Hello again!  In our last installment, we told you about thecorsetcenter.com Yelp’s business model, their online and in-person presence, their users and growth.  In this installment, we give you concrete advice on how to leverage Yelp to add value to your business.

How you can harness the power of Yelp

1. Claim you free business listing on Yelp

This is so incredibly easy and free.  It gives you the opportunity to put your business out there and not wait for a good Samaritan (or Yelper, in the case) or the dreaded D&B to list your business.  Your business will come up when people search either on the mobile app or the actual website.  You have the ability to post photos, give a detailed business description, list the business history, and your specialties.  Also, Yelp has free business tools associated with the business accounts, like how many page views you’re gotten or how your business comes up in searches.  Pretty cool.

2. Host or sponsor a Yelp event

If your business is in a city with an active Yelp community, consider hosting a special event for the Yelpers.  This is a great way to get Yelpers in your business and introduce yourself to the community at large.   Contact your local community manager for more details about this.

3. Read your Reviews

Read both the positive and negative reviews.  People are much more likely to complain about something than to praise it, so if a reviewer does praise something, take that as 10 people praising it and keep doing whatever that was.  As a business owner, you can respond to reviews publically, right on that review, or privately, by sending the reviewer a private message.

In reading negative reviews, it is important to read them thoroughly to truly understand the issue.  Do not be tempted to lash out at the reviewer, especially publically; nothing good can come of that.  My best advice for this is to respond privately to the user and apologize for their experience, tell them that is not how you do business, and invite them to give you another shot.  I have personally had this experience and was glad to have the opportunity to share my experience with the owner and give them the opportunity to correct the issue.   And after that better experience, I updated my review.  Remember, the customer that complains is your friend.

4. Buy Yelp Ads

Personally, I think if you do the first three steps well and often, you will not have to do step 4 or 5 at all, but the option is there if you want it.  In fact, there have been accusations of Yelp being overly-zealous with trying to sell ads to business owners and these ads not being as effective as other advertising purchases you could be making (see Yelp Ad Sales).  From my experience, businesses on Yelp that provide a good service, reach out to the community in general and the Yelp community, will do well without needing to advertise—word of mouth is so much more powerful.

5. Have Yelp Deals

This is another service offered by Yelp and again, is there if you want it.  These are similar to Groupon and Localiter Deals but on your Yelp page.  One benefit of these is that in the search options, users can filter on companies that currently have a deal, so depending on the type of business you have, this may be helpful in initially penetrating the market or trying to stand out among the crowd.  However, you want to be careful and avoid “Daily Deal Backlashes” which can actually alienate customers and employees and erode your prices and reputation over time.  Value and quality propositions are always better in the long run and it will pay off.

Good luck and happy Yelping!

With more than 100 million registered users, LinkedIn is the number one professional networking website online today. As the popular site becomes more commonly referenced as a hiring and promotion resource, businesses should be familiar with how LinkedIn can help build their brands and increase company awareness. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.

Flesh Out Your Profile

The most important thing you can do to boost visibility on LinkedIn is to flesh your profile out as much as possible. Make sure profile completion is at 100% and be sure to include as many skills and experiences as possible in order to increase your likelihood of showing up in search results.

Create a Company Page

LinkedIn’s Company Page feature helps you network with other businesses, gets you listed with Google’s search engine, and creates a platform for you to promote company news and services. Your company page includes information such as a company description, specialties, logos, Twitter and RSS feeds, company news, career opportunities, and more. Fill out each section of your company profile as completely as possible to boost visibility and attract page views.

Build Credibility with Groups and Answers

These two features are essential for building brand awareness. Let’s take a closer look at how they can boost your credibility:

• Groups—By joining a LinkedIn group or starting your own group, you can connect with others in your field or with potential customers. Taking an active part in group discussions also demonstrates expertise in your field. If you’re starting your own group, be sure the headline communicates clearly what the group’s purpose is in order to attract the right types of contacts.
• Answers—The Answers section enables you to provide input on questions relative to your field, thereby demonstrating your knowledge of the subject matter and increasing the relevance of your comments throughout the site. Posting on other members’ questions also increases your visibility and can establish you as a credible, thinking leader within your field.

Promote Your Company Profile

Once you have established your brand within LinkedIn itself, you can begin promoting your company profile on other venues. Invite followers with a button placed on your website, blog, email communications, and other points of contact.

Ultimately, the best advice I can offer regarding LinkedIn is this: keep it current. By making sure your profile remains up to date and that you’re interacting regularly, you can ensure that you stay visible to the people you want to reach.

Over the past couple months, we’ve been doing some soul searching and exploring all facets of our company. The result is a newfound understanding of our deeper purpose, who we are, and what we do. We’re still the crew you’ve grown to know and love, but with a little more punch. This being said, we’re making a point to get back to our core services:

• Website Development (including ipage hosting and domain registration)
• Email Marketing
• Graphic Design
• Printing

We’ve also expanded our services by partnering with local internet presence management company, Best Rank, Inc. We’re excited to announce that in addition to our core services (mentioned above) we will now be providing search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (PPC), social media, and PR services through this R3 Data Recovery new partnership.

Best Rank specializes in internet presence, providing their clients with strategic SEO through research, link building, and on-site content. Best Rank also implements successful social media management, and PR services through press release creation and distribution.

With HMG’s creative web design, development, and email marketing services combined with Best Rank’s search engine marketing (SEM), our valued clients can benefit from having effective design and branding, as well as increased recognition online. This is the perfect opportunity for you to maximize sales and become more established on the Internet.

We hope you will continue to elevate and grow your brand by working with us and our partners!

To kick-start our partnership with Best Rank they are offering a complimentary (no obligation) website analysis to our current clients. If you’re looking to boost your online presence click on the button below to take advantage of this exclusive offer.

Click here to request a FREE Website Analysis

Coca-cola. Pringles. Play Station. Victoria Secret. Oreo.

What do these companies have in common? They are all top brands on Facebook, garnering the highest number of fans among the thousands of pages on our favorite social media marketing platform.

What does this mean and why do companies strive to emulate these brands and dissect every new campaign and social strategy? Because as marketers we know that fans = greater influence and reach. And increased interaction with your brand = increased brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction.

Check out this infograph that breaks down the correlation between number of fans, engagement and how that can influence the growth and success of your business.