A lot of small businesses come to us with the question – “Company such-and-such has promised they can get our website to the first page of Google. Should we do it?” The answer is a little more complicated than yes or no, so I’d like to look at firstly what this actually means, and then give you some advice that might help in your decision making.
I am working with a client at the moment to help them determine their marketing budget. During the process I realised that many organisations, especially the smaller ones, have no idea how to determine their annual marketing spend.
Which is perfectly understandable – it is especially difficult for start-ups and newer businesses to figure out their spend because they don’t have the history of sales to help them – but as a business it is one of the most important decisions you will make.
We are often approached by clients who know they need a website but who know nothing about what this actually entails or what to expect from their web company. We’ve even had the occasional client come to us after being sold the world by a web company (and being…
There are a number of things I try to explain to both potential and existing clients whenever embarking on a new web project. The most common of these is the misconception around what a website should really cost. How much will my website cost? I promise you that if…
If you’re doing social marketing, or thinking about starting in the social space, it’s essential to know which platforms are best suited to your business. Where is your target market engaging and which social platforms are they using? This infographic from Talooma will give you a good overview of…
There are a lot of misconceptions floating around about social media. I often speak to clients who have some idea that they should be involved in the social space, but have certain ideas around the format that are quite simply wrong. I find myself counselling clients on the different aspects…
A lot of our clients come to us with the idea that they want to improve their interaction on their social platforms but they just don’t know how. So we tell them what we tell everyone: interesting content that will help their customers and potential customers in some way. But…
If you’ve never ventured into the world of digital advertising, it can be hard to know where to get started with Facebook ads. You’ve heard that they can be really successful, and relatively cheap, but what about all the technical stuff that you don’t understand? This great presentation from XPLAIN…
OMG – Online Marketing Guide is a series of presentations designed by Chocolate Shoebox to help you in your online marketing. These tips will help you get your marketing started! OMG – Tips for Kickstarting Your Online…
Many businesses like social media for brand promotion but won’t let their employees use it. There are definite risks involved in allowing employees to use social media, but since they are probably using it anyway some industries have chosen to use it to their advantage. Here is an interesting infographic on the stats of employees and social media.
The term hashtag has become a universally used word. But do you actually know what hashtagging means and how you can use it properly in your marketing?
Social Media Examiner has put out this really great article on how to make sure your hashtags are done properly.
Deal of the day websites are becoming extremely popular in South Africa and are opening up new brand awareness marketing opportunities for SA brands. More and more of our clients are asking about this option, so here are some of the essential points you should know when marketing with…
Content Is King! This infographic from www.blueglass.com highlights the growth and innovation in content marketing. “There’s no denying the rise of content marketing, and its emergence into the spotlight as a tactic that delivers results. While content marketing is nothing new, there are a variety of emerging mediums that…
Many businesses try to engage in social media but spend their time talking about their business rather than engaging with their community. They get poor results and can’t understand why their social media is ineffective.
There is one main point that these businesses have forgotten: social media is just that – social. It requires a certain etiquette and level of personality, just like any social situation in the real world.
I have a friend. This friend works at a fairly well-known South African digital publication in the sales department. The other day he told me that he had a small client who had spent R3500 on advertising in their weekly newsletter, and as with most of their clients, had just not seen any results.
I am one of those small business owners who has never bothered much with the traditional business processes. However, as the business has grown, I have started to find that the processes and business tools that business owners always talk about are becoming more and more necessary.
There are so many views around social media best practices that it can be hard to sift through the mess. How do you know that what you are doing in your social media is up to industry standards? Social Media Examiner has compiled a list of great social media…
Yesterday, the 19th of April 2012, Jain Mc Guigan from the Chocolate Shoebox team gave a presentation at the Intelligex Social Media Conference. She spoke on how to develop engaging content for social media, a question on a lot of people’s minds. Check out the presentation below.
