|
Thursday
May 16, 2013 3 Tips on How to Rebrand Your CompanyFiled under: Tip of the Day, Uncategorized Earlier this week I wrote a blog about the importance of brand management in times of crisis and used an example of an epic brand meltdown on a business Facebook page. That business — Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro — did incredible harm to its reputation simply because they had no brand management plan. (And, some might argue, common sense.) Of course, once the smoke clears and the dust settles, Amy’s might want to investigate on how they can rebrand their business. Because, well, they’re gonna need it. And that’s where ASI comes in! So, Amy’s, take note … here’s a great video by Counselor that provides 3 important tips for rebranding your company. Enjoy!
Wednesday
May 15, 2013 3 Tips for Managing Your Brand During CrisisFiled under: Tip of the Day
Quick backstory: the restaurant was recently featured on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares but quickly dumped by Chef Gordon Ramsey because the owners were “too difficult” to work with. Ensuing backlash on the company’s Facebook page resulted in the owners taking to the keyboard to defend themselves in a, well, not-so genial manner. Nasty comments from users were met with even nastier responses from the owners until an all-out, ALL-CAPS war commenced, complete with F-bombs, physical threats and bad grammar — a trifecta of brand destruction. It’s u-g-l-y ugly, and if you want a great play-by-play of what happened, check out Buzzfeed’s coverage of it. Of course, now the owners are claiming they were hacked and weren’t responsible for the posts, which are now gone. Whether or not they were hacked, well, I guess we’ll have to wait until the “FBI computer crimes unit” is done with their investigation. But all this got me to thinking, how should one prepare for a possible PR disaster? I searched the ‘net this morning and found a good, succinct post by Startups FM that breaks it down to three main precautions:
Wednesday
May 8, 2013 8 Surefire Ways to FailFiled under: Tip of the Day
Obviously, these 442 folks know how to succeed, but what about those of us who need a little guidance in our quest for success? This month’s Advantages Strategy column “8 Surefire Ways to Fail” provides not the paths to success, but the paths to failure. Avoid these and you’ll be on the right path!
Got any others to add to the list? Let us know by commenting on this post now.
Thursday
May 2, 2013 4 Tips on How To Increase Your Company’s Online Presence with Search Engine MarketingFiled under: Tip of the Day
Sound complicated? Well it’s not, and you might already be doing some without even knowing it! This month’s Stitches magazine State of the Industry 2013 is packed with tons of great information on everything from how to diversify your customer base and lead-generation strategies to posting good content and, yes, even how to optimize your website through SEM! Don’t miss this feature, and in the meantime, here are the 4 tips:
Wednesday
May 1, 2013 10 Most Popular Athletic Activities in the U.S.Filed under: Tip of the Day
Telling me that carrying around a billiards stick and hitting a white ball around a pool table in between sips of beer was an activity, I’d laugh at you. But apparently that’s considered an activity by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), and it was one of the top-10 most popular activities in the U.S. in 2012. As part of National Physical Fitness & Sports Month, Advantages magazine’s May issue has devoted an entire Strategy section on how to bulk up sales with fitness programs. Check out this article for tons of ways to fitness programs … and in the meantime, here are the 10 Most Popular Athletic Activities in the U.S. in 2012:
Wednesday
April 17, 2013 3 Effective and Simple SEO TipsFiled under: Tip of the Day
A decade later not only do I know what search engine optimization — or SEO — is, but it’s part of my daily work routine. Being able to effectively and strategically manage online content and properties so customers can find my company’s website, products and services is truly an art, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be quite simple. A recent article by Inc.com highlights three very simple ways you can get your website found with the following SEO advice:
I agree that all three of these can be very effective as well as easy to implement. Click here for the details on how to get your SEO off and running. And in the meantime, what do you think is the most important SEO strategy a company can implement?
Wednesday
April 10, 2013 LinkedIn Lowdown - 6 Cool FactsFiled under: Tip of the Day
For instance, did you know that if your goal is to increase sales, you can do yourself a huge solid simply by switching your profile’s appeal from potential employers to customers and prospects? That’s one simple way you can gain more prospects. For more, you definitely don’t want to miss this article, “Lock In Leads with LinkedIn“. And in the meantime, here are 6 cool facts about LinkedIn.
Source: LinkedIn Press Center
Wednesday
April 3, 2013 Top 5 Reasons Why Employees LeaveFiled under: Tip of the Day
For this month’s Advantages cover story titled “Staying Power,” my colleague Jen Vishnevsky dug deep into the HR market for information on how and why human resources is so freakin’ hot right now. Along the way, she discovered interesting tidbits like this. Top 5 Reasons Why Employees Leave:
Want to learn more? Check out this article now!
Friday
March 22, 2013 6 Tips for Negotiating with SuppliersFiled under: Tip of the Day
In an April management article, Counselor magazine offers some great tips and advice on how get your haggle on. Want to improve your negotiation skills? Then this article is a must-read. In the meantime, here are 6 tips for negotiating with suppliers:
Tuesday
March 19, 2013 5 Advantages of Face-to-Face Relationship BuildingFiled under: Tip of the Day Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer has recently come under fire for requiring remote employees to actually come into the office to work. So great was the backlash against her that my colleague Michele Bell felt compelled to awaken from her three-month blog slumber and post in support of Mayer. Crazy how far things have come in the workplace, huh? (I still remember scratching my head and asking “What’s email?”) This month’s Advantages magazine has a great little Strategy article about this very situation and how you should consider the benefits of face-to-face relationship building. Sure, it’s a great perk to be able to work from home now and then, but being in the office and forging relationships still has value, and this article stresses that. If you’ve got five minutes, read it now, and here are 5 advantages of in-person face time:
|
Call it what you will — I prefer Social Media Train Wreck of the Year — but if you haven’t been paying attention to what’s happening with the Facebook business page of 
Staggering fact: In 2012, there were 442 billionaires in America. (That was billionaires with a B, just for the record.)
Wikipedia
If you were to ask me what an “athletic” activity constituted, I’d probably say something that gets me pretty sweaty, like jogging, playing hoops, or balancing my checkbook. (I’m kidding about the checkbook … I’ve never done that.)
To this day I still remember the first time I heard the acronym SEO. I was in a meeting sometime in the early 2000’s when the meeting leader dropped it on a bunch of us unsuspecting newbies. No explanation of what it meant. No hesitation to elaborate. Just a “Blah-blah-blah … for better SEO purposes … blah-blah-blah.” Of course, being the curious one I immediately raised my hand: “Excuse me,” I said. “What’s, um, essay owe?”
In this month’s 
If you’ve had more than one job in your career, chances are your reasons for moving on were monetary in nature. It’s not a bad thing, and I’ll admit I’ve moved on for this reason, but it’s far from being the top reason employees leave for greener pastures.
Negotiating … yeah, it can be daunting, especially if you’re a small distributor just starting out. But when dealing with suppliers, remember: You have the right to negotiate.