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Social Media and National Small Business Week

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:55:23 -0400

This week is one that our Westchester NY social media team considers quite special, and we know many of you do as well. Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation declaring National Small Business Week, which recognizes the millions of small businesses and entrepreneurs in our country.

Did you know that small businesses provide 55% of all new jobs in the U.S.? What about the fact that since 1990, as big business eliminated 4 million jobs, small businesses added 8 million? (The SBA). We’re proud to be a part of the driving force behind the enormous impact small businesses have on not only our country but our community as well.

In honor of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting aseries of Google+ live hangouts featuring panels of industry experts sharing their best practices for small businesses in many areas. The live hangouts can also be found on YouTube, and as an added bonus viewers can live tweet to the expert panelists using #SBW2013 with questions and comments!

Our Westchester NY social media team “hung out” at Monday’s discussion of “Tips to Getting Started with Social Media as a Small Business Owner” had a great time picking the brains of social media experts from Constant Contact, Twitter, Google and more. In fact, we found this information so valuable that we wanted to share it!

Here are our top takeaways from the hangout:

• On e-mail marketing:
- Contrary to the beliefs of some people, email marketing is all about making connections, driving business and building relationships. Sound familiar? This is why email marketing and social media go hand-in-hand.
- Spread the word! If you’re on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, share this in your email blasts.

• On creating connections:
- People want to get to know you first and what you’re about or they won’t be interested. Before building your community, make sure your social media pages have all your information such as location, website, and products/services. Creating a few updates also helps potential followers know what type of content you’ll be giving them.
- Keep your content creative. Give your followers interesting content that they can’t find anywhere else and let your personality shine through!
- Hashtags are a wonderful way to make connections! Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest all use hashtags to categorize their content. Taking a few minutes each day to search for key words can open up the door to an unlimited number of untapped, potential customers!

• On measurement:
- Google Analytics will give you a thorough breakdown of where your traffic is coming from
- Using a simple “trial and error” method with different types of content to see which content receives the most engagement can help you zero in on what your audience wants to see from you.

Of course, these handy tips only skim the surface of the seemingly never-ending ways small businesses can use social media, which is why our Westchester social media team gives that “helping hand” to turn small businesses into social media superstars! We look forward to participating in the rest of this week’s hangouts and learning valuable tools for bettering small businesses. Happy #SBW2013!

Photo Credit: Independent We Stand via Photopin cc

Local Crowdsourcing: How Westchester Businesses Are Helping a Neighbor After Tragedy Strikes

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:54:00 -0400

When we think of crowdsourcing, we instantly picture a business working with outside resources online to obtain services and content from many different people. While the act crowdsourcing is highly popular in the business world, several local Westchester businesses have recently helped give it a brand-new meaning, which comes in the form of a simple act of kindness.

In late April, Hemlock Hill Farm in Cortlandt Manor, one of the last working family farms in the county, experienced a tragic fire which ended in the destruction of the barn as well as the demise of a mass amount of the farm’s chickens. Without hesitation, several local businesses led by Scott Vaccaro of Captain Lawrence Brewing Companyhave stepped in to lend a hand to this beloved symbol of Westchester’s beginnings with the goal to “Raise the Barn” and help ensure the longevity and prosperity of Hemlock Hill Farm. This week-long fundraising series will kick off this Father’s Day, June 16, and will run through Saturday, June 22, ending with CLB’s annual pig roast where a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Hemlock Hill.

Other area establishments that have joined in on the fundraising efforts include Restaurant North of Armonk, NY, Village Dog of Tarrytown, NY and The Tapp, also of Tarrytown. These three restaurants will be incorporating meats and produce into their menus directly from Hemlock Hill, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy a “Farm to Table” experience on top of helping a neighbor.

Here’s the schedule of fundraising events:

Sunday June 16th: Father’s Day Pilot Batch Takeover
Monday June 17th: Restaurant North’s “Farm to Brewery” Dinner
Tuesday June 18th: “Just the Tapp” I.P.A. Beer Dinner
Wednesday June 19th: Special Beer Release of “Barn-raiser” Triple I.P.A.
Thursday June 20th: Hemlock Hill Trivia Night hosted by Nick Schwartz and Austin Ashley
Friday June 21st: Tasting Room Raffle/Beer Auction
Saturday June 22nd: CLBC Annual Pig Roast with Village Dog

In addition, Hemlock Hill is also planning to build a modern chicken coop to meet the extraordinary growth in the community’s demand for local organic poultry. You can help by donating to their Kickstarter campaign!

Crowdsourcing is a fantastic tool that can help any business “get the job done,” no matter where you our. However, as demonstrated by so many of our kind and caring neighbors, crowdsourcing can also be defined as a selfless act of giving. Our Westchester NY social media team would like to extend a special “thank you” to all the wonderful businesses involved in this generous deed!

Going Mobile: Why Your Site Should be Mobile-Friendly

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:09:46 -0400

As with any other trend in technology, businesses sometimes find themselves hesitant to “hop on the bandwagon” for a number of reasons. They may think it’s a waste of time, they may be unsure of how to approach it and may feel overwhelmed, or they may think it’s simply a passing trend that won’t last. Our Westchester NY social media team had the pleasure of listening to social media mastermind Gary Vaynerchuk of VaynerMedia speak at last month’s Westchester Digital Summit where he made several fascinating points in regards to technology. Gary asked his audience, “When retailers began using online storefronts, how many of you said you would never shop online? When cell phones were first released, how many of you said there was no way you would ever purchase one? When Facebook was introduced to the world, how many of you said you would never create a profile?” Watching almost every hand in the audience wave high in the air in response to each of these questions was fascinating. Gary then asked those who answered “Yes” if they were now shopping online, using cell phones and using Facebook, and once again most hands in the audience were raised. Gary taught us a great lesson that day: Technology is here to stay and is ever-evolving. That being said, it’s crucial for businesses to stay on top of these changes or be left behind.

One of the biggest changes in the world of technology right now is the increasing rate of mobile use. According to Nielsen Research, there are over 1 billion smartphones being used worldwide, and 53% of mobile users in the U.S. own some kind of smartphone. It’s predicted that there will be an additional 1 billion smartphones purchased in the next three years. But that’s not all! More than half of the smartphone users in the U.S. use their devices for shopping, and Mobile Marketer tells us that 57% of people won’t recommend a store that doesn’t have a mobile-friendly website. Needless to stay, our on-the-go lifestyles and need to have information instantly available to us are the reasons why making websites mobile-friendly should be a top priority for businesses.

So, where to begin? It’s important to remember that consumers want to be able to access the same information and content on your mobile website as if they were visiting your website from a computer. Mobile websites are set up differently in the sense that they load quickly and are clearly mapped out (i.e. user-friendly).

Take a look at our mobile website. Rather than having a tiny, hard-to-read version of our website squished onto a small mobile phone interface, our mobile website is clearly mapped out and easy to navigate. Users can explore our website from their mobile phones easily thanks to our clear and concise menu. No squinting necessary!

Although having a mobile website is important for all businesses, those with online storefronts should especially be at the front of the line. Making your products as accessible as possible on a mobile website opens the door for consumers to shop online, even when they’re not at their computers.

By now, we hope you’re seriously considering adopting a mobile-friendly website for your business. If your website is based off of WordPress, WPtouch is a great plugin that will instantly transform your website into one suitable for mobile devices. If not, there are plenty of programs available to make the change, such as Mobify and MoFuse.

When creating your new site, here are a few key points to keep in mind:

1. Mobile sites should be short and sweet. Users are accessing your website often while on-the-go and don’t have time to scroll through paragraphs of content and information. Keep it simple.

2. Mobile sites should be easy to use. Tiny text and links make it difficult to access your content and users will likely become frustrated and leave. Make sure everything is large enough to see and click on.

3. Add menus. Drop-down menus with different options are much easier to use from a mobile phone as opposed to typing out text.

You’re now ready to “join the club” and create your mobile website! Do you have any questions for our Westchester NY social media team? Does your business already have a mobile website? Let us know!

Photo Credit: William Hook via Photopin cc

The Best Social Networking Sites You Haven’t Heard Of

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:07:38 -0400

The Best Social Networking Sites You Haven’t Heard Of:

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram. It goes without saying you’ve probably heard of (and are more than likely present on) at least a few of these social media sites. You might even be testing the waters of Vine! Whatever the case may be, our Westchester NY social media team knows there are a great deal of social networking sites out there and simply not enough time to be active on all of them.

Gibbons Digital Has Gone Mobile; Should Your Small or Medium Size Business?

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:07:28 -0400

Gibbons Digital Has Gone Mobile; Should Your Small or Medium Size Business?:

Gibbons Digital is now mobile friendly with mobile as part of our social media marketing plan.

A “Fix Don’t Fear” Tip on Social Media Policies in the Workplace

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:07:34 -0400

A “Fix Don’t Fear” Tip on Social Media Policies in the Workplace

Gibbons Digital Says: Sign the Petition to Build a New Tappan Zee Bridge

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:25:45 -0400

Gibbons Digital Says: Sign the Petition to Build a New Tappan Zee Bridge

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:21:50 -0400

Gibbons Digital Says: Sign the Petition to Build a New Tappan Zee Bridge

A “Fix Don’t Fear” Tip on Social Media Policies in the Workplace

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:29:57 -0400

A “Fix Don’t Fear” Tip on Social Media Policies in the Workplace:

Tips from Westchester County social media experts on social media policies in the workplace

Not in London? You Can Still Get Olympic Tweets

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:20:35 -0400

Not in London? You Can Still Get Olympic Tweets:

Social media and its role in the 2012 Olympics with a focus on Olympians on Twitter

The Rise of Niche Social Media Sites

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:45:38 -0400

The Rise of Niche Social Media Sites

What’s on Your Social Media Bucket List?

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:46:59 -0400

What’s on Your Social Media Bucket List?:

Developing and Evaluating Social Media Strategies for Small and Medium Size Businesses

Social Media News Goes On Despite Summer

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:55:27 -0400

Social Media News Goes On Despite Summer:

Social Media News

Twitter and LinkedIn Join a Week of Break-up Fever

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:52:36 -0400

Twitter and LinkedIn Join a Week of Break-up Fever:

Will the disabling of automatic Tweets to LinkedIn affect social media strategy?

LocalMind and Sonar: 2 Great Apps for Business and Pleasure

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 19:09:43 -0400

LocalMind and Sonar: 2 Great Apps for Business and Pleasure:

LocalMind and Sonar - apps that are effective for business and fun for personal use

From Flyers to Facebook: Yoga Haven’s Social Media Journey

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:11:53 -0400

From Flyers to Facebook: Yoga Haven’s Social Media Journey:

A look at the social media initiatives of Yoga Haven, a yoga studio in Westchester County, NY.

Instagram – 5 Ways To Use it for Business

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:58:03 -0400

Instagram – 5 Ways To Use it for Business:

My blog post on small and medium sized businesses can use Instagram for business.

A “Tiny” Business Makes News on LinkedIn

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:26:04 -0400

A “Tiny” Business Makes News on LinkedIn

Still Hopping Around the Social Media Trail?

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:47:54 -0400

Still Hopping Around the Social Media Trail?:

Reminder that small businesses need to revisit their marketing plans and make sure social media is a central part of that.

Becoming Facebook Friends with Energy

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:32:42 -0400

Becoming Facebook Friends with Energy:

Facebook app is launched for friends to track and compete in energy use.