FourSquare  its relatively new in 21th Century terms but its gaining traction. FourSquare encourages users to explore their neighborhood and then rewards them. We know the power of having a local presence and this platform makes it fun..and social. It’s a community and all brands need to build viable communities both online and offline, connect the dots…that is the future of engagement!

http://foursquare.com/businesses/

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

 

Look at these “good people” maybe we all have some commonalities and can take something away?

http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/marketing-tips-for-entrepreneurs

We’re #59….Google indexes these posts….and you can become a guest blogger…which will drive some traffic to you or and your business.

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

 

CMT Services & Skills

On February 19, 2010, in Smart Growth Is Creative, by admin
0

We had fun putting this together…enjoy your weekend!
http://www.cmtmarketing.net/Presentationfeb10.pptx

Saludos
Jerry/CMT

 

The explosion of social media marketing, iPhone apps and widgets combined with tried-and-true search engine optimization and paid search marketing has given businesses the extraordinary superhuman power to be everywhere consumers are.
But Spiderman’s uncle wasn’t joking when he advised, “With great power comes great responsibility.” And with the capacity to be everywhere your customers are comes the responsibility to make sure that your website is in tip-top condition.
Because as your level of exposure grows, so does the amount of traffic to your website, and it’s imperative that it drives sales, leads and loyalty for your brand.

1. Style and design. Your website is the first thing people see when they’re looking for your brand online. First impressions can make or break a sales opportunity. Your website should look, sound and feel like your business. It also should communicate your brand’s message in a manner that your audience understands and appreciates.
Could someone immediately recognize your brand by quickly glancing at your website? If not, start taking steps to ensure they can. Maintaining consistency of color, type, imagery and layout is an important step in this process, as is upholding a credible, professional appearance. The style and design of your website should closely align with that of your brand personality. Taking this step typically results in greater sales.

2. Organization. Your site must be well-organized so visitors can easily navigate through it. Every step of your sales process should be clear and consistent, because a confused customer most likely will go straight to your competitor for clarity. Clearly specify all stages of the sales process, and be sure that the information you provide is meaningful and encourages conversion.

3. Navigation. When consumers visit your site, they shouldn’t have to sort through multiple layers of navigation to find what they’re looking for. Your main navigation and subnavigation should be straightforward and well-organized; the harder you make customers work for information, the more likely you are to lose them.

4. Interface friendliness. First, be sure that your forms aren’t asking for too much personal information. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes; don’t push them too far. Also, visitors should receive timely answers to their questions, concerns and comments. Consistently follow up with customers after they place orders. Treating customers the way you’d want to be treated goes a long way in retaining them.

5. Social sharing. Does your website provide quick and easy ways for visitors to distribute your content? If visitors to your website see something they like, they’ll likely want to share it with their friends via social networking sites, email and text messaging, so encourage this by providing easy ways for them to post and share content.

Good content keeps them returning and great design adds creditability to your organization!

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

 
What do you want your business to be known for? The answer may include quality products, honesty, and reliability. Another one you should strive for is being known as one that cares about the environment. Offering eco friendly business promotional items is an excellent what to show that.
When you have a business you have an opportunity to strongly influence the actions of others. If you have a business where products are being sold all over the world, think about the number of people you can touch this way. Even if only a handful of them will change what they do in favor of the environment then a positive impact has occurred on many levels. You simply can’t go wrong with eco friendly business promotional items as long as they offer some value.
On the other side of that coin you will find people that are already environmentally conscious. They take a strong stand with it by not making purchases from businesses that aren’t supportive of it. When they see you are on board it will increase your volume of sales with that niche. The number of people that fall into this category continue to grow at an astonishing rate so don’t overlook them.
Try to find something that strongly represents your own business. At the same time you want the cost to be low enough too. You will find many common eco friendly business promotional products to select from though. You can’t go wrong with paper products that have been made from recycled materials. This includes notebooks and calendars where personal data and business information can be jotted down.
You also can’t go wrong with econ friendly business promotional items that have been made from recycled plastic. This includes pens, laminates, and even water bottles. All of these items need to have your business name, phone number, and logo on them. If you have a business slogan then try to put that on there as well.
You may be continually looking for new methods of getting PR out there about your company. One way to do so is to show your efforts as being  a business with a strong interest in caring for the environment. The fact that you send out eco friendly business promotional items is only one step in that direction you can take. Look for other positive efforts you can promote in this area as well.

CMT resources partnering to address business challenges in the 21th century.

Saludos
Jerry
 

The Southwest is an exploding demographic for the Hispanic and Asian markets in both the B2C and B2B segments. This posts highlights the transition of how the Hispanic demographic is now reaching out, searching and finding creditability online.

This article is a re-post from http://www.emarketer.com/ it’s a good and refreshing read.
Attitudes of US Hispanic vs. Non-Hispanic Internet Users Toward the Internet, July 2009 (% of respondents in each group)

According to the study, Hispanics were more likely to turn to the Web in almost every phase of the purchase decision, from beginning the learning process and learning about brands to comparing prices and making a final decision. Only when it came to learning about product features were Hispanics behind the general market in Web usage.

Power users—those who spend the most time online, connect via mobile and are seen as innovators—are more likely to communicate through a variety of Web channels, and less likely than average Hispanics to use e-mail or talk over the phone and in person. About nine in 10 power users share deals and entertainment info with their friends, and many are content creators.

Marketers’ assumptions about the importance of Hispanics’ acculturation levels may be wrong, according to the survey. There was very little difference in the habits of Hispanic-dominant, bicultural and US-dominant users—except that Hispanic-dominant respondents were more likely to be early adopters.

At CMT, we live in the culture, participate in the community and do business in the language. Questions about how to enter this important market call us, 713.622.7977, or click jerry.pollio@cmtmarketing.net.

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

 

The Power of Social Media

On February 11, 2010, in Smart Growth Is Creative, by admin
0

Once again, the social media influence continues to prove a valuable marketing tool. As I mentioned in previous posts getting involved engaging with your community has it’s rewards and benefits. Google Buzz has just rolled out their social media platform and we all know social media has become an important tool for indexing in real time.. Benefit…Benefit…and more Benefits.. Below is a link I suggest you can participate at your leisure..I do and I benefit..How about you…? Mike is very smart…. we’re #3…..!

http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/the-worst-business-advice-for-entrepreneurs

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

 

Google Buzz_ Is that Yahoo?

On February 10, 2010, in Smart Growth Is Creative, by admin
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Google has rolled out their new social media application and, as most Google apps, their smart well designed and meet all functionality requirements. I have read that Buzz was a Yahoo term? I am a Google fan and enjoy watching them and using what they create. Right now, Google Buzz seems not to be so exciting because it really does not offer any ground breaking functionalism that is not already available.

Tell me what you think, your opinion….Seth Godin has an interesting take on giving your opinion. I am always interested in your opinion.

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

 

Google Front Page

On February 4, 2010, in Smart Growth Is Creative, by admin
0

As a follow up to yesterday’s blog post,http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/entrepreneurs-tell-us-whats-the-worst-that-can-happen is front page on Google.

Being that real time search is being indexed by the major search engines collaborating as a guest blogger is one tool you can use to get some qualified traffic and basically learn from others while participating in a community of peers and colleagues.

Micheal is generous and smart you can look around at what he does and decide if that makes sense for your business.

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

 


Mike Michalowz, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur, Author (real), business builder(real) builds social communities by asking, engaging then giving back to his community by providing Google rankings on the blog posts his community writes.

I am a guest blogger and I have received some traffic from my participation below is another example and from there you can look around then if you like, get involved in the social community. That’s what social is about..I think?

http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/entrepreneurs-tell-us-whats-the-worst-that-can-happen

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT