I don’t know about you but I can’t believe it’s already the end of June. This is the time of year when a lot of business people go on a mini-hiatus. Phones ring less, networks are a little quieter and even bloggers publish less frequently. Smart marketers know it’s the perfect time to do a little mid-year business planning, catch up on reading, writing, strategizing and all those little back-burnered things you promised yourself you’d get to eventually. In that spirit, here are some posts that can help you think more about your plans and ideas and perhaps even inspire a few that you might not have had otherwise.
Pro Insights On Web Project Problem Areas
Written by Stephan Hovnanian
It’s great to read “how to” posts, but sometimes you need to know how NOT to. In this post, Stephan brings together seven experts in the web industry and collects their advice for avoiding project pitfalls – from content to cost, marketing to maintenance. There’s plenty to think about here and a lot that can help you save time, money, energy and ultimately to build and manage a website that adds value to your business. Plus our very own Ralph Rivera is featured, with some thoughts on changing your web mindset from “break/fix” to “keep it working”!
Read the article at websighthangouts.com and follow Stephan on Twitter @stephanhov
A Sample Social Media Marketing Plan For Your Business To Follow
Written by Matt Southern
Speaking of how-tos, sometimes before you can even get to the how-to part you need to know where to start. Smart marketers always start with a plan, and though that word can bring chills of dread to even the most confident businessperson, Matt breaks planning down into eight simple, straightforward components that you can apply and adapt to your marketing. There are some commonsense ideas here that will help you wrap your head around the who, why and what of social marketing.
Read the article at mattsouthern.com and follow Matt on Twitter @mattsouthern
How To Write A Simple Social Media Strategy In 8 Steps
Written by Lindsey Collumbell
You read right, another 8-step social marketing planning post! Finding these two at the same time was fortuitous because it gives you a chance to see planning from two different perspectives. Lindsey is just as commonsense and practical with advice that should get you rolling without spending hair-pulling weekends trying to figure this stuff out. I hope that by reading these two posts you’ll see that planning doesn’t have to be a precisely followed roadmap, nor does it have to be overwhelming. Get the basics in place, find what works for you and go!
Read the article at bojanglecomms.co.uk and follow Lindsey on Twitter @BojangleComms
Can We Get Some Diversity With Our Images?
Written by Anne Reuss
You can’t go two clicks without finding a repetitious stock photo or some poorly composed “free” photo plunked onto someone’s blog or website. Finding great photos – ones that you can use legally, at least – is a challenge. And we’re not all whizzes with a camera outside of the quick Instagram of our dinner. But Anne takes a whole new look at the value and the possibilities of taking your own photos that will make you feel silly for not doing it. Better yet, she gives you some tips for going from “Yeah, I have a cellphone camera” to “Cool. Totally using that on the blog.” Be sure to pay attention to her advice on branding.
Read the article at steamfeed.com and follow Anne on Twitter @AnneReuss
Can We Trust Google With The Future Of Search?
Written by Hannah Kirkman
I admit to having a bit of a love/hate relationship with Google. They have some amazing products and of course their search engine didn’t become number one for nothing. But I do worry sometimes about its ubiquity and its Big-Brother-ish mass of data. Then there’s the question of whether “personalized” search is just tightening the bubble of our own little worlds around us. Hannah’s post asks some compelling questions, explores some interesting ideas and ultimately adds some tips for using Google’s ecosystem to your marketing advantage. Well worth a thoughtful read.
Read the article at richmondgreen.co.uk and follow Hannah on Twitter @hannahkirkman
Any of these posts strike your fancy? What’s YOUR favorite topic?
