The internet is growing exponentially. And with stats like these how can you justify not being on the internet in today’s world? The answer is simple…You can’t.

There was a wonderful article from Mashable today which I think beautifully lays out what I trying to say. You can also check out the video first.

Individual stats like Facebook passing the 400 million user mark, Twitter hitting 50 million tweets per day, and YouTube viewers watching 1 billion videos per day are impressive on their own, but what if we looked at Internet-related stats collectively? Jesse Thomas did just that in his video State of the Internet.

The video — created and animated by Thomas with data from multiple sources — highlights some remarkable figures and visually depicts the Internet as we know it today. It’s a must-watch video for anyone trying to wrap their minds around just how immersed web technologies have become in our everyday lives.

You can watch the video below, but we’ve also included some of the most intriguing figures shared in the video:

- There are 1.73 billion Internet users worldwide as of September 2009.

- There are 1.4 billion e-mail users worldwide, and on average we collectively send 247 billion e-mails per day. Unfortunately 200 billion of those are spam e-mails.

- As of December 2009, there are 234 million websites.

- Facebook gets 260 billion pageviews per month, which equals 6 million page views per minute and 37.4 trillion pageviews in a year.

So if your business is still in the internet darkages then now is your time to get out of it. TheSuccessfulBiz.Com team and I can help you with that. From inexpensive SEO rich websites to a top-notch social media presence that drives in hordes of new and potential customers everyday. Just go to the “contact us” page and fill out the form and we’ll get right back to you.

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By Dewitt’s Media

The world seems to revolve around the Internet these days, making it vital for Web sites and businesses to get out there and make themselves known. It’s dog-eat-dog when it comes to Web marketing, so you’ll have to do whatever it takes to get to the top. One of the best ways of getting the word out about your business and/or Web site is to use social media networks like Twitter. Here are some reasons why you should use Twitter and how it can benefit you.

1. Creating a Brand: As a company, your top goal is to create a brand that will sell the products and services you offer. Making consumers loyal to you is what keeps a business thriving. On Twitter, it doesn’t matter if you’re a startup or a small business that’s been in operation for ten years — anyone can build a brand. Your best bet is to create a personal account if your company isn’t well-known yet — people don’t like to talk to LOGOs; plus, a personal account will make you friendlier to Tweeters. Humanizing your business is always an effective route. By having your business up on Twitter puts you in the position to show the world that you are a part of the online community. You will become a social personality that will slowly but surely bring in more followers, who can eventually become loyal customers.

2. Touching Base with Customers: Every business wants to be able to connect with their customers on a regular basis and Twitter lets you do just that. After branding, this should be your top priority. The reason Twitter is great for businesses is because it allows them to communicate with consumers directly. It’s like attending a worldwide party and being able to stand up in front of everyone and speak (and everyone actually listens). Those that are following you on Twitter will receive updates on your comments each time you post something up. You can also turn things around by keeping track of what your customers are tweeting. Getting to know them personally will help you to create a better brand and products/services that are more customer oriented. Also, make sure to reply back to customers as quickly as possible — they love that.

3. Getting Feedback from Customers: After working with a few tweeters that you’re connected with, you will likely receive feedback about your companies services and/or products, and how they can be improved. Just make sure that you can take criticism because it can be used for your benefit. Listen to what your customers have to say and try your best to cater to their needs.

4. Marketing for Free: Sounds too good to be true actually, but Twitter allows you to market your company without having to spend a pretty penny. You’ll be able to connect with potentially millions of people who in your eyes are potential sales. Marketing on Twitter is simple, whatever you post on your account will be seen by whoever looks into your profile and by those who are following you. In order to gain more followers, you should take the time to search around for people to connect with. Don’t become a spammer, be genuine and you will steadily build a group of followers. In most cases, tweeters will spread the word about a company they have enjoyed working with, which helps to increase followers and business for the company.

5. Building Links and Traffic: Getting more traffic to your site can easily be done using Twitter as well. Once you’ve created a personal or strictly business persona on Twitter and have developed followers, you will find it very beneficial to post up links to your business Web site. It will help to bring in more visitors and if you create great content for the site, you will be well on your way to building quality links. Developing content that offers information that is valuable to readers will help to keep people coming back to your site. You will even find a great deal of conversions of visitors/readers to buyers. Consider posting up a link to have people follow you on Twitter. When people see that you have a Twitter account, it shows that you are more than just a LOGO. When they follow you they will receive updates about your offerings, which brings us to the next reason why you should use Twitter.

6. Posting up Deals, Coupons and News: Everyone likes a great deal and as we all know, it’s a great way to bring in more buyers. By posting up coupon codes and special deals for products and services that you’re offering, it will catch the eye of many tweeters who could use your business. You can even make it a special deal for tweeters who are following you — that could help to get you more followers you can advertise to. Any company news that you would like to inform customers about can also be done through tweets. Keep customers and employees in the loop.

7. Keeping an Eye on Competition: Unfortunately, you’re not the only business on Twitter who is looking to get some attention. Use it to your benefit — keep an eye on your competitors to see what they’re up to. Whenever they’re offering a deal, try to outdo them, but don’t get too competitive to the point where you’ll end up losing money. You can look at the tweets their customers are giving them — these could be good reviews or complaints. If you see someone having a problem with the competitor, tweet them and see if you can offer a “helping hand”.

8. Increase Sales: Another great reason to use Twitter is to help increase the sales of your business. Since you’ll be receiving more attention than you probably ever have, you will receive the chance to sell more to more people.

9. Networking: Tired of attending local networking events that seem to never work? Now, you can effectively network with companies and individuals that are more likely to help you bring in more customers. Connecting with like-minded people can help to increase peer recommendations and testimonials.

10. Finding Prospects:You can use Twitter to find potential clients; you just simply type in keywords that are related to the services or products that you offer. You can then follow the users that pop up on the search results. Then begin tweeting about topics that are parallel to what you have to offer. Keep in mind that you should use direct messages or offline communications to keep prospects closed away from public channels.

Conclusion: Overall, using Twitter to boost your company’s or Web site’s visibility can be done with a few clicks of the mouse. Most of the work has already been done for you — all you have to do is make an account on Twitter and begin following and being followed. Make sure to stay active with tweeting to ensure that you build a reputable brand for your site or business.

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September 16, 2009

Last week, I was asked for ideas on ways brands can participate in social media circles despite the fact that they don’t have frequent new product announcements and company news.

It’s a good question that I think keeps some brands away from social media. They realize that ongoing, consistent participation in social media gives their brands the best shot at standing out and connecting with customers, but they don’t feel like they have enough new things to share.

Since social media is not best used solely as another way to distribute news releases, I highly recommend that you outline the types of content you’ll share in your social media efforts as you develop your strategy and identify the places where your brand will participate.

Here are a few ideas to jump start the discussion. Please share your ideas in the comments.

Loosely-related Valuable Stuff

What is the big picture, end benefit that your brand or product delivers that adds value to the lives of your customers? Relief? Joy? Knowledge? Confidence? Health? Bringing people together? Once you’ve identified your end benefit, share anything in your social spaces that also delivers that to the people you’re connected with, even if it’s momentarily.

For example, SunTrust Bank gives you tools and tips to make solid, confident financial decisions. The company is kicking off its social media participation and one thing it’s doing purposefully is starting discussions around everyday ways to Live Solid. If I worked with a baby products brand, I’d spend a little time every day scouring YouTube and other places to find short baby videos and stories that remind parents why they love being parents.

Industry News

Don’t just share your news. Share news related to your overall industry that your customers might find interesting. It’s a way to keep them informed without it being all about your company.

For example, if you’re in a regulated industry, share updates on proposed, pending and new regulations. If something is proposed that would have a negative impact on the ability of you and your competitors to run profitable businesses, share your concerns with your social media connections. If appropriate, try to inspire and mobilize them to share their thoughts with regulators.

Your Personal Side

People want to do business with people. Actually, they want to do business with people they like. Empower your social media community managers to be human and share tidbits about their daily lives. Ask questions and acknowledge and implement the answers from people who take the time to respond. This helps humanize your brand and create personal connections with current and potential customers.

What would you add? What other types of things can brands share in social media spaces to add value to the conversations?

Here is a link to the original article: http://www.davidwmullen.com/2009/09/16/3-things-to-tweet-that-arent-about-your-brand/

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