Successful marketing plans need many different facets in order to be effective. You need to consider things like search ads, email marketing and more. And this week, marketers got some news that impacts the way that both their search ads and marketing emails might be displayed. Get these headlines and more below in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.
Marketing Tips
Google Ends Right-Side Ads on Search Results
Google right side ads have appeared in search results since AdWords launched in 2000. No more. They’re history. R.I.P. Google has confirmed a huge change to the way AdWords ads are displayed for desktop search results, and it is now rolling out for all of its users globally.
New MailChimp Feature Gives Better Idea How Emails Look to Clients
The email marketing service provider MailChimp has just recently unveiled a new feature, MailChimp Inbox Preview, which enables its users to preview its emails before they are sent out. MailChimp Inbox Preview is an upgraded version to its predecessor, Inbox Inspector. Inbox Inspector helped marketing campaigns by offering previews to the users.
Visage Unveils New Version of Design Tool for Content Marketers
Getting ahead in small businesses these days requires an online presence AND creativity. Visage, a business devoted to assisting small businesses with visual content, addresses both. Visage has announced an update of its design tool for content marketers called Visage 3.0, officially released Feb. 23, 2016.
15 St. Patrick’s Day Marketing Ideas
With St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching, your business has an opportunity to capitalize on some festive holiday marketing. Whether it’s promoting St. Patty’s Day facts on social media or hosting an event at your bar or restaurant, there are plenty of different ways you can market your business on or around St. Patrick’s Day.
Handmade Business
Handmade Business Industry Sees Robust Growth, Judging From Etsy Results
Etsy announced strong 2015 results, a reflection of the overall robust interest in the handmade business industry today. Etsy reported 21.3 percent growth in merchandise sales year over year for 2015 and 35.4 percent revenue growth. “In the fourth quarter, our GMS [gross merchandise sales] was more than $741 million and our revenue was nearly $88 million.
Retail Trends
Small Beer Distributors Being Trampled by Big Box Stores
New York’s beer market may be large enough to accommodate all the local industry players, but the big money is going to big box stores like Costco and BJ’s at the expense of smaller independent distributors.
New PayPal Commerce Lets You Stick Buy Buttons Almost Anywhere
PayPal has unveiled the new PayPal Commerce, a shopping platform that enables merchants and partners to embed “Buy” buttons into blogs, social feeds, emails, apps and ads through a set of APIs.
Small Biz Spotlight
Spotlight: ezCater Connects Businesses With Caterers, Restaurants
When you host a business meeting or event, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to provide food for attendees. That’s exactly the situation in which ezCater aims to help. The company focuses its efforts specifically on business customers. Read more about ezCater’s offerings in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
Social Media
Instagram Makes It Easier to Have Multiple Accounts for Your Small Business
Recently, Instagram announced a new feature which has been included in its mobile app. You can now have multiple accounts on Instagram and switch easily between them from within the Instagram mobile app without having to sign out. This will no doubt come as a delight to Instagram’s huge user base, especially business users.
What is Facebook Livestreaming?
Facebook Live was launched in August of 2015 with a clever campaign that made the platform available only to celebrities. This of course gave the app a lot of attention as Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope were gaining traction. And by December of the same year, Facebook decided it was time to let more people in on the fun.
Technology Trends
SoundCloud, a Favorite With Podcasters and Musical Entrepreneurs, Still Struggles With Profitability
Audio-based social networking service SoundCloud is struggling financially. The company reportedly lost a total of $70.3 million in earnings in 2013 and 2014 combined. The company’s struggles could be a bad sign for entrepreneurs who use the service either to create podcasts or market their music.
Turn Your Smartphone or Tablet Into a Laptop with NexDoc
Small is beautiful, especially when your business operates on a tight budget or when you need to be constantly on the move. Nex Computer’s new 14-inch monitor with a built-in battery and Bluetooth keyboard transforms smartphones, tablets, mini PCs and more into a laptop addressing small businesses’ need for smaller and smarter innovation.
LG’s Latest Budget-Priced Smartphone Includes Nano Coated Tip Stylus Pen
LG will be introducing the latest version of its flagship smartphone at the upcoming Mobile World Congress conference this week. At the event, the South Korean company will show off the new LG5, but fans of stylus devices will be more interested in the 5.7-inch phablet LG Stylus 2. Currently there is one phone that dominates the stylus segment on mobile, the Samsung Galaxy Note.
Image: Small Business Trends via Google AdWords
