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<title>bizSugar / luckycharmer / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com</link>
<description>bizSugar RSS feed</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:47:32 -0500</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Private-Sector Workers Want Employers to Help the Poor]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Private-Sector_Workers_Want_Employers_to_Help_the_Poor/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Private-Sector_Workers_Want_Employers_to_Help_the_Poor/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:47:09 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Management</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Private-Sector_Workers_Want_Employers_to_Help_the_Poor/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nearly three-quarters of American employees think their companies should help extremely poor people around the world if they have the resources, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Millennium Promise and CareerBuilder.com. About half of workers cited social responsibility as the top reason their companies should help those living in extreme poverty, and another 29% said they believe that helping to strengthen an impoverished economy will also help the global economy. The most popular reason cited (by 52% of respondents) for helping was &quot;because we have a responsibility to help those in need, wherever they may live.&quot;<br/><br/>2 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Companies Struggling to Attract, Serve Millennial Generation]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Companies_Struggling_to_Attract_Serve_Millennial_Generation/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Companies_Struggling_to_Attract_Serve_Millennial_Generation/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:41:53 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Companies_Struggling_to_Attract_Serve_Millennial_Generation/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Most companies are struggling with how to adapt to serve a new wave of consumers from the Millennial Generation (or Gen Y) - those born between 1982 and 2001 - according to a global survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit and Alcatel-Lucent company Genesys. The survey asked C-level and other senior executives from around the world how they are creating a customer experience to attract and retain Millennials. Three key findings emerged: -- Investment strategies are shifting to favor Millennials: Companies are debating heavily whether to invest more in catering to aging Baby Boomers versus next-generation consumers, with 42% saying they should tilt toward younger customers, while 39% would shift toward Baby Boomers and Generation X. -- The time to act is now: Most companies (54%) have not yet set their strategies or marketing for Millennials, even though they overwhelmingly agree that such steps are needed; 75% say Millennials will have an impact on their organization as consumers in the next three years. -- It's an Enterprise 2.0 world: Most companies have a sophisticated understanding of what it would take to adapt, but they are not ready to change their customer engagement model by leveraging social networking, peer marketing, better online support, text messaging, and blogging.<br/><br/>2 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Eight Fringe Benefits to Offer Your Employees]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/Eight_Fringe_Benefits_to_Offer_Your_Employees/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/Eight_Fringe_Benefits_to_Offer_Your_Employees/</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:14:22 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Employee Benefits</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/Eight_Fringe_Benefits_to_Offer_Your_Employees/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Some fringe benefits--such as paid parking, retirement accounts or paid vacation--are considered standard in today's work environment. And there are others, like the availability of the company jet, that seem like they only belong in the movies. When you want to offer extra incentives or benefits to your employees, consider the following:<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ten-Point Manifesto on How to Work Better]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Self-Development/Ten-Point_Manifesto_on_How_to_Work_Better/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Self-Development/Ten-Point_Manifesto_on_How_to_Work_Better/</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:12:30 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Self-Development</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Self-Development/Ten-Point_Manifesto_on_How_to_Work_Better/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[While we're not much for motivational posters or trite slogans, this ten-point manifesto by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss on how to work better is worth a mention. Artist Ryan Gander has a photocopy hung on the wall of his studio, and writes:<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[SMB Ad Spending Undaunted by Economy]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/SMB_Ad_Spending_Undaunted_by_Economy/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/SMB_Ad_Spending_Undaunted_by_Economy/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:35:17 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/SMB_Ad_Spending_Undaunted_by_Economy/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[An overwhelming majority (81%) of US small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) say they will maintain or increase their ad spending in the next 12 months<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Older Demographics Biggest Users of Green Products]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Older_Demographics_Biggest_Users_of_Green_Products/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Older_Demographics_Biggest_Users_of_Green_Products/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:30:59 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Older_Demographics_Biggest_Users_of_Green_Products/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Bucking the perception that environmentalism is a youth movement, a new survey finds that male and female consumers over age 55 are the most prolific users of green products in the United States.<br/><br/>11 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Etiquette Consultant Jodi Smith On How to Make Small Talk (Part 1)]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/Etiquette_Consultant_Jodi_Smith_On_How_to_Make_Small_Talk_Part_1/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/Etiquette_Consultant_Jodi_Smith_On_How_to_Make_Small_Talk_Part_1/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:32:45 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Sales</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Sales/Etiquette_Consultant_Jodi_Smith_On_How_to_Make_Small_Talk_Part_1/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Jodi Smith wasn't always so outgoing. In fact, she was so shy in high school that she knew &quot;maybe three people out of a class of more than 1,000&quot; when she graduated. Heading to college, however, Smith made the conscious decision to reinvent herself, &quot;just to see what would happen.&quot; Well, her experiment seems to have worked. After a decade-long career in human resources, during which she gave etiquette training workshops -- &quot;only then they were called 'new skills for emerging leaders' or 'manager leadership tracks,'&quot; she says -- Smith launched her own consultancy, Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, in 1996. Based in Salem, Mass., Smith's roster of clients includes Accenture, MIT, Citibank, PennWell and Shutterfly. Suffice to say, Smith can't emphasize enough how important making small talk is in the business world. &quot;People underestimate the importance of these little dialogues,&quot; she says. In the first part of this two-part posting, read on for Smith's refreshing, stress-relieving perspective (replete with helpful tips), including overcoming shyness, why everybody needs a &quot;snippet starter,&quot; and the three things you must know before ever stepping foot into a networking event.<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bush Tax Cuts Are Centerpiece of McCain Tax Policy]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Bush_Tax_Cuts_Are_Centerpiece_of_McCain_Tax_Policy/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Bush_Tax_Cuts_Are_Centerpiece_of_McCain_Tax_Policy/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:49:20 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>News and Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Bush_Tax_Cuts_Are_Centerpiece_of_McCain_Tax_Policy/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In recent days, the debate between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain has increasingly focused on the economy. When it comes to such discussions, tax policy is where the rubber meets the road. And it is one of the key areas where the candidates are offering dramatically different approaches.<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Obama Proposals Would Tilt Tax Code to Self-Employed, Wage Earners]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Obama_Proposals_Would_Tilt_Tax_Code_to_Self-Employed_Wage_Earners/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Obama_Proposals_Would_Tilt_Tax_Code_to_Self-Employed_Wage_Earners/</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:48:43 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>News and Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Obama_Proposals_Would_Tilt_Tax_Code_to_Self-Employed_Wage_Earners/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Presumptive presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have both put forth sweeping tax proposals that will shape the American economy for the next decade. It's only one of a number of areas where Republican McCain and Democrat Obama bring distinctively different philosophies to bear. But for small businesses, it may be one of the most critically important issues in the campaign.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[You Don't Need Big Bucks to Start a Business]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/RaisingCapital/You_Dont_Need_Big_Bucks_to_Start_a_Business/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/RaisingCapital/You_Dont_Need_Big_Bucks_to_Start_a_Business/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:34:28 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Raising Capital</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/RaisingCapital/You_Dont_Need_Big_Bucks_to_Start_a_Business/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[One of the questions I'm asked most often is, &quot;Where do I get money to start my business?&quot; These questions often come with tidbits of other information like reports of bad credit, former bankruptcies, or empty wallets. The truth is it's difficult to find startup funding. Heck, these days it's hard for established, successful business owners to find expansion capital. That said, I don't want that fact to discourage you from starting (or expanding) your business. All too often aspiring entrepreneurs think you need a lot of money to start a business. And if you don't have the bucks, you simply can't get started.<br/><br/>4 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Candidates Stand Apart on Tax Policy Affecting Small Business]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Candidates_Stand_Apart_on_Tax_Policy_Affecting_Small_Business/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Candidates_Stand_Apart_on_Tax_Policy_Affecting_Small_Business/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:26:40 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>News and Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Candidates_Stand_Apart_on_Tax_Policy_Affecting_Small_Business/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Both Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain have advanced a broad array of tax proposals that are complex, hard to understand, and on many points, difficult to compare. But the Tax Policy Center of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, two nonpartisan research organizations, recently published a study that provides the best analysis yet of the candidates' respective positions. As the study pointedly notes, tax and fiscal policy will loom large in the next president's domestic policy agenda. Nearly all of the tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration will expire at the end of 2010. Without changes, the individual alternative minimum tax (AMT) will engulf a growing number of middle-income households, and government must still address looming funding shortfalls in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In addition, both candidates have pledged to address the nation's health insurance crisis. All of these issues directly affect small businesses.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[A Seven-Step Plan for 'Radical Innovation']]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/A_Seven-Step_Plan_for_Radical_Innovation/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/A_Seven-Step_Plan_for_Radical_Innovation/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:29:16 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>News and Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/A_Seven-Step_Plan_for_Radical_Innovation/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The U.S. government has long supported a &quot;big firm&quot; economy with the idea that large companies are the primary drivers of innovation. But that's a recipe for stunted growth. So say Kauffman Foundation executives Carl Schramm and Robert Litan in an article this month's The American. The U.S. economy needs to grow at a 4% annual clip in the future in order to sustain rising salaries and high standards of living - and that's not going to happen without lots of entrepreneurs building new technologies.They lay out a plan for achieving a high-growth, entrepreneurial economy through &quot;radical innovation.&quot; Here's a summary:<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Thinking About Starting a Business? Try a Sales Job]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/Thinking_About_Starting_a_Business_Try_a_Sales_Job/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/Thinking_About_Starting_a_Business_Try_a_Sales_Job/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:27:06 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>The Startup</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/Thinking_About_Starting_a_Business_Try_a_Sales_Job/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Some people may want to test the waters of entrepreneurship before jumping in. Here's one way: Being an independent-sales rep, even selling door-to-door, for companies that sell textbooks or Tupperware. Or cutlery.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Federal Minimum Wage To Increase By 70 Cents]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/Federal_Minimum_Wage_To_Increase_By_70_Cents/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/Federal_Minimum_Wage_To_Increase_By_70_Cents/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:10:56 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Human Resources</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/Federal_Minimum_Wage_To_Increase_By_70_Cents/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[More than a million low-wage workers will get a pay raise this week. The federal government's minimum wage is set to jump by 70 cents to $6.55 an hour on Thursday.The hike is the second of three annual increases in the minimum wage that were ordered by Congress last year, following a decade with no increase.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Obama Promises A Small Biz Tax Credit For Health]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Obama_Promises_A_Small_Biz_Tax_Credit_For_Health/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Obama_Promises_A_Small_Biz_Tax_Credit_For_Health/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:15:05 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>News and Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Obama_Promises_A_Small_Biz_Tax_Credit_For_Health/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Barack Obama unveiled a tax credit to encourage small firms to buy health insurance for employees.  The proposal, elaborated in a conference call with reporters by the campaign's Economic Policy Adviser, Jason Furman, would provide small firms with a 50% tax credit against the cost of employee premiums. To receive it, a company would have to buy a &quot;quality&quot; plan and shoulder a &quot;meaningful share&quot; of the premium burden. The credit, like most of Obama's tax initiatives, would be fully refundable, meaning that it's not limited to the firm's tax liability -- the IRS would send out a check for the excess.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[If Youa4re Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Self-Development/If_Yoursquore_Open_to_Growth_You_Tend_to_Grow/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Self-Development/If_Yoursquore_Open_to_Growth_You_Tend_to_Grow/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:09:24 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Self-Development</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Self-Development/If_Yoursquore_Open_to_Growth_You_Tend_to_Grow/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[WHY do some people reach their creative potential in business while other equally talented peers don't? The Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck believes that the answer to the puzzle lies in how people think about intelligence and talent. Those who believe they were born with all the smarts and gifts they're ever going to have approach life with what she calls a &quot;fixed mind-set.&quot; Those who believe that their own abilities can expand over time, however, live with a &quot;growth mind-set.&quot;Guess which ones prove to be most innovative over time.<br/><br/>14 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Is it really better to have first mover advantage?]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Is_it_really_better_to_have_first_mover_advantage/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Is_it_really_better_to_have_first_mover_advantage/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:08:19 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Strategy</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Strategy/Is_it_really_better_to_have_first_mover_advantage/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Being first doesn't guarantee success. If anything, being first is fraught with more peril; since you don't have anyone to copy or compare to. And, depending on how innovative your product offering, you might be too early for VCs to get it too, making raising money even harder. Often, when a space heats up, after the first few companies have gone in and made their mark, is when you'll see even more money pour into it.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Leading your employees to success]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Leading_your_employees_to_success/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Leading_your_employees_to_success/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:00:31 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Management</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Leading_your_employees_to_success/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Smart Business spoke with David Houri about why motivation is nothing without ambition and how failing to communicate your philosophy is like being married for two days and having a change of heart.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Boomers More Traditional Online - Not into Blogs, Social Networking]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Boomers_More_Traditional_Online_-_Not_into_Blogs_Social_Networking/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Boomers_More_Traditional_Online_-_Not_into_Blogs_Social_Networking/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:36:16 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Boomers_More_Traditional_Online_-_Not_into_Blogs_Social_Networking/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[People over age 40 participate heavily in word-of-mouth and value personal recommendations and expert opinions, but they have not embraced social networking or blogs despite being heavy users of other online services, according to a ThirdAge/JWT Boom study.Boomers want to connect and interact with others in their communities around shared interests and common issues, but they use more traditional web communications tools, such as email, to keep in touch. Boomers participate in trusted online communities and share opinions about brands. They're also open to traditional marketing and e-marketing, as long as the message is coming from a source or brand they know and trust.<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How to Choose a Company Name: A 12-Point Test]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/How_to_Choose_a_Company_Name_A_12-Point_Test/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/How_to_Choose_a_Company_Name_A_12-Point_Test/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:32:03 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>The Startup</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/TheStartup/How_to_Choose_a_Company_Name_A_12-Point_Test/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For entrepreneurs, the importance of picking the right name for a company may rank second only to naming a child. Name consultants are paid millions each year to help decide what to call a company. Now one has come up with a test: San Francisco naming boutique Eat My Words, which has worked for Kinko's, Jamba Juice and other household names. It's called the Smile &amp; Scratch Test.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The a4Greenesta4 Adults Also the Most Tech-Savvy and Influencers]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/The_lsquoGreenestrsquo_Adults_Also_the_Most_Tech-Savvy_and_Influencers/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/The_lsquoGreenestrsquo_Adults_Also_the_Most_Tech-Savvy_and_Influencers/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:17:03 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/The_lsquoGreenestrsquo_Adults_Also_the_Most_Tech-Savvy_and_Influencers/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Though 46% of US adults say they neither think nor act Green, the 2% who fall into the Green Advocates segment are among the most tech-savvy consumers, according to Mediamark Research &amp; Intelligence's Survey of the American Consumer. The six consumer segments produced by MRI highlight differing attitudes toward the environment and actions taken to support it. The &quot;Greenest&quot; of the segments is the Green Advocates, who recycle, drive hybrid cars, buy organic foods and actively preserve the environment.&quot;They are opinion leaders who research and read product reviews before buying new technology. And they are 65% more likely to give technology product advice about what they've learned to others,&quot; said Anne Marie Kelly, VP of marketing and strategic planning at MRI.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[College Students Addicted to College Newspapers]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/College_Students_Addicted_to_College_Newspapers/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/College_Students_Addicted_to_College_Newspapers/</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:15:02 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Advertising/College_Students_Addicted_to_College_Newspapers/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Looking for a way to reach college students? Despite declines in mainstream newspaper readership, college newspapers are an integral part of students' lives, with over three-quarters (76%) of them saying they have read their college newspaper in the past month, according to a recent Alloy Media + Marketing study. That figure is an impressive 92% for those campus papers that publish on a daily basis, the College Newspaper Audience study, conducted in partnership with MORI Research, found.<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Small Businesses Face Monumental Choice on Health Care]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/Small_Businesses_Face_Monumental_Choice_on_Health_Care/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/Small_Businesses_Face_Monumental_Choice_on_Health_Care/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2008 09:53:08 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Employee Benefits</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/EmployeeBenefits/Small_Businesses_Face_Monumental_Choice_on_Health_Care/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Who should get health insurance, how should they get it, and who pays? Those three questions are at the forefront of the current controversy over health care and will provide the framework for the great debate that will begin once the presidential primaries end and the general election begins. Small business owners, of course, have a huge stake in the outcome of both the election and the debate. Of the 47 million people currently without health insurance, the overwhelming majority either own or are employed by a small business. That means health care should be one of the key decision points for choosing the next president. So where do the presidential candidates stand and what does the public think?<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Consumers Recall Green Ads, but Often Skeptical of Them]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Consumers_Recall_Green_Ads_but_Often_Skeptical_of_Them/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Consumers_Recall_Green_Ads_but_Often_Skeptical_of_Them/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:37:58 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Consumers_Recall_Green_Ads_but_Often_Skeptical_of_Them/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Consumer recall of advertising with &quot;green&quot; messaging is high - more than one-third of consumers (37.1%) say they frequently recall green messaging and another third say they recall it occasionally (33.1%), according to a new Burst Media survey. The online survey, conducted in April 2008 with more than 6,000 web users 18 years or older, explores how consumers are incorporating green or environmentally friendly services and products into their daily life, and their perception of green claims made by advertisers.Among the key findings:Consumers do not automatically accept green claims made in advertisements: - One in five respondents (22.7%) say they seldom or never believe green claims made in advertisements. - Two-thirds (65.3%) of respondents say they &quot;sometimes&quot; believe green claims made in advertisements. - 12.1% say they &quot;always&quot; believe green advertising claims.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Duvet days are a sign of being over worked not work-shy]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/Duvet_days_are_a_sign_of_being_over_worked_not_work-shy/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/Duvet_days_are_a_sign_of_being_over_worked_not_work-shy/</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:16:53 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Human Resources</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/HumanResources/Duvet_days_are_a_sign_of_being_over_worked_not_work-shy/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Many managers assume that when a worker takes a &quot;duvet&quot; or &quot;mental health&quot; day it is because they are simply being lazy or not committed to their job. But it may in fact be a warning signal that they are working too hard or in the midst of a family or relationship crisis.A survey of more than 1,000 U.S workers by Chicago-based employee assistance programmes provider ComPsych has found that most workers who take an unplanned day off when they are not physically ill are doing so because they need to re-energise themselves and regroup mentally.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[3 Ideas for Customer Retention Programs]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/CustomerService/3_Ideas_for_Customer_Retention_Programs/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/CustomerService/3_Ideas_for_Customer_Retention_Programs/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:58:28 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Customer Service</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/CustomerService/3_Ideas_for_Customer_Retention_Programs/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[To hold onto customers, whether they're brand-new or have been interacting with your company for years, consider the following three tips from direct marketing consultant Lee Marc Stein and copywriter Mark Hallen. They were recently featured in Stein's e-mail newsletter, Increasing Return on Marketing Dollars, along with 18 more ideas for improving customer retention through relationship marketing programs.<br/><br/>12 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Getting on the Radar Of an Industry's Top Bloggers]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/PublicRelations/Getting_on_the_Radar_Of_an_Industrys_Top_Bloggers/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/PublicRelations/Getting_on_the_Radar_Of_an_Industrys_Top_Bloggers/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:49:44 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Public Relations</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/PublicRelations/Getting_on_the_Radar_Of_an_Industrys_Top_Bloggers/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Small businesses looking to pitch their products or services to influential blogs have some help these days.A host of Web sites and free tools are allowing companies to find out who the top bloggers in their industry are, what they are writing, and how readers are responding. Being informed about what is being said can help a small business craft a pitch that will garner the attention of both the bloggers and readers.Getting a mention in an influential blog can be a marketing coup for a small company. Some bloggers have a loyal following of readers who trust their opinions. So if those bloggers write positively about a product or service, chances are some of those readers will give it a try.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[10 ways out of a crunch without hiring employees]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/10_ways_out_of_a_crunch_without_hiring_employees/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/10_ways_out_of_a_crunch_without_hiring_employees/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:44:04 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Management</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/10_ways_out_of_a_crunch_without_hiring_employees/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As your business starts to take off, you'll hit a time when you have more work than you can do, but not so much that you are ready (or can afford) to hire an employee. How can you handle the crunch? Here are ten ways to delegate some of the work, without hiring any employees.<br/><br/>11 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Tips for better employee training]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Tips_for_better_employee_training/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Tips_for_better_employee_training/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:34:18 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Management</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Management/Tips_for_better_employee_training/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In a business downturn, employee training may be the first budget to be cut at a small company. But the right training has the potential to have a dramatic impact on a company's bottom line, and a program that raises the level of employee engagement can help retention.With so many other priorities, small employers are unlikely to spend the time and resources to study their training's return on investment. So how can they make sure their training dollars are well spent?WSJ.com spoke to Jack Phillips, chairman of ROI Institute Inc., a consulting firm based in Chelsea, Ala., that shows companies how to measure their return on investment in human resources and other business areas. Here are his tips for small businesses to help ensure they get a good return on their training spending.<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Gen Y Demands Fashion That's Green]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Gen_Y_Demands_Fashion_Thats_Green/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Gen_Y_Demands_Fashion_Thats_Green/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:27:52 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Gen_Y_Demands_Fashion_Thats_Green/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The selection of environmentally friendly clothing gets bigger every day. That's because younger shoppers are finally translating their passion for purer and more organic foods in their kitchens to purer and more organic clothing in their closets, reports Iconoculture. For years, clothing has lagged behind other industries. And it's hard to deny that &quot;green fashion&quot; is oxymoronic: The environmental police demand that consumers reuse and recycle, while the fashion cops urge shoppers to cast off anything left over from last season. So it's hardly a shocker that the government estimates that each American throws away about 68 pounds of clothing and textiles each year. But these days, younger women are determined to find a way to navigate the two worlds. In fact, Iconoculture's research has turned up four distinct shopping types. &quot;We call the first type the Living Green consumer, who has embraced the whole concept of the environmental lifestyle and is driven by dedication, purity and awareness,&quot; says Casasus. &quot;She is the most likely to be eating organic foods. She's finding new ways to use her old clothes, shopping vintage and thrift shops, and buying clothes made of recycled fabrics.&quot;<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Coupons, Discounts Drive Consumer Spending During Recession]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Coupons_Discounts_Drive_Consumer_Spending_During_Recession/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Coupons_Discounts_Drive_Consumer_Spending_During_Recession/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:38:31 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/Coupons_Discounts_Drive_Consumer_Spending_During_Recession/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In an economic recession consumers tend to cut budgets but, if provided discounts, they will buy - 54% of adults say they would reduce discretionary spending, and 63% say they would not make a purchase if a deal isn't available - according to a Harris Interactive survey. Fully 86% of adults surveyed say they have used coupons or discount codes while shopping. But as economic slowdown pushes consumers to re-evaluate spending behaviors and tighten budgets, deal-seeking may become even more common:<br/><br/>7 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Go Green, Save Lives!]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Technology/Go_Green_Save_Lives/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Technology/Go_Green_Save_Lives/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:18:38 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Technology/Go_Green_Save_Lives/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Not only can going green save you money, but it's a great way to give something back to your country.  Our country is at war; young American men and women are fighting and dying every day in Iraq.  Not wanting to make this a political position piece, I will go so far as to state that the war in Iraq has something to do with oil.  And what is oil?   It is energy.  Every business needs energy to run, to turn on the lights, run manufacturing machinery, and keep PCs running.  It is not only our civic responsibility to use our PCs' power saving features to conserve energy, but it could save lives.  A study by the EPA's Energy Star program of General Electric conducted in 2001, showed that the impact of GE employing the power-management functionality of Windows XP and Windows 2000 across 75,000 PCs, setting monitors to shut down after 15 minutes, the PC itself after 30 minutes, and moving into a full &quot;hibernate&quot; mode after three hours yielded a result of saving $2.5 million per year in energy. The EPA estimates it was enough to power 23,000 homes each year. The reduction in carbon emissions associated with that energy was estimated at 20,000 tons - the equivalent of planting 5,600 trees.<br/><br/>6 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[A New Angle on Pricing Your Projects]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/A_New_Angle_on_Pricing_Your_Projects/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/A_New_Angle_on_Pricing_Your_Projects/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:24:29 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Finance/A_New_Angle_on_Pricing_Your_Projects/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In an effort to win over a new client, could you be underestimating the time it'll take you to see a project through to completion? One way to become better at estimating your costs and time needed for a project? Try the Rule of .<br/><br/>9 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[3 Web Analytics Sins to Avoid]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/3_Web_Analytics_Sins_to_Avoid/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/3_Web_Analytics_Sins_to_Avoid/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:05:55 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/3_Web_Analytics_Sins_to_Avoid/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In ClickTracks' recent whitepaper, Seven Web Analytics Sins, and How to Avoid Them, the Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Web analytics software company points out seven mistakes marketers make when analyzing their Web sites and discusses ways to avoid or remedy them. Here are three of the seven mistakes to avoid:<br/><br/>13 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Green Retail: Start with One Shelf]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Green_Retail_Start_with_One_Shelf/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Green_Retail_Start_with_One_Shelf/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:00:53 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Green_Retail_Start_with_One_Shelf/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Many, if not most, consumers want to do their part to help the environment, and retailers can help by stocking, at minimum, a few green items. Start with just one shelf. Perhaps paint it green. In a clothing store, you might stock that shelf with clothes made from natural or organic fibers. A bed and bath store could feature cotton shower curtains (a nice replacement for plastic), or natural sheets.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[5 Rules for the LOHAS Market]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/5_Rules_for_the_LOHAS_Market/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/5_Rules_for_the_LOHAS_Market/</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:52:46 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Research and Trends</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/ResearchandTrends/5_Rules_for_the_LOHAS_Market/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The acronym LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) may not roll off the tongue, but it sure represents plenty of American influence. Conservatively estimated by the LOHAS Web site, the LOHAS market involves 41 million people, or 19 percent of U.S. adults, and $209 billion for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. (Other estimates increase the percentage to a full third of Americans with $500 billion to spend in 2008.)Also referred to as &quot;Cultural Creatives&quot;-a term coined by Yale sociologist and author Dr. Paul Ray in the book &quot;The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World&quot; (co-authored by Sherry Anderson)-LOHAS consumers are unmistakably creating a new culture, one in which their values are often directly reflected in their purchasing. Hence, the terms &quot;green,&quot; LOHAS and &quot;conscious consumers&quot; equally refer to the Cultural Creative.While their presence is already significant enough to get any marketer's attention, the numbers of Americans living the LOHAS way will only increase.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[28 Resources For Paid Search Strategies]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/28_Resources_For_Paid_Search_Strategies/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/28_Resources_For_Paid_Search_Strategies/</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:44:47 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/28_Resources_For_Paid_Search_Strategies/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Paid search is much more than bid management and click-throughs, it's about devising a strategy that compliments your overall online marketing program and providing ROI based on performance which has been quantified at the keyword level.  Here are 25 paid search resources ranging from the basics, to best practices, to advanced strategies to measurement.<br/><br/>13 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Poll: Small in business is beautiful]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Poll_Small_in_business_is_beautiful/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Poll_Small_in_business_is_beautiful/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:25:32 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>News and Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/NewsandPolitics/Poll_Small_in_business_is_beautiful/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[An October survey found only 11 percent of small-business owners say they want to retire at all. Nine in 10 say they are happy with what they do -- with 58 percent saying they are very or extremely satisfied with their work. &quot;In other words, small-business owners overwhelmingly like what they do,&quot; Gallup said.<br/><br/>8 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Most small business owners do not know what branding is]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Most_small_business_owners_do_not_know_what_branding_is/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Most_small_business_owners_do_not_know_what_branding_is/</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:22:00 -0500</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/Marketing/Most_small_business_owners_do_not_know_what_branding_is/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Unfortunately, most small businesses don't know what branding is. Last week Hewlett-Packard Canada unveiled a survey of 1,225 small and medium-sized business owners in which 55% defined &quot;brand&quot; as their product or company name, and 29% said they thought it was their logo.In reality, branding is everything you do -- from products and services to marketing, packaging and customer-service ethic -- that establishes a specific identity in your market. It's not just a logo or a line of shampoos -- it's the entire experience.<br/><br/>10 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Monitoring Social Media Marketing]]></title>
<link>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Monitoring_Social_Media_Marketing/</link>
<comments>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Monitoring_Social_Media_Marketing/</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:07:16 -0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>luckycharmer</dc:creator>
<category>Online Marketing</category>
<guid>http://www.bizsugar.com/OnlineMarketing/Monitoring_Social_Media_Marketing/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Social media marketing can bring traffic and links to any website. What's missing - and essential - is proper measurement of these new techniques. Often times, social media marketing is dismissed before its true effectiveness is realized.     Using Web metrics is nothing new and analyzing data for clients is routine for any Internet marketer. However, the tools we use and the stats we focus on need to change when applying social media marketing to your or your clients' strategic marketing plans. Today, standard Web analytics applications track bits of information we are all accustomed with, such as page views, referring URLs, traffic geo-segmentations and numbers of visitors. For social media marketing, what we really need to be concerned with is buzz and viral marketing. For example, if you've managed to leverage some content on a site like Digg, how do you measure its reach and effectiveness once that content starts to go viral? Using standard Web metric applications gives us a good idea of the initial push on Digg, or any other site, but the full extent of the campaign is lost. Similarly, you can benchmark your current inbound links before a social media campaign and then carry out another benchmark several weeks later. But when it comes to social media metrics, this is primitive analytical reporting. You're not seeing the entire picture and the potential of a successful social media marketing campaign.Lets take a look at the core differences between standard Web analytics and social marketing metrics.<br/><br/>12 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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