Social Media: Cheap and Easy - Conrad Hall

Social media is used in Egypt to change the government, and in Mexico to keep people safe. But in the U.S. it's being used by politicians to bicker and throw mud. Is it just me, or does this seem incredibly out of whack? As politicians of all stripes follow Barack Obama's precedent setting social media […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media Politics, Agencies Admit Failure, Yahoo For Sale appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Word of Mouth marketing is the ultimate goal of every business owner. Social media is supposed to the golden ticket for small business marketing, yet less than 1% of small businesses are succeeding with social media? Why? The flat out truth is that YOUR MESSAGE SUCKS! On the other hand, there are thousands of bloggers […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media And Small Business Marketing – Joining The Conversation appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

It feels good to see research coming out that social media marketers believe a social media presence is more important than social media ads. It's good because I've been saying that ever since Facebook introduced ads and called it social media marketing. This week we look at that research, and more research that shows just […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Can Social Media Ever Be Profitable For Small Business? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Sounds like a load of crap, doesn't it? “Less is more…” 86 people paying $97/month equals $100,104 per year. Small number of people paying a fairly small sum. Groupon says 80% of people actually redeem their daily deal coupon. And retailers hope that's true because when that number goes up, they really start losing money. […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Real World Lessons For Why Less Is More appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Can tweeting get you killed? The rise of violence in Mexico has caused news outlets, and even the authorities, to stop covering what criminals are doing. In response, citizen journalists are spreading the news and helping to keep people safe. But the criminals don't like being tweeted about. In countries where freedom is not guaranteed, […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media For Survival, Amazon Listens, And Facebook Makes Changes appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Facebook is talking about bringing music sharing services such as Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio, MOG and Deezer onto their site. The idea is to make your profile an entertainment hub. But how much of a hub will it be if it drives these businesses out of business? Very few online music services are profitable, and they […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Facebook Killing Music Sharing, Daily Deal Profits Drop Further, and Google's Getting Slapped appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Is capitalism dead? The stories this week are all about companies that claim to be capitalist. Are they? Or are they just profiteers and opportunists who no longer understand the meaning of capitalism? In the latest effort to establish an e-book lending library, Amazon is putting forward their plan. It's different from what Google tried, […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Amazon's New Library, Google's Review Site and Cable's Going Mobile appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

When Forrester Research hosted the Customer Experience Forum, they asked Tealeaf to do some research with attendees. They discovered that 87% of attendees believe online customer experience management is more important now than ever before. Yet only half of attendees have implemented strategies for improving that experience or measuring results of the experience. This week, […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Amazon Makes Social Media Better, And Listeners Get Their Questions Answered appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Sounds a little brutal, doesn't it? And yet it regularly proves to be the difference between a business flourishing and perishing. We know that our customers naturally split into different groups. This week, we look at how that's happening right now. Almost a quarter of North Americans are NOT on the internet. At the same […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Customers: Why You Should Separate Them Like Sheep And Cows appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

It's a week for big changes in the world of social media. Jerry Lewis is making his last appearance on the MDA telethon this year. It's being broadcast for only 6 hours, and is slated for September 4. It's the end of an era. One that began the same year I was born. And Jerry […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Magazines For Social Media, Groupon's Into Real Estate And Facebook No Longer Leads appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Now that's quite a week! Google drops 12.5 Billion on a cell phone, a newspaper rants against social media, and IBM declares the end of the PC era. If you're Google, what do you say to agreeing to pay 12.5 Billion for a company – and then having to wait while the government decides whether […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Google Likes Motorola & Games, The New York Times Claims We're Too Plugged In, And IBM Says The PC Is Dead appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Flat out, there's no way any business owner can stay in business by giving away 75% of sales through daily deal sites. That's a model built for bankruptcy. The unfortunate part is that the daily deal sites – Groupon, Living Social, Google Offers, and others – are positioning themselves in just that way. They have […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Groupon, Living Social And Daily Deals – Are They Worth The Effort? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Imagine picking up a copy of USA Today and seeing them pick up a story you've been trumpeting for months. That's what has happened to me. And it turns out 75% of investment bankers are thinking like me, too! Kinda gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling to know you're having an impact. J This week […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Google, Facebook and Amazon Are In The Same Business – Plus, USA Today Is Listening To The Show appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Facebook is now FaceBroke, although they don't want you to know it. But what does the rise of such an information storehouse mean for local business owners? That people are willing to share their information is a boon to every business owner. Big corporations will use it to be more competitive, and local business owners […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Life After Facebook, Hackers Attach SMBs, and e-Books Outsell Print On Amazon appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

It's big news when the second largest bookseller – Borders – gives up and decides to close their doors. Their remaining 399 stores will be gone by the end of September along with 10,700 jobs. And there's a lesson here for every business owner who thinks exceptional service is enough. It isn't. We'll take a […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Borders Closes Forever, eMarketer Drops The Ball and 5 “Proven” Ways to Use Social Media appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Your day is already busy, and your schedule is already full. The answers to these questions help you protect your privacy, make use of your time, and build stronger relationships with everyone you meet. Dr. Oz is the “front guy” for RealAge. A site that purports to give you the latest scientific and medical advice […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Is Dr. Oz Fudging On Your Privacy? Is Social Media Actually Helping Your Business? Is Google+ Really Worth The Wait? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Amex and Foursquare are getting the jump on all the mobile wallet providers. They've teamed up to harness the power of social media with credit card spending. The great thing is that you can do exactly the same thing in your business. News Corp has finally been able to sell MySpace. And they only took […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Amex Partners With Foursquare, MySpace Is (Finally) Sold, Cyberattacks On The Rise, & Google Gets License To Drive appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Google launched Google+ last week, and they're off to a roaring start. It's their third swing at the piñata, and they may have found the formula for knocking Facebook off its pedestal. Google's first two swings were Wave and Buzz. They both went bust, and it looks like Google has learned from their mistakes. Still […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Google Launches a Facebook Killer, Xaxis Comes To Life, And Social Networking Goes In-House appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Some internet celebrities had their YouTube accounts closed last week. David Jenyns, Jeff Herring, and Darren Rowse to name three. Listen to find out how it happened, and how you can keep it from happening to you. We also send you to two special interviews David Jenyns has done to help you play in the […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – YouTube Closes Accounts, Amazon Security Issues And NCF – A “New” Technology appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Groupon and Living Social have interesting competition in the online coupon market. Bill Shrink has teamed up with more than 2,000 banks and is a case study in how to do coupons the right way. Google has added some cool features to their local and mobile search functions. They make it easier for people to […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Google Adds Features, Twitter Users Want Answers, and Banks Try Coupons appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Imagine that – Facebook is back in the news over Privacy concerns. Fortunately it has an easy fix, and I walk you through it step-by-step. Protect yourself in under a minute. Groupon – Is it a revolution or evolution in marketing? Coupons have been around a long time, but online coupons are changing the way […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Facebook and Privacy, Groupon and Coupons, and the Future of Marketing appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

It's a great week in social media. YouTube is doing a lot to improve their service, and that means a big opportunity for business owners. E-Mail is getting more dangerous with spear phishing. Fortunately, the fix is simple – more simple than the experts want you to believe. And GroupOn is talking about going public […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – YouTube's Getting Better, e-Mail's Getting Harder, and GroupOn's Getting Richer appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Two offers for free reports came across my desk this week. They got me thinking about how much information we see every day, and helping you sort out what's likely to be useful from what's just a shiny object. The reports came from InfusionSoft and HubSpot. Both have the potential to be useful, but the […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Awesome Ain't Valuable, YouTube Stardom and Useful Facebook Pages appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

LinkedIn has had their IPO, and enjoyed huge success. Of course, the pundits automatically assume this means all other social media sites will enjoy the same success with IPOs. We'll see about that. And a new study suggests Twitter is making us stupid. Judging from what I see posted on Twitter, that's no surprise. And […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – LinkedIn Explodes, Twitter is Stupid and Highlights from AM2.0 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

In one day, Facebook managed to shoot itself in both feet AND the head over privacy issues. With excellent timing, several startups have launched that focus on real social networking – they connect us privately with our friends. And Google is testing fully automatic – no driver – cars. Facebook found itself in the New […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Facebook Privacy Blunders, Google Auto Cars And Real Social Networking appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Apple's idea to publish magazines through iTunes has been sputtering, but they recently managed to sign two big publishers. Google is in the news again. This week we look at the changes they've made in their ranking system and explore how you can use it to promote your business. Then we wrap up the show […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Apple is Publishing Oprah, Google Likes Quality Content and We Answer Listener Questions appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

I just arrived home from the largest annual marketing conference in the U.S. A roofing supply company turned $5,000 worth of marketing into more than $600,000 in sales – and that's just one example. I also spoke to a lot of business owners make good use of social media. They're being careful about which sites […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media's Gleam Is Fading, Google Looks For Profits and Small Business Is Growing appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Amazon struggled with down servers recently, but they've rebounded. Listen to find out what Amazon S3 is and how you can use it. President Obama made a splash with Facebook. Now hear what it means for your business. Tracking customers continues to be in the news, but this time it's because some doofus is shouting […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Amazon Struggles, President Obama Friends, And The iPhone Is Tracking appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

eMarketer thinks integration means making sure your mobile and social media marketing are working together. They completely missed the boat this week by failing to show readers how to successfully integrate social media with direct mail and other “traditional” media. Facebook, on the other hand, is so deep into our lives that it's making us […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media Isn't Integrated, Facebook Makes You Lonely, and YouTube Is Broken appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Epsilon lost your name and e-mail address so watch your inbox for fake e-mails. And I tell you how to stay safe. Barack Obama is running for re-election. Pay attention to what he does with social media this time around. CEOs are afraid of social media – with good reason – and Google may get […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Epsilon, Barack Obama and Google – all a little crazy appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Google is tackling the idea of a social network yet again. Buzz flopped, but Plus One has some real potential. Google did a cool April Fool joke with Google Motion, and that highlights how Prime Access is making the internet accessible to everyone – including people with disabilities. Facebook is setting itself up as a […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Google Gets Social, Facebook Gets Political, and Acer Lays Down Dead appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Facebook is expanding their reach with Snaptu. Google is making Google Voice easier with Sprint. Groupon is maturing as a business. And Amazon is looking at producing an Android Kindle. That means the ability to publish in full color – a great thing for online magazines. But not all is rosy in the world this […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Facebook, Groupon and Google are Doing Good Things appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Groupon and Facebook are battling for online advertising revenue. But the real question is: Do you know how to use a coupon? And President Obama is calling for a Privacy Bill of Rights. Could it be because online advertisers are thumbing their noses at consumer privacy? Then we check out the true cost – and […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Groupon vs. Facebook, HarperCollins Hates Libraries & Obama Calls for Privacy appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

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The Wall Street Journal spent almost 2 years looking at online privacy. Now the Feds are looking at it, too. Facebook, Microsoft and Google are all staking their territory around online privacy, and some companies are making it possible for you to make a profit. That's right – you can sell you own data. Because […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Privacy in Advertising, Social Media Profits and The PC is DEAD appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

There's a new social media security threat – and Facebook's right in the middle of it. A new program called Firesheep allows you to hijack any social media profile, so we're looking at how you can protect yourself. And security is the big topic for cell phones this week, too. We start off with a […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Facebook & Firesheep and Amazon & Netflix – What Do They Have in Common? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

The future of social media marketing is very different from what we're seeing today. This week we explore what social media will be when it grows up, and how direct mail still has more muscle than any other marketing tool. Make your small business marketing more effective than it has ever been by using both […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Direct Mail and Social Media – Small Business Marketing on Steroids appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

We're all ga-ga over social media, but is it the best place to invest your advertising dollars? This week we look at some surprising truths, and an example of marketing gone wrong. We kick off with 2 stories from USA Today – one about social media and Hearsay (a new social media service). And the […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media vs. Direct Mail – Who Wins? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Google brings freedom of expression to Egypt, and Rupert Murdoch puts newspapers back in the game. It has been a wild week. News Corp launched The Daily – a newspaper that combines print, TV and radio in an easily accessed – and cheap – digital platform. Google gave voice to Egyptians, and launched the Art […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Rupert Murdoch and Google Revolutionize Media appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

David Zax from Fast Company says Facebook's bubble can't burst. I say “Wanna bet?” Vocus gave us there State of the Media Report and we're having a look at it this week. Join Conrad Hall this week to see how social media is changing the way we communicate with each other, with our customers and […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Facebook Goes Pop, Twitter Falls Down, And The World Survives appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

More social media companies are getting venture capital, and banks continue to put high valuations on social media sites. The trouble is that while social media use is up, few of these sites are making money. This week we answer why Groupon turned down $6 Billion from Google, why employers need to be careful with […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – The Social Media Tech Bubble Expands Again appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Join Conrad as he walks through some of the week's top social media stories and how they impact your business. Is social media becoming an echo of the Dot Com boom and bust? Is the increased use of e-mail a wake-up call to making your marketing strategy balanced? Find out this week with your host […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Facebook: Tech Bubble or Investment Ploy? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Imagine two competitors who don't, 10 more “competitors” who voluntarily support the first two, and the largest photography group in the U.S. – online or offline. Rob Domaschuk and Rick Hicaro, leaders of the Chicagoland Digital Photography Meetup, join us to show how they've incorporated social media into their marketing. And more importantly, what they're […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media Case Study – Photography and Meetup appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Applying good business sense and traditional marketing has paved the road to success for The Rotary Club of Naperville's Soup's On event. It's also giving them solid footing to incorporate social media. Hear how they've done it from event founder Bill Garlough. The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Non-Profit Proves Profitable appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

4 business owners putting social media to use – successfully – in their every day activities. Plus we look at a new report from ExactTarget, 4 resource sites, 3 upcoming guests, and how to integrate multiple channels into your local business marketing mix. It's a jam packed show. The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Social Media in Action appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Membership sites work for internet marketers, condo associations and non-profits. That's because they engage your audience and give them a reason to keep coming back. And setting up a membership site has meant using a lot of different tools. Today you have an alternative. It's one I'm using myself through Rotary, so I wanted to […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Your Membership Site on Steroids appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

There are 2 big parts to your small business relationship marketing team. You have the folks who work with you (team builders) and the folks who buy what you offer (team players). Today we visit with the owner of Matrix Media – an excellent team builder. And then we visit with the Relationship Mistress behind […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Relationship Marketing Means Team Building appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Imagine the ideal tool that helps you get started in social media, and gives you a deeper understanding of your customers at the same time. It collects all the information that's on the internet about every person in your address book…and you can use it to learn, grow and understand without them knowing it. It's […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Do You Get The Gist? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Word-of-mouth advertising. Today we call it Relationship Marketing, and even Customer Evangelism. Whatever you call it, it's the pinnacle of small business marketing and Terry Bass knows how to get it done right. Author of Relationship Marketing 3.0, Terry walks us through the do's, don'ts and the funnies of making relationships work for your local […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Relationship Marketing is Business Gold appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Small business advertising online takes the same kind of marketing strategy as you use offline. You need to think things through. This week we're joined by Sarah Bruns (www.youravocado.com), and she's walking us through what we can do for ourselves and what we should hire out. Pay close attention as she shows us the keys […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – The Centre of Your Online and Social Media Presence appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Let's start with why Facebook sucks, and you should keep your business off it. Then we'll look at a couple places you can start – when you're really at the beginning. I have two tools for you when you're just starting to explore social media. And then we wrap up with a short case study. […] The post Social Media: Cheap and Easy – Advanced Help for Getting Started appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.