On Facebook, marketing can work for all kinds of businesses and we are already seeing great examples of that. Unfortunately, for many business to business (B2B) marketers, this seems like a distant dream. Many B2B marketers know how to set up their business page and maybe a thing or two about keeping it updated, but they’re not getting any results from it. They’re just not seeing any conversions or likes.
The reality is that some companies in the B2B industry have a predisposition towards lackluster social media content. It doesn’t matter how well you present your company’s products, if you sell things like office supplies, computer parts, and other B2B related items, it just won’t have the same level appeal as some other major commercial products. But this doesn’t mean that your company can’t develop a strong social media following on Facebook or create a large enough interest in your products that it produces sales.
We just have to put forth a little more effort and know how to approach it from a B2B stance. To help you put together your own successful B2B marketing platform on Facebook, we’ve compiled a list of tips and advice that can drive traffic and sales... Read more
Archive for Drew Hendricks 
Making Computer Programming Part of the Core Curriculum
We all want young generations to be well prepared to enter the workforce, and be able to choose a fulfilling career for themselves. There's no question that a well-rounded education is the first step to finding the right career path, and the kind of education that students of all ages should reflect the needs of present and future job markets. Right now, technology savvy programmers and engineers are in high demand and short supply. That short supply can be traced to the lack of tech focused courses in early education, but it looks like that's all about to change.
The Benefits of a Tech Friendly Classroom
Currently, it's pretty easy for a student to get all the way through high school without taking a computer class that exceeds a typing course. However, this generation of students is the first to grow up with complete access to computers and the internet. The result? They aren't getting the tools and knowledge of how to use this tech to their advantage.
For example, college students across the world often encounter a lot of trouble when their professors assign an internet research project and they were never taught how to find credible, scholarly information. Having technology in... Read more
Five Factors That Contribute to the Rampant Growth of the BI Market
Companies of all sizes can leverage Business Intelligence (BI) solutions to measure progress in shipping operations, employee productivity, sales revenues, and business pipeline. Finding common themes in reporting allow companies to adjust their processes to replicate success and avoid failure. With non-profits, SMB organizations, and enterprise companies using BI in their workflow, employees are empowered with the information to grow a business. Take a look at these five factors that contribute to the popularity of BI in the workplace.
1. BI saves time
Number crunching is time consuming and can draw marketers, finance specialists, and technicians away from important tasks. Creating reports manually can be a drain on resources. BI software allows companies to generate robust visualizations of metrics, assembling these resources automatically. Companies can define parameters so that their BI solutions pull the metrics that are useful. These reports should tailor fit an organizations needs.
2. Reports tell a story
Companies should be able to get a clear snapshot of different aspects of their business by examining BI reports. Areas of opportunity and success become apparent when a company generates reports that focus on ship times, aged pipeline, email marketing, and other specific areas. Once these metrics create a clear picture, businesses can... Read more
5 Things Startups Should Know About the Sales Process
Starting a small business is challenging, but one area where almost everyone fumbles is with the sales process. Setting it up, monitoring it and ensuring that there aren't any bugs in the system can be a huge ordeal--especially for entrepreneurs who haven't done something like this before. Luckily, there are professionals and software available to help. Even if a person has structured another sales process before doesn't mean all of the details will translate to a new venture.
According to CBS News, a company that has a sales process in place does vastly better than a company without one. However, they're not all equal and the wrong sales process can even hurt the bottom line. Start by getting rid of the current process if it's not working or it's a hangover from an unrelated business. Most people have a funnel process in place, which can work, but it's always best to start fresh.
1. Figure Out How Customers Buy Things
An e-commerce business probably depends on online credit and debit transactions, PayPal or WePay to process payments. Other businesses might handle largely cash or checks. A sales process is, naturally, also the customers buying process. Well before the customer enters their credit... Read more
Windows or Mac: Which is Better for Business Software?
Windows vs. Mac – it’s a debate that rages on in the tech world, with each side convinced of its own superiority. When it comes to running a business, though, it’s important to choose an operating system that’s both highly functional and cost-effective. For many business owners, that could mean leaving personal preference aside. Although MacBooks, iMacs and other Apple devices are gaining in popularity in the business world, Windows-based PCs are still the clear winner.
Windows Offers Better Networking
In the business world, networking is a must. While a business that operates completely in the cloud is safe moving over to Mac-based devices, most businesses still rely on physical servers to create an office LAN. Printers, routers, desktops, laptops and a host of other devices run on this network. Microsoft Windows software is engineered to work on these networks. For a network that runs smoothly with less tech support, choose Windows.
Windows Offers a Wider Variety of Business Software Programs
The reason many business owners stick with Windows over Mac is the wide range of business-related software Windows lets them choose from. Microsoft still makes the best business and database software. While Mac can run Windows and many Windows programs, some of the... Read more
