Marshall Yard:

Thanks to Small Business Essentials for hosting this weeks Carnival of the Captitalists, with some interesting information on Word of Mouth Marketing , I agree with this article and I do think it is a necessity in any market, I also have to say it is not easy and it is time consuming. 

If a customer is happy and satisfied, there is no better advertisement, agreeing with the following statement from Word of Mouth Marketing,  I also feel that this is relevant to  social media and blogging:

The problem with word of mouth marketing is the breadth of buzz needed in order to see an increase in business–and the passive nature of the method itself. 

Blogging does not have to be passive, but blogging to drive business to your website is an on going process, it takes time and it takes readers to make it a success.  Offering your readers something to remember you by and something that they will begin to rely on you for.  But getting the word out can be a challenge.

PR Marketing Trends is another article that caught my attention, we don’t want to admit it, but things could slow down economically and often times, it is the marketing department that suffers.  I really liked the simplified tips that were written at Business and Blogging - simple, direct and to the point.

December 3rd Edition of the Carnival of the Capitalists has hit the online community.  Hosted by One-Man Band with some fantastic information in regards to Analytics, Small Business, Commodities, Economy, Management, Marketing and Productivity. 

With Christmas looming not to far away, yet how could we tell that in the Windy City with all the rain that fell this weekend.  I loved the post under management in regards to the Office Christmas Parties written by Wayne Hurlbert at the Blog Business World  he couldn’t be more accurate in saying that you are still at work.  I think we have all been tempted to tip back another, but remember your surroundings, and remember the consequences.  Which, so often now a-days, we do not do, and we do not want to take responsibility for our actions. 

Another great post that was included in the Carnival of the Capitlists is a post from The Money Walks Blog regarding negociating your salary and benefits packages, I loved this piece because this just happened to me over the weekend regarding a piece of artwork that I did.  I listened to my husband, and shot high, and low and behold.. I got it! Never under-sell yourself, it only hurts you.  And as stated in the Money Walks Blog, it cant hurt to ask!

Interactive Video and User Created Content are two phrases that are very vanguard in growing infatuation of what is called social media. Social Media chronicles opinions, content, insight and perspectives of individuals and business through online technologies and practices -

This weeks Carnival of the Capitalists is hosted by The Virtual Handshake - The first article posted was written by Charles H. Green and is titled The Cancer of Short Term Thinking, some of the points made in this article coincide with my rant on Customer Service.   A great closing statement - You can’t fake trust; trust is a paradox; motives matter. The act of justifying trust by its economic value destroys not only trust, but its economic value. The best economic results come as byproducts, not goals.

I really enjoyed Scatterbox by Steven Silvers his take on SEO, scattered, no pun intended all over the internet are forums on SEO, Google, Yahoo, and all other search engines.  Trying to keep up with this part of marketing is maddening.  I have researched and still can not figure out why it is that even though the time, effort and “white hat” is applied, we see website fluctuations with our SERP’s, but the guys on top, stay on top, number one.  What really does go on behind the scenes of the search engine algorithms? 

The Strategic Marketing site has some great tips on ways to improve your organic rankings, again stressing, time & patience and there is no one magic trick. 

Marketing Deviant shares how to market your business through the use of screen savers.  What a simple idea, that could make a powerful statement in the right niches.