business because now, they know, like and trust you. By acquiring the contact information from your visitors, you position yourself to build a good customer list.

The goal is to get your leads to respond to the free product and engage further with your business through a lead capturing system.…