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9 “Obvious” Ways to Use Social Media for Marketing

I’m reminded lately through conversations with business owners that there is nothing “obvious” about social media marketing.  So in the spirit of not taking things for granted, the following is a list of “basic social media marketing techniques”. Announce Something Special – I’m not just talking about a discount, promotion or sale. Obviously, you’ll want to promote [...]

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Your Website Doesn’t Have to “Pop”

Website design is important – fine.  As interactive marketing agency in Chicago, we are all about Style!  But too many website redesign projects stall because of misguided notions about website design. Don’t misunderstand me. There are situations for certain businesses where creative design that “pops” is critical to the brand. But in most cases effective [...]

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Extend Your Reach: Teach!

Small and mid size businesses have an advantage over large competitors. Smaller companies can be more responsive. Unfortunately for the “biggies”, sometimes they just can’t get out of their own slow bureaucratic way. Permission, sign-off, formalities and choke points get in the way of helping and teaching. Responsiveness is value, especially for a knowledge-based business interested in [...]

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WordPress Doesn’t Have to Look Like a Blog

I’m frequently asked if WordPress can be used for more then just blogging? It is much more than a platform for blogging. Whether you’re configuring one if it’s countless themes out-of-the-box or customizing the design, WordPress is a proven tool for developing beautiful interactive websites for mid-size businesses. It Ain’t Just for Blogging Anymore WordPress is [...]

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The Rise of Start-Ups and Freelance Economy

With all the talk of doom returning due to a European debt crisis and an oil spill that is already the Katrina of oil spills, we might need some optimism. Here it is: A study released in May 2010 by the Kauffman Foundation (h/t: Ian Swain) provides additional evidence that our current crisis takes the form of [...]

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A Case Study – AdBean.net is Being Heard Online!

One of my very favorite things about ChirpUp’s interactive marketing services is working with energetic start-ups. There’s nothing more exciting than watching a worthy new business concept start growing. And when our interactive marketing services help contribute to that growth, it’s twice as fun. AdBean is an exciting Chicago start-up.  Their powerful new technology makes effective [...]

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What Are Facebook Community Pages?

The ever-growing, ever-changing Facebook gave us a new kind of page in its most recent reshuffling. Named Community Pages, these pages are “built around topics, causes or experiences” – a description that might produce as much confusion as enlightenment. What’s the Difference Between Community Pages and Facebook’s Existing Official Pages? The major difference is in [...]

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Making “Business” a “Brand” and “Customers” Your “Audience”

It’s time to transform your mid size business into a brand with interactive marketing. How? Isn’t brand building incredibly expensive?  Isn’t it reserved for big companies with big budgets? Not necessarily true anymore. Modern businesses can use social networks and new technology to build an audience and their brand. In his latest book Rework Jason [...]

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New Media, New Marketing, New Currency!

Have you taken advantage of the new currency? Of course PayPal has been around for some time, but how soon before we can conduct transactions on our iPhone? The day has arrived. Now, thanks to Square (co-founded by Jim McKlevey and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey), we can process credit card payments with iPhones and computer scanners. [...]

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How To Connect LinkedIn with Your WordPress Blog

Connecting LinkedIn with your WordPress blog is highly recommended for most B2B marketers.  Many mid-size businesses forget to harness LinkedIn‘s tremendous reach even though it’s super easy set-up so that your blog posts automatically appear in you individual profile. Steps for Feeding LinkedIn with WordPress After logging in, find and click on the “Applications” button [...]

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