Meet Rich Marcello, Author

Rich Marcello is the author of three novels, The Color of Home, The Big Wide Calm, and, most recently, The Beauty of the Fall. He also writes poems and songs, and teaches writing at Seven Bridges' Writer Collaborative. He previously had a long and successful career as a technology executive, managing several multi-billion dollar businesses for Fortune 500 companies.

Learn more by visiting http://richmarcello.com. You can also find the author on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and SoundCloud.

1. What gave you the idea to write The Beauty of the Fall?

When I started the novel three years ago, I was interested in writing about technology as a healer and a community builder. There are many good novels out there about the evils of technology, but few, if any, about technology companies that bring about positive social change. The idea of using technology to enable true democracy, as opposed to the slew of representative democracies in existence today, intrigued me. The events in the world this last year­­–--the rise of fake news, populism, racism, and sexism--confirmed that I was one the right track. However, as my protagonist, Dan Underlight, emerged, I realized I was actually writing a redemption story. Once I was clear on that point, the themes broadened out to include non-violence, trust, honor, forgiveness, and simplicity.

2. How did your past experience as a technology executive come into play in shaping some of the aspects of the novel?

I spent many years in tech running different kinds of hardware and software businesses. Even though the technology used in the company Dan starts, Conversationworks, is beyond the industry's current capabilities, I wanted the feel of CW to be as real as possible. I spent a lot of time speaking with technology executives, many of them friends, to make sure the business scenes were authentic. And yes, I drew on my experience, especially around the norms of a healthy company.

3. What are some of the challenges you experienced in writing about grief?

The Beauty of the Fall is, at its core, about grief. That's why it was important for me to spend so much time developing Dan's inner life. I wanted to show, through his actions and his thoughts, what he was going through as descended further into his grief. At the same time, I wanted to show Dan ascending through his work at CW. Getting the balance right between the ascent and the descent was the hardest part of writing the book.

4. How does being a poet inform or enrich your prose writing?

I think it mostly informs at the sentence and phrase level. There are days when the poet in me takes over in a given scene, and I spend hours making sure the words I'm using have the right level of poetry in them. A number of my writer friends are also poets, and we seem to all agree that our best writing happens when poetry and prose meld together.

5. Do you see the fictional companies in your novel, RadioRadio and Conversationworks, as offering a commentary on the social media and/or tech climate of the moment?

Yes. I think many companies, particularly in America, have lost their focus. They're too focused on profit and quarterly results and have lost their way when it comes to the customers, communities, and employees they should serve. RadioRadio is the composite of many of these broken companies. On the other hand, I tried to show Conversationworks as a company of the future, one that better balances customer needs, communities, employees, and profits. I'm a firm believer that a revolution in business is coming, and it will be leaders like Dan Underlight, and companies like Conversationworks that lead the way.

Thanks, Rich!

Meet Husnain Minawala, Blogger and Social Media Expert

In 2010 a digital agency was born Mystic Social Media, which was rebranded as Mystic Advertising later. Husnain Minawala is the director of this company, and in 2013, he launched karachibloggers.org a portal for all bloggers. In 2014 Mystic Advertising LLC opened its office in Dubai U.A.E.

Learn more by visiting http://www.blog.husnainminawala.com/.

1. How did you first become interested in blogging?

Traveling has always been my passion because the peace it brings to one's soul is commendable. Like it's said, if traveling were free, you wouldn't get to see me. Traveling has taught me how to enjoy the "me" time, and when it became an essential part of my life, I decided to make it a bigger part by blogging about it.

I want every soul to feel the beauty of this world. If my blog gives birth to the love for nature, then I consider every penny spent as a lifelong investment. So basically I started blogging to share the love for nature.

2. How has your blog evolved from when you first started it to today?

Well, initially it wasn't as big as it is now; good things take time, and big things start small. Similarly, it started with passion, and it keeps blooming each day. With time I discovered love for various things, technology being a lead, so I decided to make it a part of the blog. What I learned over time was how to evaluate the interest of my readers. Let's put it like this: for a traveler it's important to capture the mesmerizing beauty forever, which came with the concept of photography, hence cameras and the change in techniques and products to my interest in technology. I have learned how to direct my passion in the right direction on the blog.

3. What is your advice to individuals who want to increase their social media presence and gain more blog readers, more Instagram followers, etc?

For anyone who wants to go big with their blog, they should publish more and more. The bigger the content, the better the visibility. Sharing is the key: you want to be the ultimate resource for your audience and motivate them to share your content on their networks, so make sharing easy. A user friendly and engaging site is IMPORTANT. And PHOTOS. Use them, use them wisely.

There is so much to be done; for beginners, let's keep it easy and achievable.

4. What are some similarities and differences in the way an individual should approach social media and the way a business (from small businesses to large companies) should approach it?

As far as the social media is concerned, one needs to understand that social media is NOT a trend; it's the reality of online existence. Once you know your answers for "where my audience is?", "how far do I want to take my business/brand?", and "how many followers am I aiming to attract?", you will know where to be on social media. Every business and individual has its own approach, depending upon the set target, so I can not really generalize the similarities. You just have got to know your work, and your work will take you where you belong.

Thanks, Husnain!

Meet Vicky Wu, Marketing Guru

In her own words, here's a bio of Vicky Wu...

My clients are like my family. In over 30 years spent working the marketing and advertising for businesses big and small, I've uncovered some golden themes and tactics that work wonders, no matter the size of the budget. Nothing puts a smile on my face more than enjoying my client's success as the result of their marketing plan. In my years of experience doing marketing with top level organizations like Nokia, Southwest Airlines, the Dallas Cowboys, CENTURY 21 Judge Fite, and a number of nonprofits, I've uncovered some tough strategies that are super powerful and can easily be applied to smaller business with minimal time and budget. I love teaching others, from simplifying complex marketing strategies, to teaching couples to ballroom dance for their wedding!

To learn more about her work, check out http://vickywu.us/ and Vicky Wu's Facebook page.

1. How did you first know that you wanted to pursue a career in marketing?

Looking back, with 20/20 hindsight which we all wish we could have before we begin, I was thinking with a marketing brain when I was still in elementary school. I remember designing things; one that comes to mind is this amusement park which had a theme of fruits and vegetables. I've been an artist since I was that age, drawing and painting, so I would sketch out the whole park on paper, drawing the rides. A tomato would be a spinning cup-type ride, with the seeds being the cups you ride in. But I would go beyond that and be designing all of the other little pieces that would go into it, the parking lot, the logo, totally branding the entire thing on paper. I would even draw out what the customers look like--I was doing customer "avatars" before it became a big thing or I had even heard of them--and what the TV commercial would look like.

I didn’t know any of this was "marketing." I just knew I was having fun.

Moving into middle school or junior high, I continued taking art classes, in addition to having personal lessons from family members who were professional artists, and while I wanted to be an artist, I didn't want to be a starving artist--a business acumen was emerging even then.

In high school, I began taking journalism classes and became editor of the school newspaper and the school yearbook. I knew I didn't want to become a journalist, but it's when I first became interested in advertising from working on the ones in the newspaper and yearbook. I remember going to meet with the counselor to talk about college, explaining how what I wanted to do wasn't offered at any of the local community colleges, which was all I felt there would be any hope of affording, and knowing my parents wouldn't be able to help with bigger colleges anywhere else. His suggestion was I needed to decide what I wanted to do with my life that wouldn't require college at all, or something I could take at the local college. Even as a teenager I didn't think that was much help and felt it was just trying to squash my dreams. So I knew I may have to blaze my own trail, and that's exactly what I started doing. I like to tell my clients I made the mistakes so that they don't have to!

I didn’t realize that the field of marketing was exactly where I wanted to be until my second full-time job (the first one was in advertising), but once it all clicked together, I forged ahead by learning as much as I could from the best in the industry, and continuing my education and earning my degree (from a four-year university, not our local junior college). Continuing to learn and seek and develop best practices is a big part of my professional life today.

2. I noticed a variety of both "DIY" and "done-for-you" solutions offered on your website. Could you tell us a little more about your business and what you do?

Our services are broken down into three levels:

Do it yourself – this is for the entrepreneurs who want to do the marketing, graphic, or social media work themselves, have the time and desire, but may not have all of the technical skill. Our training programs help them learn the skills they need to know without having to make all of the mistakes that we learned from over the years.

Our newest addition to this level is our Business Startup Marketing Mastermind training program, which is a convenient hands-on platform which takes a small business owner step-by-step through a proven system to begin and boost their business marketing. Each lesson has specific how-to instructions and helps the business owner tie everything together without needing any prior knowledge of marketing. It's fed out in small bite-size pieces so that the program is convenient and not overwhelming.

Do it with help – this is for businesses that have someone on staff, maybe the owner or another employee, who can do the work (either they already know some of the technical skills or they've gone through our training) but need help with strategy and direction to implement it in the manner most strategic for their business to realize the greatest return on investment. This includes our marketing coaching programs, Marketing Bootcamp, business coaching, and the "Hire a CMO" program.

Have it done for you – this is for the business that wants to outsource some of their graphic design, social media, and other marketing pieces. The problem with finding your own freelancers is that you often have to go to multiple places to have the differing pieces accomplished, and this can result in a lack of brand consistency, which is very bad for a business. We have a whole team of freelancers on call so that you can have all of your needs met in one place, and provide an account manager who acts as your Marketing Director or Art Director to oversee it all and make sure your brand messaging and design is consistent.

3. For small business owners, how can they know when it might be a good time to work with a coach or consultant?

When an owner has the desire to grow their business to the next level, whatever that may be, yet is feeling the pain of already too much work and knowing they won't have time to invest to achieve that growth without something else dropping, it's a good indication that it's time to bring in some expertise.

In every business, and every area of every business, there's a tipping point where future growth is limited by current resources. Every small business owner understands exactly what I'm saying. A point at which, to take the business to the next level, it is either going to require more time than the owner can devote, or require more expertise than the owner currently has (or wants to have). Yet they haven't grown enough yet to justify additional salaries.

There are a lot of things a small business owner can do on their own in the vast realm that is marketing. There are SO many choices today in the area of marketing; it can be very hard to know which ones you need to pick and choose. If they have little experience in marketing, they may not be as easily able to determine which tactics could be most efficient for their business and provide the best return on investment – which can result in being inefficient with their finite time. No business owner has the luxury of things taking longer than they need to or not bringing the best results!

A coach or consultant can bring years of expertise with numerous business large and small, and help a business focus their marketing strategies and plans based upon what has been proven to work. It can allow the business the flexibility of not having to hire a permanent position before the business has grown large enough to justify that type of ongoing expense.

4. What are some of your favorite parts of your work?

There are so many stories I could share, but they really all boil down to developing people and businesses. I am proud when a business achieves a goal (and I'm a HUGE fan of a business envisioning and achieving a big, hairy, audacious goal--when it's right for the company--and even better when I'm the one helping achieve!).

I am proud when I coach an employee or company and they enhance their marketing efforts and achieve their goals. I am proud to see them proud of themselves.

Really for me it;s all about the win. The win for the company I'm working with. That's a win for me.

5. Is there anything in particular about marketing that you wish more people knew?

Not knowing what you don't know can make it harder on you. Yet it doesn't have to be hard at all; you need a simple plan and a simple strategy and to know how to tie it all together. The biggest concept that I share with all of my clients is don't keep switching up your strategy. Most strategies are longer-term and take time to fully develop; yet once they do, they quickly snowball and bring bigger results than you may have imagined. But you never may get to that point if you give up after a week to try something new.

Thanks, Vicky!

Meet Mia Nichols, Social Media Specialist

Mia Nichols owns a small social media management business, Social Media by Mia. The business handles social media for all sorts of companies, with a specialty in social media for crafters and jewelry makers. Learn more by visiting http://socialmediabymia.com.

1. What made you decide to start a social media business?

I love social media. I love figuring out what works to get people engaged. So, it made since to put what I love to use.

2. How did you choose to specialize in working with businesses related to crafting and jewelry making?

I love doing crafts and making jewelry in my spare time. However, health issues and issues with my hands keep me from doing it very often. It made sense to me to put my two loves together to form a business.

3. What do you think makes for good, engaging content when it comes to social media posts?

A combination of things. Videos and quotes from other parts of the internet, photos and links to your products, and general commentary.

4. If someone is posting regularly but finding that people don't seem to be interacting much with their posts, what are some strategies you might recommend?

Set up a social media schedule. Figure out what types of posts you want to post on what days. Then stick to the schedule. Find out what times of day work best for posting based on who is engaging.

5. For people who are just starting out in their craft-related business, what are your top three pieces of advice?

1. Set up your social media accounts so people can find you.
2. If you can afford it, hire someone to do your social media for you, so you have more time to focus on what you love.
3. Just keep at it.

Thanks, Mia!

Meet Christine L. Robinson, Entrepreneur

Christine L. Robinson is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of MegaWebPromote and SocialAccelerator. She holds a Master's degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor's in Liberal Studies, and she served seven years in the U.S. Army. Christine is a personal development and business coach and is the author of two books.

1. Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?

It wasn't until I was in my early 30s that I realized I could be an entrepreneur. Like many people, I had to get to a point in life where I was able to take the leap into being self-employed and make following my passion a reality.

2. What inspired you to start MegaWebPromote.com and SocialAccelerator.info?

My inspiration for starting MegaWebPromote and SocialAccelerator is the desire to help small businesses grow. Having once been there, I understand that it is difficult to balance every aspect of the business. As a business coach, I would give clients strategies on how to increase traffic and engage in meaningful social media marketing, right after telling them that as one person there is only so much they could accomplish in a day. I had to ask myself, why am I telling my clients to outsource a service I could provide; MegaWebPromote and SocialAccelerator were born from that self-reflective question.

3. Why is it so hard for many small businesses to get traffic to their sites, even when they are posting new and informative content?

In my opinion, it is hard for small businesses to get traffic to their sites because the World Wide Web is so vast and there is so much content that it is easy for a site to get lost. You could have the best blog about dog training, but if you don't have daily traffic to your site, and a strong social media following, how many people aren't reading the best dog training blog? The other problem that I think small businesses face is resources; most small business owners don't have a dedicated employee who can spend all their time generating traffic and/or creating content. It can be a difficult juggling act when trying to focus on the people and product of the business. It's important to outsource what you are unable to do, so that you get the results without having to spread yourself thin or neglect other aspects of the business.

4. I think a lot of people get overwhelmed by the idea of establishing a social media presence and end up undertaking a scattershot, inefficient approach. What do you suggest as a starting point--or as a way to start anew when social media seems flat?

I think the starting point for a business' social media presence is to figure out what you would like to gain from being on social media; is it a means of showcasing your product, engaging clients, sharing content, or providing information/research to funnel potential clients through a sales funnel? Once you have a purpose in place, it is easier to tailor the content so it can be effective and yield results.

5. What are your goals for 2016?

My goal for 2016 is to continue to follow my dreams and live life to the fullest. I know that is what everyone says, but I truly believe in being happy in the present. When you are genuinely the best you that you can be, everything else falls into place; and life is just better!

Thanks, Christine!

Meet Dan Anton, Atlanta SEO Online Marketer

Dan Anton is an Army veteran who has found success as an online marketer and SEO expert. After experiencing a a combat injury in 2008, he found a new career online--in fact, within six months, his online business had made him over a million dollars. See a full list of Dan Anton's military achievements and awards at http://dananton.com/awards-testimonials.

1. Before you were known as one of the best online marketers in the world, you were in the Army. Can you tell us a little about your military life?

When the towers fell on September 11, 2001, I was 21 at the time and ready to graduate with honors from Mount Clair State University. This event altered my life forever; I decided right then and there that I was not only going to become a soldier, but I was ready to defend America and aggressively pursue anything that threatened her existence.

I didn't want to just "join"--I wanted to test myself, which is why I became an Infantry Army Ranger, and retired as a Major, completing two tours of combat duty in Iraq. I received two bronze stars for combat related actions, but on my last deployment my convoy was hit by an IED, badly injuring my spine, which directly led to my next career, online marketing.

2. You primarily focus on SEO, and software. How does it work?

SEO is short for search engine optimization. One of the lessons I learned from the Army was systemizing and streamlining processes. Creating large websites, optimizing them, and promoting them is more akin to a science than random happenstance. Of course, the human element is critical, which is why experience and the right team in place is critical to success. Simply put, I develop SEO software and services that deliver results.

3. How useful is your computer science background for your career?

I've always been fond of working with computers and technology. Even before going to Officer Training School, I studied Computer Science. Fast forward to today: it's invaluable as it allows me to not only see problems from a "coder" perspective but also intelligently lead and critique our development team. Considering the bulk of our business is software based, college helped prepare me well.

4. What was your first venture online?

I've been making money online since 1999, when I use to sell informational guides for video games such as World of Warcraft and sell used video games online. My military career always came first, so I had to back burner a lot of ideas until I had more time and more money. In 2006, around the time of Myspace and social networks popping up, my brother and I created a social network for gamers. We had thousands of loyal members but just didn't have the big venture capital required to launch a massive website to rival Myspace, Facebook, Reddit, etc. It taught me a great lesson on scaling properly, cash flow, and focusing on services to help others, versus trying to be an island and achieve success alone.

5. Do you have advice for anyone looking to switch careers?

Never switch careers because you are picking the lesser of two evils. There are so many different ways to make money and/or help others, so you should really sit down and think about what type of person you want to become, and not force a decision. In my case, I knew my military career was over, but a new, growing passion pulled me towards helping business owners achieve even more success. The more you attempt to help others, the more you will see a new career unfolding before you as a service is a need, and if it's a need it can become a fine-tuned skillset to earn a living as a career and not just a job.

If you are a business owner and wish to reach out about our Atlanta SEO brand, follow the website and contact form.

Thanks, Dan!

Meet Dave K. of FanPageCash.org and ViralAccounts.com

Dave K. is the founder of a company that buys and sells viral social media accounts. Learn more about how to buy or sell accounts by visiting FanPageCash.org/ and ViralAccounts.com.

1. How did your company get started?

I started in 2010; back then the company was called FanPageCash. The website was built for my needs only, and it was never intended to be used commercially. I wanted to purchase Facebook fan pages to boost traffic to my websites, and in order to do so, I needed to raise legitimacy. The website provided just that, and FanPageCash.org was basically used as my online business card / portfolio. Even though the website was finished and I used it a few times, I had abandoned the project and moved onto different things. The website just sat there, collecting dust for nearly a year. Two months before the domain was set to expire, I noticed that people had actually started to visit the site, as I was getting new emails from willing fan page sellers. I decided to capitalize on this, and since then I've been buying and selling viral social media properties.

2. What are some reasons why people want to buy or sell social media accounts?

Well, people sell for obvious reasons, and the main one is money. Most viral account owners became popular out of pure luck. Usually a single funny image or video (and a bit of luck) is enough for a social property to become viral. The buyers, on the other hand, are mostly website owners who are looking to boost traffic on their websites. Social properties are the most cost-effective way of doing so (compared to paid ads). Typically, a website owner will purchase such a property and post relevant content to engage the fan base. In return, the fans/followers flock to the owner's website, and the owner reaps the benefits of extra ad revenue.

3. If an account was popular at one time but has been dormant for a while, what are some ways you've seen that buyers generate new interest in an old account?

This is really a hit or miss. There is no way of telling if a dormant account can be brought back to life, and on top of everything else, it is very difficult to revive one. One of the methods that works from time to time is to use a different, already active account to boost the popularity of the inactive one by shoutouts / retweeting or cross-sharing content.

4. What makes an account attractive to potential buyers?

Unlike paid ads where a business has to pay for every click or view, established social properties are a one-time investment. After the initial purchase, the buyer can advertise on it indefinitely, providing that he does it in a non-intrusive way. Over-spamming a viral property with irrelevant products will most likely kill the activity, thus ruining the buyer's investment. I always encourage posting quality content that complies with the social platform policies.

5. Are there any guidelines or terms of service that potential sellers should know about being asking you about selling an account?

There are too many to list. We go through extensive background checks, and not all properties qualify. Everything a seller needs to know can be found in our basic seller rules located here: http://viralaccounts.com/sell/.

Thanks, Dave!

Meet Ram

RamzySweis is the founder of NeverRepeataJoke.com. Get a taste for his work in the video below.

Ramzy has toured internationally and earned a reputation for himself by achieving the rare feat of never repeating a joke after 83 episodes at 53 comedy clubs in Indiana, New Jersey, LA, Nashville, Chicago, and the Middle East.

Another thing that makes Ramzy unique is that he invests in a cafe in Amman, Jordan where he performs in his native tongue. The Arab News formerly employed Ramzy to run a column, but he lost that gig after 14 months of writing bi-weekly columns as his editors feared for his safety as he lured 380K readers, and some of his work received an incendiary backlash.

Ramzy has spent a lot of time building a social media following and creating a niche in the market, a universal demographic and social empire appraised at $13K by Vocus. He counts 39K followers on Twitter, 10K fans on Facebook, and 2 million views as a YouTube Partner.

In Ramzy's own words: "We can contain class clowns running amok who are the life of the party. Ice-breakers. Diffuse tension. Without a creative outlet. Women become Instagram famous with a single scantily clad photo. Men are forced to amuse behind a computer screen. Loneliness reduces serotonin which is vital in health & functioning. Certain economic adjustments & social changes are imperative to avoid cultural disaster."

Meet Christian Okoye, Founder of Adhang.com

Christian Okoye is a professional webmaster and internet marketing consultant from Nigeria. He has helped many individuals and companies across Nigeria secure an active and functional online presence. He operates a lot of websites across Nigeria and the continent of Africa. He is the founder of Adhang.com, Nigeria's leading online advertising agency. Adhang.com uses major online platforms around the world--such as Google, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Cokoye, Microsoft Adcenter, and Facebook--to run and manage internet advertising campaigns.

If you want to learn more about Adhang.com, click here for an overview of the company and their services.

1. How and why did Adhang.com first get started?

Adhang.com started in Nigeria by assembling a group of talented online professionals both local and international to render online promotion services to Nigerian companies, individuals, and people who work with the government. This was an idea I had been nursing for years but felt that Nigerian market wasn't ripe for Adhang.com and might want free ads instead, because most Nigerian companies and individuals started participating in internet activities by getting and expecting virtually everything online for free. This very belief was fueled by Yahoo free email accounts and search, Google search and free email accounts, and many internet marketers who advertise free downloads of all kind of things. But these days, Nigerian consumers/users are wiser and understand now the limitation of wanting to get everything free--they see the need for working with a professional online marketing agency like Adhang.com to handle their internet promotion.

Why Adhang.com started is to help and manage internet advertising for manufacturers and business owners who want to attract buyers for their products and services, Nigerian politicians or political parties who want to attract electorates via online promotion, Nigeria's government to reach masses on any issue important to the government of the day, event organizers to attract participants, etc. Adhang.com does this by undertaking virtually all promotional elements online such as personal selling, direct marketing, publicity, advertising, and more.

2. What are some specific areas of knowledge that your company can offer regarding reaching consumers in Nigeria?

Adhang.com has talented professionals that specialize in virtual marketing communication tools needed for reaching consumers in Nigeria. For example, in the area of "personal selling," our script writers write scripts, and we employ spokespeople to talk to the target audience. In the area of "direct marketing," our copy writers write persuasive articles and content directed to the right consumers. In the area of "publicity," our writers write press releases and publish them on online media sites. And in the area of "advertising," our ad gurus and banner arts designers design online banners that will appear to consumers. Adhang.com has extensive knowledge in using major online media platforms such as Google, Yahoo, Cokoye, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft Adcenter, YouTube, article directories, online slide presentations, and so on.

3. Do you think that international businesses need to pay more attention to the Nigerian market?

Yes, I think international businesses need to pay more attention to Nigeria's market because Nigeria has the biggest economy in the continent of Africa, and Nigeria has the highest population in the continent. These facts alone are huge enough for businesses to pay attention to the Nigerian market.

4. Why is internet advertising so important to businesses today, and how can a business owner choose which form(s) of advertising would be best for them?

Internet advertising is extremely important in the business world today because virtually everything we know and do today is moving to the internet such as reading, entertainment, research, social networking, communication, conference meetings, etc. Also, the internet has all levels of users that can be identified by age, sex, educational level, financial resources, time spent online and on which platform, location, etc. This means that no matter the kind of consumer or audience a business needs to target, the audience members are already on internet.

What Nigerian business owners need to do is tell Adhang.com what their advertising objectives are, and then Adhang.com employs its expertise in online advertising to achieve the objectives by incorporating online media platforms around the world: this is our job and what we do on a daily basis on the internet.

5. When it comes to effectively reaching the Nigerian audience, do you have some tips for potential advertisers?

When it comes to effectively reaching the Nigerian audience, the method that is certain is paid online marketing. I will try comparing some methods a bit below:

• Yahoo, Bing, and Google organic searches are free, but unless the whole world is talking about you currently, it might take months or years for your message to be in these search engines' first pages, and depending on the nature of the message, it might never show at all. When you pay for display advertising, you start seeing your ads immediately by the sides, on top, and on the bottom of all these search engines guaranteed.

• With Cokoye.com you can add advertising messages in your signature for free, but you need to be very active in Cokoye.com by participating in the discussions in the forum for your signature to be seen and promoted. When you pay for Cokoye banner ads, your banner starts displaying all over the Cokoye.com website immediately to hundreds of thousands of users and visitors without any other work on your part. Not only is the paid banner effective, but this simply allows you to use your time for something else.

• You can have social networking accounts and fan pages on places such as Facebook, Cokoyes, LinkedIn, etc, but nobody will know they exist unless you tell them, promote your pages, and remain active on your pages--and at the same time, with all these efforts, you might still achieve little or nothing. But when you pay for sponsored ads, your ads/messages will be displaying to millions of these social network users' walls. This again is not only effective, but it gives you time to focus on something else more important to you.

Is important to note here that unless you know what you're doing, paying money to internet advertising platforms directly and not employing a professional internet advertising agency does not guarantee it will be effective. This is where Adhang.com comes in. The good news is that on our website, we have plans which enable Nigerian advertisers (companies, individuals, and government) to advertise on the platforms mentioned above and major online advertising media around the world at once and under one contract. Advertisers need not to go to all these platforms one by one. Adhang.com takes care of them under one contract.

Thanks, Christian!

Meet Josey Milner, Country Singer and Anti-Bullying Spokesperson

Josey Milner is part small town teen, part road-worthy country starlet, and starting at only 17 years old, she turned heads and changed hearts with her debut US single, "Not Pretty Enough." The song thrust Josey into the country music spotlight, launching her anti-bullying campaign with Angels and Doves, and earning her a 2013 Independent Country Music Award nomination for Promising Young Artist, a Top 10 Hottest New Artist designation, and a Number One single on the world’s first independent country music chart, Indie World. Now, 19 and a recent Magna Cum Laude high school graduate, this CMT.com Top 20 Artist has taken her initial successes to greater heights with "Cowgirls."

Learn more about Josey by visiting her website, www.JoseyMilnerMusic.com, and by following her on Facebook, Twitter, and especially YouTube where you can check out her latest music videos.

1. How did you first become interested in singing, and what's it been like to have gained so many fans for your music at such a young age?

Growing up, I've always loved music. I was constantly listening to the radio, asking for CDs/artist merchandise as gifts, and singing whenever I could. It's just something I always caught myself doing. Before my music, I would sing the National Anthem at rodeos, and that led to me being invited to sing at the National Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis in 2010. From being heard on stage, I was then advised that I should try out the career. Since then, it has been this incredible journey with so much support. I could never thank my family, friends, and fans enough for everything they have done to help out with my music and just supporting me through it all. I am truly humbled. 

2. You're finding some great success with the release of your first singles. Do you have an album in the works?

I do not necessarily have an album, but I do have an EP that we are working on that will have five or six songs. 

3. What do you see as the importance of social media for musicians, and how do you decide what to post on your different social media accounts?

Social media plays a huge role in the music industry today. It allows you to stay better connected with your fans, and it also allows you to keep everyone updated of what you're working on. I run my social media as if I were talking to friends or family. I keep it clean and post some personal stuff, such as pictures, just to show that I do everyday life things as well. Just reassures people that I'm human, too. :)

4. You've been working with some really talented people in country music. Could you tell us a bit about the role of collaboration in your work when it comes to writing, performing, and recording music?

I have not collaborated with anyone yet, but it is definitely something I plan on doing. I think it is so cool when artists do music together because it allows the artists to reach out to other fan bases and sometimes even other genres. I have worked with some pretty amazing people in the studio, though, and that is always exciting! 

5. Finally, would you tell us a little bit about Angels & Doves and your role in working with this organization?

Angels and Doves is an anti-bullying organization that is focused on preventing bullying-related suicides. They go around and talk to schools about bullying and what you can do to help. Being a spokesperson for them, I spread the message about trying to end bullying and to talk to people if you ever need anyone to talk to. They're a really great organization, and I am extremely grateful to be a part of the group. 

Thanks, Josey!

Meet Andre' Stewart of Ardané, a Clothing Line

Ardané is a privately held company that all started with a simple idea: design fresh, high-quality, unique items. The company's CEO, Andre' Stewart, has been working in fashion and entertainment for 14 years, from runway modeling to acting, which all goes hand and hand with fashion (which is how Ardané came about!). Keep up with Ardané on Instagram and Twitter.

1. Do you design the items in your collection yourself, or do you collaborate with designers?

Well, let me start by saying I'm definitely no Photoshop or Illustrator guru, but I do have an eye for design. Some I have designed myself, and some I have been fortunate enough to be able to collaborate with some great designers, but on every design I have had my input on what I think needs to be changed, added, or taken away to get us the finished product. I will say sometimes it is challenging having a great idea in your mind and having someone else try to create it and have it done the way you envision it.

2. Why does Ardané specialize in t-shirts, tops, hats, etc?

The reason I chose T-shirts, tops, hats, and etc is because with a lot of the new designs I saw coming out, none seemed to be unique, and the quality wasn't great in my opinion. The way we come up with our designs and choosing our fabric is strictly by what our customers suggest, and that's how we differentiate ourselves from a lot of other brands. I also wanted to create something people could do everything in, like wear the same shirt out to dinner, at an upscale lounge, or to the park to play basketball in and never once get looked at like what are they wearing?? That's why we choose the type of designs and the style of shirts we do.

Along with that, I know everything starts with branding. I'm building a brand, not only through clothing, but with our service, shipping, social media presence, local events etc. We also knew starting with those options is the easiest way to break into the clothing industry and generate the buzz and income needed to branch out into other product lines without expending too much of your own capital in the building and growth process. It will also establish a brand-loyal customer base, and that's what any business needs to be successful, especially in this industry. As with any brand you need those consistently loyal repeat customers who will buy from you just because of the name. A brand-insistent customer is what we are trying to develop.

3. I noticed that Ardané will debut a denim collection soon. What else can we expect to see on ardaneworldwide.com over the next year or so?

Yes, we are looking to release the denim collection soon; it is in the developmental stages but it's going to be amazing stuff, great quality and price which is hard to find with denim. As for what's to come, we hope that people stay connected with us through social media, because what we try to do as often as possible is let our customers dictate what we release or do next. At the end of the day, we want them to be happy and become that brand-insistent customer I mentioned earlier. Let me ask, would you want to be a part of creating your next piece of clothing you were going to buy? That's what Ardané is about. So to answer that, you have to stay connected to see what's coming next.

4. Would you tell us a little bit about how Ardané helps by contributing to Autism-related charities?

Autism is a very close to home reality for me; my niece was diagnosed with Autism when she was three years old, and I have two friends who have kids with Autism as well. I really don't think people understand what it is or know how expensive it is to care for a child with Autism and also the magnitude of Autism. ASA estimates it is $3.5 million to $5 million lifetime cost just to care for a child. With that being said, we have an Autism collection that continues every season, and all the proceeds from the collection go to different Autism charities in different states. We also donate a portion of all of our proceeds to Autism charities as well. We have done multiple fundraisers and events to raise funds and awareness for Autism and will continue to do so until people are really aware.

5. What has been your experience so far in starting a clothing line, and how has it been similar and different to your career in modeling?

Starting Ardané has been an amazing journey. It's not easy by faaaar, but I wouldn't want to do anything different than continue building the brand. It's hard to explain the feeling you get when you see someone wearing something you created or someone you don't know giving you a compliment about what you are aspiring to do. It's the same with the modeling career. To turn a page and see yourself in a magazine or on the side of a bus, billboard, or commercial, it's like, wow I'm on the side of a bus! How many people can say that, but with both it's all about consistency and determination. Don't follow your dreams; chase them--that's my motto.

Thanks, Andre'!

Meet Paul Etienne of 1Branch

Paul Etienne is the founder and project manager of 1Branch. His background includes graphic design and web and mobile development, and he has published games in iOS and Android in the past. Paul is a Christian looking for his true purpose, but he found he was sometimes afraid to ask questions of members of his church because he's been going to church for so long, so in 1Branch he has created a platform where people can feel free to express themselves and to find their true purpose.

1. Could you tell us a little more about some of the features you wanted to include when you came up with the idea for 1Branch--and also, how did you choose the name?

I wanted to include: a church suggestion feature that would send you notifications about suggestions for churches to attend based on reviews whenever you go to a new town or city. I came up with the name from John 15:5, in which Jesus said, "I am the Vine. You are the branches." 1Branch means each of us is 1 branch from Jesus' vine.

2. Is going to a website on a computer the only way to access or sign up for 1Branch?

No, right now we know everyone is always busy and always on the go, so there is a very responsive version of 1Branch for all mobile phones. Also, the official 1Branch app is available in the Apple app store, and in Google Play by just typing "1Branch" in your app store's search bar.

3. How have you been reaching out so far to tell people about 1Branch?

So far, we have used press releases to let the press know about 1Branch, and we use social media a lot to get the word out. Social media is now the new "word of mouth," and it is very powerful, so when people see something they like, they share it on social media with their friends.

4. The impression I got from checking out the site is that the main idea is that it's a place for conversations and mutual support. How would you describe your goals in building it--and where do you hope to see it go over the next year?

The spirit of 1Branch is to embrace the totality of the religious experience; I want to enable people to talk about issues that really matter to them, even if they are considered off-limits. When a user signs up, that user is asked to enter a denomination. This is the "Branching" section of the network. Branching offers two streams: "Dirty Laundry" and "General," and those streams are specific to the chosen denomination.

Dirty Laundry allows users to post freely and anonymously about things they don't like or don't understand, or things that confuse them, and even about secrets a denomination may have. Anyone (within the denomination branch) can comment on the posts to bring answers and clarification. The idea is to connect people who know the truth to people who are seeking the truth, so I hope that a lot of people contribute to the overall experience of 1Branch. I hope to hear people talk about how they have found the truth through 1Branch.

5. Based on your own experience, what's your advice to other people who want to develop their own apps?

If you have a good and unique idea, then go for it. Reach out to people who have done it before, and ask for advice if there are things that you do not know how to do. There are a lot of resources out there for people who are willing to learn. "Ask and it will be given to you." Matthew 7:7

Thanks, Paul!

Meet Josh Sexton, CEO of Hiiro Media

Josh Sexton is the CEO of Hiiro Media. His company builds creative social media campaigns across all platforms, and they work with companies of all calibers. Hiiro Media focuses on storytelling in all they do to drive business results. Learn more about Josh by visiting his LinkedIn page.

1. How did you first become interested in working in the field of social media?

In 2009 when I Joined Facebook. I realized I could market and sell products from a distance and reconnect with those I lost contact with over the years.​

2. What inspired you to start Hiiro Media, and what does the name mean?

​What inspired me was being in college, and seeing how the same old stuff is being regurgitated over and over and over again. I realized the way we market and the way we sell things are changing as rapidly as technology is changing. And very few brands have noticed this.

​Hiiro Media means creative story-driven marketing and branding. We find a way to tell a brand's story that captivates their audience and allows their audience to feel as though that company cares, that the company is human and not just trying to take their money.

3. Why is storytelling so important in a social media campaign?

​Because it allows for the audience to feel connected. It allows for a brand's message to reach their audience in a more human, authentic, and transparent way.

4. What are some things that very small businesses or indie businesspeople/artists/etc can do themselves to help get the word out about their projects?

Hire me. Lol. What can they do? They can invest the extra time and effort in educating themselves on where their target audience is and learning how to create content that visually and emotionally captivates them. Find a creative and innovative way to inspire them to engage with the brand. ​

5. When is it time for an individual or company to hire a professional firm for help with utilizing social media to improve their business results?

​When they sincerely wish to grow their business. Most companies think that just having a presence and posting words and pictures is marketing in the time we live in. What is scary is that companies with that philosophy fail because they think it's smart to throw things against the wall and see if it sticks.

Thanks, Josh!

Introducing OOm's Blog about SEO and More

I'm always interested in learning more about search engine optimization, so it's good to find a company that does SEO work and maintains a blog on the topic where people like me can read up on the latest information in the field. OOm in Singapore provides SEO services and publishes info about their work on their blog.

One topic of note to those with an interest in increasing or maintaining their website's rank in the search engines is the methods of adapting to search engine updates. The most recent post on the OOm blog at the time that I visited addressed this topic and discussed how to avoid cheap and easy "fixes" and instead maintain a calmer, longer-range perspective. As the post points out, search engine updates actually addressed issues that are common sense when you think about finding quality content--do you want to read short, keyword-stuffed articles? Probably not!

Other blog posts address how to build the best site you can build, both in terms of readers wanting to read and return to it and in terms of the search engines ranking your site well. The bottom line is that you need to think of your readers to produce solid content that can help your site in Google and the other search engines. To quote one of the OOm posts: "Be honest in building your site... Your audience is smart so take care of them."

OOm offers a lot of different services for people who are looking to improve their websites. They offer SEO, search engine marketing, social media marketing, and more. They can help you create quality content, and they can help you create click-worthy banner ads. Really I think that reading their blog gives you a good idea of their mindset, and I appreciate their balanced, honest perspective.

In the end, creating a good site requires an investment of sincere effort. Who is your audience, and what do they want to know? These are the kinds of questions that OOm will help you ask. Their site demonstrates their aesthetic by providing useful information in an easy to navigate format.

Introducing Casa Couture Furniture Designs

Based in Chicago but selling its wares online to shoppers everywhere, Casa Couture Furniture Designs is a store that specializes in furniture pieces which are created from redesigned antiques. The founder and creator of Casa Couture is Julie Gathman who hand-selects antique pieces from markets and other locations around the midwest, and then she redesigns the pieces to create unique items.

If you are looking for one of a kind furniture, check out Casa Couture. I enjoyed the before and after page on the shop's website to get an inside perspective on how Julie creates her pieces. Many of the creations have a light-hearted feel and would definitely enliven a room! I found many brightly colored pieces which maintain the lines of the original piece while infusing it with new life.

To keep up with the latest pieces in the shop and to read more about Julie's creative process, follow Casa Couture on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

Meet Sheena, Founder of Mint Chocolate Solutions: Business and IT Services

Sheena, the founder of Mint Chocolate Solutions, helps take business ideas from inception to opening day. At Mint Chocolate Solutions, Sheena & company help build brands in a unique way by creating custom QR codes which link to your social media, blog, website, and more! They also develop mobile apps and take on other tech-related services to help businesses grow.

1. What inspired you to start Mint Chocolate Solutions, and how did you choose the name?

I had a supervisor ask me, "What would you do even if you didn't get paid?", and I retorted, "There is no profession I would do without getting paid! I will find a way to profit from it." I have had multiple businesses that did not fulfill me over the years. Weeks later, his question finally made sense! I love helping other businesses develop and grow. Most of my peers and friends have a lot of great ideas; however, they do not know how to start, or are afraid to make that leap. I've been in the business of startups several times over. Additionally, startup businesses often have no IT training or experience--so I consider myself their personal business and IT consultant; they appreciate having everything in one place.

Mint was my color for the whole year! I started adding mint to my wardrobe and even toward the renovation of my house! When searching for a name for this new consulting business, I actually consulted with my 9 year old daughter, who was aware of my new mint obsession. And she told me, "Mommy, you really like chocolate. Why don't you name your business, Mint Chocolate something..." I kissed her and told her she was a genius, and Mint Chocolate Solutions was born!

2. Why are custom QR codes so important to businesses?

In the business of branding, standing out from the rest is oh so important. When I saw the benefit of jazzing up your own logo with the benefit of connecting with your customers, I knew I had to spread the word to the public. All my clients absolutely love the uniqueness the QR xode adds to their repertoire.

3. What are some ways for people to get their QR codes out there more and see more clickthroughs?

Anywhere you would feel the need to put your logo will be a place to add your QR code. When people see a QR Code, they are tempted to scan it--even more so when it is different from any code they have seen. (The ugly black and white codes are the most common.)

4. Would you tell us a little more about your app creation services?

Customers are not just going mobile--they ARE mobile. Everyone and their mother--literally--has a smart phone and knows how to use it! If a user can simply click through to order items, view content and comment or purchase shoes, they are more likely to do business with you. We are competitively priced within the market and are always available to our clients.

5. In talking with people who own small businesses, what is your advice in terms of when it's time to consider outsourcing some tech needs to a company like yours--and why is this outsourcing a good investment?

Money is always a factor with small businesses; however, time is a bigger factor. When you feel as if there are not enough hours in the day, then it is time to outsource. When you are losing precious moments with your loved ones, it is time to outsource. There is an understanding that there is a sacrifice; however, don't lose sight of what is really important: it is easy to get caught up. There are many resources out there where you can receive the assistance you need without breaking the bank. Take one step at a time, and delegate like a good manager!

Thanks, Sheena!

Meet Christos Pittis, Educator and Entrepreneur

Born in Cyprus, Christos Pittis is an entrepreneur and teacher who offers a variety of courses through Udemy. He holds degrees in Economics and Management and has worked as a Business Services Consultant in Dubai, Cyprus, Lebanon and Egypt. His Udemy classes emphasize accounting and bookkeeping, global entrepreneurship and marketing, social media, and other topics. Learn more about Christos on his Udemy profile and by watching the YouTube video below.

1. How did you first hear about Udemy, and what made you decide to start teaching through the site?

I used to run my own educational organization, and also at that time, around 2013, we were operating a live online school. I did a search on the web to see what competitors were doing. I come across a marketing course on Udemy, not Udemy's landing page directly. I paid to enroll in that course, and I was impressed, not only by the quality of the course, but the platform as well. It was the best online platform I'd seen.

I am an accounting teacher as well, and I started teaching accounting back in 2006, so I had the material ready. So I purchased a camera and a mic, and I started filming my course to upload to Udemy.

2. You offer a variety of courses. How did you decide which courses to teach?

I have created six courses so far, and I am in the process of publishing one more course. The course name will be "Interviews with 10 Startup Owners," or something like this. It is not finalized yet. I have two accounting courses, one for beginners and one for intermediate users. I also have one course for YouTube channel owners, one for the largest social media network in Europe (VKontakte, the so-called "Russian Facebook"), one for website building with the help of freelancers, and one entrepreneurship course for young entrepreneurs. Here is the complete list:

• Accounting 101: A Beginner's Guide to Business Accounting
• Accounting 102: A Intermediate Guide to Business Accounting
• VKontakte: Beginner's Guide to European Social Media
• Website Secrets: Get a Gorgeous Website on the Cheap
• Become a Global Entrepreneur: A Young Professional's Guide
• YouTube: Transform your channel into a money making machine

Click here to see my Udemy profile: https://www.udemy.com/u/christospittis/.

Now allow me to answer how I decide on what courses to offer. It is a combination of three factors:

1. My personal knowledge and experience
2. Trending courses at Udemy
3. The most popular Google keyword searches

3. What would you say distinguishes your courses in terms of the quality of content as well as your professional experience?

I focus on the following aspects:

• Value-delivering on expectations and learning objectives
• Content quality: relevancy, structure, comprehensiveness, and accuracy
• Instructor quality: credibility, delivery, and responsiveness
• Practical applications: quizzes, resources, and exercises
• Technical quality: clear audio and video

I also try to make things as simple as possible. I do the hard work and deliver material to students with step by step instructions and guidelines. I like to talk with students and learn from them as well.

I have some experience in my professional life which I apply to my teaching. I am an entrepreneur as well, and I used to work as an ERP consultant for one of the best applications of Microsoft.

4. Could you tell us a little more about what students can expect from your courses? What kind of content will they receive, and do they get to interact with you personally to ask questions or get feedback?

Students will receive expert tips and guidance that are difficult to find elsewhere. They will also receive important information and learn how to do things properly. They can get support and often updates as I revisit and revise my course materials. My courses usually contain around 80% video and 20% quizzes, pdf documents, and presentations. Most of the time, I offer discounts to my students for upcoming courses of mine.

I am always open to answer any questions and assist students with performing specific tasks.

5. What makes Udemy a good resource for people who want to grow as entrepreneurs?

Udemy offers almost 20,000 courses in various topics like business, technology, entrepreneurship, marketing, and even yoga classes! More than 10,000 skilled and well-known instructors from all over the world are teaching through this platform. Additionally, Udemy offers a lifetime access guarantee, so once you buy the course, you'll always be able to access the course content. Large organizations can subscribe in a flexible and economic plan to educate their employees.

6. How can interested people sign up for your new course "Interviews with 10 Startup Owners"?

The new course will be released in January or early February 2015, and anyone interested can submit a valid email address by clicking the link below. The normal price will be $299, but I offer a very good discount for the readers this blog at $99. For more information, please click here http://eepurl.com/9SYzX.

Thanks, Christos!

Meet Aaron Kocourek, Online Reputation Management Expert

Aaron Kocourek is an expert in online reputation management (ORM). When people search your name online, what do they see? Negative content or bad reviews can dramatically impact your personal life or business relationships. Positive search results, on the other hand, allow you to look your very best on the Internet. ORM helps you control how you are viewed online. Through ORM, you proactively build truthful, positive content about yourself or your company in order to dominate the top pages of search results and insulate you from online attacks or bad press.

1. How did you first become interested in working in the area of ORM?

I have an extensive background in eCommerce, and that taught me a lot about how displeased customers interact with online companies. It wasn't uncommon for us to find out about a problem with an order by getting a bad online review. Sometimes the customers wouldn't even contact us first. I saw that this was an issue that most eCommerce companies had. You can't please every single customer every time. Online review sites are an outlet where consumers can express their frustration. This is what spurred my interest in online reputation management.

2. How important are online reviews when it comes to the reputation of a business, and what should business owners do upon discovering negative reviews?

According to a recent study conducted by Harvard Business School, if a business increases their Yelp star rating by just 1 star, it leads to a 5-9% increase in revenues. Additionally, a study by Cornell University, which examined sites like TripAdvisor and Travelocity, found that a 1 star increase would allow a hotel to charge 11.2% more. The popularity of online review sites is only growing.

It is important for businesses to be proactive and begin building their online reputation and positive reviews now. Don't wait for a negative review to appear. If you start building up positive reviews now, it will help drown out any negative reviews when they get posted. An example of this would be: You are searching for a new business online. You find two: the first has one negative review, and the other has 25 positive reviews and 3 negative. Which would you do business with? When you do get a negative review, it is important to respond to the review, keeping the message short and emotion-free. Try to contact the customer if at all possible because when you resolve a complaint and make the customer happy, it is very common for people to delete their negative review if satisfied. When you do respond to the negative review, do not include your personal name. If you include your personal name, the negative review may start ranking for your name when people Google you, which causes yet another online reputation issue.

3. What can people do if there's negative information about them posted online in such contexts as public records or newspaper articles?

The first thing highly visible people usually do is work to get a positive article with the same paper. This is not advised, as when you get additional media, even if it is positive, most news software platforms perform name-matching, so they usually show a link to the negative article at the bottom of the new article. This is because news sources want to recycle old content and continue earning revenue from it. I have seen this happen more times than I can count. What I advise is to get positive media from a different news source, particularly an online-focused news site.

Whenever negative information is posted as public records or on news sites, it is usually syndicated pretty well, so the challenge went from one listing to multiple, sometimes even hundreds. Government sites and newspaper sites are authoritative in the algorithms of search engines and social media, so they tend to get much higher visibility than normal sites. This presents more of a challenge when you are trying to suppress this information. It is still possible to suppress a negative listing on these types of sites; however, it will require substantially more time and resources.

4. For people who want a DIY approach, what are some things they can do to boost their positive search results for themselves as individuals, or for their businesses?

The first thing is to develop a blog, and write about things you are passionate about--for example, your job, hobbies, or charities you believe in. This is one of the most important things you can do for personal branding and to take control of your online reputation. Write blog articles using keyword phrases that people would type into a search engine when searching for you.

Secondly, do what I am doing right now. Reach out to other blog authors in your vertical that you respect, and offer to write an article for them, or offer an interview. If there are forums in your vertical, make sure you participate in them. Offer free advice and information. You want people to see you as an expert in your field, and the best way to do this is to start out helping others in a public manner. But don't just limit yourself to blogs and forums; participate in groups on social media platforms such as Facebook, Linkedin, and Pinterest.

Businesses should also be active in online review sites in which their customers participate. When a customer leaves you a review, whether positive or negative, take the time out to write a detailed response to each one.

5. As an expert in the field, what are some services you offer that go beyond what most people might readily know about and/or be able to do?

I always recommend that you should first try to develop positive listings yourself. In a small amount of cases, people will be successful and not need a firm like ours. However, in most cases they make a small amount of progress, and then it flatlines. Once a person or a company has begun developing their online reputation, they begin to truly understand how much resources are needed in order to successfully control their online reputation. We have an extensive team of writers that produce content for clients, and teams of link builders which enhance the visibility of listings.

The greatest reason a business or individual should hire an online reputation management firm is that firms like ours have established relationships with media outlets that we can leverage for our clients. In addition to this, we have the resources available in order to create large amounts of high quality content, large teams of link builders which can boost listings on search engine ranking, and webmasters who know how to build or optimize sites, blogs, profiles and other listings which will rank well, and who can execute on a campaign very quickly.

Unfortunately many clients feel hopeless when they call us. They have tried for months or even years to suppress a negative listing with little to no success. We make it clear that there is hope, and we can help them.

Thanks, Aaron!

Meet Ross Barber, Web Designer for Bands and Musicians

Ross Barber is a web designer who specializes in design for bands and musicians. With his company Electric Kiwi, he has worked with many independent and unsigned artists to enhance their online presence.

1. What inspired you to create a web design and marketing firm specifically geared toward the music industry?

I've always loved music, and studied BA (Hons) Popular Music Performance at university. I started my course with the idea of becoming a professional singer/songwriter; however, as I progressed, I found I was becoming more interested in the promotion and marketing side of the industry. I had been designing websites since I was around 12 years old, and it made sense to me to combine the two things that I loved: web design and music. From there, Electric Kiwi was born!

2. What do you see as some specific/unique needs for music artists when it comes to building a website?

I create completely custom websites for each musician, as I think everyone's needs are different. However, I'd say that every musician's website should have the following sections: a way for people to listen to/buy your music, a way for people to contact you (you'd be surprised how many artist websites DON'T have contact information), a news section so people can see that you're still active, show listings (if you play live), and a design that reflects who YOU are as an artist.

3. In addition to having a great website, what else do people need to do to get noticed online in the music world--both by industry professionals and by fans/listeners?

I think with everyone being so easily connected via social media, fans and listeners expect artists to be available and want to connect with them on a personal level. For this reason, I think it's so important for artists to be engaging with their audience on social media. Of course, good music comes first, but you can't underestimate the power of building relationships and connections with your fans and industry professionals--it can make a huge difference.

4. I've often read the advice that with social media and online marketing, it's good for an indie artist to choose one network and commit to posting there rather than trying to "do everything" with social media. What are your thoughts on this?

I agree. There's a lot of overwhelm, especially for artists who are still in the DIY phase of their career. It can be tempting to be everywhere all at once, but ultimately, something is going to slip when you're spreading yourself so thin. It's good to have a presence on all of the major social platforms, but the main thing to bear in mind is where your audience is, and also what platform you enjoy using the most. My suggestion would be to be active on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube (if these are relevant to your music and fanbase), but to also have profiles set up on the other platforms so people can find you there.

5. Would you tell us about your new podcast interview series and what listeners can expect to hear?

Absolutely! I've just launched a new podcast show with my friend Marcio Novelli, called Bridge The Atlantic. We interview musicians and creative professionals about their careers. We're aiming for a balance between entertainment and education, so we try to keep it lighthearted and fun, a little more like a TV talk show than most other music business podcasts. We're on YouTube and iTunes, but the best starting point would be our website: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com.

Thanks, Ross!

Meet Kereen Henry, Entrepreneur, Consultant, and CEO of The EntreMarketing Group

Kereen Henry is the CEO of The EntreMarketing Group, a company which focuses on helping women succeed in business. She has a true passion for helping women start new business ventures and make them successful. As a professional marketing consultant, Kereen has a true knack for helping business women build their brands.

1. What is the goal or purpose of The EntreMarketing Group?

The purpose of The EntreMarketing Group is to help women build successful businesses while balancing their lives. Many of us are mothers and wives. We work full time and still try to make extra income on the side. Juggling all of this is overwhelming, and that's where we come in. We will blog for you, update your website, post via social media--basically we provide all the services that are important but time-consuming. Our work helps women reach a broader audience and stay relevant, which in turn increases their return on investment.

2. How did your own success with real estate inspire you to start The EntreMarketing Group?

Real estate provided me the capital to be able to start The EntreMarketing Group without having to obtain a loan.

3. Why is web marketing so important, and what are some of the activities that are included in "web marketing"?

Web marketing is now more important than ever because statistics show that majority of consumers browse online before going to a store to buy anything. By being able to market and educate your audience online efficiently, you will be able to capitalize on these potential customers who browse before they shop. Some of the activities that are considered as "Web Marketing" are Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, and Content Marketing.

4. How can a PR firm help individuals and businesses in ways that might be more powerful than someone doing their own PR?

Most women entering a business are already overwhelmed with the many facets of running a business, and a PR firm allows them the time to concentrate on internal operations while outsourcing marketing objectives to a company who has the know-how and connections to successfully reach their target market. The majority of corporations engage in this process of outsourcing their PR to a company that concentrates in this arena. We at The Entremarketing Group provide the resources of big business PR & marketing, for women starting a business.

5. As someone who started her own company, do you feel this puts you in a unique position in terms of being able to assist other women entrepreneurs to reach their goals?

Definitely, because not only was I a marketing major in college, but I have experienced my own success and failures. These experiences have given me the knowledge to assist other women starting a business.

Thanks, Kereen!