What we learned this week This was a bit of a short week, but here are the posts we found most helpful and interesting. Let us know what you think! Google’s right-side Adpocalypse: What really happened There was a lot of panic in the online marketing community when Google switched up the way they deliver ads. Search Engine Land has the data to clear up some of the hysteria. SEO: How to Get Lady Luck On Your Side Is SEO all about luck? As Obi Wan Kenobi says, “In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.” Check out this article from SEMrush to learn how to get luck on your side. Inside Buffer’s Social Media Strategy: Stats and Key Takeaways for Marketers Buffer is one of the most successful social media companies around, so this look into how they do what they do will be invaluable for anyone interested […]
The Small Business Guide to Pinterest
How to Use Pinterest to Promote Your Business The days are getting longer, birds are chirping, flowers are ready to bloom. It’s no secret – summer is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to step up your online marketing game. As the weather changes, people are ready to get back to crossing items off their to-do list. Whatever industry you’re in, you can expect competition to become increasingly stiff. If you are looking for new ways to improve online visibility, Pinterest is a great tool to do just that. What is Pinterest? For those who haven’t been on the hunt for new and exciting ways to serve mac and cheese or the secret to a longer, fuller ponytail, Pinterest is a social network that allows users to share and “Pin” their interests in the form of an image to their own or other boards. It’s easy to […]
Link Roundup – Friday, March 18 2016
The coolest content we found this week Welcome to the weekly LinkNow Media Link Roundup in which we collect the best posts we’ve found online that could be helpful for small business owners trying to market their businesses online. Let’s dive right in. 7 Power Social Media Experiments That Grew Our Traffic by 241% in 8 Months This post at Buffer was written by Scott Tousley, a growth marketer at HubSpot, so you’re getting the double whammy of two great online marketing companies coming together. If you want to know how to grow your traffic with social media, this is a great place to start. Is modern SEO more than the sum of independent parts? In this insightful post at Search Engine Land, Jayson DeMers argues that SEO in 2016 is really just about creating the best possible customer experience. How to Run a Successful Podcast Podcast growth has been […]
4 Ways Home Builders Can Dominate Their Local Markets
Do you want to grow your contracting business this year? While the building industry still isn’t back to where it was in 2005 or 2006, there has been a significant improvement over the last few years and it’s possible for small contractors and home builders to start considering growth again. However, the competition is stiff out there. Between a huge variety of small local contractors in most markets to the large national players who are always looking to expand, you need something to help yourself stand out. The answer to standing out in this crowded marketplace is effective online marketing. Consider these statistics: In 2010, 86% of television viewers skipped TV ads. In 2016 that number is likely even higher, while more people have cut the cord and are consuming TV through Netflix or other streaming services and missing the ads all together. (Source) 200 million Americans are on the […]
Link Roundup – Friday, March 11 2016
Here’s what we found this week It’s not quite spring yet, but it’s starting to feel like it here in Montreal. As always, our weekly Link Roundup is a collection of the best articles we’ve found online this week related to web design, SEO, and online marketing. Let’s get started! How SEO and PPC Can Work Together to Maximize ROI PPC and optimizing for organic traffic are two sides of the same coin. Check out this post from TheSEMPost to see how they can work together. 10 Smart & Easy Facebook Marketing Ideas Facebook is fertile ground for marketing. This post from WordStream has some great tips to take advantage of the medium. This Is How You Identify A-Players (In About 10 Minutes) During An Interview This great post Mitchell Harper published on Medium will be useful for anyone who ever has to hire someone. Learn to quickly identify the […]
The Ultimate Guide to Online Marketing for Small Businesses
The Longest Journey Begins With A Single Step You are reading LinkNow Media’s multi-part guide to small business online marketing. Our goal is to create a resource for small business owners that gives them everything they need to market their businesses online, all in one place. From web design to SEO to email campaigns, we want to give our readers the tools to succeed. If you find this post useful, check out our blog archives for more in depth discussions of various online marketing topics. Part 1: Your Website and On-Page SEO Part 2: Domain Authority and How to Build It Part 3: Citations and Local Search Part 4: How to Build an Awesome Small Business Blog Part 5: How to Create a Huge Social Media Presence for Your Small Business Part 6: Why Email Campaigns are Important Part 7: PPC (Yeah, You Know Me) Part 1: Your Website and […]
Link Roundup – Friday, March 4 2016
The Week in Online Marketing Let’s dive right in to this week’s link roundup. Here are the posts we found most valuable this week. In Business Communication, You Don’t Need an App for That There is a mad rush in the online marketing world to create an app to handle every possible scenario. SEMrush argues that you don’t always need an app for everything. The Importance of Second-Tier Links The SEO experts at @sengineland explain why it’s important to build links to your site even if they’re not helping you improve your search ranking. So Many Tactics, So Little Time: How to Prioritize Your Content Marketing To-Do List Feeling overwhelmed by content marketing? Copyblogger lays out the best way to get started and the most important things to focus on. The 6 Step Playbook for Handling Social Media Complaints Are complaints about your business on Twitter or Facebook keeping you […]
Discover the top 7 problems facing your landscaping business
Finding and retaining top personnel Attracting and keeping hard working talent has always been an issue in most industries, but many landscaping contractors have identified personnel problems as one of the most pressing issues facing them today. While the economy has been slowly improving in many areas, costs for many contractors have been increasing, which has kept wages relatively flat. As a result, landscaping contractors are forced to spend much of their time focused on recruitment and training rather than building their businesses. Many contractors have identified attracting qualified applicants to be the real tripping point in their recruitment process, but some have found success by advertising for the jobs online on their own websites as well as on recruitment sites. Once you have employees, it can be complicated to hold on to them. But finding a little extra in the budget to pay quality workers what they’re worth can […]