Around the globe, more and more countries are starting to invest in big data centers, including Ireland, UK, and the Netherlands. But it’s the US that has a remarkably fast-growing market for big data as due to its great infrastructure, connectivity, and low corporate tax rates. Most of the well-known data centers in the US are located in northern Virginia, New York, Silicon Valley, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles. However, Atlanta is jumping up in rank with its 13,000 tech companies. 

It's been a long time coming, but the moment is finally here. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had great videos to share with my LinkedIn network, but haven’t been able to post them until today! 

We can thank LinkedIn, as they just released the newest update, allowing users to directly upload videos to their newsfeed. So, if there’s a surplus of exclamation marks on this blog, just know that I’ve been waiting for this for a while now.

It was Monday 26^th of June 2017 - the big day where I will start my first day at my first internship at an outsourced marketing firm. I remember coming here on Sunday afternoon, the day before to take a peek at where the beginning of my marketing career will start. Though it is a long distance away from home, I was excited to travel here every morning for the next few months. It has been three weeks since that Sunday afternoon, though it may sound a long time already, it has been going by in a flash.

We always want what’s best for our business, however, we aren’t all-rounders and competent in every aspect of our business. That’s why there is a growing trend in outsourcing – companies are now more inclined to subcontract their IT department, HR department or even their marketing department to external companies. But with all these choices in the market, you are sure to be overwhelmed with the sea of potential partnerships.

When I meet with prospects and discuss the need for a content strategy, they either...

·         Admit they don't know what I'm talking about 

·         Glaze over, nod and agree (though I know we are not on the same page)

·         Or say they've tried content marketing, but in reality they have not or have not done it well, to say the least

While the marketing world is all abuzz about content marketing, it is very difficult to put together a well thought-out, custom designed, highly effective strategy.  Before I jump into how to create an effective content marketing strategy, let's first start with the definition.

As business owners our primary goal is to make money so we are focused on revenue, product pricing and billing of our services.  To think about giving something away for free seems counter-intuitive. However, giving away something that your audience views as exclusive, scarce, or in high demand is a good way to open the door to engaging a new customer.

Returning from a spring break trip to visit family my daughter realized she had not downloaded any new movies on her lap top.  Six hours in the back seat of a car, to a modern eleven year old, was going to be a strain on everyone in the car. Reading is out of the question, because she gets car sick.  I grabbed my phone, signed up for a free month of Audible, bought her a book on Amazon and it was amazingly quiet for the entire trip.  Even better, she loved listening to the book so much we are considering continuing our subscription.

I'm not sure I would have even considered Audible if it wasn't for the free subscription. If it is fitting for your business to give away a free trial, it is a great way to allow new customers to try your product.  For a subscription service a free month is a good option, for other product companies a sample size may be appropriate.

For B2B companies deciding on an incentive is a more difficult decision. Think about your clients' pain points and what does your company offer that may help your target audience. Consider white papers or a free analysis as a means of engaging with a new customer.

How do you respond to a week that goes completely opposite as planned?  In business we know that having processes in place is what makes for efficient operations, but what about when those operations don't work?

My week has been anything but normal and this disruption may be just what my businesses needed.  When you hear the term disruption, do you think of a disturbance that interrupts an event, activity, or process?  Or do you think of it as Clayton Christensen has defined: a disruption that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market, displacing the established?

What I have found is that these can be two-sides of the same coin.  I realize that saying both definitions of 'disruption' work together is a bit like saying we should make lemonade out of the lemons we've been dealt.

Here's how I made something positive out of a week that went off the typical process.

We all know that having a website is vital to any business.  It is your digital storefront, greeter and initial explanation of your businesses products or services.

While websites can be optimized for better lead generation, what do you do for customers who are not coming directly to your website?  Here are three marketing tools that will help you gain more leads.

For entrepreneurs, personal brand and your business brand are often one in the same.  Even if you have numerous employees, the owner still sets the tone of the business and is usually engaged with the client during the sales process or at implementation.

If you are an entrepreneur and haven't considered your personal brand and its impact on your business brand, it's time to get started.