Get More Local Customers with Google Boost

Soon local business owners will be able to create a simple ad from within their Google Places account. With Google Boost you can advertise your business on Google search and Google Maps.

• You can do it in just a few minutes - Simply choose a business category, choose ad text, and set a budget

• Automatically managed - Boost manages everything and figures out where to show your ad
• You only pay only for success - Pay only if a customer clicks on your ad

If you have already listed your business in Google's Local Business Center (Places), then you can use this new feature. [Not available to all yet. Google has rolled it out to some business categories; more will be added soon.]

Log in to your Google Places account. On the Dashboard tab you'll see a sign-up link for Boost. If Boost is not available for your business category yet, you'll see a message that says "email me when it is available".

View this 1 minute video for more information:

Ciao for now, Paula

Attending the Chick-fil-A Leadercast seminar @ Living Word Christian Church today!! Great stuff from John Maxwell, Dave Ramsey, Seth Godin and many more.

What a wonderful way to end the week!

The Internet is Changing Our Brain Patterns

The Internet has transformed our existence. The barrage of information coming at us and all the ways we're "connected" has changed the way we think and process information.

Have you noticed that

• you're less focused and it's harder to concentrate for long periods?
• you've gotten much better at scanning instead of fully reading?
• you feel more rushed?

Marketing in this landscape is different than it used to be. This can be a bit discouraging for the small business owner. 

• How in the world do I keep up? 
• What should I be focusing my energy on? 
• Where should I be spending our marketing dollars?

I'm sure you'd agree that competition is tougher today than ever before. New marketing media is constantly emerging. And some simply isn't affordable for small business.

It's important to establish business goals that help you stay focused and weed out the clutter. Have you taken time away from your business to establish some priorities and goals for where you want to be 6 months from now? 1 year? 5 years?

I've found this activity has really helped me focus among the distractions. I map out exactly where I want to go and what I want to focus on. For my business, I find this works best if I I do this quarterly. Your review time-frame may be different; do what works best for you.

To read more about the ritual I use and to help you begin your goal-setting, download my goal planning workbook. It's an affordable $4.95 and you can purchase it here: My Goals

It will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, establish your short- and long-term goals, and measure your success.
Download your copy today

Ciao for now, Paula

Social Media: Should You Be There?

In recent weeks, this question has come to me multiple times from my local, small business clients. Should I be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.? Should I be participating in the whole Social Media craze?

My answer has always been, IF your customers are there, then it makes sense for your business to be there. Otherwise, don't bother. Let's face it, we all have many things we must do in a day. If there is no business purpose for you to be there and you're just following the latest trend, you'll be wasting time. And time = money!

Since it's a question so many of you have, I developed a one-page planning worksheet. You can use it to determine if it makes sense for your business to be in the social media world. If you're already there, you can use it as a tool to revisit and re-focus your efforts.

Get the free download on this page of my site:
Social Media Planning Worksheet

*adapted from Jay Baer's Social Media Strategy Worksheet, Convince & Convert

Ciao for now, Paula

Google +1 Modeled After Facebook Like?

Soon Google will begin showing a "+1" next to some search results. In Google's own words, "it's the digital shorthand for this is pretty cool". Or I think it's similar to the Facebook "like" button you find on their site and around other sites across the Web.

It's highly personalized showing you stuff your Google contacts have +1'd. To use +1, you need a Google profile and be logged into your account in order to +1 something.

It's a slow roll-out. Initially, Google's +1’s will appear next to search results and ads. In the coming weeks, it will begin to appear more places including other Google products and sites across the web.

Find out more and watch a 1 minute video here: Google's +1

Ciao for now, Paula