How To Create Influence

Submitted by Jay Almers on Mon, 04/11/2011 - 20:45 inDuct Tape Marketing, Marketing, Small Business

Written By:  John Jantsch Mon Apr 11, 2011
Original Post Here: http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2011/04/11/how-to-create-influence/

Like it or not, most of what we do in marketing involves influence. We are constantly engaged in an attempt to influence someone’s decision-making process.

Now, this can be done for good as powerfully as for evil, but there is a science to it that every great marketer comes to adopt in both writing and selling.

The secret to influence starts with the understanding that most people don’t make decisions with their head, they make them with their heart. No matter how much logic and data you pump into a situation, emotion is always the prime driver.


Analytics - We want them but what do they mean?

Submitted by Jay Almers on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 20:38 inAnalytics, FlashPoint Network, Google, Marketing

According to Google, their Analytics software is described as:

Google Analytics is the enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely new way. With Google Analytics, you're more prepared to write better-targeted ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives and create higher converting websites.

LinkedIn - Grow your contact list FAST

LinkedIn - Grow your contact list FAST

LinkedIn is probably one of the fastest professional networking sites I have seen.  I setup a personal account and next thing I knew, I had loads of connection requests.  By creating a company page on LinkedIn, like ours found here, you have yet another place to broadcast your company's name and the services you offer for free.  Are we starting to see a trend here?  I like FREE, it means that we can focus our budget on more important things.  Let's get together and see how we can leverage LinkedIn to help present your company's information to the potential hundreds-of-thousands of other members looking to do business with companies just like yours.

Google Places, Your Virtual Signage

Submitted by Jay Almers on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 16:49 inFlashPoint Network, Google, Google Maps, Google Places, Marketing, QR Code

Among countless tools and applications that Google® produces, there is the Google® Maps application.  It is clean, works great, loaded with features, and coolest of all gives you aerial imagery of the location you are looking for.  Another great application that builds on top of the Google® Maps program is Google® Places.  If you have searched for things on Google® Maps, you have likely seen the pushpins that litter the map drawing your attention to relevant hits to your search.

Google® Places has provided this type of functionality to businesses so that they may provided the user with information about the business.  Some of this information includes hours of operation, business logo, coupons and discounts, comments and ratings by past-customers, and much more.  Here is a brief synopsis of what Google® Places is and what it does.

Leading By Example

Submitted by Jay Almers on Sun, 02/13/2011 - 00:47 inEating Our Own Dog Food, Facebook, FlashPoint Network, Marketing, Twitter, Web Strategy

More often than not, businesses that sell knowledge-based services tend to spend all of their time and energy working on projects or jobs for their customers and neglect the marketing strategies for their own company.  This holds true for FlashPoint Network as well.  We have been wrapped up in turning out sites and consulting with customers about their short and long-term marketing goals, that we have neglected our own marketing tools.  Well, my friends, now is the time for us to tame that beast.

We have had accounts with both Twitter and Facebook for a while now.  They, like this Web site, have quietly and patiently stood by while we completed the projects that have somehow been finding their way onto our plate.  Though business has not stopped altogether, it has lightened up to the point of us having some spare cycles.  This granted us the ability to focus our attention on our own needs so that we may A.) reach more people, B.) streamline our workflow, and C.) to ultimately make more money.

Google Places, Your Virtual Signage

Google Places, Your Virtual Signage

Google has created another invaluable service for businesses called "Places".  This service allows you to place your business location, contact information, display reviews, and categorize your services directly on Google's interactive map.  Check out our Places page to view the end-result.  Additionally, when done correctly, your company's information is returned in relevant searches when locations are specified by the customer.  Contact us today and see how we can help you generate more business with a Places account.
Tweet Tweet!

Tweet Tweet!

In addition to marketing on Facebook, Twitter is an incredible marketing and networking tool.  It works great for businesses due to its visibility, brevity of posts, and most of all...its price.  You just can't beat "FREE".

Click here to follow us on Twitter
We're on Facebook!

We're on Facebook!

It has been a while since we first created a page on Facebook.  That being said, we cannot tout social network marketing without being able to do it ourselves.  So, going forward we will be posting topics related to the industry as well as useful tips and tricks to get your site noticed.  We may even throw a tutorial up every now and then...if we are feeling saucy that is.