WordPress

We have talked about WordPress before, but it comes up so often that we needed to mention it again.  In the past month, we have had 5 companies hire us to help them create new web sites to replace their dated and static web sites.  (Before and after case studies will be on the web site in the coming months.  For now, visit the official WordPress Showcase.)  Our social media clients are doing this because they see and hear about how we use WordPress and professionally designed themes to create fantastic looking web sites without the equally fantastic price tag.  WordPress is a FREE content management system for creating web sites with a ton of functionality including Blogs, Image Galleries, Polls, SEO Optimization and more.

In an environment where a typical web design proposal weighs in at $5,000 as a starting point, a WordPress based site can be implemented for half that.  Another incredibly important benefit for using WordPress is that someone on your staff can easily update the content on your web site regularly with the built-in Content Management System. All without having to pay someone hourly fees to create a news article or updated staff profile.

Hello everyone.  This is Mic Johnson and I am contributing the post for our blog this week.  As we interact with clients, prospects, articles and blogs, the word “FEAR” keeps coming up when talking about the reluctance people and companies have as they figure out how, and when, they will engage in social media.

The question we keep asking is: What are you so afraid of?

Social media is a way to connect with people… customers, prospects, colleagues, old friends, new friends….in a way we’ve never been able to before. If done right, it’s the quickest way to develop a deeper connection with a person or brand. You learn more about a person or company and see if you are interested in taking your relationship to the next level….or finding a partner that better fits your needs.  Spend a few minutes on a profile, or fan page, or reading a blog…and soon after you understand a lot more about the person or company you are engaging with…at least as much as they are willing to share.

FourSquare

It seems like new social media applications spring up every day.  FourSquare is the newest application we have been using lately and there are some things we really like about it.  FourSquare is a location based social app that allows you to “check in” at locations you visit.  The grocery store, coffee shop, favorite restaurant or bar, you name it… you can check in there.  When you check in, you can see tips from other people that have visited this location, like what to order, ways to save money, etc.  The interesting twist on this application as compared to other location aware apps is the point system.  You get points for checking in, submitting new locations, etc. and along with those points come badges of accomplishment and you can become “Mayor” of a location if you are the most frequent visitor to that location.

HootSuite.com

We heard about HootSuite a few months ago from a good friend of ours, David Cacioppo, over at emfluence.  HootSuite is a status update aggregator.  What does that mean?  Let’s assume you have an account on LinkedIn, a Facebook Fan Page, and a Twitter account.  Then let’s assume that you would like to be able to update your current status across all 3 social media sites at one time.  HootSuite does that. 

Get your free HootSuite account set up and start doing a better job of updating your social media status across all your social media sites!

Google Local Business Center

A friend and client of mine, Karen Maxwell, mentioned Google Local Business Center to me recently.  Millions of people search Google for businesses and it is a good idea to make sure that your business is listed on Google Maps.  I use my iPhone to search for businesses all the time when I am on the move.  I never thought about the fact that I might need to submit my business to Google so that my business shows up in search results!  There is an entire resource center with videos and more on how to do this, and I just registered Blue Gurus.  It took about 5 minutes, and I verified the business listing with my phone, so the Blue Gurus profile will be available in Google Map Searches within 24 hours.  Get started by going to the Google Local Business Center!