How to learn from your competitors' social media pages

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From: SmartBrief on Small Business <smallbusiness@smartbrief.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 10:54 PM
Subject: How to learn from your competitors' social media pages

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September 5, 2012 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise Problem. Solved.  Socially focused company finds a better way to reach clients Benevity, which makes social enterprise software, was experiencing trouble in selling to its key clients -- large corporations. The company addressed this issue creating a new product designed to get its foot in the door with potential clients. "We now have the credibility and relationships to sell into larger organizations and accelerate our sales cycle," CEO Bryan de Lottinville said. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (8/31)       CASH FLOW SOLUTIONS THAT CAN BETTER YOUR BUSINESS The Enhanced Plum Card from American Express OPEN® Flexible Payment Terms: • Get a 1.5% Early Pay Discount • Take up to 60 Days to Pay with No Interest Limited Time Offer: Get up to a 2% Discount: 1.5% Early Pay Discount plus, for the first 6 months, get an extra 0.5% on purchases†. LEARN MORE                                           †Terms and Restrictions Apply. Marketing  8 ways to take your marketing videos to the next level One way to make sure your business-to-business company's marketing videos are reaching the right people is to research your target audience, Manny Rivas writes. Online videos aren't "about getting a ton of views, it's about getting the right people to view your video." Figure out who is linking to your videos and search for active users who are following your YouTube channel, he writes. SearchEngineWatch.com (9/4)       What customers want to see when they visit your website When a customer visits your website for the first time, they want to find out whether they can trust your company, Lisa Barone writes. Among other things, customers will be looking for contact information, an "About" page and clues about the company's, she writes. Small Business Trends (9/4)       Management  Why bored employees are a danger Research shows that employees often feel bored, disengaged and stressed, which can result in turnover, Morgan Norman writes. To prevent talent from walking out the door, communicate often with team members and provide coaching so that "you effectively show that you care about their professional futures," Norman writes. "And, when you care, the feeling will likely be reciprocated." Blogging4Jobs (9/2)       The wrong way to recognize exceptional employees Not every employee-recognition program turns out to be a success, Derek Irvine of Globoforce writes. He gives two examples of faulty initiatives, including one in which employees were required to sing their own praises. TLNT.com (9/3)       Money  Small-business budgeting basics For a great small-business budget, use software to keep better track of transactions, hire professional help, ask questions and make room for unexpected expenses, Dani Fankhauser writes. "Budget success ... [is] setting yourself up for the least money-related stress possible." Mashable (9/4)       The effective and efficient small-business payroll process Understand basic concepts and legal requirements regarding employee payroll, payroll taxes and the responsibilities to federal, state and local government, writes Michael Essany, vice president of Indiana Grain Co. He also advises to look at different payroll options and to choose the one that works best for the business, to gather and organize employee information, and to file tax forms after paying payroll taxes. Intuit Small Business Blog (9/4)       Tips & Tools  How to learn from your competitors' social media pages Social media isn't just useful for interacting with clients; it can also allow you to learn from your competitors, Amie Marse of Content Equals Money writes. Scope out their profiles to determine how often they are posting and who their target audience seems to be, she advises. Also, figure out what kind of content they are putting out. Small Business Trends (9/3)       5 types of malware and how to keep it off your computer To protect yourself from malware, you should have an understanding of the nature of various harmful programs, which include worms, viruses and spyware, Chris Cope writes. In addition to installing security software, you should also adjust your behavior to avoid malware infections. Limit your file-sharing activities and do your homework before downloading new software. TechNewsWorld (9/1)       The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) New Citrix Podio App for iPad Designed for Today s Mobile Workstyles Interested in learning more about advertising with SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.  Featured Content  What Online Shoppers Really Want How to Identify Your Most Valuable Customers 7 Ways to Save Time on Your Social Media Efforts How to Throw a Twitter Party A Successful Business From Rock Stars' Remnants Just for Fun  Baristas claim world record with 2,012-liter cup of cappuccino More than a 1,000 baristas gathered in Croatia in an attempt to claim the Guinness World Record for the largest cup of cappuccino. By the time they were done, they had filled the cup with 2,012 liters of caffeinated goodness. The Telegraph (London) (9/2)       SmartQuote  How long will a user stay on your site before leaving? Unless you can prove, quickly, that your site is trustworthy and relevant to their needs, we're talking seconds." --Lisa Barone, writing at Small Business Trends       SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! Accounting Advertising Automotive Aviation & Aerospace Biotechnology Business Chemicals Construction & Real Estate Consumer Packaged Goods Distribution Education Energy Finance Food Service Health Care Insurance Legal Manufacturing Media & Entertainment Nonprofit Retail Technology Telecommunications Travel & Hospitality This SmartBrief was created for profjorge.entrep@gmail.com John Jantsch, Editor at Large John Jantsch is author of "Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide" and "The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself." John is a marketing and digital technology coach and creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small-business marketing system. Subscriber Tools SIGNUP SEND FEEDBACK E-MAIL THIS BRIEF Today's Brief - Permalink | Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Director:  Tom O'Brien (212) 450-1679 Download Media Kit SmartBrief Community: Most Clicked Facebook Twitter Publish your Press Release LinkedIn Get this RSS Feed Search Archive About Download a SmartBrief Mobile app today Recent SmartBrief on Small Business Issues: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 Friday, August 31, 2012 Thursday, August 30, 2012 Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Tuesday, August 28, 2012 Lead Editor:  Brooke Howell Editor at Large: John Jantsch       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2012 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information

 

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