The Mobile Majority Wants Your Small Business

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Remember when mobile phones used to be about..making a call? Neither do I. The explosive growth of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices over the past few years has drastically and permanently changed the way we socialize, work, and do business. The net-net? It’s imperative to travel with your customers and prospects wherever they go. In … [Read more]

How Often Should I Blog?

One question I get asked a LOT is, “How much do I need to write at my blog?” The question needs clarification. How much does a blogger need to write to do what? Have an online platform? Get readers? Make money? Make money from traffic alone? Make money by offering display or affiliate ads? Make … [Read more]

The Unintentional Thought Leader: Seven Steps For Small Business Blogging

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When I launched Marketing Sparks three years ago, “thought leadership” was not a goal. Discuss issues I care about? Yes. Stoke my desire to write? Absolutely. Maybe even attract new business as a bonus? Of course. Over time, though, I discovered that a certain style of writing could help position my small business blog as an authority and go-to expert. … [Read more]

Follow 50+ MBA Level Case Studies in Content and Inbound Marketing

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I, Bill Belew, wondered to myself, what if I could get a bunch of, say 50+ MBA-level students together in a classroom setting and have them take content and inbound marketing serious? Could I learn something? What would I learn? More prone to acting than just sitting around and thinking about things, I approached a university in the Bay Area … [Read more]

Why Have a Blog If You Don’t Use It?

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You’ve seen those frightful business websites before, hopefully not including your own. You land on the site and it provides you with detailed information on the respective company. Once you navigate a little more, it comes to your knowledge that the company’s blog is looking like a lost child. One of the first thoughts likely … [Read more]

10 Reasons You Should Have a Company Blog

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Are blogs just for the big brands, or do they have benefits for you? Here’s a look at 10 reasons it makes sense for your company to be blogging! 1. SEO Say you’re a new restaurant in town—by blogging regularly about community and about your cuisine, you increase the ways you can be picked up … [Read more]

Debba Haupert talks about Building Online Communities

You’re a content creator. Yay you! So, now what? Just because you put it out, doesn’t mean people will come to check it out. NMX speaker Debba Haupert knows the ins and outs of building communities. In this exclusive NMX interview below, Debba shares her advice on how to establish your personal brand, surveying your … [Read more]

The #1 Thing You Need To Know To Monetize Your Blog

Video Transcript: I want to talk to you today about the most important thing you need to know about yourself and your blog in order to monetize successfully. Now, first of all, let’s talk about this word “monetize.” People use it all the time. It seems to be the popular terminology that’s used by bloggers … [Read more]

State of the Blogging World in 2012

Imagine how differently things would be if WordPress were never created. Before I started my blog five years ago at ZacJohnson.com, everything I did was through basic HTML and if I ever wanted something complex done, I would have to contact a programmer or just didn’t end up pursuing it. Jump ahead a few years … [Read more]

The Recipe for a Successful Blogging Business: How to Minimize Your Liability

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… by Nellie Akalp You’ve logged long hours behind the glare of your laptop display, battled writer’s block valiantly, and tried your best not to get rattled by the occasional negative comment or flame war. Along the way, you’ve produced some great content and have joined the growing ranks of more than 175 million blogs … [Read more]