Building brand awareness- making sure consumers are familiar with the life and availability of your product- is a key part of a complete web presence for your local business. One way to effectively build brand awareness is through vibrant, compelling display advertising. Not sure what makes a strong display ad? Here are some key points to focus on...

What really needs to be on a website? Is there such a thing as too much information? Where do you draw the line of too little? When it comes to building your company's website, it can be hard to tell what you absolutely need to have, or what might be overkill....

When starting a new SEM campaign there are a million different ways you can improve your success rate. Remember, when someone clicks on your links it costs money so making sure your leads are qualified is extremely important and cost efficient. There are 2 things that will significantly help achieve this goal and won't take you a lot of time: Geotargeting and Negative Keywords....

Propel Marketing was honored to co-sponsor last night's Boston PRoud event, right here in the great city we call home. Boston PRoud joined dozens of PR and Advertising agencies from around the city in raising money and support for the victims of the April 14th Boston Marathon bombing....

2013 is the year of the Responsive Website. This style of building websites gives business owners and website developers the ability to target multiple devices -- desktops, laptops, tablets and smart phones -- by using a single website. What can you do to make your responsive website work for you and for your customers?...

From a marketing standpoint, Memorial Day marks the start of the summer sales season: grills, lawn mowers, air conditioners, landscaping materials, beach supplies, sock-and-sandal combinations -- all are Memorial Day staples. But, as a local business, it's also worthwhile to participate in your community and to encourage customers to pause and reflect upon the true meaning of Memorial Day. Use your position as a trusted local name to promote community activities, including recognizing and honoring the...

You're a small business owner and you hear people throwing terms around like SEO, PPC, internet marketing, and digital marketing, and you'e wondering to yourself, “What does it all mean?” In today’s world, people use Google to find local business listings instead of flipping through the Yellowpages. How are you supposed to reach these potential customers effectively in such a different world?

Socialmediatoday.com gives some wonderful food for thought for businesses about to launch a marketing campaign. Specifically, they discuss the growing generational divide in how consumers respond to marketing strategies. As a result, businesses looking to cast a large net can't just choose one strategy.

With the demanding schedule of a small business owner, it can be difficult to set aside time to sit down with your computer and stay on top of your day-to-day tasks. Between meetings and errands and mile-long to-do lists, email and other computer-based tasks can sometimes get left behind. Not any more! Mobile applications are the wave of the future, providing on-the-go solutions to running your entire business when you're constantly on the move...

Recently, we discussed how small business owners, like politicians, should answer some basic questions before starting a marketing campaign: Who am I? What do I have to offer? What makes me stand out? Why should the public purchase (cast a vote for) my services? Small business owners thinking about launching or revamping a marketing campaign should watch how the Massachusetts US Senate race between Gabriel Gomez and Ed Markey unfolds in the coming days and weeks...

Today is Primary Day in Massachusetts for the open US Senate seat vacated earlier this year by now-Secretary of State John Kerry. It's often been said that politics, sports and revenge are a Bostonian's three favorite things (although a lahge regulah coffee from Dunkin' Donuts may supplant one of the three on any given day).... There are lessons small businesses can learn from these types of political campaigns....

Are you losing out on local business? Could you be gaining new customers in your area? If you don't have a mobile version of your website yet, you are missing out on local business. The mobile market is growing in strengths and numbers. As of 2012, there are over 1.1 billion smartphone users worldwide and growing. These users are moving fast, and expect companies to move right along with them....

When you, as a small business owner, are trying to create a presence on the web - drawing in new clients, creating a new digital life in order to drive new business - how will you know which path is right for you? Often, your choices seem overwhelming. Your path seems unclear. With all of the interconnected technology and information that exists in cyberspace and the world of online marketing, it doesn't have to be. There are simpler options that exist to get you rolling at the speed, pace, and budget that suits your comfort level....

Propel's own illustrious Social Media Manager was on the scene this week at the Social Media Marketing World conference in San Diego. Here's what she had to say about what was said and seen this year! Social Media Managers from all over the world descended on The San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina this week for Social Media Marketing World 2013, put on by Social Media Examiner.

Here at Propel, we're excited to officially announce the launch of our Responsive Design platform! Responsive Design is a style of web design which automatically adjusts to the right screen size for any device, be it a desktop computer, iPhone, or tablet. This allows businesses to have just one website to manage, rather than multiple platforms for each device. With Responsive, there's no need for multiple sites, and no need to fear the next big thing...

Major companies, like Starbucks, understand that not all social networks are created equal and different networks reach different audiences in very different ways. These companies employ unique marketing strategies for a myriad of social channels, oftentimes producing original content daily for social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Small-to-medium sized businesses want to capitalize on the same networks large corporations use to reach valuable audiences, but they face a unique challenge...

If a friend shares a great experience they had at the new coffee shop down the street, you're going to remember it; it's human nature. The problem is that personal face-to-face interaction is becoming more and more sparse. So how does a small business keep up in a world where face-to-face is becoming a informal digital interaction...

Spring is a time for change (we'd certainly like to change this weather) so it's a great time to shake up your marketing strategy and try something new. Whether you're stuck in print or you've taken the leap to digital, there's always something out there to try reaching a new audience.

As we progress deeper into the realm of virtual businesses and digital communication, as a business owner, you may find yourself struggling to straddle the divide between technology and personal service. With so many online tools at a company's disposal, how can you make sure you are reaching the individual customer and addressing his needs?

Every year, technology gurus and lovers converge on Austin, TX to learn, engage, and explore at SXSWi. The SXSW Interactive Festival is home to lectures, awards, and expositions of the latest and greatest in the tech space. It's guaranteed to be a fascinating view into our digital world and what we can expect to see in our lap(tops) this year....

Finding your community’s unique flavor and incorporating it into your marketing plan can make your company stand out as a first-rate enterprise in the eyes of potential consumers. We’ve all heard about targeting our consumer base, but what if the consumer speaks a different language? Small businesses often find themselves catering to a bilingual or multi-ethnic sector of their community. The challenge lies in reaching the consumer that occupies an under-represented portion of the overall community....

Regardless of how you came to be in this position, YOU are one of the millions of companies across the United States that are considered small businesses. From the moment you began your business, you were faced with countless decisions... Although there are many occasions to doubt the strength of your small business, it is important to realize that if you start incorporating small changes over time and believing in the grandness of your small business

With Superbowl Sunday mere days away, everyone's already talking about the best part of the whole game: the ads. Why are Superbowl ads so great? And, more importantly, what can we learn from them? Not only are Superbowl commercials fun to watch, but they also provide important marketing lessons for small business owners everywhere...

With over 1 billion Facebook users, close to 5 million people “tweeting” and about 4 billion YouTube videos being viewed per day, it’s easy to see why Social Media has become a major outlet for companies to both gain and retain more customers. But what many small businesses don’t think about is that there are several critical mistakes they can make through their use of social media channels, which could cost them these much-needed customers....

Business owners often spend so much time, effort and cash on getting website traffic, but all the traffic in the world won’t help if you’re not directing that traffic to the right place and into taking specific actions. This is why landing page optimization is so important. Landing pages have evolved significantly in recent years. Once typically viewed as an online brochure or a digital version of a yellow page ad, today’s website landing pages need to be much more...

Your website is your digital storefront. It’s where potential customers will find you, browse around, and ultimately make a purchase decision. So among the vast sea of tips and tricks to optimize your website, how can you make the most of your time? Strategic content creation can be the true X factor for your site’s success. Here are some pointers on getting the most bang for your buck when creating content...

Like the great Bob Dylan once said, the times they are a-changing. Times certainly are changing in the social media world, for better or worse we’ll have to see. There’s big news in Pinterest’s corner for small businesses, Twitter’s making news with some updates, and even MySpace (blast from the past, right?) is making a comeback with a serious facelift. Take a look at these three happenings in the social media world right now...

It's officially 2013! Today we kiss 2012 goodbye and welcome in this new year. Whether last year treated you well or even if it was a little rough going, it's time to start fresh on this January 1st. So get ready for a wild ride, and lots of scratched-out dates as you get used to writing in a 3 instead of a 2. We look forward to all the exciting things 2013 might bring us! Happy New Year...

As 2012 draws to a close, it’s nice to take a step back and reflect on the last year. Much has changed in the digital world in the last 12 months, most notably the shift in marketing focus to social media. We asked our illustrious Social Media Manager to take us back through the top Social stories from this year...

'Tis the season to be merry and celebrate the good things in life - good friends, good family, and good food! We hope you sit back and relax this holiday season and enjoy the little things that make life wonderful. From our family to yours, Merry Christmas! -- The team at Propel

As the holidays come and go and we kick off the New Year, it’s time to start evaluating your marketing efforts. Consider it a clean slate. You may have worked with digital marketing in the past with little or great success, or this digital world might be completely new to you, but it doesn’t matter. Start off the year on the right foot with some digital resolutions, and you can look forward to a very successful 2013....

Most businesses know that their customers remember bad experiences much more than good experiences, and this truth also applies to customers visiting a business’ website. You can test this yourself by answering the following questions: 1. When was the last time a website left a lasting positive impression on you? 2. And when was the last time you were frustrated by a website? Most people struggle to think of a positive experience, but can easily recall a negative experience from...

As you walk around today, you constantly see people on their phones. They are on the go, talking, texting, posting pictures, etc. What you may not realize is that they are running their whole business through their phone. It can be difficult for small business owners to keep up with rapidly changing technology, but one thing that all business owners “must have” is a smart phone. These days, owning a business and owning a smartphone go hand in hand...

When you’re sitting down with your family at the table this Thanksgiving, you may be talking about your small business. It might be a barber shop, a restaurant, or even a specialized store selling cute little vases. No matter what your niche, without social media, your business could still be in the dark ages. You could be spending thousands of dollars on advertising that few people might even see. Tell your family how thankful you are for social media...

As I write this blog with my new 7 inch tablet, I’m thinking about how these small, lightweight devices will drastically affect how people browse the web. In the past couple of years, it seems people have been swarming to get their hands on the newest and greatest tablets on the market, from iPads and iPad Minis to Nexus 7 Android tablets and more. According to TechCrunch, the number of tablet users in the US...

As a small business owner, how would you expect potential customers to find you? An easy way to gain online presence is through local listings. Online listings can help boost your business visibility in the local area. When a user searches for a business, the search engine will list the local business profile, which provides the user with key information...

With the rise of social media and customer review sites, public relations efforts have shifted gears to focus on businesses’ Online Reputation Management. The general public now has the ability to publish content across the web –about YOUR business...

How great would it be to see your business name in bright, shining lights online? Have you ever seen a banner ad from national advertisers like Home Depot, Stanley Steemer and Terminix online? Would you like to see your business in the same spot? Most consumers love to help support local businesses with their purchases. When they look online, however, the first thing they see is major retailers' ads. How do small businesses get online...

You’ve spent all those cold dreary winter days building a successful online presence for your business, don’t let a bit of sunshine leave you in a summer social media slump!

When consumers shop on Main Street, what do they look for in their local store? When consumers need a local service, what do they expect from that provider? A pleasurable experience includes quality of product/service, convenience, and a knowledgeable courteous staff.