Common Social Media Video Mistakes

Consumers are all over the place, and it’s almost impossible to truly understand a company’s complete ROI picture.

They are seeing ads on social …

Are you posting on Facebook daily?

Engaging with your audience on Instagram?

Blogging once a week?

If so, you may think that your marketing is on point. But, don’t get too comfortable. Executing marketing tactics may …

You run a sale and generate some new customers as a result, and you’re ecstatic. And you should be—new customers are always a good thing.

But what …

In Part 1 of this blog, we talked about picking people’s brains in the hopes of understanding what makes them tick. Our mission today is trying to …

Viral Solutions was recently featured in a special edition of CIOReview. This particular issue comprised a list of the “10 Most Promising Web Design …

Think back to a time when you received guidance from outside of yourself…

Human interaction has plummeted over the years. Face-to-face contact has been replaced by pixelated conversations behind computer monitors and 6-inch …

Facebook is becoming more saturated with ads, which means they are more expensive to run and they are getting less engagement.

Or are they?

Yes, they are, BUT no, they don’t have to be. There’s always a way to beat out …

We see you…

You know you need to bring value to your customers by giving them the latest and greatest. At the same time, you strive to keep things running efficiently internally while leveraging your strengths.

The truth is, your …

Whether you have a website designed only for prospective buyers to find you online and direct them to your brick-and-mortar store, or you possess a …

You don’t need a shiny new stat or a 10-page report to tell you that mobile usage is exploding.

Just watch the pedestrians walking down a busy sidewalk, coffee in one hand and phone in the other. Or people sitting on a …

You’ve optimized your web pages and posts for SEO. You’ve properly placed your keywords, improved your site structure, and ensured the readability of your content.

So, why isn’t your site ranking on page 1 yet for your …

SEO can seem like an enigma these days, and it’s difficult to keep up with the $64,000 question: How does SEO work?

But make no mistake, you can’t …

Marriage? Unpredictable.
Health? Unpredictable.
Kids? Unpredictable.
Business revenue? Unfortunately, still unpredictable.

Whether you like it or not, few things in life can be predicted. This is especially true with …

An ongoing debate exists in the marketing industry that begs the following question: Is it more important to devise a marketing strategy or to …

If you’ve ever attended a truly great conference, you know how easy it is to get swept up in the magic of it all.

Connecting with like-minded people …

“You know it’s all about the content, ‘bout the content, ‘bout the content.”

Did you read that to the tune of “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor? If not, go back and read it (or sing it) again… because that’s the …

There is no way around it: To have a highly successful business, you need very dynamic salespeople.

But what exactly are the characteristics of a …

You just launched a new product that you invested a lot of time and monetary resources into creating.

A total of 5 emails, 10 ads, and 3 promos …

360-degree anything is pretty much always a good thing. It signifies a complete picture, a unified solution, an all-encompassing result. In terms of …

Social media. Email. Google ads. SEO. Content marketing. PR. Direct mail. Lead nurturing. Traditional advertising. Webinars and seminars. Apps. …

When a company takes a step back, it can sometimes be a huge step forward. That’s what happened on January 29, 2019, when Infusionsoft announced they are offering a new, much more basic product.

But let’s take a step …

In Part 1 of our series on the psychology of B2B sales, we discussed the importance of understanding how B2B …

If your company is in the B2B sphere, you may believe that marketing on social media is not for you.

You are not alone in your thinking. This article …

If you are in the business of selling your product or service to other businesses—business to business sales (B2B)—understanding the behavior of your website visitors is one of the most crucial aspects of your sales …

We’ve said it before, but it’s a message that bears repeating: Company branding is important for all businesses, regardless of size or industry.

It offers you the chance to communicate the values and characteristics …

It’s the start of a brand new year, so by now you should have your marketing strategy planned out and ready to fire for the next 12 months.

Is your …

If there is one thing all small business owners can agree on, it is this: The internet is drastically changing the way we do business.

If your small business caters to other business owners—what is known as B2B …

In Part 1 and Part 2 of our series Bridging the Gap Between Offline and Online Sales to Accelerate Your Business, we discussed the difference between …

In Part 1 of this article, we outlined 7 digital marketing trends that will help you stand out in 2019. In Part 2, we are offering 5 more tactics, …

The ultimate key to marketing is making sure you aren’t falling into a comfort zone. As soon as you get comfortable with the digital marketing …

We’ve been on a pretty wild (and in-depth) journey recently. We gave you a crash course on the marketing principles that have guided the world’s most …

Do you want your brand (and not your competition’s) to be at the forefront of your customers’ minds?

If you aren’t segmenting, targeting, and positioning yourself, you will never be able to convince your target to buy …

It’s you vs. your biggest competitor in a fierce battle to win over your customers’ minds. Your weapon is your positioning sword, and whoever has the …

In a recent article, we provided 10 online real estate marketing ideas that have been proven to bring in more leads and loyal followers. In this …

As a real estate professional, you want to move properties quickly, but standing out online in the real estate market isn’t easy. Plus, with digital marketing changing with the speed of light, it’s hard to know what …

As a business owner, if someone were to ask you what your biggest challenge is when it comes to sales and marketing, what would your answer be?

When …

Have you ever met a raving fan? Maybe you are one yourself.

You know—a person who is so gung ho about a sports team that they can’t stop talking about them. They go to every home game, and they buy all of the team’s …

If someone approached you asking about the difference between online and offline sales, what kind of answer would you give? How would you explain the …

It’s fair to say that the majority of successful, sales-focused professionals have 2 important things in common:

1. Their thirst for knowledge
2. Their …

These days, it can be tough to keep up with your Facebook Pages. After all, there’s a lot going on, and it can be cumbersome to try to keep tabs on what content is performing the best. This is especially true if you …

It’s the holiday season and you forgot to wear your stretchy pants to dinner. The mental debate begins. Is the I’m-not-hungry-but-I-want-it piece of …

It’s hard to keep up with the ever-changing stream of technological advances in business.

If you added up all the marketing technology software and …

Are you feeling overloaded by all the different marketing tools your company is using?

Do you feel like it’s turned into too much of a good thing?

Most …

You launched your products and you researched your target audience. This means you are ready to market, right?

Not necessarily.

Are you planning on sending the same ad, the same emails, and the same communication to …

Are you market oriented?

If so, you are in a good position to grow. Companies that are more market oriented enjoy higher profitability, superior sales growth, customer retention, and new product success.

What happens if …

The concept of a 360 degree marketing plan refers to a marketing campaign that reaches customers at all possible points of contact. Successfully …

Are you market oriented?

If so, you are in a good position to grow. Companies that are more market orientedenjoy higher profitability, superior sales growth, customer retention, and new product success.

What happens if …

If I asked you which one of the 2 CEOs below has a better chance of reaching target customers successfully and selling more product, which person …

What if we told you that you had only 24 hours to get 100 product sales or else we would bankrupt your business and take you for everything you’ve …

Ever get run over while making a mad dash for the last deeply discounted video game your son had to have for Christmas?

If so, it likely happened on Black Friday, the biggest flash sale day of the year.

Flash sales cause …

Think back to when you used to go grocery shopping with your mom…

Here’s a question you may not ask yourself every day…

Lead campaigns without nurturing are a lot like faulty pool floats.

A lot of effort goes into blowing them up, yet a few small pinholes will have you …

Last month, it was reported that ad spend on Instagram jumped 177% during the second quarter of 2018.

This is significantly higher than the increase in ad spend for its parent company, Facebook, which only saw a 40% …

At Viral Solutions, we’re proud to offer a wide range of SEO and PPC services to all our clients in Wisconsin and nearby areas. These areas, as part …

Last month, it was reported that ad spend on Instagram jumped 177% during the second quarter of 2018.

This is significantly higher than the increase in ad spend for its parent company, Facebook, which only saw a 40% …

At Viral Solutions, we’re proud to offer a wide range of SEO and PPC services to all our clients in Wisconsin and nearby areas. These areas, as part …

In today’s world of endless information and millions of ways to get it, you need to have a strategy. Content marketing is such an essential and …

Lead campaigns without nurturing are a lot like faulty pool floats.

A lot of effort goes into blowing them up, yet a few small pinholes will have you …

Hiring the wrong people will severely limit the potential of your business, especially if your team is on the smaller side. In fact, it’s not inaccurate to say that the success of your business hinges just as much on …

When you’re just getting started with your small business, you most likely don’t have a whole lot of money to throw around. This means that it’s …

Mobile applications are becoming the dominant source for digital interaction. App usage comprises 52 percent of digital media engagement, and four out of five minutes spent on a smartphone are spent using apps.

With the …

Just because you’re a small business on a limited budget doesn’t mean you have to look like one.

There are plenty of ways that you can make your small business look and feel big so that you can impress potential …

If you are able to make genuine connections with your employees or coworkers, you’ll find you’ll be better able to overcome challenges as a team and grow both as an individual and as a company. Of course, making …

When you spend your life in the business world, you’re going to occasionally encounter some criticism from your customers. It’s understandable that you want to avoid criticism as much as possible, as nobody wants to …

When you’re the leader of a small business, respect is difficult to gain and easy to lose. Even if you think that you’re doing a great job of …

One of the best ways to get the word out about your business and to increase the effectiveness of your overall web marketing campaign is to engage in content marketing. This refers to the creation of original content …

It’s basically common sense: happy employees make for a better company. While you can’t exactly force anyone to be happy with their work, there are definitely some steps that you can take as a leader to ensure that …

If you are in the business of mentoring or counseling other individuals or organizations, whether it’s for marketing, IT or otherwise, you might have occasional issues with keeping your clients accountable. It’s a …

One of the most thrilling aspects of starting a new business is the idea of venturing out into uncharted territory and taking risks that may or may not pay off. It’s a scary yet exhilarating period of time for many …

As a business owner, it’s extremely important to establish some credibility with your targets as it means your message you put out with your brand will be much more reliable and persuasive. Your credibility will give …

While it’s always important to engage in marketing through a wide variety of channels, there will never be another form of marketing more powerful …

One of the best ways to ensure that your employees are motivated and producing great results for your business is to give them a sense of …

Sometimes how productive you are individually and as a company is affected by more than just the people you have working there, or the kinds of motivation you use as a leader to spur on your team. You might be surprised …

As the owner of a small business, it’s important to understand what it is about your products, services or processes that makes customers want to choose you. This is referred to as your competitive advantage. When you …

As a new entrepreneur and the owner of your small business, it’s completely understandable that you still have some element of a fear of failure. You may have taken the initial plunge by actually getting the business …

If you can count on anything in the business world, it’s that nothing will ever stay the same for very long. This is one of the biggest challenges you’ll have to face as a business owner; if your business environment is …

One of the most common ways that business owners lose their passion for their work is by getting sucked into a variety of bad habits that really inhibit the types of success they can achieve. You might not even realize …

The biggest successes in business often start as one small spark of creativity. But sometimes it’s easy for us to get bogged down by the mundane, day-to-day details of our work, and we don’t get the time to step back, …

Anyone who has engaged in any form of internet marketing knows how big it can be for a video, article, image or other type of content to “go viral.” It’s a big example of the snowball effect; as one person shares your …

As you’ve no doubt heard many times before, failure is inevitable in the business world. The truly great leaders are the ones who are able to pick …

If you’re not careful, email can quickly turn into a huge time suck that saps a lot of your energy and productivity. One study indicates that reading …

Have you ever noticed that some people have a knack for conversation? They know just what to say and when to say it. They know when to be quiet and let others talk. They ask the right questions, and they’re generally …

It’s certainly important in the business world to be a good talker, but one could argue that it’s far more important in business (and in life) to be …

Adding social media links to your email signature file is a fantastic way to remind your contacts to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other social network of your choice. While you …

At this point, it’s a pretty widely accepted fact that if you’re not using social media in your marketing efforts, you’re well behind in the world of advertising. Creating a community through these social networks is …

If you hope to have success as an entrepreneur, you’ll need to be able to consistently come up with new ideas or new spins on old ideas to keep your …

Snapchat offers a unique opportunity to connect through brief, relatable encounters that can help forge an emotional connection between customers and your brand.

While some social media is used to convey important …

Many of us have had an existential crisis over our purpose at some point in our lives. One day, you might have a sudden epiphany that you don’t like …

Chances are that when you’ve been in business for long enough, you’ve seen at least a couple great leaders suddenly lose all of their momentum, and their once-promising project takes some gigantic leaps backward. …

The brainstorming process is really an amazing thing. We sit down, spend some time racking our brains to come up with a truly unique and exciting …

Latest episode of Viral Solutions -- Your Personal Chief Marketing Officer -- Digital Marketing and Business Strategy

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the endless to-do lists, activities, and of the other crazy thoughts that are running in your mind? Do you have the, I “have to” do this, syndrome with your daily activities. Only to …

Perhaps your social media newsfeed is flowing with #NationalPancakeDay updates. Last night might have been breakfast for dinner kind of night to …

Grow Your Customers, Build Your Business: 4 Strategic Seeds to Grow Your Clients’ Garden

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an …

Over 80% of 300 small business owners surveyed in the 4th Annual Staples National Small Business Survey identified that they don’t keep track of their business goals (Vander Bos, 2010). Moreover, 77% have not achieved …

Get over your bad day by surrounding yourself with what is more important.

The reality of a bad day is that, even though you may work alone, you’re not alone. Your bad day only gets worse as it impacts those you serve. …

Did you know that Twitter has an analytics tools? It’s not on by default. You’ll need to first get access by implementing Twitter Cards. Once …

Getting fundraisers off the ground is an important step for entrepreneurs with brand new business ventures. However, given that many new …

Ever feel as though you’ve run out of ideas on Facebook? It may feel that way, especially if you’ve been doing it for a while. However, there’s always something to talk about! Keep your Facebook page fresh by using …

The founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, recently made headlines when he basically said: “If you’re poor at 35, you deserve it.”

That’s a pretty inflammatory statement, but beneath that statement he actually had a lot of good …

A new study by SAP shows that one of the biggest concerns of employees everywhere is becoming obsolete or having their position somehow changed. …

By now, most people understand the kinds of benefits that an effective social media marketing campaign can have for their company. They also have an …

One thing you’ve likely noticed about some of your more successful friends or colleagues is that they tend to be the kind of people who accomplish a …

It’s always a good idea to optimize your blog for search engines and to try to get links from other sites and through social media, but what’s really …

So you’ve put together a network of people that know about and maybe even have worked with/shopped with your business. Great! But how can you start getting more referrals out of people who are already in your network so …

As a new entrepreneur and the owner of your small business, it’s completely understandable that you still have some element of a fear of failure. You may have taken the initial plunge by actually getting the business …

One of the best ways to find loyal customers in the early stages of your company is to successfully tap into a niche market. Too many small …

It’s important for business leaders to keep up with the ever-evolving world of Google’s AdWords. It’s one of the major platforms that any business …

Many of us have had an existential crisis over our purpose at some point in our lives. One day, you might have a sudden epiphany that you don’t like …

One of the most common mistakes that leaders make within a business is surrounding themselves with “yes men,” people who agree with everything they say simply because they’re in a position of authority. What you really …

In February, Google and Twitter reached an agreement that would give Google complete access to Twitter’s stream of posts. While the details were not …

In this part of our Google AdWords series, we continue looking at some of the most common and problematic mistakes people make when using AdWords. Too many entrepreneurs do not understand what they are doing wrong when …

Today in our fifth and final installment of our series about the most common Google AdWords mistakes and how to avoid and/or resolve them, we focus …

Google AdWords is one of the most crucial tools for small business owners to optimize their digital marketing. However, many entrepreneurs jump into …

Last week, we began a series discussing some of the most commonly made mistakes by entrepreneurs who use Google AdWords. Each of the mistakes we will discuss throughout this series is both surprisingly common and …

Once you’ve got your small business established, it’s good to get the word out through as many avenues as possible. However, it’s not as simple as sending off a few email blasts to news outlets and waiting for them to …

It can be a tough sell to get great, qualified employees to jump aboard a small company that is still in its start-up phase. You don’t have as much money to offer as other larger companies, or the same types of perks …

What is the reason you work? Is it for the money? If you really ponder that question, the answer is “no.” None of us are working for money — we’re really working to buy ourselves time, which is what money allows us. …

As search engines become more sophisticated their algorithms are prioritizing quality content, forcing site managers to keep up with SEO. The good news is these changes are focused less on complex algorithms, and more …

Have you ever felt like you aren’t qualified or capable of running a successful business? Throughout my career I’ve seen so many business owners that …

Feedback is crucial for helping employees grow, but simply mentioning the word can make some people defensive. Feedback is often confused with criticism, causing employees to tune out advice and potentially straining …

Helping overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves so doing business is fun again is the daily duty of all the staff at Viral Solutions. …

Facebook has been at the forefront of marketing innovation for quite a while now, and a new advertising technology it’s been working on has been …

Mobile search just got a little easier for a few hundred Bay Area residents selected to test Facebook’s new intelligent personal assistant, M.

Much like Siri and similar virtual assistants, Facebook M helps users answer …

First, it is important to refresh our understanding of leadership and the styles that form around those definitions.

A leader is a person who …

Failure is a process and a key component in our ability to learn, it is a key element as well in our ability to build a sustainable business and an element of a great beginning every time it happens. Learning from …

In business, negotiation is about the give and take process where two parties are seeking common ground in order to reach an agreement or to settle a mutual concern. Negotiation in business takes pace in banking (lines …

The most important subject you can study is sales. However, many of the smartest small business owners and startups avoid learning it, and some of …

Marketing your list can be a push of a button today. However, it shouldn’t be! You know you need to segment your list by interest and numerous …

While many people in the business world tend to spend too much time on email, there are certain types of messages that you should never cut out of …

Typically, you’re only competing against yourself. But not when it comes to email marketing. Then it’s crucial to meet specific Email Marketing Benchmarks. It’s the only way you’ll know if the tactics you’re currently …

You invest a lot of time and money into creating quality content – that’s why you’re reading this, and it’s why we wrote it. Here’s what typically happens: write a stellar blog post, it’s featured on the first page of …

People who are neck deep in the e-commerce game know the struggle. Managing customer information, keeping inventories up to date, tracking sales, shipping packages… this list seems endless.

And that’s just with a single …

For better or for worse, what your customers say about you online could wind up having a really big impact on the way that people see your business. …

I recently read an article on LinkedIn that suggested it may be time for businesses to step back from Facebook and focus their marketing endeavors …

From the time we’re kids, we have the importance of first impressions hammered into our brains. And it’s definitely true that first impressions are extremely important, especially in the business world. However, when …

One of the first things people are taught when entering the business world is that the customer is always right. But this is definitely not true. In …

Do you feel like your workday is out of control before it even begins? If you spend your days keeping up instead of getting ahead, bad time …

No doubt, wacky photos get plenty of likes, shares, and comments, making it tempting to post them on your social media pages. While silly pictures are great for engagement, they’re not necessarily relevant to your …

It’s probably no surprise that major platforms are changing the way they do things in 2017. Evolution is the name of the game for digital marketing.

…

Imagine that the success of your business hinged on you finding a small brown thread in a five-foot-high pile of dirt.

Strange scenario, yes, but that’s what it can feel like sorting through the large heap of marketing …

Wow! Next week CEO, Christine Kelly is going to the Traffic & Conversion Summit 2015 in San Diego, CA. In preparation for this amazing learning …

When it comes to dealing with difficult customers, when is it best to bite your tongue and when is it appropriate to tell a cantankerous client to …

The concept of a 360 degree marketing plan refers to a marketing campaign that reaches customers at all possible points of contact. Successfully …

While teaching, coaching, educating Infusionsoft users and subscribers, voluntarily four times per month in four different cities, I have come to …

A marketing persona provides insight into your audience. They are used to make demographic information more “real.” Marketing persona’s personify your customers, making it easier for you to speak their language and …

No doubt, images are popular on social media sites. In fact, two of the most popular sites, Instagram and Pinterest, are dedicated to image sharing. …

Social media tools make it easy for just about anyone to create a social media contest but not all contests are successful. The more engaging your …

If you run a small business page on Facebook and other social media sites, your “voice” and brand messaging is likely fairly consistent since you’re …

There are a lot of people who will tell you that it’s impossible to go into business with your spouse. It’ll ruin your relationship, they say. Well, I’ve tried this – no it didn’t work. Not because of the relationship, …

As a business owner, becoming an expert in conversion rate optimization (CRO) will surely give you a leg up over the rest of your competition. Unfortunately, most business owners or marketers simply don’t understand …

Keeping your business Facebook page filled with relevant, interesting content is essential in keeping your audience engaged. Most page owners use a mix of text-only, photo, video, and linked content status updates. Each …

We always are told that “honesty is the best policy,” and yet when it comes to the business world, we so often try to shy away from the truth in …

Everything in your business revolves around good communication. Whether it’s sales, marketing, customer service or finances, it’s important that …

You’ve probably heard the statistic before that approximately a third of all small businesses will go out of business within their first five years. Many times, that’s because they’ve poorly managed their finances. …

Today, smartphone and tablet users spend much more time using mobile apps than they do surfing the web on mobile browsers. It makes sense for your company to investigate the idea of creating a mobile app, if you have a …

The SMS/text messaging market hasn’t been explored by businesses nearly as much as other forms of mobile marketing. Therefore, it’s not particularly …

One of the most important steps to developing a mobile marketing campaign is to find quality leads. However, while every organization is likely to have different methods to find and categorize its leads, there are a few …

Businesses with an ecommerce focus often downplay the effectiveness of multichannel marketing by only using digital marketing channels. MultiChannel …

Paid channel marketing is on fire and cannot be ignored. The online marketing environment is now almost entirely paid-to-play. Unfortunately, many ecommerce businesses are too scared to take the plunge and do not view …

In this series we are discussing what this digital marketing agency, Viral Solutions, has witnessed over the years when it comes to mistakes made by …

The more successful your ecommerce website becomes, the more competition you create. That is a basic fact of business. Your recourse is to out think …

Ecommerce has become a $2.0 trillion dollar platform, with expectations for it to double in 2020. While digital commerce experiences massive growth …

Behavioral retargeting is a form of online targeted advertising by which online advertising is targeted to consumers based on their previous internet actions. Remarketing helps you reach people who have visited your …

Hopefully by now you’ve researched your customer from a demographic basis and created your ultimate buyer persona. Afterall, creating a buyer persona …

It has been well reported, here and on numerous digital marketing blogs, that content is one of the many keys to drawing an audience into your brand. …

Click and Mortar firms face a managerial challenge: falling prey to channel conflicts. Many marketing pundits have long recognized these conflicts occurring when a product can take several paths to get to the consumer. …

Whether you’re launching your business’s website for the first time or you’re completing a major overhaul, it’s important that you do your due …

Entrepreneurs are a unique brand of person. After all, it takes a certain amount of courage and ingenuity to start up your own business. But it takes …

Jim Rohn, Author & Entrepreneur, stated “without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.” Urgency by definition is “importance requiring …

Among the various certification courses available through Digital Marketer is Content Marketing Mastery, which allows you to become a certified content marketing specialist. You’ll learn how to drive quality traffic …

Everyone loves to be recognized. After all, it’s fun to be in the spotlight for a few minutes. Businesses have long celebrated their customers by …

We live in a culture that thrives on being busy. In fact, you’ll often hear people brag about just how busy they are every day. But it’s important to …

Creating authentic business relationships that matter, are rarely fostered from within the bounds of social media. The kind of business relationships that morph into personal friendships, growth as a human being, and – …

Many of the world’s most successful businesses were founded by young men and women with barely any “real world” experience. So if you’re a student or …

Business professionals use social media in several important ways including lead generation, customer engagement, and professional networking. …

Some industries are much better suited to fun and creative marketing than others, featuring content that’s easy to share. Building backlinks is important for driving online traffic but can be hard in an industry with a …

Need some help with building – or just re-awakening your confidence? A great way to start is by keeping a confidence diary. You’re good at what you do. You know it. Sometimes in this world of “NO” it’s an easy thing to …

Welcome back to our Viral Solutions series on creating authority content. Last week we discussed how to develop high-quality original content as a …

Online reviews have become increasingly popular – and important – in recent years. In fact, most Internet users regularly read and use online …

Today as we wrap up our seven-week branding series, we are going to focus not on specific branding strategies, but one of the biggest reasons why it has become so important to put all of the information we have …

Last week in our Viral Solutions branding series we discussed how you can research your target audience to get a better idea of the kind of brand …

Throughout our branding series so far, we have spent the bulk of our time focusing on how small businesses can build up a brand on a company-wide …

Many small business owners or people new to the ideas of marketing and branding use the two words interchangeably. This is a common mistake, but branding and marketing are actually two quite different tasks, each of …

Welcome back to our Viral Solutions series on branding. We now have a good understanding of what branding is and how to begin defining your own …

Today we are going to diverge a bit from the practical advice we have been providing to discuss how you can tell if the branding advice you are …

Launching your business is an exciting time, but it’s important to keep perspective on what’s important in the early phases of your business. While you need to get the word out about your new company, remember that your …

Google is responding to critics who have said the search engine giant has inadvertently promoted terrorist organizations and pornographic websites. In an effort to make their metrics more transparent and accurate, …

Search engine optimization is just as important for mobile devices as it is for desktop users. After all, the amount of people using mobile devices to perform web searches has skyrocketed in the past few years, and …

Once considered “new media,” social media has been around for over a decade. In fact, Facebook recently turned 10. No longer “new,” social media marketing appears to be here to stay. After all, users continue to flock …

More small businesses are starting to use live chat features on their website to provide additional levels of customer service to everyone who visits their website. But how exactly does having a live chat feature help …

Small business owners understand the value of good employees—after all, they’re hard to find. But keeping those employees around is not just a matter of making sure they get paid when they’re supposed to. Employees may …

Your digital presence has evolved over time.

You’re happy with some of it, but there are many things that need attention… when you get to them.

It’s …

Here’s the truth: Content marketing leaders experience eight times as much traffic as non-leaders. Think about what you could do with all those new …

When you’re attempting to make a sale with your customers, there are certain things you just don’t say, and certain questions that you just don’t ask. For example, any questions that ask put some sort of pressure on the …

So far in our series about authority content marketing, we have talked about what authority content is, how to develop high-quality content, and how to use a robust content curation strategy to enhance your authority. …

So far in our authority content series, we have discussed what authority content is, how to create great content, how to leverage a smart content curation strategy to build authority and how to make connections on …

Throughout my entire career, I’ve seen over and over again that the most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who truly believe that anything is …

Did you know that you can follow entire lists dedicated to a specific topic on Facebook? Did you know that you could create your own interest list …

Chances are you’ve at some point been told “you can’t please everyone.” Of course, as an entrepreneur it’s in your very nature to try to do so …

There’s been a lot of debate recently about how much money is too much to burn when you’re in the startup phase. There’s not really an easy answer to this – it depends entirely on the kinds of funds you have available …

It’s a universal online experience: you click on an article that piqued your interest, only to find out exactly how loud your speakers are when a video ad – mysteriously hidden somewhere on the page – starts to blare an …

Want to learn how to make smarter business decisions? Then you’re going to need to learn how to better analyze your business analytics and digital …

While Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter tend to dominate the social media scene, other social networks beckon. Below are a few alternative social media …

Whether developing a new service offering, crafting a sales letter, writing an “about us” page, or communicating with customers on social media sites, understanding your target audience’s pain points is essential to …

In the traditional business economy, metrics management helps to propel an organization from simply recording agreed upon performance metrics to using said information to drive action plans for the organization by key …

Despite many people predicting the demise of QR codes over the past several years, they have stuck around as a viable option for companies looking to beef up their mobile marketing campaigns. These codes, which sort of …

Twitter’s search tool is a fantastic way to find mentions of your company, products, brand, competition, and other insights. For example, if you run …

As mentioned last week, Viral Solutions Queen Bee Christine Kelly and Chief Elephant Slayer Thomas von Ahn are attending the sold out 2015 Traffic …

You only live once, so any time that you are down just asking yourself in 10 or 20 years time – will what I am worried about really matter?

The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and research team at INSEAD have concluded that 15 minutes of mindfulness meditation …

That’s right. You read the title correct. What’s funny is that if you clicked on it, you’re probably already feeling that it’s time to make the move. Yes, the move. You know, the one that you’ve been orchestrating in …

Following is a checklist of most of the important things to consider when starting up a business and structuring it properly. Keep in mind that the …

Those of you who know me, know that I am actively involved in the rescue and rehoming homeless and abused German Shepherds with Front Range German …

New York Times Bestselling author of Focus, Daniel Goleman, breaks focus down into 3 categories: inner, other, and outer. Inner focus is our level of …

Take a moment and reflect on where you are today in your life. Are you happy, dissatisfied, or fearful to even really reflect on where you are today? …

When used correctly, LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools for business networking that you’ll find on the web. When you are proactive with the …

Apple Founder, Steve Jobs stated, “It [what you choose to do] has got to be something that you’re passionate about because otherwise you won’t have the perseverance to see it through..” What is your passion? Does …

If you’re just getting started with the early phases of planning out your new startup company, you’re probably a bit overwhelmed with all of the potential responsibilities and tasks that you have in store for you. While …

Today, we’re going to briefly run through an easy to apply process of creating, starting, and monitoring a market research project. This process can be broken into five steps.

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” It’s almost a cliché at this point, and yet it’s so true, even in the business world. When you’re enjoying your work and having fun running your business, it almost seems like there …

Here are some of the habits that you’ll find are common in many of the world’s best problem solvers:

Telecommuting and remote offices have provided abundant opportunities for solo entrepreneurs, executives, and management professionals. The …

Your self-sabotaging fear is an indicator. It is a belief that is signaling to your body that whatever action or inaction will cause pain. Whether that be your fear to change careers, to start over, or to start your own …

Latest episode of Viral Solutions -- Your Personal Chief Marketing Officer -- Digital Marketing and Business Strategy

Have you ever felt like doing nothing when there is so many things that actually need to get done? Have you ever froze at the thought of starting a project or just doing something totally not relevant to what you need …

Your customers are your business. It can be your worst customers, mix of customers, or your very best customers. Knowing the what and why factors of your best customers helps you to segment, target, and position your …

“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt” –Honore de Balzac. Take a moment and let that quote sink in…We’ve all felt anxiety, stress, and doubt. Perhaps, to an extreme point where we reluctantly passed …

Entire books have been written on social media strategies, and social media classes are abundant. Indeed, social media is a complicated marketing method with much to master. While you’re learning the ins and outs of …

So what are some ways that your brand can boost the effectiveness of its mobile marketing campaign to take advantage of this constantly increasing trend? Here are some tips:

Are you a proactive marketer prowess or non-active, don’t really know your market, customers, or even your own specialization, differentiation, and unique selling position kind of dude? The difference between the two is …

The root of all positives and negatives that shapes your online awareness strategy. Influence simply is getting someone to think about something in …

The biggest WordPress update ever made is coming, and it will affect every theme, almost every plugin, and every user. It’s called WordPress 5.0, or …

We’re at the time of year where a lot of companies are beginning to head to local colleges to begin recruiting new graduates. Young new employees can …

A marketing technology stack is a group of technologies that help marketers improve their marketing efforts, bring more ease into the process, …

The biggest WordPress update ever made is coming, and it will affect every theme, almost every plugin, and every user. It’s called WordPress 5.0, or Gutenberg. Let’s cut to the chase because we know you’re all wondering …

Retargeting, also commonly referred to as remarketing, allows advertisers to show ads to people who have already engaged with them in some way online.

You can utilize a smaller audience to build links and leverage connections by following these tips.

Brands that properly use images in their social media marketing will find they get a lot more engagement out of posts containing them.

Never lose contact information again and stop collecting business cards. Capture first name, last name, phone, email, company, address and notes …

The effects of ad blockers are twofold. Websites that feature ads do not receive payment for ads that users don’t see. Some websites ask to please …

Whether you’re a C-suite exec, a project leader or a freelance leader of one, being a leader means adopting a different mindset and skill-set. Work …

Sadly, this topic is what truly separates the successful from those who struggle. We all have great ideas and some even have a plan to launch or …

Google AdWords is one of the most crucial tools for small business owners to optimize their digital marketing. However, many entrepreneurs jump into, …

Recent reports show Americans are relying on smartphones more than ever before. It’s hardly surprising given the dizzying arrange of tasks these pocket computers can perform. However, conversion rates for mobile users …

You must determine what causes that fake person to make real decisions, to take action. What criteria do they use? What defines and determines their …

If there’s one thing we know about SEO, it’s that it’s always changing. Those keyword-rich blogs and websites became ancient history when Google …

Here are five steps to building a social media presence that helps you establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

How can businesses build trust? Has the shift to e-commerce platforms changed the way the consumer views the company they do business with? If the consumer does not trust the business leadership, who do they trust?

As content marketing continues to grow as a method to fill your web site with your thoughts, opinions and beliefs it is still an area most eCommerce sites fail to plan for. Meaning, just as we mentioned in the article …

Even if you make content marketing a priority at your company, you’re going find it difficult to create enough content quickly enough to meet all of …

Technology has certainly made some tasks easier. This is especially true when it comes to marketing.

But technology has also made business and life, …

Poor value propositions are one of the most common shortcomings of many eCommerce websites. The less your company is known, the smaller your website traffic is, the better your value proposition needs to be.

One of the best ways to build authority is by getting recognition from the right types of sources. Leveraging the recognition you earn is an outstanding way to firmly position yourself as an online authority.

Last week, we began a series discussing some of the most commonly made mistakes by entrepreneurs who use Google AdWords. Each of the mistakes we will discuss throughout this series is both surprisingly common and …

Paid channel marketing is on fire and cannot be ignored. The online marketing environment is now almost entirely paid-to-play. Unfortunately, many eCommerce businesses are too scared to take the plunge and do not view …

Most business owners have an SEO strategy. The common mistake eCommerce businesses make is not understanding their competitors SEO strategy.

Many eCommerce websites use Facebook Advertising and Google AdWords to drive traffic for lead generation and commerce. This marketing tactic has an immediate positive effect on site traffic and can boost on-page time …

What can you control when it comes to an eCommerce site? You can focus on the most common mistakes businesses make with their eCommerce web site. In …

To grow your business in a sustainable fashion you must solve key problems on your success journey. The point of the Phases of Small Business Success …

Influencer marketing works and this new data just reinforces it. This method allows for a brand to connect with its audience in an organic way (aka almost free).

With so many people constantly using social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more, SMO has become a cornerstone of successful digital …

As we begin a new series about branding your business, it is important we begin by clearing the air about the confusion between the terms “branding” and “marketing,” and what the primary differences are.

In this article we focus on the first steps of any SMO (social media optimization) campaign — getting your social media profiles set up for success.

The ultimate goal of social media optimization (SMO) is creating more visibility for your brand and turning your new followers into new customers. In …

Today in our fifth and final installment of our series about the most common Google AdWords mistakes and how to avoid and/or resolve them, we focus …

In this part of our Google AdWords series, we continue looking at some of the most common and problematic mistakes people make when using AdWords. Too many entrepreneurs do not understand what they are doing wrong when …

One of the primary goals of social media optimization (SMO) is creating greater visibility for your brand through your social media platforms. There …

As a business owner, becoming an expert in conversion rate optimization (CRO) will surely give you a leg up over the rest of your competition. Unfortunately, most business owners or marketers simply don’t understand …

Marketing strategy must supersede marketing tactics. Marketing strategy does not need to be complicated. Marketing tactics without marketing strategy is the noise before defeat!

You could have the greatest business model ever, but if you can't get anyone to buy what you offer, that's a problem. It could be that there isn't a …

MailChimp has analyzed its 15 million users and found click rates and conversion rates for a variety of industry types and sizes. Typically, B2B companies have a slightly higher click rate and conversion rate than B2Cs. …

When you bring in a consultant to work with your company, you need to be sure you are actually getting advice that benefits you and your business. …

How can you be sure the branding strategy you have developed will actually help your business achieve its goals? Here are a few elements that are characteristic of a strong branding strategy.

The idea behind DSAs (Dynamic Search Ads) is that they fill in the gaps where your keywords might not have covered. This can save advertisers time by allowing them not to fill in every keyword possibility.

With the flurry of updates and conversions, it’s difficult to know which digital marketing changes are important and which you don’t have to worry …

Here’s the truth: Content marketing leaders experience eight times as much traffic as non-leaders. Think about what you could do with all those new …

Throughout our branding series so far, we have spent the bulk of our time focusing on how small businesses can build up a brand on a company-wide …

Many of the metrics we will discuss here are not reportable to most marketing automation systems. However, it is is important to understand how your sending domain is ranked and analyzed by the recipient and that is the …

Today we kick off a new article series about current marketing trends dominating the industry in 2017, focusing on one trend per week. This week we focus on the importance and use of influencers in a company’s marketing …

According to the most recent CMO Survey from Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, CMOs this year expect to allocate a significantly larger …

Over the last several years, video marketing has evolved into one of the most important marketing strategies a company can use online. It is …

Many marketers argue that these Four Cs are much more valuable than the Four Ps. But what exactly do they mean?

Failure is a process and a key component in our ability to learn, it is a key element as well in our ability to build a sustainable business and an element of a great beginning every time it happens. Learning from …

In this week’s edition of our Marketing Trends Series, we are taking a look at a form of advertising that has rapidly grown over the last several years: native advertising. Content marketers are migrating and …

Effective use of negotiation in business is a core leadership skill. However, some believe that effective negotiators in business are adversarial and hostile. Those who believe that tell you to just say yes to a deal …

Multichannel marketing enables the customer to choose the method of engagement rather than the marketer. Consumer choice is a beautiful thing!

If lead generation is important to your business, you can’t ignore landing pages, or worse yet – throw them together without split testing relevant components, design elements, verbiage and different version for …

What Is Voice Search and How Can You Use It to Get More Traffic and Sales? Voice search is a type of technology that allows mobile users to search …

A well-thought-out marketing strategy can do what property sellers once thought was an impossible task—selling out a luxury high-rise condo. With the right help, you can begin targeting prospects, getting interest, …

People who are neck deep in the e-commerce game know the struggle. Managing customer information, keeping inventories up to date, tracking sales, shipping packages… this list seems endless. And that’s just with a single …

According to the 2017 B2B Millennials Report by Merit, Inc, which surveyed 2000 employed millennials across the U.S., 73% of millennials are involved …

One way to assess which direction to go with your marketing is to take a look at your competitors and the top marketing spenders in your industry. What are CMOs of top companies throwing their marketing budgets at? …

As we all know, the way business is conducted has changed over the years. Well, so has marketing for chief marketing officers (CMOs). In this article, we are going to discuss the areas of responsibility that require the …

When it comes to topics that make people skittish, growing/keeping your church donation base is at the top of the list. There’s an unwritten and unspoken expectation that faith-based organizations perform their duties …

You’ve glanced at your social media insights from time to time. You’ve set up your Google Analytics account, and you’ve linked it to Google Search …

It was all about the secret sauce to crafting the offer. The secret? Sequence. This fact may come as a surprise to you, but the actual offer is the …

Day 1 of the Offer Creation Mastery course presented by none other than Perry Belcher was mind-blowing and entertaining at the same time. And we haven’t even started writing yet!

Perry discussed some major concepts that …

4 SEO Keyword Research Tips That Will Make Your Life Easier

Keyword research can feel confusing and overwhelming, especially since it’s always …

You have 15 seconds to answer this question…

In case you haven’t noticed, your mother’s favorite retailer has changed over the past decade.

Might have even met the wrecking ball.

At the very least, the teenagers do not hang out at the mall.

Can you imagine making the …

Marketing in 2018 is all about demonstrating that your clients can trust you are the best choice for them. In order to do that, you need to prove …

SEO is no longer about putting the right keyword in the right place. Now, it’s really all about content marketing.

Google expects its top rankers to …

We get it. You invested a ton of heart and soul into your brick-and-mortar store and probably some good ol’ fashioned blood, sweat, and cash as well.

…

Candor Is In, and “old-school professionalism” Is Out
“Professionalism” is a completely different concept today than it was 10 years ago. These days, …

Your church online community is probably one of the most important parts of your ministry. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about millennials, it’s …

Customer data management is tough these days. It’s complicated, and operational silos are an issue, making it harder and harder for businesses to gain a comprehensive, single view of their customers.

But having a single …

It’s exhausting and scary to constantly worry about how and where you are going to find new customers to expand your business.

It’s a continuous high/low merry-go-round. One minute you are high after a new set of …

It’s hard to imagine business without social media, even though it’s only been a little more than 10 years since Facebook business pages became a thing.

Now, social media is part of everyday business. It’s a …

Have you ever said to yourself, “What did I get myself into?”

If you have been struggling to create a lead and sales-generating website that markets itself, you have likely asked this question (or yelled it) more than a …

Facebook is always in a mode of change, and probably the only thing you can count on with Facebook is that the rules will keep changing.

But, this is …

Technology has seemingly made our lives a lot more complicated—but, at the same time, it has made our lives much …

We get it. You invested a ton of heart and soul into your brick-and-mortar store and probably some good ol’ fashioned blood, sweat, and cash as well.

Here’s a question that frightens even the most faithful and passionate church leader: Why do churches close? The reason church leaders don’t want to …

SEO is no longer about putting the right keyword in the right place. Now, it’s really all about content marketing.

Google expects its top rankers to …

The Intensive Copy Workshop has come to a close in 110-degree Las Vegas, Nevada. But don’t worry, the great stuff learned in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. You are going to find out how to get your prospect committed to …

At Viral Solutions, we’re always working on improving our skills so we can better serve our customers. That’s why we sent the head of our content …

Check out this stat: Google receives over 63,000 searches per second every day. (You can view the searches pouring in live here.)

We all want a piece of those searches, right?

Every business wants to claim first page …

You have 15 seconds to answer this question…

When it comes to selling luxury real estate, your potential client wants to envision their beautiful furniture in the …

In case you haven’t noticed, your mother’s favorite retailer has changed over the past decade.

Might have even met the wrecking ball.

At the very least, the teenagers do not hang out at the mall.

Can you imagine making …

As we all know, the way business is conducted has changed over the years. Well, so has marketing for chief marketing officers (CMOs).

In this …

When it comes to topics that make people skittish, growing/keeping your church donation base is at the top of the list. There’s an unwritten and unspoken expectation that faith-based organizations perform their duties …

You’ve glanced at your social media insights from time to time.

You’ve set up your Google Analytics account, and you’ve linked it to Google Search …

Are you part of a new start-up and have said any of the following?

“I’ll start developing my marketing strategy when…

There are a number of digital marketing tools available today—so many, in fact, that it can be difficult to determine which ones are right for your …

Marketing is drastically different than it was two decades ago, or even one decade ago.

Heck, it’s different today than it was last year.

Traditional marketing is out, and digital marketing is in.

And as with anything …

Before you send out your next business email, consider the following: Most customers delete or ignore what they consider spam emails. How can you …

Email deliverability rates are impacted by following standard best practices. But adhering to such best practices and industry standards is often not …

People who are neck deep in the e-commerce game know the struggle. Managing customer information, keeping inventories up to date, tracking sales, shipping packages… this list seems endless.

And that’s just with a single …

Your digital presence has evolved over time.

You’re happy with some of it, but there are many things that need attention… when you get to them.

It’s …

Imagine that the success of your business hinged on you finding a small brown thread in a five-foot-high pile of dirt.

Strange scenario, yes, but that’s what it can feel like sorting through the large heap of marketing …

We’ll just come out and say it. The absolute best e-commerce plug-in is WooCommerce. I know you usually have to dig through paragraphs of exposition …

R.E.A.D.A.B.I.L.I.T.Y

It’s one of those strange words that sounds like your 5-year-old made it up by mistake But, it’s actually in the dictionary. …

Want more responses and incoming leads from your sales emails and letters? Then you need to answer the following questions your prospects will have …

How are your sales emails and letters performing? Is your phone blowing up with calls? Your email overrun with people vying to work with you?

If not, you are likely missing KEY elements that can take your conversions to …

There’s a problem with digital marketing that can be detrimental to your success. Even if the tactics you put in place a couple of years ago are paying off, you’ve got to consider this…

The most successful strategy entails defining a target market and then utilizing modern tactics to target, nurture, and ultimately sell to that …

Voice search is a type of technology that allows mobile users to search the internet without having to type in their queries.

Have you ever queried …

While teaching, coaching, educating Infusionsoft users and subscribers, voluntarily four times per month in four different cities, I have come to …

For many years, aspiring marketers were drilled in the Four Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. However, in recent years, marketing …

Have you ever clicked a link to a sales or landing page, only to navigate away several seconds later? One would think that given the importance of …