Facebook Promoted Posts Allow Your Updates To Reach Users Outside Your Network |  |
- Facebook Promoted Posts Allow Your Updates To Reach Users Outside Your Network
- The Hottest Franchises
- Recovery Steps For Small Business Owners
- Ballpark Gets An Upgrade: A Hit for Small Businesses?
- Bing Gains on Google in Search Market Share
| Facebook Promoted Posts Allow Your Updates To Reach Users Outside Your Network Posted: 21 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT Facebook recently announced that it is testing a new advertising feature that would extend the reach of Facebook pages for brands. The new Promoted Posts feature would allow brands that run Facebook pages to post their content to the news feeds of users who aren't fans of their page.
Unlike some of Facebook's current advertising options, the new ads would show more than just the brands page and which friends have liked it. The promoted posts actually show content that the fans of that page see on their news feeds, similar to features on other sites like Twitter's Promoted Tweets. The posts on Facebook include a "like page" option on the top right corner, so that Facebook users can subscribe to updates right from their dashboard. Posts also include a "sponsored" label. The new ads can appear on both desktop and mobile versions of Facebook, and are currently being tested by a small group of advertisers. If the option rolls out to everyone, advertisers would have the option to choose what types of users see their updates based on factors like age, interests, and whether they use Facebook on their desktop or mobile device.
Another difference between the new promoted posts and other types of Facebook advertising is that the new ads are non-social, so users do not need to have friends who like a particular product or brand in order to see updates from that page on their news feed. Other recent changes to Facebook's advertising lineup include Mobile Ads for Apps and Sponsored Stories. Facebook has been limiting the number of Sponsored Stories that can appear in the news feed so as to protect the quality of each user's feed. If the promoted posts feature becomes available publicly, Facebook may have to cut down even more on Sponsored Stories, or users may become annoyed by the increased amount of advertising they see on the site. From Small Business Trends |
| Posted: 21 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT The other day, a reporter for a Hispanic business magazine asked me what I thought the hottest franchises were this year. I hesitated, like I always do when I get asked that question, and shared a couple of "categories" that are currently popular.
When he pressed me for the names of specific franchises, I hesitated again, but this time, I spouted off 2-3 concepts that have been getting a lot of PR, or have been selling a lot of new franchises lately. But, I really don't like naming names. I'm much more comfortable naming some of the trends in franchising. A "hot" franchise opportunity can mean a number of different things. It depends on who you are and where you are in the franchise buying process. Take a look at the three things I listed below that could make a franchise concept "hot," and maybe you'll understand where I'm going with this important topic: High New Unit Sales In my industry, things are measured in units. Franchisors are always on the hunt for new franchisees. New franchisees open new units. New units create new franchise fees, and a new stream of monthly royalty income. Check out this Introduction to Franchising to learn about these fees, which are the lifeblood of the franchise model. If a franchisor is selling a lot of new franchise units, it could be considered to be a “hot” franchise concept. Locations Everywhere Let's say that you travel a lot for business. Let's also say that you've been thinking of leaving your job and becoming the owner of your own business, maybe even a franchise. Since you're in the "looking for an opportunity" mode, you've been keeping your eye on certain businesses that populate all the places you travel to. And, there's this one restaurant franchise that you keeps popping up everywhere you go. Not only are these franchises everywhere, they all seem to be new. In your eyes, this franchise seems like a "hot" one. Publicity Some franchises get a lot of publicity; the reasons why, vary. For example, Dunkin' Donuts tends to get a lot of PR. Like this story featuring two very-well known sports figures that just purchased the rights to 50 Dunkin' Donuts franchises. Earnings announcements can be turned into PR, too. Here's a story that discusses Burger King's 2Q profit going up 60%. (The reasons include their new menu, and recent marketing initiatives.) Then there's the recent publicity surrounding a certain chicken-sandwich franchise, that may or may not be considered what's termed, "good' publicity. So, based on the publicity that those three franchises have been getting as of late, one could say that they are pretty "hot" franchises. The reason I chose to attempt to define what a hot franchise is by using the examples above, was to get you to stop and think for a minute. Now, I understand why you want to find out what the hottest franchises are these days. You're equating popularity with higher income opportunities. That's completely normal. But, it's not necessarily the case, every time. Look at the recent Facebook IPO, for a moment. Didn't you want to secretly "get in on the ground floor," so that you'd have a chance to make a lot of money on a brand new stock? And, wasn't the fact that Facebook has been considered a "hot" social media site-a hot company the main reason for your interest in it? Investigating a franchise because its "hot," and using whatever criteria you're using to make it so, can be really tricky. Does the franchise concept you're interested in have the potential of becoming a fad? Are there too many locations nearby for you to really have a chance to make money? Can the franchisor keep up with all the new units being opened? Those are all great questions that you need to ask yourself before you sign on the dotted line. Of course, one of the best things about franchising is that you get to ask actual franchisees, the ones that took a risk already and that are in business, all the questions you want. But, in your excitement to become an owner, to finally be in control of your career, don't forget to ask yourself this question:
If so, maybe it can become a "hot" franchise for you and your family. Make sense? Burger King Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends |
| Recovery Steps For Small Business Owners Posted: 21 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Business is easy until things go wrong. Our dreams are big on paper, but in the daylight, where the work has to get done and we have to face our competition, things can easily fall apart without a recovery plan. There are all kinds of disasters that your company can face: weather, health, economic, team issues. Regardless of the nature of the beast, the first step is still the same — plan for what you can and you will find yourself prepared for the unexpected. Create Systems and Then Plan for System Failures Every company has a modus operandi, a way that they do things. That standard needs to be documented and taught to every new team member as well as drilled into the entire team periodically. But plan for the system to fall apart. For example, if bad weather blocks your traditional way of communicating with your staff, how will you get a message to them? Phone, text, email, the news, carrier pigeon? If your regular system fails, plan for a back-up — ahead of time. It's true, you can't catch or anticipate every issue. But the practice of preparation will train your mind to see answers. It will also train your team to do the same thing. Think about it, you did it in school. You had fire drills and tornado drills so that everybody knew how to move, just in case. Do the same thing in business. Attract a Core Clientele and Then Find a Way to Reach a New But Relevant Secondary Market It's easy to weather the storm when their isn't one. But what if something happened to your core client base? What if their income changed, like the middle class spending habits in this ongoing economic shift? When you're recovery minded, preparing for the punch in the face, then you look for options. You may reposition and repackage what you have. You may expand your market to one income bracket above or below your current clientele. You may add a complimentary product. This is not about grasping at straws, but expanding your brand in a natural direction and on purpose. The key to effective recovery planning is to start it before you need it. That simple decision will cause you to have fewer emergencies. Business Punch Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends |
| Ballpark Gets An Upgrade: A Hit for Small Businesses? Posted: 21 Aug 2012 05:00 AM PDT Let's be real – we're all on the hunt for great tools to help us grow our businesses. We're looking for apps or services that allow us to perform business tasks quicker and easier than before.
Well, last week the Internet was abuzz with the news that Ballpark, a popular business tool geared toward small business owners and consultants, underwent a major upgrade to make even more powerful. If you weren't using Ballpark before, you may want to see what it's up to now. If you're not familiar with Ballpark, it's an app that prides itself on giving small business owners and freelancers everything they need to run their businesses – including the ability to track time, invoice, and manage cash flow. The old app has been redesigned from the ground up and now boasts a number of new features that were requested directly from small business owners themselves. What can you expect from Ballpark 2.0? Time Tracking: According to the team at Ballpark, this was the most requested feature and looks to go head-to-head with popular time tracking tool, Harvest (which I currently use). Ballpark allows teams from 1 to 100 track their team via browser or mobile app to help them stay on track and on budget with projects. Invoicing: Freelancers and SMBs can now create attractive Web-based invoices, as well as keep track of open/paid up invoices through the Ballpark dashboard. Personally, I like this feature a lot and the ability to see immediately which clients are paid up, the date they paid, where you still have outstanding money, and what you've received this month/last month/this year. By putting everything in one dashboard it becomes easier for small business owners to visualize cash flow. With the new version of Ballpark also comes the ability to create client or project estimates, as well as the addition of a new Discussion tab on these estimates where both parties can talk back and forth. This provides an interesting way to solve an old problem – getting the client and vendor on the same page for the work that is to be completed. Because clients can ask questions related to the work or the scope of the project directly on the estimate, there's less likely to be any surprises after the project is completed. Reporting: The reporting features of Ballpark help SMBs to make sense of their businesses by monitoring payments, time tracked, and upcoming cash flow. It also provides insight into where your team’s time is spent and how your business is developing so that you can increase profitability and visualize potential time sucks. Mobile App (coming): And, of course, a new Ballpark iPhone app is on its way so that business owners can track their time, be notified of payments, and stay up to date on their businesses while on the go. The app is currently awaiting App store approval, but should be available for download shortly. While there are many apps available to help SMBs track time and invoice, where Ballpark hits a homerun for me is with the reporting and CRM features. They're potent, while remaining lightweight and easy to use. Also, the ability to quickly create estimates and then have discussions on-page will provide valuable to SMBs. All consultants know how difficult it can be to manage client expectations and this type of communication will allow everyone to better do that. More communication results in happy clients, which just may get those invoices paid on time. If you want to give Ballpark a try, small businesses can take advantage of the 30-day free trial available. If you like it, individual rates are $13/month, while team rates with unlimited users are $100/month. So shouldn't break the bank for most people. From Small Business Trends |
| Bing Gains on Google in Search Market Share Posted: 21 Aug 2012 02:30 AM PDT Small business owners using online marketing to bring in customers must always keep the big search engines in mind while creating and distributing their content. Up until recently, that’s essentially meant Google, which clearly has retained the majority share of the search market. But all of this is about to change. Here are some things you ought to know about the shifting sands of online search. Searching for TrendsThe once and future king. A recent comScore report shows that Google’s iron grip with 66.8 percent of the search market remains unshaken. What the report also shows, however, are continued gains by Bing over the last two months while Google remained flat. Additionally, the report shows that Yahoo!, the search giant’s other rival, has halted its decline. Search Engine Watch For better or for worse. Changes in Google search results may push even more queries toward the search engine’s rivals and may also be a good reason for small online businesses to pay more attention to ranking better with Bing and Yahoo! Experts say Google is returning fewer search results now and showing many from the same domains. Search Engine Land Spreading your risk. Not surprisingly, many experts are advising us to expand our search engine options. In this post we take a look at some of the other search tools in the world beyond Google and its two largest competitors. These alternatives may prove important in a future where one search engine may no longer dominate all results. Information Today Tools and TechniquesAnalyze this. No matter what its overall search results, there’s no doubt Google creates some unsurpassed tools small business owners with an online presence will want to go right on using. Google Analytics is one of these. Here are some tips for setting up the perfect dashboard for your company, ready to deliver all the search data you need. Capture Commerce Searching high and low. Even when considering a single search engine, search marketing is now increasingly complex. When tailoring your search marketing campaign, be sure you remember not only content marketing but local search marketing and mobile marketing too. Leave no stone unturned when looking for new ways to build a customer base and communicate with it. E-Marketing Associates Marketing MeasuresA beautiful site. Despite recent changes in search engines, there are some basic principles that will keep you out of trouble if you pay careful attention while marketing your site online. Quality content that is search engine friendly yet written for humans is still the best thing to put on your Website. And here are some other things to think about. Brick Marketing Blog The right set of tools. Google’s greatest competitor at this point, Microsoft’s search engine Bing, has done much more than simply gobble up a greater share of the market. It has also rolled out a set of free Webmaster Tools similar to Google’s in an effort to help Website owners create more search engine friendly content. It’s time for online entrepreneurs to consider more than one set of tools while trying to get their Websites noticed. Keep Up With the Web From Small Business Trends |
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