The Blog - Where Business Collides with Human Nature

AeroLeads - Painless Prospecting by Pulling People's Information with a Click

What does it take to investigate, search, dig and 'spy' for new information  about a prospect? AeroLeads has an answer that looks promising.

Search and Add prospects and leads at AeroLeads to get their Verified Email addresses and Business Phone Number. Find business emails of decision makers with title, location and company emails with phone numbers, address etc.

Topics: Business Software List Building Email Marketing

Website Pop-ups - Do they align with the inbound marketing ideology of not being obtrusive?

Before I share with you a great pop-up tool, let's talk about that party at your home.

When you have a party at your home... you greet people personally, with enthusiasm, and make special offers to ensure their comfort.

  • You provide service, take their coat, offer something to drink and celebrate their arrival.

In a sense, you "pop-up" into their face and it is accepted and appreciated. Your offers are helpful and the intent is obvious.

And then came the website page - where Internet marketers are about "getting" more.

Topics: Business Software Inbound Marketing

Keyword Ranking Tools

The keyword ranking tools listed below will save you a long search through the Internet. If you are a professional, you probably already have the tools. 

If you are a DIY entrepreneur, you search for great software or services to stay up to date with the latest website ranking strategies and tools. 

Beyond keyword ranking tools are resources for blogger outreach programs. I have included NinjaOutreach as a resource to consider it an option in your marketing plan.

Topics: Business Software SEO Keywords Inbound Marketing

Take Action on Your Innovative Ideas with Infographic Software Tools

The next big idea will happen at the most inopportune moment and the idea you share will no doubt get immediate resistance. This leads to arguments and potentially the need for pursuasion and selling. (which is time you could be using to take action on your idea).

The most creative ideas can quickly die a quiet death when  "I have a million dollar idea!" turns into squiggles, chicken scratches and unintelligible dribble that only the author can understand.

PowerPoint and other powerful tools can become an arsenal to confuse instead of creating clarity.

With a primary goal of "speed to market and personalization", learning sophisticated software does not always empower an innovator to start NOW.  

If you have a plan to make an  impact, conquer the world or change the community, you will recruit others to join you in your mission:  investors, staff, peers, advocates, potential customers, cheer squads, advisory board members, and more.  They will appreciate your enthusiasm but will need more than a lame squiggle to get it done.

With PowerPoint experience and 200+ tools in my toolchest, it is more difficult to get my attention with new free or low-cost software.  If you can show me a way to help people make more impact by taking action on their ideas without a steep learning curve, you get my attention.

Topics: Presentation Tools Business Software Free Software Graphics. Design

Three Things to Know About Snapchat for Business Marketing

Today’s small business owners all share a common goal: to get more for their dollar and find the best strategies for small business marketing.  A newer app in the marketing world is Snapchat.  This app is much more than a simple photo and video sharing app. Since its debut in 2011, it primary use has been for fun, but Snapchat is evolving into a marketing tool that has a lot to offer businesses. Marketers who strive to find an out-of-the-box way to reach their target audience, especially those with a younger demographic, are especially seeing the benefits of using the app.  It’s the marketing wave of the future – 77 percent of college students are using Snapchat to send 400 million messages daily.

Topics: Business Software Guerrilla Marketing Social Media Marketing apps

Do You Like to Talk vs Write? Hire Someone to Transcribe the Audio

You like to talk and while you have writer's block, you never seem to have talking block.  You think like lightning and words are always available.  The alternatives to talking are slow in comparison and include writing, typing, sign language, and morse code.  You look at a keyboard and say "no thanks" (But the smart phone looks very appealing.)

Since the average human hand-writes at 31 words per minute for memorized text and 22 words per minute while copying, writing is out of the question.  Much too slow. 

An average professional typist types usually in speeds of 50 to 80 wpm, while some positions can require 80 to 95 and some advanced typists work at speeds above 120 wpm. 

Topics: Business Software Inbound Marketing Content Marketing Outsourcing

Why I Love TheBrain for Business, Personal & Fun

When talking with someone about business, I can attach a page inside TheBrain which includes marketing, planning, brainstorming and presenting.  It is more useful for business than a Swiss Army Knife.

Topics: Business Software Business Success Tools

Throw Away the Old Spreadsheet, Try Smartsheet.com

What may be better than a spreadsheet is Smartsheet.com.  You often ask why it's difficult to use a spreadsheet on your iPad or PC Tablet.  (Think Smartsheet)  You don't want to be limited to data and software on your one computer.  (Use Smartsheet online)  To share your valuable spreadsheet online with others and control access, add Smartsheet to your toolbox.

Topics: Business Software Technology

6 Free Apps to Bolster Your Online Presence

A strong online presence is essential when it comes to the success of your small business.  In fact, according to the marketing firm Optify, it is vital for websites to appear on Page 1 of Google, especially in the top three positions. These spots receive 58.4 percent of all clicks by web users.

In order to increase your credibility and boost your online profile, you have a couple of options to select from.  You can hire a costly professional in the internet marketing field, or take hold of the reins and find ways to bolster your online presence yourself. 

If you take the route of doing it alone, there are several free applications you can take advantage of to help you.  Read on for 7 brilliant tools you may not know exist:

Topics: Business Software Branding apps

Don’t Leave The Airport Without These iOS Apps

Anyone who has ever traveled on business knows that unique brand of anxiety that comes from being away from the office for extended periods of time. Sure you can call the office to check and make sure the place hasn’t burned down or you can send an email just to check in, but there is still a disconnect. Thankfully there are plenty of iPad and iPhone apps that allow travelers to stay connected to their office, even from across the globe. Here are a few of the best:

Topics: Business Software Free Software apps Business Travel

The Web Tools Guy - Miles Austin

Miles Austin is The Web Tools Guy. Miles Austin is also a sales and mobile marketing technologist with an extensive tech sales and leadership background.  Miles is great at taking the essence of the sales process and finding a software tool to improve its effectiveness. Miles will remind you in his training that prior to selecting the best web tool it is important to look at processes.

Topics: Business Software Software Trusted Advisor

ERP Questions Answered and a Move to Cloud Computing

At what point does a small business owner get questions about ERP software answered?.  (Enterprise Resource Planning Software)  ERP software is NOT simply accounting software.  With enterprise software, business leaders attempt to analyze the business quickly with one commonality in reporting.  To get the questions answered about enterprise resource planning software, we have turned to the expertise of Gerry Poe. 

Topics: Business Software Accounting