Linked Local Network

LinkedIn can be a goldmine or a huge waste of time. My company has secured tens of thousands of dollars of business as well as referred business to others over the last couple of years due to LinkedIn connections and activities among our partners. We are mindful that, like any marketing channel, we must be consistent and engaged in order to continue to reap its benefits. Our individual profiles need to be well-done and strategic as well. Here are some of our top tips to make LinkedIn work for your business: Build up to at least 500 connections and have a decent photo. No one in our company will accept a connection request from someone who does not have a photo or has an unprofessional photo unless we know him/her, in which case we will tell that person to visit a photographer! Fill out your profile Summary . We see so many people neglect this valuable space, which is right underneath your name and photo when you’re on your profile page. Think of it as a public cover letter, where...

It happens all too often. A potential client wants us to create a new website, but no one at the company is sure where their current website is hosted. They think it’s hosted by the same person who created their website, but he can’t be found and they don’t know where their login information was filed. Or, the company website is hosted on the personal account of a tech savvy person who used to work there, but he quit a few months ago and doesn’t feel obligated to return their phone calls or emails. And then there’s the even bigger issue of the domain name (the URL or address of your website, such as www.mediavinemarketing.com ). One new client’s domain was registered by the technical whiz kid of the business owner’s best friend. When the bill for the domain came due, the whiz kid was backpacking in Europe and no one knew that the domain’s registration was going to expire. Lost domain, lost website. The time to make sure that you are in con...

It happens all too often. A potential client wants us to create a new website, but no one at the company is sure where their current website is hosted. They think it’s hosted by the same person who created their website, but he can’t be found and they don’t know where their login information was filed. Or, the company website is hosted on the personal account of a tech savvy person who used to work there, but he quit a few months ago and doesn’t feel obligated to return their phone calls or emails. And then there’s the even bigger issue of the domain name (the URL or address of your website, such as www.mediavinemarketing.com ). One new client’s domain was registered by the technical whiz kid of the business owner’s best friend. When the bill for the domain came due, the whiz kid was backpacking in Europe and no one knew that the domain’s registration was going to expire. Lost domain, lost website. The time to make sure that you are in con...

It happens all too often. A potential client wants us to create a new website, but no one at the company is sure where their current website is hosted. They think it’s hosted by the same person who created their website, but he can’t be found and they don’t know where their login information was filed. Or, the company website is hosted on the personal account of a tech savvy person who used to work there, but he quit a few months ago and doesn’t feel obligated to return their phone calls or emails. And then there’s the even bigger issue of the domain name (the URL or address of your website, such as www.mediavinemarketing.com ). One new client’s domain was registered by the technical whiz kid of the business owner’s best friend. When the bill for the domain came due, the whiz kid was backpacking in Europe and no one knew that the domain’s registration was going to expire. Lost domain, lost website. The time to make sure that you are in con...

It happens all too often. A potential client wants us to create a new website, but no one at the company is sure where their current website is hosted. They think it’s hosted by the same person who created their website, but he can’t be found and they don’t know where their login information was filed. Or, the company website is hosted on the personal account of a tech savvy person who used to work there, but he quit a few months ago and doesn’t feel obligated to return their phone calls or emails. And then there’s the even bigger issue of the domain name (the URL or address of your website, such as www.mediavinemarketing.com ). One new client’s domain was registered by the technical whiz kid of the business owner’s best friend. When the bill for the domain came due, the whiz kid was backpacking in Europe and no one knew that the domain’s registration was going to expire. Lost domain, lost website. The time to make sure that you are in con...

If you have a local business and most of your customers come from within a 20-mile radius, you need to merge your Google+ Local Page with a Google+ Business Page. If you aren’t sure you have a Google+ Local Page, you are not alone. A while back, Google changed “Google Places” to “Google+ Local”, so if you had previously claimed your Google Places listing, you are on the right track. To determine if you have a Google+ Local page, search for your business name and location in Google. You should see something like this: If your Google listing is missing a bunch of information, or has incorrect information, then you probably have not claimed it or it’s been a while since you’ve done anything with it. (More info on Google+ Local here .) Your Google+ Local listing should have your business name, location, contact info, hours of operation, and any Google reviews you might have received. It’s also a good idea to add your logo and some applicable p...

If you have a local business and most of your customers come from within a 20-mile radius, you need to merge your Google+ Local Page with a Google+ Business Page. If you aren’t sure you have a Google+ Local Page, you are not alone. A while back, Google changed “Google Places” to “Google+ Local”, so if you had previously claimed your Google Places listing, you are on the right track. To determine if you have a Google+ Local page, search for your business name and location in Google. You should see something like this: If your Google listing is missing a bunch of information, or has incorrect information, then you probably have not claimed it or it’s been a while since you’ve done anything with it. (More info on Google+ Local here .) Your Google+ Local listing should have your business name, location, contact info, hours of operation, and any Google reviews you might have received. It’s also a good idea to add your logo and some applicable p...