Is your business on the map? Last year Google noted that nearly half of all searches from mobile devices have local intent. More people are searching for products and services close to their current location, and it’s no wonder Google is favoring local results in their search results. When your business is visible to this increasing online demand, customers can get directions to your store, customers are more willing to buy, and your reputation thrives.
With 2012 coming to a close, I decided to really look at the big picture for internet marketing as a whole. Overall, there have been a lot of great updates, and yet some very scary algorithm changes have provided a clear picture for not only SEO analysts, but people all over the world who love the internet. I wanted to share the details of how things have changed this year.
When it comes to tweeting, most businesses do it wrong. The truth is, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the Twitter climate. There’s nothing quite like it. So, here are some tips for composing your 140-character lines of prose.
Foursquare is a free phone app that uses your GPS location to recommend businesses in your area, based on your check-in history and the check-in history of your friends. You can check into a business, see what others have said about places, and sometimes unlock promotions or specials.
Remember, Small Business Saturday is coming up (Nov. 24), and supporting local businesses means supporting growth in your own community. This infographic helps outline some of the impact of small businesses. Join us in a dash for holiday shopping this Saturday as we hit up local businesses for gifts and services.
At OrangeSoda, we believe in small businesses. Heck, we believe in small businesses so much that we’ve built a significant portion of our business model around them. We have products and services tailored to the needs of small businesses, we partner with various organizations to help small businesses navigate the world of online marketing, and some of our employees even have their own small businesses. That’s why we are so excited to support and help promote Small Business Saturday on November 24, 2012.
What is the coolest assignment you’ve been given by your boss? I was given an assignment to watch an episode of Undercover Boss. I was stoked. It was a welcome break from spreadsheets, capital improvement proposals, approving invoices, etc. I thought that my boss was crazy for having me take time out of my day to watch a television show, but I quickly realized why.
Recently I was interviewed by 16 radio stations from across the country, asking for my advice to small businesses for the holiday season. I had a blast talking to different interviewers and sharing some insights, and I thought I would give a short summary of my advice here. The holiday season is stressful for customers and business owners alike, so here are some tips to minimize stress and maximize holiday cheer for everyone involved.
As the Senior Brand Manager at OrangeSoda, I have the chance to think about all kinds of strange things. For instance, this Halloween we had not one, but two departments choose to go with themes related to the Occupy movement. For PR people this kind of thing is a nightmare. Employees came dressed in “Occupy grunge,” holding signs about the economy and forming drum circles. We also had a team come as “Occupy Sesame Street,” a cuter, though at times slightly more depressing variant. The signs and costumes reminded me of the law firm Steven J. Baum and their 2011 Halloween catastrophe. The law firm is one of the top foreclosure companies in the US and their employees decided to dress as recently evicted home owners. The outrage was so strong that stories quickly appeared in the The New York Times and top blogs. Read On
Since OrangeSoda’s beginnings, we’ve been crazy about Halloween. It’s a chance for coworkers to plan and scheme together, to let the creative juices flow, and to bond over silliness. Every year, Halloween at OrangeSoda gets bigger and better. Every department always competes against one another with decorations and themes and in the afternoon, families come in, take a tour, and trick-or-treat throughout the different departments. For Sodians, Halloween is a deep-rooted tradition and a festivity to look forward to all year long. It’s a big part of our company culture, and one of the many reasons why employees love working at OrangeSoda. Here are some of the highlights of the day:
