You’re forging your way into the world of social media, content marketing, inbound marketing, or whatever you want to call it. And you’ve heard that content is king and whatever you publish has to be worth your audience’s time, and good enough for them to share.

But you’re not really sure what that means.

If only there was a basic test you could perform to find out if content is worth posting and sharing.

You’re in luck. Now there is.

 

STEP ONE

Ask yourself: 

What’s the outlet?

The type of content you should create depends on where you’ll be releasing it:

• Your Facebook and Twitter fans are mostly looking for deals, sneak peaks and customer service
• Your blog or video audiences are mostly looking for answers and entertainment

 

STEP TWO

Ask yourself:

Is it about you, or about them?

Be sure that even when you do post about your company, products or services, it’s still ultimately about your audience. Why it matters to them. How they can get the most out of it. What they think of it.

 

STEP THREE

Make sure the content does one or more of the following:

 

• Solves their problems. Your customers are searching the web for answers – be the one who has them. If you can’t provide the only solution to a particular problem, make sure your solution is either the fastest to understand (like this six-second tip from Lowes) or the most thorough (“Everything You Need to Know About X”).
• Arrests their attention. This content has to entice even the busiest people to stop and click. Check out the article titles on the BuzzFeed homepage – I dare you not to click one. Few of them are useful, but most of them are fascinating. And from bizarre creatures to exotic lifestyles, to funny observations about everyday life, they share this common thread: they are all story-driven and highly visual.
• Moves their faces.Anything that makes your face move – i.e., makes you laugh, cry or raise your eyebrows. This content is also usually story-driven, and can be anything from a single image with a hilariously relatable observation to a 1300-word blog post containing somebody's inspiring life story. Carol has more to say on the subject.

 

As you create that video, pin, gif or blog post – or before you share something someone else has created – put it through the three-step test, and if it doesn’t pass, change something.

 

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Photo credit: Anthony Kelly

Image by Michael Licht

Think you’re ready to start a company blog? Here are eight rules to follow when you write that first post – and every other post after.

1. Know your goal.

Your ultimate goal is to gain more business (or more support, if you’re a non-profit), but keep in mind the goals specific to the blog. Things like:

• Get more web traffic
• Collect email addresses
• Gain trust
• Build a community

B smart: To build authority with potential customers and with search engines, don’t try to sell something every five minutes.

2. Write stuff your audience wants to read.

Content should be:

1. Related to your business
2. So useful and/or amusing people want to share it with friends.
3. Not an ad for your product or service.

If you’re a medical company, write about healthy lifestyles. If you’re a nonprofit, write about people you’ve helped. If you’re a B2B company, write about industry legislation and best practices.

B smart: Posts with tips, tricks and how-tos are especially popular.

3. Write an intriguing and specific title.

Specify what’s in the post and why it’s valuable to your readers.

• “Sack Lunch Ideas” is boring
• “Make Every Day Delicious” is vague
• “12 Easy and Delicious Sack Lunches” is both specific and interesting

B smart: Include relevant keywords for search engine optimization.

4. Make it easy on the eyes.

Chances are, your readers’ eyes are already tired of the screen. Huge Dostoyevsky blocks of copy could scare them away. Break up the text with subheads and bullet points. Readers should be able to tell what you’re saying at a glance.

B smart: Train yourself to keep posts under 500 words. It’s okay to occassionally write a longer post that’s more in-depth (i.e., “everything you need to know about X”). 

5. End with a call to action. 

Give people something to do when they finish reading. For instance:

• “Read more” (followed by links to posts on similar topics)
• “What’s your favorite sack lunch? Tell us in the comments!”
• “Like this article? Pass it on!” (followed by share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.)

B smart: Choose calls to action based on your main goals. Sharing is great for traffic; comments are great for community-building.

6. Add a picture.

Use a photo a relevant photo that’s striking or amusing to draw the eye and help break up the text. Only use pictures you own, or have permission to use from the owner.

B smart: Search the Creative Commons section of a photo-sharing site like Flickr for images you can legally use (as long as you link back to the owner).

7. Post on a schedule. 

You don’t have to post every day – five posts a week can be daunting to your subscribers as well as your writing team – but posting one to three times week, preferably on the same days (e.g. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) is ideal.

B smart: Share your own posts on your social networks. You can connect some networks (like LinkedIn) directly to your blog to post new article links automatically. 

8. Reply to every comment. 

Answer questions and thank people who compliment the content. Strike up conversations with your potential customers.

B smart: Don’t feed the trolls – in other words, don’t try to argue with people who post inflammatory comments just to get a rise out of you. Instead, shut them down with something benign like “Thank you for your input.” Consider implementing a Comment Policy reserving the right to ban trolling, strong language, racial slurs, etc.

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What questions do you have about blogging? Let us know in the comments!

Is your audience falling out of love with that how-to video you worked so hard on? Is their infatuation with last year’s top-20 blog post all but gone? You could let the spark fade. Or you could help your followers fall in love with the same content all over again – just by giving it a little makeover.

Here are seven ways to do that.

1. Blog Posts to Ebook – Do you have a series of blog posts covering a similar subject? Bundle them together into an eBook: just edit for redundancies and flow, and update with some new stats or tips. Get your graphic designer to pretty it up, then offer it as a free download to new subscribers.
2. White Paper to Infographic – Pick out some of the most pertinent facts and numbers from your white paper and get your designer to turn it into a fun, easy-to-read graphic. Make sure you include a Pinterest share button when you post it!
3. Blog Post to Video–How-to blog posts, especially, make awesome videos – sometimes it’s just easier to watch someone do it step-by-step.
4. Video to Graphic – On the other hand, some people want an at-a-glance reference. So if you’ve already made a how-to video, try creating a photo version of the instructions, with one key image illustrating each step, like this brownie in a mug recipe. These are great for Pinterest, too.
5. Podcast to Blog Post – Some people just don’t have time to listen to a whole podcast – or have trouble following along without a visual. Post a transcript of the podcast on your blog, or write up the highlights and scatter in a few cool quotes from the recording.
6. Webinar to SlideShare – Did you create an awesome slide presentation for your webinar? Upload it to SlideShare to read a wider audience, promote sharing across social networks, and even get constructive feedback.
7. Share Old Stuff Again – Some new subscribers haven’t even seen your old content: try re-sharing an old piece on your social networks. Use a segue like an upcoming event (“Get ready for the holiday shopping season with these 10 tips on bargain-hunting”) or a news story (first check out these tips on newsjacking).

There are plenty of other ways to repurpose content – maybe you’ll turn an infographic into a video, or a webinar into an eBook. Tell us your repurposing ideas in the comments.

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[Image credit: Shuba]

 

 

 Illustration by Evan Robinson. Buy this and other awesome quote prints here. 

 

The Bs’ favorite books are as varied as the Bs themselves, but they all share a common trait: they’ve either changed the way we live our lives, or changed the way we look at life.

Naturally, there are some classics on this list – but there are also a few titles you’ve probably never heard of. So next time you’re looking for a good read, try one of these.

 

 

Chip’s fave: The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss 

Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”

Chip says: Although I don't work 4 hours a week, it has helped me think of business in a different way. I learned about Parkinson’s Law, and the 80-20 principle: 80% of your benefits come from 20% of your efforts.

 

Brian’s fave: David and the Phoenix by Edward Ormondroyd 

Brian says: It was the first book I remember reading. I must have read it like ten times as a kid. It let me go on an adventure in my mind, full of wonderment and fantasy and friendship.

 

 

Kim’s fave: Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss 

Kim says: So simple, yet inspirational.

 

 

Lynne’s faves:

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White 

"It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” 

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 

"Don't ever get angry at a man for stating the truth."

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 

"I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Lynne says: I've always been drawn to books with strong female protagonists. I wanted to BE these women (or in one case, very cool spider) because they took control of their sometimes bleak existence and made the most of it. As a little girl in a broken home, this concept was very appealing to me and helped shape the grown woman I became.

 

 

Lauren T.’s fave: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

Lauren says: I always really loved The Great Gatsby.

 

 

Toni’s fave: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”

Toni says: Elizabeth Bennett is one of my favorite literary characters.  She’s a strong, intelligent woman who refuses to bend to society’s rules for her. 

 

Toni and Susan's fave: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

“Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”

Toni says: Southern literature is a favorite of mine; and Atticus, Scout and Jem are such great characters. Harper Lee’s writing is so descriptive. What a shame she never wrote anything else. (p.s.  I named one of my cats Boo after Boo Radley.)

Susan says: Having grown up in the Deep South, the story of racial conflict hits close to home. GA, AL, MS. It's so hard to believe that all this went on. We just wish that there were more people like Atticus Finch to make a difference. And I love that this scary, mysterious guy, Boo Radley, protects these children. Doesn't every child have a bad dream kind of person like Boo that we all just hope turns out to be as great as Boo does?

 

 

Trey’s fave: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom 

"Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone."

Trey says: A newspaper columnist recounts time spent with his 78-year-old

sociology professor, who was dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. Great book for coping with loss and learning to make the most of the life you live.

 

 

Stephanie’s fave: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

"I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."

Stephanie says: About a foster child in Nazi Germany who steals books from bonfires. The narrator is Death. I know it sounds morbid, but it isn’t. It breaks my heart about a hundred times, but ultimately leaves me hopeful.

 

 

Ashley’s fave: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 

Ashley says: I recently read Laura Hillenbrand's book, and was moved greatly by the story of WWII lieutenant and former Olympian Louis Zamperini (who is still alive today). It will remain among my favorite reads because it is a testament to the human spirit, the will to live and the miracle of grace. 

 

 

Audrey and Lauren M.’s fave: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers  

"You are free. You just don't know it yet.”

Set in 1850s California, a powerful retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea: a prostitute and the man who married her.

Audrey says: This story, based on the Book of Hosea, will tug at your heart strings and unveil the power of unconditional love – to restore, heal and redeem a wounded heart.

LJ agrees: A timeless love story. It showed me what unconditional love looks like. It shaped the way I communicate with God and how I love others around me. This is a book that takes hold of your heart and forces you to feel the characters' emotions, which you realize are your own, too. A perfect analogy.   

 

 

Ali’s fave: True Colors by Kristin Hannah 

Ali says: I can read it over and over again. Not only am I a pathetic romance novel junkie, but this one has substance. It deals with family differences, pride, love, and all the other elements that help me remember who I am and what I value. Oh, and there are horses. So obviously that's a huge benefit. :)

 

 

Jennifer’s fave: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

The story of a young woman who marries a wealthy, recently widowed Englishman. She moves into his beautiful country estate, Manderley, only to find she cannot escape the overshadowing presence of her husband's late wife, Rebecca. 

Jennifer says: Rebecca is truly a masterpiece. The story is so enthralling — you literally can't put it down. There is also an unforeseen twist that leaves you dumbfounded and questioning everything you thought you knew. The narrative is so descriptive and haunting, you honestly feel like you are there at Manderley experiencing everything firsthand. 

 

 

Lesley’s fave: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris 

Lesley says: A collection of personal essays. While it is sometimes challenging to tell what is Sedaris' brilliant observation and what is his exaggerated imagination, he is a talented storyteller. It's one of my favorite books because even after reading a story several times, it will still make me laugh out loud.

 

 

David’s fave: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri 

David says: A collection of short stories that are so concise and almost poetic, you get the emotional investment of a novel but in a fraction of the words.

 

 

Jeff’s fave: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski  

Jeff says: This is a terrifying book that I would not recommend to anyone. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you can handle impossible architecture, chaotic typography, endless pages of footnotes, and haunted houses, you may be able to finish the book. Reader beware. 

 

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What’s your favorite book? Leave a favorite quote in the comments!

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At Balcom, we manage social media for several clients – three of us are dedicated to it full time. But how do we use social media on our own time? Twenty-one Bs answered our survey, and here are the results:

More than 95 percent of the Bs surveyed use Facebook, almost exclusively for keeping up with friends and family.

A few Bs do more:

• Lynne said: “I use it to source vendors (‘Hey FB friends: I need a makeup artist in San Antonio. Message me with info if you have a great person’)”
• Eric and Lauren T. both use it to share news, videos or articles.
• Ashley mentioned connections to brands as well as people.

 

About 90 percent of Bs use Twitter, but more for consuming and sharing content than for creating it. That content includes breaking news, articles from industry thought leaders, sports, fashion, trends and comedians.

• Audrey noted: “I have learned about several significant current events through Twitter, before the news broke on a local station. Twitter is a quick network to stay up-to-date but I must admit…sometimes I do post irrelevant updates such as pictures of clouds.”
• Jamie has only tweeted three times, but she’s addicted to following comedians:

Aside from that:

• Ali shares links to interesting or funny news she doesn’t have time to read, so she can find them later.
• Eric also shares a lot of his own amusing observations.
• Steve mentioned following and commenting on live events 

 

All the Bs have LinkedIn accounts, but only about a third mentioned using the network, chiefly for business connections and maintaining a professional image.

• Lynne uses it to research potential new employees.
• Chip tracks who looks at his profile: “usually a good sign that a client (or vendor) is interested.”
• Lauren T. and Eric share news and industry articles here, too.

 

More than a third of the Bs use Pinterest, for everything from recipes and how-tos, to style ideas, industry articles, infographics and more.

• Lauren T. also uses it for content research for clients
• Trey uses it for design inspiration

 

About a third of the Bs use Instagram, and aside from a general consensus that it’s great for editing photos (Ali uses it to “Make myself look less human and thereby...more attractive”), their feelings vary:

• Lynne deleted her account
• Audrey and Lauren M. love it, and Lauren M. says she’d use it more “if it didn’t feel so cliché”

 

Kim, Lauren T. and Stephanie use YouTube for research, how-to videos and fun.

 

Lauren T., Lesley and Lynne use Foursquare, but usually only for offers. Lesley also mentioned reading other visitors' tips and recommendations when she goes to new restaurants or museums.

 

Three Bs also listed seven other networks they frequent:

• Chip – “I check Reddit, HackerNews and Quora.”

• Lynne
  • Untappd:  “This is where I find out about cool new craft brews and what my 'beer' friends are drinking now.”
  • Yelp:  “Places to eat when I'm in an unfamiliar area. But usually go to my FB friends first.”

• Stephanie
  • WordPress – “Blogging (this includes writing, reading and community building).”
  • Google+  – “Mostly for Hangout, but it might become more relevant to my blogging with Authorship.”

 

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Which networks are you on? What do you use them for?

 

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I sort of surprised him with the camera. Sorry, Dad.

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My dad has taught me a lot of things, including the proper way to order a Margarita (no Triple Sec), the magic of baseball (we watch Field of Dreams every year when spring training starts), how to appreciate good music (the Moody Blues, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Who), and that, when you have a Bose sound system, the best part of every movie is the THX slide with that escalating vvvvrrrroooOOOOOMMM!!! sound.

But he taught me much more than that.

 

Be humble – but brilliant

“I’m a printer by trade; I put ink on paper.” That’s how he describes his job. But after more than 40 years experience in printing he deserves a lot more credit than that. A master of the gutter jump, he knows pretty much the entire Pantone Matching System by heart. Point to any color and he can tell you the PMS number.

 

Hard work pays off – when it’s work you love

Daddy’s also a big reason I work here at Balcom – and not just because he told Lynne Swihart about me when she came into Ussery Printing for a press check. He’s worked hard every day of his life, but he also loves what he does. These are both qualities that Balcom looks for in B-team members, and I owe mine to my dad.

 

Most importantly: You make your own future

Daddy didn’t have the idyllic childhood he gave me. He came from a background of divorce and alcoholism, and spent much of his childhood in an orphanage. A lot of people would use that as an excuse to follow the same pattern, but not my dad.

He has always provided for us, always been there for us – through my brother’s open heart surgery and my mom’s three brain surgeries. I’ve never seen him drunk, never seen him lose his temper, and I think the worst thing I’ve ever heard him say is “damn Yankees” (and everybody hates the Yankees anyway). He and my mom are still in love with each other (sometimes annoyingly so) and will celebrate their 30^th anniversary next month.

 

I am darn lucky to have the life I do – and I know I owe a heck of a lot of that to him. So thanks, Daddy. Happy Father’s Day.

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You wouldn't drive somewhere without directions. You wouldn't build a house without blueprints.

And you shouldn't launch a campaign to increase web traffic without a strategy. 

Without strategy, you'll keep shooting aimless messages out into the world, from which you'll get plenty of impressions and few results. But with strategy, you can integrate your marketing efforts to not only attract more web traffic – but also secure more business. 

Just ask yourself these three questions:

1. What is my goal?

What do you want your customer to do once they are on your website? It depends on your specific product or service. For instance:

• Retailer? Add to cart. 
• Manufacturer? Find a retailer. 
• Service? Call for a free estimate. 
• Nonprofit? Donate or sign up to volunteer. 

Determine your website's call to action (called the "conversion" in web talk), and ask your customers to do it. Make it a giant button on every page of the website. Make it the goal, directly or indirectly, of every marketing message you create. 

2. Who is my customer?

Marketing isn't about forcing people to buy things they don't want. It's about finding the people who need you and introducing yourself, in their language, at exactly the right time and place:

• A billboard for car air conditioning repair as they sit sweltering in rush hour traffic. 
• A plumbing business on page one of their Google search for how to fix a toilet.

Also consider the length of the buy process – how long it takes to "convert" them. If you sell clothing, the process can be as little as a few minutes, from grabbing the customer's attention with an image of a cute dress to getting them to click "Process Order." If you're a university trying to attract students, however, the process can stretch over months or even years as your customers weigh their options.

Throughout a longer buy process, find ways to stay in front of them. This might involve using softer calls to action to funnel them closer to your ultimate goal. For instance:

• Inviting them to tour the campus will guide them closer to the primary conversion of completing their application.

• Enticing them to subscribe to your blog for free advice lets you prove your knowledge and helpfulness while they decide whether or not to pay for more extensive services.

3. Who is my competition?

If you follow the tips listed above, chances are you'll already be a step ahead of your competitors. But you can go the extra mile by:

• Targeting their customers. For instance, when buying ads on search engines, add your competitor's name to your keyword list, so your business appears on the results page every time someone searches for your competitor.
• Differentiating yourself. Focus on benefits, not features – particularly the benefits you offer that your competitors don't.
• Being more attractive. Study their ads before writing your own and find ways to make yours more compelling – like by offering discounts and free trials.

Pinpointing your goal, understanding your customers and knowing your competition are the building blocks of strategy, and strategy is the backbone of any campaign. Don't leave home without it.

 

Continue reading: *Designing* for Website Speed
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

Traditional advertising is still very much in the picture. But if your goal is to get more web traffic, you have to do more than just add a URL to the end of your outdoor boards, print ads, direct mail, TV commercials or radio spots. You have to make it ultra clear why they want to visit your website. 

Here are a few ways to do that.

1. Make visiting the website your main call to action. On the billboard, TV spot or postcard, literally ask them to go to the website, versus calling a number or visiting a physical location.

2. Tell them how the site will benefit them in the call to action. Don't just say "visit our website" – tell them what they'll get out of it. For instance: 

• Learn more at website.com
• Get tickets at website.com
• Compare prices at website.com
• Get a free sample at website.com

3. Try using a memorable URL. A fun, unique URL is more likely to stick in your customer's mind and entice them to find out more – like:

• WeDoTheRobot.com for the robotic surgery program at USMD Arlington
• SeeTheScrolls.com for Southwestern Seminary's Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition

4. Offer something exclusively online. Something cool they can only get on your website: 

• Promo code discount/downloadable coupon
• Contest or sweepstakes
• Free sample, trial or evaluation

5. Create urgency by limiting the time frame of the offer. ("Hurry – the sale ends Wednesday.")

6. Get them involved. Spark community interaction by asking people to share stories or suggestions. With the Can He Rope It challenge for Justin Boots, we asked people to send in funny roping challenges to trick-roper Anthony Lucia for a chance to win a pair of Justin Boots.

Try some of these out on your next campaign and let us know how it worked for you.

 

Continue reading: Strategy: Don't Launch a Campaign Without It
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

 

Blogging. All the cool businesses are doing it. Maybe you're starting to think you should get a blog too. Or maybe you think it's just a fad. Or maybe you just don't know what it's all about.

Here's what it's all about.

It's about positioning your brand as an authority, turning your customers into brand fanatics, and in measurable terms, attracting oodles of web traffic through Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

SEO is the process of building a website that naturally attracts traffic from search engines (like Google, Yahoo and Bing) with or without paid ads. Think of SEO as the online equivalent of having a great location – being as visible as possible to as many people as possible.

How is blogging great for SEO?

Keyword-rich content. One of the ways search engines rank websites is by the concentration of keywords, or search terms.

• The simplistic view: If somebody types a word into Google, Google will show them the web pages that use that word the most.
• The reality: Search engines look for content that's written for humans. They punish content that's not. So if you sell luggage, and you create a web page that says nothing but "luggage luggage luggage" 500 times, you may have a higher concentration of keywords, but the search engines will see it isn't real content, and will expel you from the results.
• The solution: Write a helpful blog post related to luggage – say "10 Luggage Packing Tips to Get You Through Airport Security Faster." Even if you only use the word "luggage" five times (as it would naturally appear in a conversation about the TSA), you're more likely to get good attention from the search engines.

New content. Search engines love regularly updated content. An article posted this morning will get more attention than one posted a month ago. And posting one new article every Monday is better than posting 10 new articles whenever you feel like it. Keep in mind: search engines punish duplicate content. You can't just write one good article and repost it every week – you'll get ignored.

Link bait. What do search engines love most of all? Popular content. The more websites that link to you, the higher you'll be on the results page. You attract these links by writing awesome content. Don't write a post listing product features: that belongs on a product page, not a blog. But a related post, offering useful information in entertaining, bite-size chunks (like the packing tips example above) will get shared.

See the pattern yet?

Ultimately, having a blog is about helping your customers. If you make that your first priority, the traffic will naturally follow.

But remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Building a blog that stands out from all the rest takes time, research, strategy and good writing. So before you get started, make sure you do your homework, or get help from somebody who's done theirs.

 

Continue reading: How to Drive Traffic to Your Website: SEO
View all: "Driving More Traffic to Your Website" blog series

Eat your heart out, sliced bread. I think we can all agree the Internet is ten times awesomer than you. Here are a few world-changing reasons why.

 

Thanks to the Internet: it’s a small world, after all. You can reach outside your own small town and connect with anyone, anywhere the web reaches (through my writing blog, I have friends in Australia, Britain, Canada, India, Namibia and I don’t know where else). You can even help small businesses in third world countries.

Thanks to the Internet: brilliant writers, musicians and filmmakers don’t have to sell their souls to jaded publishers, record labels, studios or networks to get their art seen, noticed and loved. Blogging, video-sharing sites and self-publishing outlets help unknowns reach the world. Just look at William P. Young, Edd Plant and Jake Jarvi.

Thanks to the Internet: we dream bigger and achieve more. It’s the Information Age; with enough ambition and the right Google searches, we can accomplish anything. With a quick search, we can learn to change a tire, tie a tie, or improve the SEO of a website. The web is our one-stop shop for direct access to experts on writing, cooking, entrepreneurship and hundreds of other subjects, offering their knowledge for free on the blogosphere.

Thanks to the Internet: the customer is king. No longer do all the sales go to the company that covers the most ground with advertising, but to the company that does the most for its customers. We buy the product with the best customer reviews. We’re loyal to the company that answers questions and solves our problems on Facebook and Twitter. We recommend the business that offers its expertise without trying to sell us something. Plus, through increasingly sophisticated search engine technology, it takes real, helpful content to reach the first page on Google – not keyword-stuffed sales pitches. 

 

The old-fashioned girl in me sometimes wishes for simpler times, but I ultimately wouldn’t trade my time for any other. Never has there been more opportunity for the average person, not just to achieve success, but to achieve greatness. Sure, like any tool, the web can be used for good or evil, but thanks to the Internet, we are inspired to dream bigger, and equipped to accomplish those dreams, like no other time in history. That’s why this Thanksgiving, I’m thanking God for the World Wide Web.

How has the Internet changed your life? And what are you going to do with it?

 

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Read more:

Chip is grateful for Internet memes

Carol discusses why technology now is better than then

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