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As a business owner, you know that local search marketing is "where it's at." That has been explained over and over. Of course if you weren't already aware of it, Google has made it more evident with the way their search engine works by showing local search results ahead of any others when you're looking for something. But, did you know that Google isn't the best on the planet for Local Business Tools? 

Matt Gee explains - 

When it launched in April, the Bing Business Portal already had outdone Google with several important features. Now, a new set of tools that Bing added within the past couple weeks puts it even further ahead of Google in many ways — but not all.

Another new tool in the Bing Business Portal gives local business owners the opportunity to start a loyalty program using what you might call “virtual punchcards.” Right now, this is only available in conjunction with the Group Deals program, but Bing says it would consider separating the two if there’s enough demand from local business owners who only want to use the loyalty program tool.

The loyalty program requires customers to own a smartphone — thus the “virtual punchcard” name. The customer joins a merchant’s program by scanning a QR code and, once in the program, the customer re-scans the QR code to get a “punch” from the business with each visit/purchase. There’s a bit of friction in the process due to the smartphone requirement, and because the customer may need to hand over his/her smartphone so that the business employee can take care of the “punch.”

The success of your organization are frequently dependant on your brand. Branding involves several elements that will help you make your company more successful. These components can include a web site, social media marketing, advertising efforts, and anything that gives your business an identity. Customers believe in a corporate image wholeheartedly because there's psychology in motivating their buying decisions.

That's all great. But, how does a small business, with very little money compete? The quick answer is social media marketing. You know - Facebook, Twitter, Google+. Love them or hate them, social media sites are here to stay. So, you might as well embrace them.

Mac Ocampo says it this way:

Before, advertising was limited to mediums such as TV, radio, and print. Today, social media platforms are making the Internet a destination-location for advertisers and consumers alike. Social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are the reasons why a person who doesn’t even have an email account is still going online. Indeed, Twitter is one of the most-used medium of communication nowadays, so it’s a no-brainer if a free service like this will monetize its service through ads. After all, free television started in a similar way through TV commercials.

Check out this quick video that explains the direction that advertising is going.

When you're ready to own your market, let us know. http://sanantoniomarketinglabs.com/contact/

We hear a lot these days about how everyone needs to be using social media for business. Fight it if you want, it's true – regardless of your industry.

Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow, states it this way:

The industrial age, the one that started with the industrial revolution, is fading away. It is no longer the growth engine of the economy and it seems absurd to imagine that great pay for replaceable work is on the horizon.

When everyone has a laptop and connection to the world, then everyone owns a factory. Instead of coming together physically, we have the ability to come together virtually, to earn attention, to connect labor and resources, to deliver value.

How do you do this? You need to be a market leader. Don't be a follower. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should. AND, just because it has always been done that way, doesn't mean it should continue to be done that way.